Carina Contini has a high profile in the food and drink industry, having been Glenfiddich Food Personality of the Year and Harpers and Queens Food Personality Scotland. Carina has written on food and drink for The Scotsman since 2012 and regularly contributes to The Herald and BBC Scotland.
In 2004 she opened Contini George Street in a converted banking hall. From day one, it has delivered fresh, seasonal and authentic Italian cooking.
She and her husband are proud to call themselves Italian Scots and the best way to prove this is by having somewhere to serve great food. In 2009, they opened The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant at the Scottish National Gallery on Edinburgh’s bustling Princes Street. Here they.re passionately committed to sustainable practices and buy direct from a trusted network of over 70 Scottish artisan suppliers.
She changes their menus to reflect the seasons across all their venues to keep them fresh and exciting. These are supplemented by produce from their own one-acre Kitchen Garden on the outskirts of Edinburgh which provides them with herbs, vegetables and berry fruit.
In 2014 they embarked on a new food adventure with Cannonball House at the very top of the Royal Mile. Here they have created a real destination Scottish restaurant with an iconic backdrop that serves the best Scottish food with stunning views of the Edinburgh skyline and our next door neighbour Edinburgh Castle. Cannonball was quickly named winner of the Eating & Drinking Guide “Newcomer of the Year” and “Best Restaurant Experience” as part of the Visit Scotland Taste Our Best Awards
Cannonball Bar, serving over 150 Scotch whiskies, opened in May 2016 and has become a firm favourite whisky bar for locals as well as visitors from further afield.
