Cullen skink takes its name from a fishing village on the Moray Firth. It runs to smoked haddock, potatoes, onions and milk, and the potato does all the thickening. The smoke has to come off the fish, so trust the kitchens that name Arbroath or Peterhead haddock. Tom Kitchin told The Relisher in August 2026 that his wife keeps asking why theirs at home is not as good as the bowl at The Ship on the Shore, and most Scots are measuring it against somebody's home version the same way. Seven rooms here cook it, from GBP 10.95 in a Leith pub to a version taken apart and rebuilt as a dumpling in chilli coconut cream.
Cullen skink.
The rooms, best first
- The Ship on the Shoreverified
Tom Kitchin sends people here for the cullen skink and says they nail it every single time, which is a starred chef naming somebody else's version of a soup he cooks at home.
- MIRINverified
Sharif Gergis takes the soup apart and rebuilds it as a dumpling, and the Good Food Guide describes fat, chewy parcels of smoky fish in a puddle of chilli-infused coconut cream.
- Café St Honoréverified
Neil Forbes builds his on Peterhead smoked haddock and heritage potatoes, then browns a blitzed cheddar and herb crust over it under the grill.
- Teuchters Landingverified
The List sends you here for a warming mug of Cullen skink or stovies when the weather turns, with a dram off a range of over 100 whiskies.
- Roseleaf bar cafeverified
The chunky Cullen skink is GBP 10.95 on the Summer 2026 menu, and it is the bowl Phil Rosenthal ate on camera here.
- The Magnumverified
The Cullen skink is on the card twice, at GBP 11.90 as a starter and GBP 18.90 at main size, so the kitchen expects people to make a meal of it.
- Howies Waterloo Placeverified
GBP 10.25 for smoked haddock, leek, potato and cream, served with focaccia off the morning's bake, and Howies puts it among the dishes that stay on the card when the season turns everything else over.
- The Doricverified
The kitchen builds its Cullen skink on Arbroath smoked haddock with potatoes, onions and cream, and the April 2026 menu names the fish.