Lyla in Edinburgh is preparing to add four bedrooms to its Georgian townhouse, marking a new chapter for Stuart Ralston’s acclaimed restaurant as the chef works towards a second Michelin star.

The townhouse on Royal Terrace will take over the former 21212 Restaurant from mid February. Glasgow based interior architects Scarinish Studio are overseeing the refurbishment. The new rooms will reflect Lyla’s Scottish influences and calm aesthetic, retaining the building’s existing features, including high ceilings, detailed cornicing, large sash windows and light oak chevron flooring.

A private dining room for up to 12 guests is scheduled to open in late April on the first floor near the drawing room. It will centre around a solid oak table with selected tableware and individually made lighting. The original fireplace will be reinstated to highlight the building’s Georgian character.

Suites will feature tonal Bauwerk lime wash and a mix of soft, neutral materials such as bouclé upholstery, velvet and marble integrated into bespoke joinery. The rooms will include Scottish design elements, with fabrics from the Isle of Bute, cushions by Roros Tweed, throws by Hilary Grant and lighting by Tom Dixon and DCW éditions. Domus tiling, also used in Lyla’s drawing room bar, references Edinburgh’s maritime history.

Guests will receive an aperitif with charcuterie and snacks on arrival before being shown to their rooms. Each room will contain a minibar stocked with Lyla’s batched cocktails, Champagne, caviar and products made in-house.

The dining experience begins in the drawing room, which also houses the dry ageing fridges. Guests are served snacks such as alp blossom cheese, onion with quince and lobster, trout roe and sake, along with cocktails and Champagne from a trolley. Dinner continues downstairs in the 28 cover dining room and open kitchen.

Ralston and his team cook with Scottish produce, using French techniques with Japanese influences. Dishes include Scottish langoustine with burnt apple and sorrel, chawanmushi with north sea crab and kombu, and dry aged duck with fig and XO finished at the table.

Wine and soft pairings curated by sommelier Stuart Skea are available, alongside a wine list focused on small domain bottles from both established and newer regions.

Breakfast is served in the rooms with views over Royal Terrace, part of Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage Site. It includes pastries, charcuterie, compotes, cheeses, eggs and home cured bacon, presented on bespoke tableware.

“This next chapter means we can give guests the fullest expression of Lyla,” says Ralston. “The expansion of Lyla allows for another layer to offer our guests, this experience is something I have always wanted us to move towards, and is also us moving into a pursuit of a second star, an opportunity to refine every detail and push ourselves further.”

Lyla opened in 2023 and received its first Michelin star in 2025. Earlier in 2025, Ralston founded Aizle Hospitality Group with Jade Johnston, named after his first restaurant. The pair opened the Parisian bar à vin Vivien and the cocktail bar Vinette in October 2025, joining their two Bib Gourmand restaurants, Noto and Tipo.