Ricks returns to Frederick Street in Edinburgh's New Town after a full refurbishment

A familiar name is coming back to Edinburgh's New Town this week. Edinburgh hospitality group Montpeliers is reopening Ricks on Frederick Street on Saturday 31 October, following an extensive refurbishment of the venue.

The site has been trading as Rabble, which closed on 19 October to make way for the change. Its restaurant, bar and ten bedrooms are all returning under the Ricks name, and the Rabble website now greets visitors with a simple message: Rabble is now Ricks, reimagined but true to everything that made it worth coming back to.

For many Edinburgh regulars the name will bring back memories. Ricks first opened in 2000 and became known for its cocktails, its restaurant and its boutique accommodation. In its first year it was named among the world's 25 coolest places to stay by Condé Nast Traveller, and in 2008 it was ranked among the world's top 100 bars. The venue was renamed Rabble in 2017.

Sean Weeraratna, managing director of Montpeliers, said the comeback was less about reinvention and more about remembering what Ricks always was: a proper independent Edinburgh restaurant and bar with rooms. He described it as somewhere you come for the food, stay for another drink and don't want to leave.

The refurbishment has been led by Edinburgh-based Malcolm Duffin Design, with the aim of keeping the venue's informal character while giving it a refreshed identity. Lead designer Sarah Duffin said the work was about reintroducing the Ricks brand while keeping the wonderfully relaxed, informal quality that makes a place feel like an old friend.

In the kitchen, the new food menu has been created by Montpeliers group executive chef Ross Giamblanco, with a focus on seasonal produce. Suppliers include John Gilmore Butchers and Cumbrae Oysters, and the crab comes from Tarbert. Ross said the ethos behind the menu came from a deep-rooted belief that a chef has a responsibility to champion seasonal, local produce, and that the suppliers he works with are people he has known for most of his career. He added that the team was not trying to reinvent anything, just to do it as well as it can be done.

General manager Josh Ramsay shares that approach. He said Ricks had always been a place that takes its offering seriously, and that this was the version of the bar he wanted to bring back.

Ahead of the opening, the Rabble website points guests to Ricks' new home online for new menus, bookings and everything else. The new Ricks Hotel and Restaurant website confirms the opening date of 31 October and includes an enquiry form for anyone with questions before the doors open.