Edinburgh dining after having done the homework
 

Hello,<BR>I've studied endless posts and read the reviews but if anyone would care to comment on restaurant selection I'd be very grateful. We already have reservations at The Witchery ( ah yes Sheila, I know ,but the reviews were so mixed I had to give it a go!). With only two nights left it's pretty much down to Stac Polly, The Atrium, The Tower. Which ones? Or please feel free to confuse me even more. Aside from the obvious concern for quality and creativity of the dishes and good service, intimate atmosphere is high on the desirability list. <BR>We won't arrive for a few weeks but I imagine I should make reservations soon.<BR>Many Thanks.

Stac Polly is not in the same league as the other two. But I'd suggest you have a look at Rogue, which is relatively new and The Marque Central, both of which I love.<BR><BR>(See, I never mentioned the Witchery)

Hi Mickie,<BR><BR>We just recently returned from Edinburgh and had a wonderful meal at, dare I say it, The Witchery. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. We also ate at Stac Polly, it was good but not memorable.<BR><BR>When I'm travelling, I always feel I've made a good choice when we find a restaurant enjoyed and frequented by locals. The evening we ate at Martin's on Rose Lane we were the only <BR>'foreigners' there.<BR><BR>We, and the regulars, were greeted warmly by Martin, the owner and host, and he spent time with us reviewing the menu and wine list. The dining room is small and classic with white tablecloths and china, simply decorated and not at all touristy. I think the Scots would call it 'smart casual.'<BR><BR>I can't recommend any particular dish because the menu changes daily, but our meal was one of the best we've had anywhere, not just in Scotland. <BR> <BR>It's also an adventure trying to find the place. If you go, leave yourself an extra ten minutes.

oops, I've made it more difficult to find. Martin's is on Rose Street,<BR>North Lane.

Am following this thread, as I'm also headed for Edinburgh soon. Here's a link to a great article in Wine Spectator which mentions several top restaurants, The Witchery and Martin's included: http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Ma...7,1405,00.html

Many thanks for the suggestions. The Marque Central is certainly a possibility, Sheila. Thank you for your thoughts. One review I read of Rogue likened it to a hip New York restaurant and since I can find that close to home, I decided to choose something else. That was my only reason for scratching that from my list. <BR><BR>Charlotte, your description of Martin's being frequented by Scots is encouraging, as is the size.<BR><BR>Lesli, at first glance the Wine Spectator web site looks great. Thank you for the introduction.<BR><BR>I'll give this a tad more thought over the next couple of days. Just the thought of being able to wander the streets of Edinburgh alone with my husband for a few days is delightful enough, but a relaxing, top shelf dinner will be a nice addition.<BR><BR>My thanks for the help.

We were VERY disappointed in The Witchery. However, the Wee Wendae's was wonderful! Very good food, very nice waiters...just truly a delightful meal. Its on the Royal Mile, on the same side of the road as The Witchery, but quite a ways down.

During our recent trip to Scotland we also ate at Martin's on Rose St. [North Lane] and LOVED IT!<BR><BR>It is small, the decorations aren't glitizy by any means, but the ambience, the food and the hosts Martin & his wife Gay are most welcoming. Be sure to have the cheese tray -- we had 5 exquisite Scottish and Irish cheeses that are completely unavailable in the US. Martin really enjoys explaining them too :)

Mickie,<BR><BR>Just wanted to put in my 2 cents on The Witchery - loved it! I got married in Edinburgh last summer, and we decided to have our rehearsal dinner at The Witchery, even though I had read mixed reviews on this board about it. We had a large group of family and friends with us on the trip (19 total). Many of the people are avid travelers and have eaten in all classes of restaurants around the world. Anyway, we all thought the food and wine (not to mention the service and atmosphere) were outstanding. I'm not sure the cause of the bad reviews, unless the restaurant is just not always consistent. However, from my own experience I highly recommend it....we are still talking about the food a year later! <BR>

ttt for Nigel

For intimacy, try a private room at Prestonfield House. It's just off the A7 south of Edinburgh. Actually, you don't need a private room for dining, if you ask for coffee and dessert after dinner you'll get a private room.<BR><BR>Steve

Deacon Brody's on the Royal Mile is perfect for a light lunch and a pint. Touristy, yes, but also comforting.

Hi Mickie, thought that I would add my barely 2 cents worth here. We went to Martin's and had a "nice" dinner there....I know, some people loved it, but that night we were there, it was not quite worth "it". For example, we always ask for water with our meals, they automatically gave us bottled water(wihout asking) and charged us too. No biggie deal, but it was the principal of the thing IMO. They also had very small servings IMHO. <BR> On the other hand, we loved the Tower!!! We had fabulous views of my verrrry favorite Castle and very good food too! They also had a great olive munchies as soon as we were seated. I loved my salmon, it was yummy. My waiter (hmmm, OUR waiter) was quite hunky too. FYI, Judy

Sorry judy thought martin's wasn't worth it. we've actually made a special stop in Edinburgh on our way north just to eat there we enjoy it so much. <BR><BR>we were not terribly impressed with the witchery, but it has been several years since we've been there so I won't comment on it.