Best restaurant in Edinburgh - without children ?

[rookiemater]

Hello, I have a special birthday coming up, babysitting arranged through our circle, but not sure where to go.

I was thinking maybe The Kitchin but it seems awfully expensive is it worth it, or opposite end of the spectrum we did a wine tasting food event at Chop Chop once and loved it so would like to go again, but its not very atmospheric is it ?

Any ideas anyone ?

Raphaels in Stockbridge is great...good food and friendly chef/owner - but not very fancy, so not sure if that's what you are after.

21 again, eh ?

If you want posh then number 1 at the Balmoral is really excellent. We went when we couldn't get a table at The Kitchin for my birthday.

cafe st honore is fabulous but you will choke at the prices

Martin Wisharts?

The Tower

Witchery

Atrium

Wedgewood

Sweet Melindas

Prestonfield

Have a great time.

Ondine is yummy if you like fish/seafood

Love Olorosso and has lovely views from some tables esp on a nice night

21212 on Royal Terrace meant to be fab as well (but haven't been)

I also liked the restaurant at Hotel Missoni but know it's not everyone's cup of tea

Have fun

Would second the Witchery and Sweet Melindas

Fishers is good if you like fish

La Garrigue - swoon

I went to 21212 last night with dh for our wedding anniversary, it was the best evening ever, the food is fantastic! it's an experience I will definately be repeating
Expensive but worth it

The Kitchen is great too, went a couple of years ago now, but I loved it.

The Witchery, fabby too... wedding present years ago.

The Stockbridge Restaurant, yummy, yummy....small and cosy.

The Tower, not been but heard good things.

Where ever you go, have fun

the vintners rooms is v. special. the restaurant is entirely candlelit.

OOH gosh choices choices. I have been to The Tower thought it was ok but not overwhelming, ditto The Witchery. We like Fishers but have been before, just googled Ondine sounds like a nice menu.

Thanks folk.

Ondine was a disappointment for me tbh.
Expensive (my meal and drink cost over £60! I did have a cocktail but not a pudding!) also overpriced for what it was (three fillets of fish - veg extra and a small portion at that) and the food actually wasn't that great. (Salt and pepper squid was really chewy.)

Also, the staff were quite snooty and our waiter in particular was on a hard hard sell of all the drinks. (Maybe that's why my bill was so high!)

There is a fab Thai called Dusit in Thistle Street. The restaurant is modern, the food great and the owner lovely and welcoming. I would prefer that for a destination restaurant then round the bars of the New Town afterwards!

And I love the restaurant at The Scotch Whisky Society in Queen Street. Lovely food, great staff and Georgian room to eat in then upstairs for a drink in the Society bar - you dont need to be a member to eat there and have a drink upstairs afterwards. And everyone is really friendly.

Martin Wishart is slightly better than the Kitchin IMO. Haven't been to 21212 yet - will have to wait the three years till my 40th!

Aliarse - that's annoying about Ondine - we had the opposite, couldn't get someone to bring us more drinks!

Another vote for Dusit if you like Thai - have never heard a bad word about it and have spent several birthdays/anniversaries there.

If you fancy a good french cuisine, you have the Petit Paris on Grassmarket. It is small, but food is really good, and note expensive for what you have in your plate.

For something fancier, number one is a good one. We went there with my partner last year and really enjoyed it, my partner found the proportion a bit small. It is quite expensive

Rhubard at Prestonfield - the surroundings just make you feel special!

sorry - Rhubarb!!

or slightly cheaper - this place was nice -food good and a lovely wee bar for coktails:
Monteiths

Ooh maybe not for Ondines then.

Didifrench I do like Petit Paris, DH and I went there on our first date.

I have been to Dusit, like it but in the evening due to my incredibly advanced age could not hear DH as the dining room acoustics are incredibly noisy.

Have also been to Martin Wisharts, went with some foodie friends for lunch about 5 years ago pre DS, went for the wine waiters recommendations and ended up spending £90 for lunch which I was utterly horrified about,so horrified that I can't in fact remember anything about the food, then we had cocktails on the rooftop at Olorosso, sigh don't expect I will ever be doing that again.

Have also been to Monteiths for girly evening, enjoyed immensely and thought menu was good.

DH has decided that I am too indecisive so he will surprise me, will let you know where I end up, but thank you all very much for your suggestions.

Where did you go in the end? And was it nice?

Thanks for asking . We went to Ondines in the end, DH printed out menus for both The Kitchin and Ondines and asked me to choose, thought The Kitchin menu looked overly fussy and too expensive.

Loved Ondines [easily impressed smiley].I had the steak tartare for starter and it was amazing, then I had the grilled seafood platter and it was incredible. Oh and we each tried an oyster and decided yet again that we don't like them (boke) don't know how anyone does.

Side dishes were expensive and slightly disappointing.

Service was very slick and not much pushing of drinks at all, in fact due to the huge quantities of food I had I only had one glass.

Lots of nice little freebies as well am currently munching through the yummy petit fours that I made them wrap up for me [don't get out much smiley] as I was too stuffed to eat them last night.

It was expensive but good for a special treat, DH kept saying lets go here again for my birthday in January.