Number One

My partner and I are in mutual agreement. This is the best meal we’ve ever eaten in our lives.
Let me take you through this epic culinary journey from start to finish. I booked a place three months in advance for my partners birthday just to secure our place.
Upon arrival, we walked down a flight of stairs to get to Number One. We were greeted by one staff member who took our coats, then another who led us through the dining room than another who say us down. Oh and another serving water and another serving canapes.
I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive before going in because ultra fancy is usually not my style. I was worried whether I was dressed well enough and whether I’d know which cutlery to use and when. Well, I didn’t need to worry about that at all! Despite its five star status everyone was welcoming and friendly. Not an air of doucheyness or pretentiousness in sight.
So we were provided three canapes each upon sitting and offered aperitifs. When my partner asked for the selection of whiskey, well, they just bought the whole tray over!
So after some general chit chat and a brief look at the menu (as if I didn’t check beforehand!) we ordered the 7 courses with tasting wines.
So our seven course dinner became a four hour event where we ate, laughed, and learnt about an array of amazing wines, each perfectly paired with our meals.
The amuse bouche to start was a small amount of lobster, perfectly cooked and seasoned with grilled cucumber which blew my mind.
Next came the balmoral smoked salmon with lemon curd, caviar and a quail egg. My partner has named this «the best dish I have ever eaten.» Enough said, even of you don’t go with a 7 course meal just coming for the salmon will change your life.
Next up the heritage beetroot. Sweet, soft, salty and crunchy this was a curious dish topped with a dijon mustard icecream.
So by now we were three glasses of wine in a safe to say, I’m feeling pretty giggly by this point.
Then came the wild halibut atop boiled potatoes. Seriously the best fish I have ever eaten in my whole life. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned, really delicate and perfectly paired with the Ataraxia Chardonnay.
Then the main: aged beef fillet with mushroom and a truffle jus. This meal was quite strong in comparison to the others had, but was cooked to perfection and was so tender.
We were then offered the selection of cheeses which we gladly accepted. We were quite full by this point, but who am I to pass up cheese and fortified wine?
We then had the pre-​dessert, which was a mix of strawberry and watermelon to cleanse the palette.
Dessert was a caramel soufflé cooked to perfection with pecan and banana. Paired with an amazing port with undertones of toffee which paired well with the dish.
This was truly an amazing experience I would do again in a heartbeat. The cost of this meal was not cheap, but if you can spare the ££ then this is a must try.
The dining room was spacious with ample room, far enough from other diners so you can fully immerse yourself in all these culinary delights.
The staff were do professional and friendly and at times it was like watching a dance– the timing and graceful way they moved around the dining room seemed effortless. Our sommelier was extremely knowledgeable and each wine complimented each dish perfectly.
I cannot reccomend Number One highly enough, it was a truly unforgettable experience.

Visited in June 2014. The service and ambience were excellent. However, the tasting menu was nothing exciting and overrated. I expected more from Number One and thought I was going to give it five stars. That said, my friends have given Number One a second chance and reported improvements in the tasting menu. I’d probably give it another try.

Likely the best meal I have ever had, and a deserving member of the Michelin star level of restaurant.
Wine, exceptional. Service, hard to find less than perfect.
If there is one night in Edinburgh, this is where you want to eat.
Very, very well done. And well worth the money.

This is an overrated, snooty establishment. Their food and service is very disappointing. They have a very high opinion of themselves… which is undeserved.

This is a great restaurant for special occasions or just if you want a fancy dinner in Edinburgh while visiting. We loved the tasting menu with the wine pairing. The staff and sommelier were very friendly, professional and not snotty. The food was gorgeous and delicious and this is some of the best bread I have had in the last five years. For those of you who don’t eat bread, this is worth the exception. We both loved it and weren’t sure we would after reading reviews. If you like to go to a nice dinner with friends and have this be your evening entertainment, this is your place. My husband didn’t have to wear a suit and tie and I didn’t see anyone more dressed up than we were. Terrific experience and we both highly recommend it!

Number One is just the kind of place we want when we’re celebrating a special occasion: delightful Michelin-​stared dining in an elegant but not overly-​snooty atmosphere. We’ve had the tasting menu twice and both times it hit the mark.
They are happy to tailor the menu to special dietary requirements, and the adapted dishes are no less glorious than the originals (at least in my experience with the vegetarian options). The only thing I don’t like at Number One is the art on the walls, but it’s easy enough to ignore that and instead focus on the art on the plates.

A really lovely dinner for two from start to finish.
We had the set tasting menu with wine pairings, all of which beautifully complemented each course they were served with. Waitstaff also shared a short bit of information on the background of each pairing beyond the usual types of flavors, acidity, etc… one could expect.
When I ordered I asked if it was possible to replace one course with a John Dory (with langoustine and smoked bacon) I saw on the a la carte menu, because I hadn’t had excellent John Dory in a while. Easily accommodated and as expected that course was outstanding as well.
My personal favorite courses were foie gras (perfectly seared, silky and buttery), the aforementioned John Dory and beef, which was easily among the best I’d ever tasted in terms of quality and ideal level done-​ness.
If you enjoy cheese courses, Number One has top-​notch cheese offerings, including many Scottish varieties. Try as many as you can!
It was a lovely, memorable evening thanks to the excellent food and service and I hope to return soon.

My wife and I and our two children are visiting from San Francisco, and had a wonderful meal last night to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Expensive, yes, but also exceptionally good food and service. Manager Gary Quinn was terrific and ensured it was a night to remember.

Great service, an exquisite meal and a really nice atmosphere. A wonderful venue for a «special occasion» dinner.
This swanky restaurant is located on the B1 level of the Balmoral Hotel.
Pre-​appetizer «tastes», appetizers, mains & desserts were all perfectly executed and deliciously tasty. The petit fours topped off the meal… A dining extravaganza! Highly recommended.
Beware, top notch dining comes at a top notch price but OK to splurge for that special occasion. Just be sure to check that you have a sufficient credit line on your card before attempting to pay :)
Dinner for 2 with gratuity came to £ 240.

The Good: The Bread Trolley, Sauté Foie Gras, 40 day aged Beef, Roomy dining room
The Bad: £15.50 for the Cheese Trolley.
Overall: A good dining experience but there are better 1 star restaurants in Edinburgh.

For my birthday, I was treated to an outstanding 9 course meal at the glamorous Number One restaurant within the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. Number One is a well known Michelin-​starred restaurant which is regarded as one of Scotland’s best. The team is lead by Executive Chef Jeff Bland, who uses top Scottish ingredients to create edible art which both fascinated me and tasted incredible.
We started with cocktails &‘canapés in the bar — fois gras macaron anyone? Bizarre? Yes, but utterly delicious.
We decided to have the chef’s tasting menu with matched wines. They give you a basic menu which literally gives a basic clue as to what you’ll be served. When each course arrived we dissected them and analysed them to discuss the ingredients and cooking methods. It’s a foodie thing. We need to work out what herb that’s in the sauce, or how the salmon was cooked!
We had a selection of breads to choose from to begin with — I opted for a cheese and caramelised onion loaf. It was divine. I’m not going to give a blow by blow breakdown of each dish — there is so much detail that I could go into, and I think the pictures on my blog speak for themselves.
This meal, or should I say culinary experience, was just brilliant. The only meal I can compare it to is Restaurant 21 212, but as they’re both very different, I couldn’t possibly pick a favourite. The restaurant is low lit, comfortably quiet and spaced and beautifully decorated. The staff are absolutely fantastic: you’re served by a host of staff from waiting staff to a sommelier. Everything is explained, the food is beautifully cooked and presented. The service was slick and yet not too pretentious (yes, there is such a thing). I’d recommend dining here to absolutely anyone who enjoys top quality food.
After our meal we decided to try out the trendy Balmoral Bar! A fantastic night!

Ok, first the good stuff. The service was impeccable. The presentation of the food was perfect. The ambiance was relaxing, comfortable, and subdued.
Sorry, maybe i’m too down to basics, but the foods we ordered were so fancy and constructed that they were unidentifiable. Even now we do not know what some of the items on our plates were. By the end of dessert we were hoping not to have any more «foams». Too much chemistry here. Elegant does not have to be exotic. A simple crème brûlée for dessert would have been nice.

This was one of the worst restaurant meals of my life.
My fiancé and I came here on a recommendation from our hotel, and after hearing how many Michelin stars this place had been awarded, we figured we were in for a fantastic meal. Firstly, let me say that this restaurant has absolutely no atmosphere. It’s incredibly stuffy and just generally very old-​world, whilst simultaneously trying not to be. That being said, I wouldn’t have really minded had the meal been enjoyable.
The meal started with several canapes that didn’t seem to go together, much less taste good on their own. I had a feeling after tasting the foie gras macaroon that the meal was only going to be down hill from there. Nevertheless, I tried to maintain an open mind. However, each dish that they brought us proved to be one let down after the next. By the end of the meal, I was so looking forward to dessert — but even the soufflé was horrendous.
We have eaten at restaurants all over the world, and never have we had a recommendation that proved to be such a massive let down. We had a far more enjoyable meal the following night at Ondine. This restaurant needs to make up it’s mind (and replace the carpet).
Will be shocked if they get a Michelin star for 2013.

I was treated to a meal at number 1 for my birthday and what a treat it was.
Totally opposite experience to James O, so maybe they’ve stepped up their game since that review was posted.
We had three courses, and each one was interluded with a tasting style menu of canapés.
The bread and cheese trolley was out of this world, easily found in any artisan bakery.
The food was one of the best meals I’ve had in Edinburgh, every course was delicate and full of flavour.
The loss of one star is due to the atmosphere. It’s a little pretentious. It has a dining room feel to it, however your fellow diners are banker types in suits, and the odd couple on a romantic date. We didn’t feel as relaxed and made a move as soon as the bill was paid.

On our first night in Edinburgh, we ate at the lovely Number One restaurant in The Balmoral hotel. The décor is a bit odd. There is a lot of artwork on the wall (and two that we were sitting next to that were half below our table), and they seemed quite eclectic in style. Some we really enjoyed, others seemed quite bizarre.
That being said, we were seated at our table and given the menus to look at. We were on a package deal which included the tasting menu, so we had that of course with the wine pairings.
The first fun thing was the bread trolley that they wheeled up to your table. There were three types of bread: a spelt baguette, cheese bread, and a rosemary bread. The breads were sliced for you at the table, and the bread slicer gave you the option of the end of the loaf (if that’s your thing… it certainly is mine so I took him up on the offer). We were also served a few delicious bites at the beginning.
To be honest, it was hard not to compare some of the courses to some we had at Andrew Fairlie a few days earlier, since both of the meals contained foie gras and scallops. The seared foie gras was amazing (better than the foie gras at Andrew Fairlie). It was decadent and having a bit of truffle with it was just the icing on the cake. The scallops course was also slightly tastier. It wasn’t as refined, but the flavors were out of this world.
For the rest of the courses, I wasn’t overly excited about the cheese mouse that came between the foie gras and the scallops. Nothing wrong with it, but a tad boring (for me). The beef was cooked well, and it came with tongue and sweetbreads! I’m definitely an offal sort of guy, so this was very nice. The dessert was good. A bit chocolately and a good way to end things.
We opted for the additional cheese course, and I’m glad we did. There was a huge selection of cheeses available, and while the cheese man was willing to give us a plate to share, we got our own (mostly because I love goat cheese, and well, the other half hates it). We were both quite happy with the selections we had with the cheese.
The meal was really tasty. Maybe not quite as refined or interesting as some of the other places I’ve been, but everything was well cooked and enjoyable.

Time to get my snobbery on.
Again Unilocal you have hit the hammer on the head of the nail with the «Meh. I’ve experienced better». Number One is the place you go if you have lots of money, and want people to see you. Nice décor that is open despite being underground.
My lovely date (Jeanne) and I, are on a quest to try all the crème a la crème places of Edinburgh, and Number One was next on the list.
And perhaps I should start off by stating that my rating is terribly harsh, and the only reason really, is because they are not delivering what should be in the price. We arrived, (reservations are suggested) while we were there, we represented 22% of the people.
Bread trolly was surprisingly uncreative, with much of the standard rolls one could find at a good bakery; butter was nice and fresh, and our starters were fine. My goats cheese was overly mild and wasn’t distinct, but was very soft and fresh.
Jeanne and I both ordered the hay beef with marrow and rib with a truffle glaze. Her, rare, me medium rare.
Now come the mistakes, and I really don’t mean to get too snobby, but when one pays the prices one pays, you don’t make mistakes. Our total bill came to more than half my months rent (Marchmont rent) for a dinner for two, 3 courses and 1 glass of wine each.
1.) Waitress served me wrong wine. She later notified me of her mistake, however charges were still on bill of the more expensive wine.
2.) Jeanne and I’s meat were both served the same, i.e. both rare. Also the truffle glaze was impossible to taste, and left us wondering if it had been forgotten.
3.) Jeanne, being from France (and from a respectable background), is use to having her silverware placed in a specific way with the fork facing down, not up as is customary in this country. After the waiter had place her cutlery down, she and I both flipped it in her «french style». When the waiter came to refill our glasses he changed it back. Jeanne and I both changed it again, with again the waiter returning it to the british way. While Jeanne and I both found this «silent» battle to be very amusing, it violates a crucial rule that Number One seems to believe they are above.
The Customer is always right.

THERE WAS A BREAD TROLLEY! OMG @@@@@
(and a WHISKY trolley OMG! and a cheese TROLLEY omg! and a mini HAGGIS petit four entrée :))
No photos because it just didn’t seem right but had a impromptu meal here and it was absolutely fantastic. Went for the tasting menu/​degustation (it was seventy pounds without wine, six more than the three course option) and it was absolutely fantastic — the scallop and steak were both stand-​out favourites around the table.
Service, impeccable. One of my fellow diners is allergic to both caffeine and chocolate (yes, poor thing) and the staff at Number One happily worked around these allergies.
DO IT!
(also had an Iona Semillion Blanc from South Africa with our meal — price 37.50 and it was very nice)

To quote Goldfrapp — you’re my number one; I’m like a dog to get you
Offering a VEGGIE TASTING MENU menu, how could I pass it up? Meaty for my parents so everyone could enjoy
Pre-​amuse busche — 4 delish little nibbles like pea mousse, beef tartare (for parents), tomato & radish, mozzarella phyllo
Amuse Busche– Butternut Squash Veloute & Mushroom Soup. Both were rich, thick, savory & creamy. Couldn’t decide which was better
Starters — asparagus tempura w/​asparagus mousse & quail eggs, mushroom soup w/​summer truffle… give me truffle on anything & it’s a winner, no question!
Mains — sea bass w/​veggies thinly sliced for parents — said it was the best fish they had in the country
I enjoyed stuffed artichoke w/​cauliflower gratin, summer truffle & veggies tender & extremely flavorful — w/​walnut gnocchi was creamy & yummy & the gnocchi were the fluffiest little pillows of deliciousness. perfect tool for scooping up all that yummy walnutty creamy sauce!
Pre-​Dessert of praline cheesecake & chocolate sauce
Desserts were raspberry soufflé w/​choc macaroon; choc granitta was the lightest, fluffiest soufflé I’ve ever had.
After dinner treat was 5 desserts like lemon Turkish delight, passion fruit sorbet bite, & little choc bites like choc hazelnut, choc mint, mini choc bomb
There was a travelling Scotch Cart, travelling Bread Cart (which was phenomenal!), everything travelled right to you… and when you thought you should say no, it would be way too tempting & we’d find ourselves saying okay
They also had a travelling cheese cart that looked awfully tasty but by this point, there was *no way* we were getting even 1 crumble more into our tummies… next time my Number One!
Number One was our #1 most expensive meal in Scotland — but totally worth it!

After realizing I was being too frugal on my UK holiday, I decided to spoil myself at this gem. It was quite intimidating, since I was eating alone at such a nice place, but the service staff was welcoming and attentive. Although the menu items were listed as five course meals, they allowed me to order and pay for a few individually.
I was just looking for a cheese board and a nice glass of wine, but ended up trying the foie gras (why not? I thought. never tried it before…). It was pretty pricey, but I was paying with my monopoly money (foreign cash). I loved the bread, and the little tasty treats they served before and after the meal (the official name escapes me). Delicious.

Number One is the Balmoral Hotel’s Michelin starred restaurant, which in itself gives you an indication that the food here is going to be far greater than your average hotel restaurant fare. Michelin Star handouts in Edinburgh are few and far between, so if you get the chance to have a culinary experience in any such starred establishment, I would free up a space in the diary.
Number One sits quietly in its prime Princes Street position, not doing anything too outlandish or showy, but making a classy impression, which mixes tradition with style. The consistently tasty dishes are classic in execution, but with a modern twist, so you’re not in danger of those unimpressed looks some dining companions give to modern, tiny food, which is sometimes almost unidentifiable because it’s been so artistically tampered with. The ambience here is smooth and relaxed, and there’s very little chance you’ll be disappointed.