The Witchery by the Castle

First, you need reservations. I went for high tea with my 2 adult daughters on a cool Oct. afternoon. The building is from the 16th century and has a lovely vibe. It is beautifully decorated and a lovely space. The food was traditional tea - scones, sandwiches etc. My 2 daughters are vegetarians and there was enough for them to eat. We all had champange as well as tea. People were dressed for the experience - dresses etc. Not toursit clothes. I believe they also serve dinner in a different dining room. I would recommend spending a few hours having tea, champagne etc.

This part of my review concentrates on my dining experience in The Secret Garden. Having dined in the Secret Garden once before I knew that I was in for a fantastic experience. You enter through reception and descend down a short staircase into a totally magical space, tastefully decorated and romantically illuminated. On entering there is an army of staff waiting to see to your needs. I cannot stress enough that the service here is phenomenal in my opinion and is one of the major reasons why I have returned and will return again. After being shown to my table (I have to apologise for not remembering the names of the staff that were working that evening) I was offered an aperitif to which I asked for a Cosmopolitan which was nice and cold, sharp and a delight to drink. I had already viewed the a la carte menu online so I knew what I was going to order. I ordered the Balmoral Estate Partridge Schnitzel for my entre and the Cutlet of Glenfeshie Red Deer for my main. The Partridge was tasty, moist and delicious the Cutlets of Red Deer were absolutely gorgeous, chined/french trimmed (call it what you will) the rib bone was cleaned of all meat/sinew and the bone at the base of the cutlets removed leaving a beautiful ‘oyster’ of meat and cooked perfectly, served with a jus, fried cabbage and pomme dauphine. Absolutely delicious. I’m not a big fan of dessert personally but I went with the Vhalrona dart chocolate tort which was lovely and served in a small portion as it’s quite a heavy dessert. Wine…… oh where do I start with the wine list at The Witchery? This is a very extensive wine list and I would advise people to view it online before you go as there is so much choice. I like Californian reds and the wine list has plenty of choices from which to choose from reasonably priced to silly money. I chose the Syrah from Sine Qua Non and it was delicious, once again the well informed staff were able to answer all questions regarding this wine and they were very enthusiastic about showing me label stamp, bottle and cork. To end my evening I had a dram of a single malt from the Ardbeg distillery which truly hit the spot!! Overall the food is excellent, the wine is excellent and the staff are nothing short of the best!!

A friend recommended The Witchery after her visit to Scotland about a year ago and I’ve been wanting to go to this historic restaurant ever since! This is one of the most known restaurants in Edinburgh, just research it and you will see why! It is located on the Royal Mile just steps from the castle. Be sure to make a reservation since it books up way in advance. There are two dining rooms, the original and the Secret Garden. We dined in the original. We each had the Scottish lobster and all agreed that it was excellent. Service was excellent as well. Prices are comparable to upscale restaurants in the area. It is reportedly very near The Witch’s Well, but unfortunately I never found it! Highly recommend for the experience as well as the food!

We had a table for two at «the original dining room». Fantastic atmosphere with stunning wall & roof art, and very charming and service minded staff. The food and wine was all in the top part of the scale. Food and wine paring from the house sommelier. We tried the beef-tartar, hand-dived scallops, red deer, 30 day dry-aged scotsh beef and two deserts. This is a night we absolutley won’t forget. A bit pricey but for special nights definitely worth it.

Atmospheric and historic fine dining restaurant by Edinburgh Castle. Superb food and wine, exemplary service, friendly and helpful staff. Ancient wooden panneled rooms adding to the character and experience. Would definitely visit again.

Another wonderful experience at the Witchery, Edinburgh. The service was attentive, friendly & professional, but never intrusive. The starters of Partridge Schnitzel & Crab Benedict were excellent and full of flavour. The Red Deer, again, was cooked to perfection. Our only minor gripe was that the Hispi Cabbage formed a large part of this dish - at the expense of the Deer & Pomme Dauphine. A great dining experience, and we look forward to our next visit.