The Witchery by the Castle

Location unbelievable, especially during Fringe and Tattoo. Highly recommend booking early for an August stay so you can also experience street performers, comedy and Fringe shows as well as the Royal Military Tattoo. The Witchery made it oh so special! First, our room, the Old Rectory, is stunning. I can only imagine they all are. The spiral steps up to half of the suites is part of the experience, but don’ t let that stop you from getting a room across the street if none on the turret are available. The Whiskey Experience is right next door, the entrance to the castle a half block one way and The Real Mary’s Close tour a block the other way. Pubs are all around but best of all, the punctual 11:00pm Tattoo parade goes right by your door. We went out at 10:55 and walked ten feet to stand behind a yellow barricade so we could watch it go by; as amazing as the show itself that we experienced the next night complete with the castle dinner. Just utterly rousing watching hundreds of pipes, drums, brass and dancers go by, and then sweep right back into our room to enjoy the ambiance and luxury. We had both the breakfast in the restaurant and breakfast in our room and I preferred the service of the restaurant plus the hot food items. We were given a full bottle of chilled champagne and bottled waters nightly plus cookies, coffee and tea always available in the room. There was a table where you could get take-away and enjoy the setting if you want, because really, the room is an excursion itself. Getting food anywhere after 9:00 at night is tricky so plan accordingly, especially if you are still on another time zone. We did not eat at the restaurant because we experienced the front room for breakfast. Truly, I don’t think I could justify more than two nights at the Witchery financially but one night wouldn’t have been enough to fully appreciate the location. It’s a magical experience I hope to replicate some day, especially in August.

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.