My husband and I like to book one fancy meal on each trip we take and, for our quick trip to Edinburgh, we selected Number One, a Scottish fine dining restaurant located in The Balmoral Hotel. After reading a handful of reviews, previewing the tasting menu, and learning that the Executive Chef was the head chef of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Edinburgh, I knew this was our place.
As expected, the hotel itself was both historic and luxurious. We intentionally arrived early to allow ourselves time to wander, take in the scene, and grab a drink at the hotel bar (equally brilliant) before heading into the restaurant. We were greeted at the entrance and escorted to our table where an amuse-bouche and our tasting menus awaited.
Already impressed, our charming server talked us through the general progression for the evening and provided us with a drink menu for whenever we were ready for our next beverage. Andrew was excited to try some scotch, so we skipped the wine pairing.
The plates followed shortly thereafter and continued throughout the evening at the perfect pace. Each one was unique in flavor, color, and taste with the hand dived scallop from Isle of Jura and the goosnargh duck being among my favorites.
And, for an added touch, we also received a few additional sweets, including chocolates and a small dessert in take-home box ready to go. We were incredibly pleased with the variety of food, portion sizes, and extra surprises as well as the high level of service we received from the entire staff throughout the night.
Unfortunately we were seated near another (obviously) American couple dressed very informally and who spent much of the meal complaining. I’m not sure what they were expecting or if they’d ever experienced a tasting menu before – my guess was no as the portion sizes can be a shock if you’ve never done one before – but we did our best to ignore them and enjoy the truly beautiful meal and evening.
This restaurant is a tremendous value and an experience that I would recommend for anyone interested in an elevated, locally sourced, Scottish meal.
ALI IN OZ 