A Review of The Witchery by the Castle, Edinburgh

The Witchery near the Castle is arguably Edinburgh’s most expensive restaurant. At £45 for a single cognac and £90 for a house bottle of champagne it’s not difficult to see why the price of enjoying a meal here can quickly escalate. But is the service worth the cost and how does the food shape up?

On arrival we were met at reception where our coats were taken, and then invited to go down the stairs into the Secret Garden Dining Room. We were met by the Maître d’hôtel and our waitress, Jorjia, who would provide us with superb services from the moment we sat down until the time we left.

We had booked well in advance (many people were being turned away for not booking) and were given a 2-hour time slot to dine. After ordering a bottle of The Witchery 1er Cru Brut N.V. (described as a “finely balanced & elegant Champagne is crafted especially for The Witchery” and costing £90 a bottle) we took to ordering our food from the a la carte menu: scallops with Romesco sauce, black olives & sea herbs for £36 to start and loin of Glenfeshie Red Dear with confit of Hispi cabbage, pomme dauphine for £55. And some sides of green vegetables and cauliflower cheese for £6.95 each.

A plate of scallops with Romesco sauce, black olives & sea herbs — The scallops can be enjoyed as a starter or a main

Of course, all the food was of great quality and the silver service provided was top notch. This was the first time I had ever experienced such amazing service and I could definitely get used to it!

We paired our main dishes with a Sauvignon Blanc at £75 (our budget couldn’t quite stretch to the £6000 Château Petrus!).

The dessert menu was, as you would imagine, extensive. However, I opted for the cheese board with Scottish homemade oatcakes, walnut bread & prune chutney (£17.95) and the recommended port for £15 which my sister finished her experience with a glass of Hennessy XO in a wonderfully warmed glass for £45.

Glenfeshie Red Dear with confit of Hispi cabbage and pomme dauphine

The Witchery offer a fine dining experience but theatre as well. The venue is stunning and gothic.

      EXCELLENT  
   Based on 1794 reviews 
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
       Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   maryp992022 
 
 
 
 Verified lovely experience
Visited the restaurant and had a lovely experience. food, service and atmosphere were all great. if in Edinburgh again will return as would like to sample some more of the offerings they had. thank you The Witchery keep up the great work....
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   lawgurl 
 
 
 
 Verified Beautiful suite right in the action
This hotel is nothing short of magical. You have to like the traditional, baroque aesthetic, but you are in for a treat if you do. Perfect location, wonderful service, and very unique. The breakfast option of having it set up in the room is lovely. The Sempill suite is enormous. I’ve stayed at 5 star hotels around the world, and this truly lives up to the hype.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   dollypolly 
 
 
 
 Verified Birthday treat
We had heard alotnovsoutnrhe infamous witchery restaurant. It most certainly didn’t disappoint. We went for my husbands birthday and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The decor is so lovely the staff attentive and professional. It makes such a nice change to have well trained staff who know how to attend to customers. The food was exceptional. It made my husbands birthday very special. Thank you.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Susan F 
 
 
 
 Verified High Tea in 16th Century Dining Room.
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.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Neil B 
 
 
 
 Verified Dinner by candlelight in The Secret Garden.
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!!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Dani M 
 
 
 
 Verified Beautiful Room, Excellent Service and Great Location
Stayed one night in the Rectory Suite. It felt like stepping back in time. The decor was one of a kind and the soaking tub with heated floors in the bathroom was pure luxury! The service was top notch as well. Breakfast is in the main Witchery dining room and was lovely. I took one star because the room did smell a bit old and stale. There is an air purifier however that works well. Overall excellent stay and the location cannot be beat for exploring old town!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   SuzyQu15 
 
 
 
 Verified Fantastic Ambiance, Excellent Food!
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!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Simon M 
 
 
 
 Verified Brilliance!
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.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Charley L 
 
 
 
 Verified Perfect, unique dining experience.
The Witchery is decadent and classy and I don’t believe you will find anything like it. The decor is beautiful and the dining rooms are moody and dark, lit only by candlelight which creates a wonderfully romantic atmosphere. The food is sublime. We had the lamb wellington and it was nothing like I have ever tasted. The staff are attentive and friendly. We were there for our honeymoon and didn’t experience any of the “snootiness” mentioned in the other reviews. Cameron was wonderful. Chatted with us and congratulated us on our marriage. I would highly recommend The Witchery! We will be back!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   BAtoo 
 
 
 
 Verified Excellent!
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.
  
 
  
  
 
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