I don't have much experience with such high end dining and I was most impressed by the service here.
The food was very good as well and initially we had though that the tasting menu would not fill us up. Turned out to be very well portioned and we were very full by the time we walked out of the restaurant.
The flavours all blend into each other to form a smooth palate and the techniques I saw on the plate very pretty good.
Definitely a new experience for me.
We book a fancy restaurant to experience each Christmas and this year we chose Restaurant Martin Wishart. We decided so early on, we actually booked our table back in January. We had a little hiccup getting to the restaurant as my friend’s bus hadn’t turned up so we were a touch late but had called ahead to let them know (it’s only polite). It turned we were only late by 5 minutes but we did arrive a little frantically. We were told to relax by the gentleman that greeted us and he arranged for our coats to be taken and he showed us to our table. Restaurant Martin Wishart is situated on the Shore in Leith and its decor is full of biscuit hues and warm, sedate lighting. The restaurant itself was larger than I expected. However, I have to admit I was a little disappointed to be sat next to the door entrance/exit to the kitchen, which I hadn’t expected after booking so far in advance. That being said, it was a large table with a decent view of the dining room and no-one sat behind us as we were in a corner. We knew we were going to go for a tasting menu but the interesting thing about this restaurant is that they offer 3 types of tasting menu; the classic, a fish/seafood and a vegetarian. All three sounded amazing but we both opted for the classic. Each menu also had a choice of 2 desserts, so we picked different ones, not only so we could see both but because they suited our own palates.
If there’s one aspect of Edinburgh restaurant provision that our site has become less focussed on, in recent times, it’s fine dining. We’ve still never been to Number One, the Pompadour, 21212, Aizle and a bunch of others, and it’s ages since we visited Castle Terrace, the Kitchin and the Plumed Horse.
Filament is quite a small and compact coffee shop so it is to their considerable credit that they’ve managed to find room for two pop-up events as part of their August offering. Having started life as an August pop-up themselves, in the venue where Machina Espresso have in turn popped-up this year on Victoria Street, they’re old hands at the game.
My favourite retaurant. We always try and call when in edinburgh. A fringe must do. Looking forward to the great service and wonderful food later this week. If in ed then wisharts is a must. I'll review tues pm - if I remember
My wife and I with 8 other family members had a very special meal at wisharts. The food, service and atmosphere was amazing and will be remembered forever. Thank you Martin!
This is my favourite restaurant in Edinburgh. Yes, we have three other Michelin started restaurants but in my opinion, this one has it all from excellent food, impeccable service and lively surroundings. Also the best cheese board!
Not long after ordering a small dice sized horseradish beet macaron was presented meant to be eaten in one bite to wake up the palette. It was an interesting combination with the sweet macaron shell and the creamy horseradish spiked filling; a good savo
As Edinburgh’s leading fine dining establishment, Restaurant Martin Wishart continues to go from strength to strength, building on seemingly inexhaustible energy and creativity of its chef patron. He and his well drilled team are producing food of two Michelin star quality, so it remains a mystery why this distinction is yet to be achieved. Clearly, it can only be a matter of time before it is awarded. We all await the 2013 guide with interest.
...exciting main courses in their tasting menus but Martin Wishart sure does. A brilliantly elegant rendition of a comfort classic.
Fantastic guest service and appropriate meal portions. I highly recommend the Tasting Menu with matching wines. It was the perfect experience from start to finish! Will be back soon.
A lovely experience. My second visit after a 9 year gap. Faultless service and attentive staff. Food delicious. Would recommend.
Went for the lunch, rather than tasting menu so was pleasantly surprised to find that the amuse bouche (and bread) actually came with 6 or 7 different simple, but tasty, flavours for an immediate sense of variety to start.
Somewhat more of a traditional vibe with lots of marble, very formal waiters (it took a few attempts to confirm that one amuse bouche was basically just a hash brown, rather than whatever convoluted name it was introduced as), mirrors and an ever so slightly colder feeling atmosphere. But the decor is still fresh and, importantly, comfy.
Great service from the waiters who never let our water run dry, and were always on hand. However somewhat disappointing that after specifically asking for the return of the drinks menu once, it went missing again. Compounded by the inability to make a White Russian which I asked for, partially hoping one could be made and partially having had my drinks menu whisked away, so I had to guess!
Perhaps the lack of White Russian was not such a bad thing, as when we got hot drinks after dessert, they were served with milk that was close enough to it's use by date that it curdled into lumps floating in the coffee!
Having said that, a swift apology and replacements followed quickly, and I suppose it's not necessarily reasonably to expect everywhere to have a well stocked bar that can cater to White Russian cocktails, milk that is fresh and the hazelnut flavour I requested for the hot chocolate (it was still good, without)
Food was faultless, with terrifically simple flavours (gespatcho, tappenade, tomato salsa, crusty bread etc.) to start and more complicated flavours for main (pork jowl) and to finish (chocolate opera cake)
What an absolute excellent experience. This was my first Michelin star restaurant & it was even better than I imagined. Paul & his staff were right on point. My favorites were the seaweed butter, Orkney scallop, passion fruit dessert & coffee with petit fours.
This was my wife and I’s first experience of fine dining at a Michelin restaurant. It was certainly better than “fine”, in fact it was excellent. We were kindly greeted and taken to our seats. All staff were exceptionally professional and attentive. We had the lunch menu and we had many dishes that we hadn’t tasted before. All of which were amazingly presented and had unique flavours. There was only one dish my wife didn’t like but only because it was a bit ‘cheesy’. Thankfully I was there to gobble it up. Overall a great experience and it makes you appreciate the flavours of food, instead of munching meals without even thinking.
3.5. A good experience - alright for a special occasion, but I expected better (in certain areas) for a restaurant that’s supposed to be one of the topmost in Scotland.
Food is classic French, done by a Scottish chef and the restaurant has been around for several decades. The restaurant is small-ish, with simple decor; some tables are awkwardly arranged so asked to be moved.
Service was cordial but lacking. I’d expect the waitstaff to give more background on the restaurant, the provenance of the food, and details on what we were eating - such details were not supplied. This changes the dining experience.
Frustratingly, cups, cutlery and plates lingered on the table long after serving their purposes. Nobody was bussing. Things were cluttered.
The restaurant arranged desserts in a delightfully ornate arrangement for a birthday … but they initially forgot about said birthday, and had to confiscate what we were eating before re-presenting.
All in all, great food and a fun experience, but not super deserving of £600 for 3.
Writing this review after dining at Martin Wishart ten months ago. Absolutely amazing food and service. My friend and I discovered this gem a day before and we both enjoyed every course. Definitely recommend it!
Good overall but expected better from the Scottish culinary legend. Starters were best from this tasting menu. Service could have been more attentive. Bit disappointed coming back after 2 years, the food and experience used to be a lot better.
Amazing artwork—the team here are wizards. Everyone and everything are top notch professionally provided, from the welcome at the door, throughout the meal, and during our farewells.
We ordered the lunch menu, and ordered a couple extra dishes from the tasting menu. For me, the highlight was the sea bream ceviche, which was delicately and delightfully prepared.
We’ll definitely go back next time we’re in Edinburgh.
I have waited several weeks before writing this review because I wanted to be certain I was not being rushed along by the reputation. So the quick answer is that this restaurant is excellent.
We chose from the set lunch menu and there was enough choice to keep the two of us happy. Fish choices very good and we paired them with an excellent Alsace white. The A' La Carte menu is pricey but looked wonderful as we watched courses being carried to other tables. Our food was well presented, perfectly timed and served with just the right amount of explanation.
A word about the service. Attention to detail was incredible, I can't remember the last time I had this level of attention from staff. They managed to be helpful, efficient, understanding and knowledgeable without being condescending. Truly great service.
Is there a down side. Yes, but it is minor. I am not a fan of modernist high design dining rooms. Perhaps this would have a better ambience had we dined in the evening. I am certainly going to give it a try to find out.
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