Michelin-starred restaurants don't get an SFR review because we are usually too busy drinking wine and having a great time to actually take notes. Not to mention the fact that the flavours are so brilliant that they cannot be conveyed by mere words. There will however be pictures, but even they cannot convey the simply sensational quality of the food.
This is the restaurant. It’s stunningly decorated – decorated like a boudoir almost. The walls are hidden by silky curtains and the chandelier in the centre of the room gives the room a patterned glow. The seats are a massive upholstered booth that stretches to the end of the room, adorned with cushions to break up seating spaces. When we arrived it was quiet – too quiet – and we were worried about being too loud. You can see the kitchen from the restaurant and the chefs are working away – quiet, intricate and composed. It busied up quickly and there was conversation in the air. I relaxed a bit then!
There is a choice of two starters then one soup, two mains then one cheeseboard, and two desserts.
There's a Dilbert cartoon where perennially downtrodden Dilbert approaches the pointy-haired boss's desk with a suggestion, only to see a sign on the wall that reads 'if it were a good idea, someone else would have already thought of it'. We've suggested a few times in this blog that Michelin starred tasting menus can be somewhat formulaic but we understand that there's safety in predictability. But we at least love something different so there's relish for us in finding somewhere totally original, and 21212 is exactly that, totally original. But before we jump for joy, there's always the risk that such originality can badly backfire, so how would 21212 fare? Indeed, the reason that 21212 is so called is because there's a five course menu with 2 choices on the first course, 1 soup, 2 choices on the main course, 1 cheese course and 2 desserts. But the menu itself reads more like a shopping list of ingredients and you're left wondering how it can come together as a coherent plate. Consid
We arrived a little early, and started off with Bellinis in the upstairs drawing room. The decor was reminiscent of a neo-gothic or regency interior, and the thick fog outside made it all feel very old fashioned. As well as our drinks, we had some fat oli
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Mr EF and I celebrated our anniversary at 21212 in Edinburgh last evening.
The food is really quite unlike anything else we’d tasted before. We’ve become used to having finely judged separate flavours melding together to create a delicious dish, but here the dish is the sum of its ingredients.
The name of the restaurant explains the composition of the menu, you choose between two dishes for the first course, the whole table has the second and so on. Mr EF and I decided to have one of each then swap over: not the easiest thing to do, to give your dish away when you are enjoying it so much! The dish pictured below is described as:
Slow baked baby halibut with an assiette of aubergine, tomato, garlic, a little ragout of apple, pistachio and currants, celery, white asparagus, onion and saffron, very fresh garden chives (look out to the back garden).
I didn’t take to the decor or design. It’s a curious mix of 60s graphics and Georgian elegance, and some of the staff wear peculiar brown pinafores. But hey, does that matter?
The staff are, well, sassy. Very knowledgeable about the dishes and ingredients, much more “forward” than you might be used to in a restaurant. Great at adapting the amount of help (or not) that a guest might want. Refreshing.
The kitchen is open to view. We enjoyed the huddling that seemed to take every so often as up to 6 chefs joined together to assemble the elements of a dish. Every so often we would look up see Paul Kitching languidly leaning on a counter keeping careful eye on the proceedings.
Would we eat there again? Yes. Certainly it is quirky – we loved the cow jugs full of “milk, coconut and porridge” served as a pre-dessert but it is so much more. You really should “Discover the Taste”.
Wonderful hotel with spacious well equipped rooms! Lots of attention to details!
Wonderful breakfast buffet in fantastic setting! Thank you:)
We ate here with a voucher, and on seeing how much the meal cost - definitely not worth it. The food was mostly nice, but very small portions. Went out somewhere else for a meal afterwards.
4-stars only because the service was fantastic from the staff and the restaurant had a nice atmosphere. If I was choosing a place for fine dining, I would go somewhere else.
Amazing experience. Not just a dinner, but full experience. Great communication when reserving, caring host, all is smooth, very nice ambiance. Food is exceptional. All is reasonably priced. Service is impeccable (not intimidating how it might be sometimes in such places, not pretentious, but professional and with human touch). The interior is very stylish. Highly recommended for a self-care treat, a date, family dinner, celebration.
We had a special occasion to celebrate and the restaurant did not disappoint. Elegant and classy, impeccable service, good selection of wines and tranquil ambiance. So easy just to sit and relax and enjoy good food.
We liked that we could choose how many courses to have and which ones off the menu: starter soup main cheese pudding. We went for four, with sharing cheese.
It took us two hours and we didn’t notice how time went. Salmon with caviar for the starter, soup, eel - prepared and served with a touch of surprise. Chabli was very good.
The only thing a party of Asian people in the middle of the room, with kids, sloppily dressed and sliding from their chairs, playing on their telephones - really, you cannot choose customers but maybe a subtle hint on dress code would help.
Another thing, it was a birthday and a little something with a candle would be a fab finish to the meal.
Our second visit and again we were not dissapointed, this is now our favourite fine dining establishment in Scotland, yes the food is that good! The staff were polite, prompt and well presented, they went above and beyond with their hospitality, also their knowledge of the food is exceptional. This gives you a relaxed feeling to your dining experience and with the quality of food you will want more.
Exceptional place for a very special occasion. You will be pampered a lot. My daughter loved the place.
It’s a Michelin star restaurant so you can expect a nice decor, private dining experience. All the dishes were nicely decorated however I have had better, softer meat at some much cheaper place. I would say chicken was way better cooked then red meat. Though the the quantity looks meager but when you finish you will be full.
A fascinating restaurant in every way. An extraordinary interior echos the past in a gently satirical way. The oversized banquettes give the diner a feeling of being a child in a grown-up's chair. The names given to each dish are witty jests; all this a nod perhaps to the divine Osteria Francescana. The open kitchen exudes calm, service is friendly and utterly professional. The food is complex and surprising. We enjoyed every minute of our lunch.
Gone now. But not forgotten...
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We visited here with some friends for dinner and drinks. I was so looking forward to it and it did not disappoint.
Decor was beautiful.
We opted for the 5 course, you get to choose from 2 starters, 1 soup, 2 mains, 1 cheese course and 2 desserts (21212) There was also some extra choices of specials so there was a great selection. The food was absolutely amazing.
Everything was explained perfectly to us from our extremely friendly hostess. All waiters and waitresses were fabulous, attentive and knowledgeable.
We started the evening with an amuse-bouche which was beautiful - almost like gazpacho accompanied with beautiful bread. Starter was the tasty Cheesy Barley Pudding, then followed the soup. For main I opted for Halibut which was cooked to perfection. The cheese course was next - this was just great. So may different cheeses and biscuits to choose from. Some I have never tried before so it was a lovely experience. We ended the evening with a Lemon Meringue "Bombe" all washed down wish prosecco.
Overall we were in the restaurant for a few hours. Nothing felt rushed - it was truly a unique and lovely experience with some fantastic food.
Perhaps some low music in the background would be nice but I cannot wait to go back.
Bread & butter is the best I've tried in my life. The table centerpiece is stunning, piece of art.
Overall, 50 pounds for upscale experience. Book in advance.
Superb. The staff are friendly and very knowledgeable.
The food is brilliant. Everything is beautifully cooked and presentation is top-notch, it's a pity you have to eat it as some of it looks like a work of art.
The paired wines make the experience even better.
You can also ask if you can use the upstairs bar to have a coffee or after lunch/dinner drink which also offers a panoramic view over Edinburgh to the Forth and the Kingdom of Fife beyond...
Barbara Lindner (Travelling Wife)
+5
Ok so it’s a little high end and it is priced as such. Went for earlier menu for £50 and added a cheese course for £15 more. The cheeses were tiny however truly delicious. The service was incredible and I left the needed extra to tip £20 for us since tip was not added. The portions are gourmet tiny however so many flavors! It is worth the trip. Wish I understood that the higher cost menu later had other options so it wasn’t just time of night. They offer 3,4, or 5 course dinners. Drinks were good however a little overpriced
We enjoyed a lovely lunch here. It was for a 3 course lunch voucher but also included were some additional crudités and a palate cleanser pre dessert. All the food was delicious, my wife, now gluten free, was made a special main off set menu which was a great touch. The service was friendly and attentive, and the setting lovely. We will certainly be back.
Wonderful dinner. Perfect service and really interesting food with perfectly matched wine. The best in Edinburgh as far as we are concerned. Service was speedy and professional. Small and intimate dinning room. We will be back again as soon is we can arrange it. Well done to all the staff.
A very enjoyable experience. Had never eaten at a Michelin star establishment, but have always wanted to and this lived up to expectation.
Had the very reasonably priced 5 course lunch menu. Our favourite dish was the barley risotto but every course was absolutely delicious!
We had a lovely experience here, very attentive and friendly staff. The building was beautiful and the seating was very comfortable and private even though it was an open plan dining room.
The food was really tasty and looked fantastic, we had such a great time.
An exceptional fine dining experience, situated around the concept that there are 2 options for the first, third and fifth courses (hence the name). Our experience was delightful, as we both had a five course meal with wine.
As a highlight, the main course of pork tenderloin was beautifully slow cooked and finished off in a pan. Unobtrusive service and an excellent selection of wines cap an amazing experience.
Lovely visit! The entire staff was so fantastic, which made our dinner all the more enjoyable. We had the tasting menu and thoroughly enjoyed the creative flare to all the dishes. Portion sizes were perfect. Atmosphere is a bit on the formal side, but overall wonderful experience would love to visit again.
Private dining lunch was just amazing. The food was delicious as to be expected. Only downside was no vegan option... So had to miss out on a few courses. The overall experience was second to none though... Stunning restaurant.. Beautiful wine.. Attentive staff 5⭐ all the way.....
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