The Witchery By The Castle

My wife and I were in Edinburgh for our honeymoon, spied this place just outside the Ediburgh castle gate at the start of the Royal Mile, and thought it might be a nice lunch stop, but despite the fact that my bride was wearing a very Witch-​y Griffindor sweatshirt, the perfectly genteel captain informed us (with a most credible impersonation of cordial regret) that every table in the completely empty restaurant we beheld was, in fact, reserved for a lunch crowd which would be descending like a plague of locusts at any moment, and remaining until 3 p.m. at least.
I strongly suspect that there were simply «no tables available» for people dressed like tourists. So, if you ever go to Edinburgh, do me a favor: send a telegram weeks in advance requesting their very best table, get a written confirmation from the manager, then show up wearing sandles, shorts, and pit-​stained American flag t-​shirts and dragging large back packs, shopping bags, and duffles, tell them you wired ahead for a reservation and show them your confirmation letter, then ask if they have a kayak check.
El Rauncho Grande

5 stars for ambience.
3.5 stars for service.
3 stars for food.
I’ve been to the Witchery twice for dinner. I booked the Secret Garden the second time but they did not have our reservation when we arrived despite providing proof on my e-​mail. However, they found us a table at the Witchery. I’ve taken two of my friends here who came to visit me in Edinburgh as it is a cool place to dine; the décor is unique. This is a restaurant I would visit for the ambience but not for the food. The Venison, pork loin and salmon were dry and overcooked on both occasions we visited. We had the pudding selection on both occasions which was again, average for dessert but nothing noteworthy.

i have dinner there last night for my friend birthday，they almost forget i told them write happybirthday on dish even i told them in advance， what worse the seafood there are not fresh and clean！only after i sign a consent form that i can take the seafood away，see，i just want to prove the seafood are not clean！！thats why i said its smell badly！

I have wanted to stay here for about 5 years. Ever since I seen an advert for it and looked through their website. The hotel has a collection of suites with interesting names. When viewing the rooms on the website, they describe the standout features. I find that it is hard to choose because they do not reveal too much of each suite and there isn’t a lot of photos to view. I chose the library suite as I love books.
For January the hotel were doing a slight discount and the room with Champagne and breakfast came to £245. A lot of money still, but a truly unique experience.
Roxy took my bag and showed us to our suite. We were told that Kate Moss loves the library suite as we walked up. We had the choice of a continental hamper breakfast or a cooked Scottish breakfast in the Witchery. We chose to have the cooked breakfast so that we could experience the Witchery dining. The breakfast was delicious and each item was high quality items. The room is very dark with candlelight. It can seem a bit disconcerting when going out into the morning light!

The name definitely denotes creepy but don’t let that scare you. This fancy place requires some wait time but wait is worth. The food is extremely well prepared and the atmosphere is one of the best. This is a must if you’re in the area.

What can I say, it was good, but it didnt blow me away.
So let me see, we walked in tot the Witchery, or did we? There was no signage, so we ended up at the Secret Garden, and so did a couple behind us, when we all wanted the Witchery. So be mindful of the hidden entrance. Anyway, we make it into Witchery… not a back spot, especially if youre into dark, throwback kind of spots… Dont expect a view as there were no windows down here… I didnt mind the décor, kind of playing off the name and the hotel and all, but just because you have a hades theme, you dont have to keep it as hot in there (it was really really hot)
I think my biggest disappointment with the Witchery was that I frequently order in batches, to slow the service down a bit… nothing I dislike more than having my plate cleared the second I take the last bite of something and then having the next course immediately delivered. As such, I will usually order apps, then soup/​salad, then main course… So, there I am, 40 minutes after ordering some oysters for my app, still not enjoying my oysters. Finally I flag down the waitress to inquire about my only to be told that they cant do that and the whole order has to be placed at once or «the chef gets mad.» So much for letting the customer decide how they want to eat. Pretty odd for a «high class» restaurant. I understand about turning tables over and all, but we had an 830 pm seating, so I highly doubted there was another seating after us.
Anyway…the food. After waiting 45 mins for the Oysters (to order), I was too hungry and hot to do the whole course dining experience, so I just went straight into the meal. I had the pork chops. The Pork Chops were good, very good, I just dont think they were worth ~$ 45 US (29 pounds). My buddy had the venison and he said it also was good, but not amazing.
Because of the heat in the place, the time, and honestly, the lackluster looking dessert menu, we skipped dessert, so no comment there.
Overall, it was certainly an OK restaurant… a bit pricey for mediocrity, in my opinion… If you live here Im sure its worth checking out, maybe for the pre-​fixe menus? Traveling through, I may look for better?

We came in to the Witchery last Monday night — we got one of the later reservations so my first tip is to plan ahead. Once you’re there, you can see why it books up quickly. First, the location near the castle on the Royal Mile is GREAT! Second, the ambiance and décor is something else! It’s really romantic and beautiful. Food, service… all amazing. The steak tartar will open your mind to a new way to do steak. It’s more of an experience than a dinner and one I would highly suggest doing!

Nice romantic Ambience
Server was perhaps having a bad day. Very curt. No interest in answering questions. No refills on drinks. No upselling. No recommendations.
Food average. Portions small. Bill high.
Yes go here for the best restaurant in Edinburgh part and romantics warm décor. Maybe you’ll have a better experience with your server.

Excellent end to a good day!
The Witchery by the Castle was our posh nosh place after seeing a musical at the Edinburgh Playhouse. The idea was to go for the £35/​head set menu after we’d ordered a couple of G&Ts. But, and it’s a shame for them, it was uninspiring.
We then ordered steak tartar and lobster bisque followed by Pork and John Dory. To drink a reasonably priced Pouilly Fume.
The waiter provided us with some bread; considering this place is not cheap and the ambience wonderful you’d expect at least warm bread but ideally their own bread. What we got was poor.
The steak tartar was fabulous and my wife’s lobster bisque perfect. The steak was perfectly seasoned and there was plenty. My wife’s bisque was exceptional.
Our main course arrived and again both good. My pork with smoked mash was really good. The fish was very small but at least fresh and perfectly cooked.
Not cheap but good service and ambience with nice food makes it worth a go.

incredible atmosphere, food and service! I highly recommend this restaurant if you are looking for a very special night. For either a romantic meal or a nice meal with friends; This little restaurant is the place to go. Make reservations! We went our last night in Edinburgh and it was the perfect way to end a wonderful trip!

We arrived for our stay last week in the Armoury Suite. I have to say the pictures on the website does not do it’s justice! for a diehard five star traveller this place was by far one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever stayed in… we were surrounded by the magic that Edinburgh has always offered, not to mention their wonderful candelit breakfast in their private dining room the following morning, the food was something out of this world! we will definitely go back… Hat’s off to The Witchery and their entire staff!!! Many Thanks!

Well there is nothing bad to say about the atmosphere here in the secret garden dining area, dimly lit, crisp white cloths, shimmering silver and perfectly coiffed staff you would almost think you are dining with the royals. We had a late late night booking so we were the only ones in the restaurant which was special. The food was just ok. I had The Fillet of Scotch Beef Rossini which was nice but nothing amazing. The foies Gra was rich but definitely too much and to the distaste of some of my friends that I was partaking, but I did.
The star at this place is definitely the wine list, filled with an amazing collection that stretches far and wide and if it wasn’t such a late booking we could have stayed (and payed) for many more bottles of liquid gold! And to top it off a dark Belgian chocolate tart, simply made no fine gold trimmings.
It’s definitely worth a visit once, you will pay for it but then you can say you did it!

Great food, even the Haggis was good. Had the Salmon which was great. Nice atmosphere and the service was on spot. Highly recommend.

We reserved a table here on our visit to Edinburgh based on Time Out’s review– not the most exciting cuisine, but a chance to have a fancy meal near the castle at a reasonable price. The food was ok and I suppose the price is reasonable. The issue is this:
— When the menus came, our waiter explained the courses to my husband but did not offer me the same courtesy.
— When I ordered a glass of wine and my husband ordered water, the wine was served to him and not me.
— When the check came, it was brought directly to him (though I had asked for it, as I was paying).
Just because a restaurant is old-​fashioned doesn’t mean it has to be sexist. Quality service does not need to be gendered. We hoped for the experience of dining in the 16^th century ambience, not 16^th century gender norms.

A beautiful setting very close to Edinburgh Castle. I thought it would be very busy with tourists but it wasn’t. We ended up going for the 3 course set menu which is very reasonably priced. The staters were great. Delicate and flavoursome. The main also matched this and the jus that came with the Glasgow Steak was incredible. The meat was a tad tough and the copper pot it was served in made it extremely difficult to cut into and eat from. Great dish to look at but I just wanted to get into it. As always I got the cheese board. Nice range of cheese also sourcing locally where they could. Even though we had 3 courses we didn’t leave full. The dishes tended to be on the small size. Also the service was attentive to start but maybe inexperienced as when our drinks came to the end we never got asked if we would like another. Not too much of a big deal as it was the middle of the day and we didn’t want to drink that much. (Visit — 02/​01/​2015 Lunch)

I researched recommendations for local cuisine pre Edinburgh visit but made the mistake of not calling around for reservations until the night before. The Witchery was the only spot with availability. Service, if not exactly friendly, was the best of any restaurant I visited in Edinburgh. With that said, waters were not refilled and specials, if they had them, were not mentioned. Wine and food menus were delivered promptly. Romantic atmosphere.
We ordered wine and I asked for Ketel on the rocks with an olive and a side of club soda, which made the waiter look at me like I had two heads. «I’ll ask at the bar,» he said, his expression dubious. Like they don’t have vodka and soda at the bar? Yea right. The head waiter stopped by to double check my order and then finally brought out all our drinks.
Overlooking the slow start, we ordered the Roasted Arran Beet Salad and Haggis, neeps and tatties for some local flavor. The Haggis turned out to be one smooth tennis ball sized lump of mystery meat on a bed of mashed turnips and potato. Turnips were delicious but I could only stomach a few nibbles of the meat turd and at $ 14 this was a pricey experiment. The Aran beets were beautifully plated but a tiny portion. For mains, we had the scallops with bacon and leek soup and Wild Mushroom Risotto. The soup was a hit bu the risotto was incredibly bland. Scallops were served with the bright orange foot attached which we thought was an odd presentation though both taste and texture were delectable. The mashed potatos had a ton of cream and butter so tasted great. The lettuce leaves in the side salad had long red stems attached which was super annoying.
We did not get desert. Overall I was underwhelmed. I don’t think the food warrant the prices. You are paying heavily for atmosphere and I personally for one didn’t think it was worth it.

Can’t say I enjoy the meal. As advertised with ghost, there’s actually nothing special. I I ordered the menu and my friend asked for the scallop and Cornish bass. My courses are not cloying neither very relish. My friend like the bass.
The two stars is for the female manager, well, the frosty brunette in others’ reviews, who behaved very rude. She gave us the bill without asking if we need coffee after we finished our desserts! She had not only already counted 10% tips in the bill, but also added money for a trust without even a word.
I tried to persuade myself that what she did was for going back home early. But we were not the last table. There was at least 6 people having their main courses.
Had to say, we go to restaurants for pleasure. I feel so sad that an old and famous restaurant has an employee like her. And I can’t recommend this restaurant due to my experience.
P. s. It is the only restaurant I have ever met that will put two pieces of bread on your plate in silence and straightly go away.

We made our anniversary celebration dinner reservations here, based on a glowing recommendation by my Scottish colleague. Actually, I thought I had made the reservation at the Secret Garden part of the restaurant, but when we showed up, we were shown in to the main dining room, instead.
No matter, we were still awed by the view from the window (Edinburgh Castle, of course). Our waiter came hustling over right after we got settled, and went over the specials — including the tasting menu option — with us, before departing to give us a chance to look over the options.
Surprisingly enough, we decided to skip the tasting menu (I KNOW!) For my meal, I chose to start with the Roast Arran Beets, and the Cornish Bass for my main. My husband went with the Lobster Bisque for his starter, and the Caringorm Venison for his main. We paired our choices with a glass of wine, and chose to share the cheese platter for our dessert option.
I was very impressed by the food. The beet plate had a selection of different varieties, which was a good representation of how flavors can differ between varietals. My husband loved his lobster bisque (though he did say that it wasn’t the best he’s ever had). I was in love with the bass entrée, though. It was perfectly made, and the flavor was incredible. The oxtail pot au feu — which originally made me cock an eyebrow — actually added a bit of depth to the dish. The sauces that finished off the dish were a nice addition, as well.
My husband rather enjoyed his venison meal, too. It was the first time either of us had seen black quinoa, but he said it tasted like regular quinoa to him. He certainly had no problems finishing off his dish.
The cheese plate was served with a couple of decaf lattes, and it all made for a nice ending to a wonderful meal.
The service within the restaurant was perfect — they were there when we needed them, but never hovered. They called a cab for us (because heels on cobblestone streets or on a downhill grade would have hurt me in so many ways), and kept us comfortable until it arrived.
The only thing that makes me sad about the night (other than the fact that we weren’t in the Secret Garden, like I had requested) is that they never acknowledged our anniversary. I wasn’t looking for sparklers and horns, but even a congratulations would have been nice.

I have heard so many things about The Witchery and although it is near the castle, I was hoping that they have not fallen into the category where they charge extortionate tourist price for mediocre food quality. Unfortunately, they have.
I ordered the steak tartare as the starter. Presentation was great but I thought it lacked seasoning. Of all the steak tartare I have eaten so far in Edinburgh, this has by far the least ingredients and seasoning. I also felt it was a bit dry too. This was priced at £12.50 and I do think that you can get a better steak tartare starter elsewhere for a cheaper price.
I had the Seabass as the main. I have a picture and if you see the size of the fish, it is just too small to justify its price at £28. The presentation — great but again taste was very bland. The fish was also not de-​scaled properly and from the picture you can see 2 scales still left on the skin of the fish. I eat a lot of fish and from the smell and taste, the fish was not that fresh at all. I have been to its sister restaurant at The Tower and you get a whole seabass for the same price and it was the best seabass with brown shrimp I have ever eaten in Edinburgh. This is just a plain rip off.
Crème Brulee as the dessert priced at £7.50. From my picture, the portion is great and worth it but unfortunately, it came out as thick custard and not a consistency of a real crème brûlée. One of the lowest ranked crème brûlée in Edinburgh for me. The highlight of the whole experience for me was the mango sorbet that came together with the crème brûlée. However, the crème brûlée was not sweet enough that when you return to eating the crème brûlée, it just tasted even more bland.
Unfortunately, I have to rate this well known restaurant 2 stars — one star for ambiance and another for its service. Sure, if you want to pay for the décor, ambiance and service this is the place to be to impress. However, the quality of food and certainly its value for money has failed to impress me. At a price I have paid here, I would rather spend my money at The Tower or a Michelin star restaurant. Sorry Witchery, you have to do better.

If you check my history, you’ll see I don’t often give low reviews. 1 and 2 star reviews, for me, are reserved for when I think it’s important to offer would be patrons a word or two of caution.
We chose The Witchery for its ambience and we were not disappointed. The restaurant has two sections, each with separate entrances and no connecting spaces (completely independent dining rooms with independent staff). One is the new section and the other is the historical section; make sure to request the historical side (much more beautiful). If the entire review were to be about ambience, then this would have been 4 stars, but it’s not just about ambience.
The food portions were so small that we were both still hungry for dinner after we ate dinner. As a starter I ordered «Scallops and Mussels with broad beans and chorizo», what I received was roughly a dozen beans, 1 small scallop, 1 very small mussel (sans shell), and a single small slice of chorizo which was then cut into quarters (when I say «slice» I mean it was a single slice from a sausage. It was 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) in diameter, ½ centimeter (¼ of an inch?) thick, and then reduced to 4 rounded triangles once quartered). It was a ridiculously small starter.
For the main course I ordered a white fish, but received salmon instead; not what I wanted. I would have sent the dish back, but by this time I was quite hungry. The fish was a reasonably sized portion, but bland in flavor and completely forgettable; I don’t even remember how the bed of white rice was seasoned.
For desert I ordered a strawberry dish with a wonderful description and I was quite excited to taste the treat; what I received was 3 strawberries cut in half and a single shortbread cookie … again, completely disappointing and forgettable.
I love Scotch Whiskey and ordered a very nice Lagavulin 1995. I requested a double, neat — what I received was a skimpy singly shot of whiskey in a generic glass and it wasn’t even the whiskey I requested. When I inquired, they insisted it was a double shot of the Lagavulin 1995, but as I said, I love good Scotch and this absolutely was NOT what I ordered.
Almost as soon as we finished our disappointing meal, the maitre d’ arrived with the bill and informed us they needed the table to seat others and he encouraged us to pay the bill while he waited … WHAT?!
Now, add to this evening the near complete absence of service as my water glass sat empty for the entire meal and received no refills. We were also afforded no opportunity to order a second round of drinks.
All in all, a truly unfortunate experience. Were it not for the beautiful setting, this would have been a 1 star review. If you’re thinking about going to The Witchery for dinner while in Scotland, I would like to encourage you to entertain nearly any alternative restaurant this beautiful city has to offer.

The Witchery in Edinburgh
Wer in dieser Stadt ist und sich die Kritiken durchliest, kommt am Witchery nicht vorbei. Der erste Eindruck nobel, nett und mit Herz eingerichtet.
Die Menueauswahl sehr verlockend, das Essen gut; die Weinauswahl international z. T. sehr expensive. Leider gibt es einen Punkteabzug bezügl. des Personals eine gewisse Überheblichkeit kan man einzelnen Personen nicht absprechen.
Aber in Summe immer ein Besuch wert.

Sehr gutes Lokal, gutes Essen, Preise für die Insel ok. Aber unbedingt reservieren