Lindsey D.

It was very quiet when we went - 5.30 on a Thursday but it was nice to be able to enjoy our anniversary dinner without being rushed or screaming over other tables. The food was delicious. Perfect portion size and beautifully presented. Billy was a standout. He listened to my husband intently and recommended a whisky he loved so much that he bought. He was so friendly, we chatted about the game my husband and I had attended the night before and seemed genuinely interested and passionate about everything. Thank you!

Kate S.

High reviews on Yelp and Trip Advisor? Near perfect ratings? Scottish TAPAS? Say what!?! I had high expectations coming into the Amber Restaurant, especially since I tried to make reservations over a week in advance and there was only a 5:30 time slot left. This led me to believe that Amber was the legit place in Edinburgh for whiskey tastings and traditional Scottish fare... Eh, it was okay. Imagine my surprise when we walked into a near empty restaurant on a Friday evening. Where were all of the diners? And whisky tasters? And workers? We stood awkwardly for a few minutes before being greeted. We were then led over to our table, nestled between the only three other occupied tables in the entire restaurant. And wouldn't you know it, all of the other diners were AMERICAN like us. Not another party walked into the restaurant the entire 2 hours we were there... on a Friday night ? What? Ugh, I felt like I had fallen for a tourist trap. Amber touts itself on whiskey tastings and having a whiskey experience... tell me why Amber only has a total of FOUR cocktails to choose from and no readily available cocktail menu? Our server had to go "hunt" down the menu and I was a bit perplexed when she brought me the plastic menu stand that sits on top of the bar. Also, for bragging that the restaurant carries hundreds of whiskies, tell me why out of all of the flights for my husband to choose from, the one he finally settles on they are "out" of one of the selections and had to substitute with something else... What. The. Heck? The Food: It was okay. I honestly was not blown away. I was a little leery to indulge in the traditional haggis, so the haggis bon bon under the tapas portion of the menu sounded like the safe route to go. It was surprisingly really good. Lamb stovies were okay-- the potato chunks were quite large and I was not expecting stringy lamb, but whatever. The barley side was also good, but a little too cheesy for my taste. I actually felt hungry a few hours later. Kind of made me feel like we wasted a lot of money on a dinner that left us unsatisfied, both in taste and portion (yes, I know tapas are small but we had the 5 tapas, 3 pots, and an entree-- dang!). Overall, the Amber Restaurant definitely fell short. It was not terrible, but definitely not amazing.

Melissa Z.

We missed out on the Scottish Whiskey experience tour bc all tours were booked so we came to Amber since it is part of the same place and had many whiskey flights to choose from in addition to food. We only ordered the cheese plate which had of Scottish cheeses, a whiskey cocktail & a whiskey flight. It was a good portion of cheeses but the bread was pathetic. The bread looked like the same crap we get in the States - white, light and tastless- and Scotland has better than this. 3 stars for the cheese board. The bar tender was very good to listen to what we were looking for in drinks and had excellent suggestions. The bar area was small but it had several bar stools for single travelers and sofas and comfy chairs in the seating areas for small groups and couples. The bar was brilliantly lit by the lovely Amber lights along the wall of whiskey and some natural light from 3 large windows.

Jessica S.

We had reservations for the "Taste of Scotland" dinner, which we tacked on to the end of the Whisky Experience Platinum Tour. They bundled everything - the tour and dinner - together into one ticket, which was nice. After the experience tour was done, our guide escorted us down to the restaurant, where we had a bit of a wait while they had our table set to rights. The restaurant was pretty busy that night, which meant that it was kind of loud, especially right by the entrance, but they put us at a table kind of near the back, where it was quieter. The tasting dinner consisted of a three course meal, with another sample of whisky at the end (in addition to the three samples we'd gotten on the tour). The first course was a starter, which contained a small pot of haggis, neeps and tatties, cheese on toast and some chicken liver pate. This was our first time sampling haggis (it was on our list, of course, but we hadn't had an opportunity prior to this), and though there may have been a bit of trepidation to start, we were game to try. I think the stigma of haggis keeps most people away. That, and the way it's most often described. But, it was actually very good. It has a bit of a mealy, grainy texture, but it was meaty and filling. Definitely not something I'd want to eat every day, as it was also a bit fatty, but I quickly realized there was never anything to be scared of. The cheese and toast were very good - the cheese was herby, and it complimented the toast well. The pate was my least favorite on the dish - it had a very strong gizzard-like flavor that threw me. The main course also consisted of three pieces: Scottish salmon over risotto, roasted lamb over tatties, and haggis-stuffed chicken over a sweet potato puree. Everything was tasty, but I think my favorite dish was the salmon over the risotto. The salmon was perfectly cooked, and surprised me by pairing well with the creamy risotto. The lamb was perfectly cooked. The haggis stuffing within the chicken breast made it fall apart when cutting into it, but that wasn't too much of an issue. The dessert course was a chocolate hazelnut cake, which was paired with a Speyside whisky. Though the cake looked dense when it first got to us, it was actually very light - both in texture and in flavor. I love hazelnuts, so it was a perfect pairing for me, though it wasn't quite as nutty as I would have liked. The service that night was decent - most of the staff was tied up with the large party I mentioned at the top of this review, so it took a bit of time for them to make their way to us. Everyone was friendly, at least, so that counts a lot.

Tammie G.

Great place for a bite and whisky samples. They have so many on the menu had to just go with recommendation because the choice was to difficult. Had the seafood sampler and we loved it. Staff is very nice and the food was greasy. Loved the whisky I was suggested to have with my seafood. GlenMoray original. When in Scotland drink Scotch!

Jacqueline B.

We only sampled whiskey here (no food) but we really enjoyed our experience it! Loads of options, helpful & knowledgeable staff, would highly recommend

Datt N.

We went here for dinner after touring the Edinburgh Castle. The wife got the roasted Rump of Lamb. The lamb was cooked to a medium and very tender. She loved it. I got the grilled sirloin steak. I asked for medium rare and it was perfect. The mushroom and sauce complimented the steak very well. The side ordered garden leaves was fresh and tasty. I love arugula and it was full of it! We got a cocktail (Thyme Well Spent) and it was the closest thing to an old fashioned whiskey. It was strong and delicious. I highly recommend this place!

Amanda C.

We didn't do the Whiskey Experience because we heard it wasn't great and there was no way we were going to wait on the line, so we figured that going to the bar downstairs would be the next best thing. The bartender was very young but extremely knowledgable. He could tell you something about every bottle on the rack! He was also very nice and friendly, to boot. We moved to the restaurant after our drinks where I had the speck in a creamy sauce with potatoes and leeks. It. Was. Delicious. And for the price, it couldn't be beat. I'd definitely recommend going to Amber as an alternative to the WE, but also as an affordable lunch near the castle.

We had a delicious meal at Amber with our 2 teenagers. The food was fabulous and the whiskey was amazing! The staff was obviously very well-versed in their whiskeys and we sampled a flight of some of the best peaty scotches they had to offer. I highly recommend Amber!

Drew B.

If you can make haggis tasty, you can damn well do just about anything! Located right beneath the Edinburgh Castle ramparts, right off of the esplanade, is Amber Restaurant and Whiskey Bar. A lot of people obviously come for the whiskey tasting and the "Scotch Whiskey Experience". Yes, they have 400 whiskeys and they do an exceptional job of matching whiskey with their epic cheese selection, but don't get so drunk you can't enjoy eating off their menu! Our starter was Four Scottish Cheeses from Iain Mellis (Edinburgh farmhouse and artisan cheesemonger) served with Amber Chutney. For the main course I had haggis with neeps and tatties in a whiskey sauce. Both were superb. I'm dropping a star merely on philosophy: They constantly change their menu. I know you have to change things up, but I believe consistency helps. It sucks to come back and not have those wonderful things I had before.

Paul C.

When my wife booked this for my birthday, I brought out my "jump to conclusions" mat and figured this would be another expensive dinner in Edinburgh, 1) thanks to being in Edinburgh and 2) my belief that the Whisky Experience and Amber Restaurant were tourist traps. However, I was pleasantly surprised and packed away my "jump to conclusions" mat for another time. Drinks. The bartender couldn't have been a shade over 25, yet he had knowledge of whiskies beyond his years (and mine too). I was interested in putting together a whisky sampler and sought his advice. I told him the basics of what I was looking for and after a few more questions, he came back with four glasses of whisky (with the bottles), a glass of water, and a very detailed explanation as to the different whiskies, their regions, and what to look for. It was a great addendum to the Whisky Experience tour. Food. The food was excellent and was exactly what we were looking for to top off the Whisky Experience tour. The Scottish tapas and fresh bread were a great start to the meal and were quickly followed up by our main course. I went with the lamb pot with a side of roasted carrots; my wife had the same roasted pot with a side salad. My two boys had bacon sandwiches, and after their food came, I wondered if I made a mistake and didn't get what they had! To top it off, the prices were very reasonable and nothing what I expected. To break it down, here was our bill: -2 kid bacon sandwiches -order of bread and butter -Scottish Tapas -2 lamb pots -side salad -side of roasted carrots -gin and tonic -5 whiskies (1 x Drambuie 15 yr and 4 x hand selected whisky tasting selections) -carafe of water Our bill came to 64 pounds! Now, after dropping 78 pounds at the Hard Rock Cafe and getting far less for my money, I was pleasantly surprised and was more than willing to spend the savings at the gift shop upstairs. I'm pretty sure 6 x drinks at some other whisky bars in Edinburgh would probably set me back close to 60 pounds. Finally, the service was above reproach. Very pleasant, very attentive, and very willing to say "I don't know, let me get the expert". When I asked about the whisky sampler, our waitress went and brought the bartender over to help me out. To me, that's a true sign of a knowledgeably, attentive, yet humble staff. Highly highly highly recommend anyone who comes to Edinburgh, take one of your dinners here at the Amber Restaurant.

Jules M.

Amber Restaurant is bang in front of Edinburgh Castle at the very top of the Royal Mile, but its so well hidden that even some of the locals don't know its there! That doesn't mean its not very busy on any given day however. It draws in a certain amount of custom from visitors to the Scotch Whisky Experience and can be accessed via their reception area or a door at the rear of the attached Whisky Shop, then down the stairs. Its worth seeking out! Amber has something of a cafe vibe and you can head in there for just a scone and coffee or something more substantial, like a full lunch with a glass of wine, or maybe something from their very reasonably prices whisky list! They offer advice on matching whisky with food. Nice idea! There is also a whisky tasting lounge alongside and plenty of experts on hand to dispense knowledge. I had a scrumptious lunch of vegetarian haggis with neeps and tatties nicely finished off with a whisky cream sauce - there's a bit of a whisky theme going on but its not in everything! Apparently the smoked haddock was a bit special too, but lacked my lovely sauce. Cheese and crackers seemed like a good idea to end the meal, so I ordered the clava brie with oatcakes and plum chutney. It was quite pungent for a brie but the chutney helped balance the strong flavours. We left full and happy. Would recommend Amber if you are in that part of town.