It's my very first Gordon Ramsay restaurant experience. I have to say that it was the best Sunday Roast ever. It's honestly even better than the carveries near the RAF base that we were stationed at back in the late 80's and early 90's. The only thing missing was the fresh strawberries & cream for dessert.
We had reservations for 1pm. We were seated right away despite being very early. It looked a little pretentious when we first walked in. It's a very sophisticated ambiance with an open kitchen and bar. The staff are dressed in business attire. What's nice is that it's a totally casual restaurant, and the opposite of my initial impression. According to the website, they welcome "children of all ages" and "dogs of all sizes" to the restaurant. It's a great family atmosphere.
Our server was Nahla. She was absolutely wonderful in offering suggestions on the Sunday menu. She also made us feel very welcomed. We decided to get the 2 course Sunday Roast instead of the 3 course. Although, the Haggis Bon Bons came highly recommended. I kind of wish I had tried them, but the Sunday Roast was plentiful. I mean, it had all the fancy trimmings like root vegetables, hispi cabbage, and the most amazing roasted potatoes and yorkshire pudding. There's definitely a technique that makes them special. The potatoes were roasted perfectly using some sort of fat (duck, goose, or beef) that completely coated this creamy & fluffy potato. It gave it such a nice crispy coating. I know... it's just a potato but it's not. I can't explain it. The same with that yorkshire pudding. Pure perfection! Seriously. I've never had one this crispy, big, and fluffy. The entire plate was beautiful. I loved the rare roast beef with the gravy. If I had to say anything negative, it would be that there just wasn't enough gravy. Is there ever enough? My only suggestion would be to add a pitcher of gravy for those who want to use it on the potatoes and pudding. My husband loved the roast chicken. He said it was seasoned perfectly with a nice crispy skin.
We chose a dessert for our 2nd course. It was a choice between Sticky Toffee Pudding or Black Forest Cheesecake. We chose the latter. It was so well-presented with delicious whole cherries on top. The pistachio ice cream went very well with the cheesecake. It was light and delicious. I'd order the exact same thing again and again.
Do yourself a favor and check it out. It's such a treat, and totally worth the price. It's also in a beautiful location on St. Andrew Square in Edinburgh's New Town. My only regret is that we didn't get to stay in Edinburgh long enough to visit a second time. I would have loved to try the famous Beef Wellington. Oh, and definitely ask for Nahla. She made this experience even more special. read more