I had the amazingly good fortune to dine at 21212 recently. It was my first trip to Scotland and I really wanted to experience Chef Paul's food, as he is renowned as the best chef in Scotland. The problem was I felt anxious/intimidated about booking a table for one at a Michelin rated restaurant. Had I known how gracious the team here are, I would not have worried one bit. To point on it, everything was absolutely perfect from start to finish. From being greeted warmly in their beautiful location, to being sat in the perfectly set dining room, to being waited on... enough to feel special.... but not too much as to feel crowded, it was perfect. That's not even addressing the food which was creative, delicious, and artistically presented. I had the set 5 course lunch menu and it was brilliant! It was also an incredible value. I had an opportunity to meet the chef briefly after he meal and I was honest when I told him he provided me one of the top 3 meals of my life. A big claim, but true. (I can't rate him above my Grandmother for sentimental reasons, and he was on par with an amazing kitchen I experienced in a castle in Slovenia.) Do yourself a huge favor, eat at this gem of a restaurant! read more

See all

Incredible experience. Drawing room was nice relaxing touch to begin the evening. Sitting adjacent to the kitchen allowed the excitement to build as I watched 9 chefs perfectly prep and plate each dish. Paul and his staff transformed otherwise bland local staples (haggis, blood pudding, etc) into world-class flavorful cuisine. read more

See all

Delicious food, beautifully presented and interesting combinations. The salmon starter was great, and the mcsurf and turf was too. The cheese course had about 8 different cheeses which were all wonderful and I'd return just for that! Desert was nice, not too sweet. This is an expensive restaurant but the service and food were both outstanding so it's worth it. The sommelier was a star and talked us through the various options. read more

Fabulous food, service and atmosphere. We wanted to experience a Michelin star restaurant in Edinburgh and were not disappointed. Restaurant is very quite, no background music (thank god), conversations are subdued, very intimate atmosphere. Tastefully decorated rooms upstairs and downstairs. Lots of attention is given to presentation of each plate, nice mix of flavors and textures. Upon request we were invited to observe the kitchen staff at work in the open kitchen and given a mini presentation :) Our compliments to the chef and heartfelt thanks to the staff. read more

See all

Was truly disappointed with this restaurant. I had just been to Number One, The Kitchin and Martin Wishart. My experience here paled in comparison. The food was so-so and hardly special. The staff was worse. I arrived at the restaurant early (I had a 6:30 reservation) but was made to wait. I was told the place only opened at 6:30 pm. That was fine except a couple that came after me - before 6:30 and well before their 6:45 appointment - was immediately seated. When I finally got a table, I was told I should be done by 8:30 as the table was already booked for that time. Seriously??? An Edinburgh local told me he did not think much of 21212. Now I know why. read more

This has got to be one of thee least well known out of the very few michelin star restaurants in Edinburgh and I really don't know why?!?! It is set in a lovely big ol' townhouse on Calton Terrace. The interior is understated elegance, which was a relief! Didn't leave me thinking I was massively under-dressed (silly, I know). We sat in the drawing room with a G&T whilst waiting for our table. Lovely surroundings but I was slightly underwhelmed by the Gin selection. Good. But not great. We were then later sat. The dinner room stuck with understated elegance. Big windows infront of the kitchen are always a nice touch. I liked it. I shall not recount every single little thing we ate. But I can tell you one thing - every morsel of food we had here..... was.... incredible. 5 courses of truly incredible food..... with a couple of wee treats inbetween courses. As you would expect. The portions are not massive. But we left feeling very satisfied but not uncomfortably full. There is no better way to end the review. We recieved our bill - 2 years ago I would have been gobsmacked by the price of it. But..... my response was, you know what, that is very reasonable considering it is without a doubt some of the best food I have ever eaten. And that makes it worth every penny. A great treat. read more

This was my first Michelin star dining experience, and was everything that I'd been expecting: flashy foods that looked like Christmas decorations, attentive (not to mention patient) waiting staff, and glass after glass of very expensive wine. We went along for a friend's birthday, and it was a very nice day. The meal itself was quite nice but I wouldn't say it's the best thing I've eaten in Edinburgh. I think I need to explore Edinburgh's other fine dining establishments before getting a really good picture of how this one measures up! read more

Food was ok. Servers were not knowledgeable about drink selection, the food items, and also the timing of courses were inappropriate. Every time I asked the server a question she didn't know, no one came back to the the table as far as follow up or an answer to the question at hand. For a fine dining environment, refilling our own water was interesting. When they presented the desserts while my wife was away from the table, the server said they would come back to present the dessert to my wife. After being back to the table for 15 minutes we finally tried to figure it out for ourselves. Finally two of the chefs had no type of hair cap on whatsoever (hair!). There's a lot of effort but they haven't quite got it figured it out. They also charged 10 pounds ($13.80 USD) 25 ml (O.8 oz) of scotch. When settling if the bill at the table the server asked "was everything ok?" To which I replied "no". she shrugged her shoulders, "ok we'll that will be XXX.XX, thanks". She had zero concern. read more

Paul Kitching 21212 - One of two chefs leaning over food with no cap. - French Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

I live in a city with lots of great restaurants but 21212 was the was the best dining experience I've had all year. I had the 2-course lunch there while on vacation in Edinburgh. Each course was structured so to create a different combination of flavors and textures with every bite. Tasty and innovative cuisine. Gorgeous building and decor. Attentive service. Upscale ambience. Expensive but well worth the money. Go!!! read more

What can I say? The food, the feel, the service, all of it was phenomenal! They have a Michelin star so they could be pretentious or rude, better than you and not needing your service, but they weren't, very welcoming and not stuffy in the least. You pay a good price but it is worth it (for me, a once a year kind of meal with my wife). 5 courses, small portions but they give you little snack things as you go that are included although not on the menu. Bottom line, the cheese plate was first class and all of the courses are as good as I've had. I eat out a lot, it's actually part of my job, and this place was special. read more

Paul Kitching doesn't have his star for nothing. Yours is refined, beautiful food without - I should hasten to add - too much of the over-the-top stuff he was famous for when he ran Juniper in Altrincham half a decade or so ago. The food - and accompanying wines (after too much indulgence elsewhere on our trip around Scotland, we decided to go easy and not take the full wine flight) - are a dream. This is Michelin-starred cooking without the high-strung frantic uber-fashion that you will sometimes find. It is refined fine dining to enjoy. Highly recommended! read more

We had an outstanding meal here and I would encourage anyone who wants to try a unique and original meal like they've never had before to run, not walk, here. I'm somewhat afraid it won't be around. There was only one other couple for most of the time we were there (and a third table joined later on). I hope it survives, though, because this was such a special meal, truly different. Every bite was sensational. Definitely worth a visit. Fast! read more

Fantastic meal and excellent service. I was excited to try a Michelin star restaurant overseas. They were so nice even though we came in sopping wet from the rain! That would've been frowned upon at similar restaurants back home so we fully appreciated the kindness! Fav dishes were the smoked salmon, soup, halibut, cheese...so, mostly the entire meal. Went back a couple days later when they were closed to snap a pic outside.... and met Paul Kitching! But we were so dumbfounded when he introduced himself we must have come off as idiots. Totally kicking ourselves we didn't think to ask for a pic with him. Ah well... read more

A relative newcomer to Edinburgh, this unusual restaurant earned a Michelin star in under one year, and deservedly so. The 21212 name derives from the menu, which comprises 2 starters, 1 soup, 2 main courses, 1 cheese course, 2 desserts. At lunchtime you can go for just 2, 3, 4 or 5 courses. There is an extensive wine list, and there are several wines available by the glass also. The food itself comes in some startling combinations which work very well together, and is beautifully presented in a most elegant dining room. The lunchtime portions were fairly small, but by the time you have worked through five courses, you are amply satisfied. The prices are high, but worth it for the quality experience. The house itself is a fine Edinburgh Georgian townhouse magnificently restored to add modernity without spoiling the classical proportions or features. They also have a few bedrooms for those who wish to indulge in a splendid dinner and not have to go home afterwards. A place for a special treat rather than a routine eatery. Reservations are strongly recommended, as it gets booked up far ahead at popular times. read more

I am a very very lucky girl. I was taken here as a surprise birthday treat for dinner and an overnight stay last weekend, I have a wonderful boyfriend I know. Although I have done fine dining, this was my first michelin star dining experience, wow! It started with a bottle of champagne in the room. We stayed in room no. 21 on the top floor (there are only 4 rooms) which has beautiful views over the city and out towards the firth of forth. There's quite a lot of stairs which was no problem for us but just in case anyone reading this struggles with stairs. The room has been decorated beautifully with a massive bed, luxurious shower room and a lovely sitting area with window seats that allow you to take in the amazing views. Only criticism would be that there was quite a lot of mirrors - I don't usually like seeing so much of myself! We got ready for dinner and headed down to the drawing room for a complimentary glass of champagne. As others have noted, the decor is a beautiful and understated boutique hotel. I loved the custom made carpets. They do seem to have a things for urns... They only do 2 seatings in the evening - an early and a late one. We were on the late one. We were due to be seated at 930, and it was about 945 before we were taken down to the restaurant and, ironically, bumped into old friends in the restaurant who we stopped and talked to so it was about 10 before we ordered (our fault I know). The menu is intriguing and dishes have names that aren't immediately obvious as to what they are - so there is guess work involved! At the weekend, its a set 5 course menu with a choice for course 1 (starter), 3 (main) and 5 (dessert). I chose cauliflower cheese, steak and lemon tart. I have never seen such beautiful and imaginative dishes. You can see through to the restaurant and there is a large team of chefs working - it's amazing to see how they prepare dishes - each chef is responsible for a garnish on the dish and they all come together at once as its being plated. It reminds me of a closh! The stand out for me was the steak for the main, absolutely amazing dish and beautifully presented. Sorry, I don't do food photos so can't show you how stunning it was!! Cheese was next and that was fabulous. Eight types of cheese so a great range and portion wasn't too big. By the time dessert came I'm afraid it was late and we were both pretty full so we really struggled. Plus we're not dessert people so I'm afraid wasted on us and we didn't manage to finish. By that time, too late for coffee so finished it off with a wee whisky in the drawing room. The whisky selection is ok but we're whisky buffs so probably hard to please. It was a truly stunning experience and I couldn't fault the service, the food, the wine or the surroundings. The only downside was the lateness of it all but I guess that's our fault for going for the late seating. It was about 12.30 by the time we finished dinner which is a bit late for us. In hindsight, I would go for the early one. Although I would call this a once in a lifetime experience, I really hope it isn't! read more

For a Michelin-rated restaurant, I would have expected to be blown away by the food, but my fellow diners and I were underwhelmed. The dining room was beautiful and the service excellent, but the food was mostly bland and un-inspired. The amuse bouche and dessert were both pretty and creative, but the courses in between were not impressive. read more

I'm sorry to say that the service level we experienced at 21212 last evening didn't do the food justice. The food was excellent (*****), but the service was not good (*), considering the price level of the establishment (££££). read more

21212 will always be special to me as that's where I got engaged. This wasn't my first time here though and the fact that it is my favorite restaurant that I've ever been to I imagine played a part in the setting for the proposal. But onto the less mushy stuff- I have been to a few of the Michelin starred restaurants in Edinburgh and whilst I enjoyed the others, 21212 is the only one I would continually return to. The first thing about the restaurant is that is comparatively small (I think around 6-8 tables), the staff are also very down to earth as well as exceptionally polite and professional- no stuffiness at all which makes a refreshing change from most Michelin starred establishments (we happily chatted to our waitress about Asda!). As for the food, I find it genuinely innovative, it's never what you expect and each mouthful is totally different and equally delightful. You get a view of the kitchen which seems very calm and happy (no Gordon R style shouting here!) and you will often see the main man. I've been here for occasions (birthdays etc) and each time we've got a personally signed card from the owners which is a lovely touch. I've also been lucky enough to stay in one of their boutique hotel rooms and it's absolute five star luxury where the bathroom is as big as the bedroom and yes I did indulge in champagne and a bubble bath big enough to have a swim in! read more

Wow. Glad we decided to come here. We each ordered a 4-course dinner. Both food and service are fantastic. See the pictures. read more

See all

First day in Edinburgh with a great experience dinning in Paul Kitching. Everything is perfect here, the food, the services. Definitely recommend to friends. read more

On our first night in Edinburgh we decided to try 21212. The service was outstanding, but unfortunately most of the meal left us underwhelmed. We were greeted by two very friendly and hospitable hostesses, and the service throughout the night was equally friendly and hospitable. There seemed to be some confusion over where we were to be seated, but it was cleared up quickly and we were seated at a table in the dining room. The dining room is well appointed, and the tables are not too crowded. However, if you are shy about having the table next to yours being able to hear your conversation, this might not be the place for you, as the setting is very intimate, and several tables share a common bench as one side of the seating. The dinner menu was straightforward, and we were informed that the menu changes weekly, which impressed us both. The wine list was good, and, although I wouldn't describe it as extensive, they offered a variety of bottles, as well as a pairing for each course. The sommelier however did not offer any suggestions to us, which was a bit surprising, considering this is advertised as a "haven for wine lovers" on the restaurants website. I would have expected the sommelier to approach us and offer a suggestion, or, at the very least, speak to us, but he did neither. The amuse bouche was creative, but the texture was not appealing. For our first courses, my husband and I each tried a different dish, but neither of us were impressed. The textures for both dishes were off (both dishes included a foam type element that was very sour, and one dish included raw onion, which wrecked our palates). Our second course, a spring vegetable soup, was also not what we hoped for. My husband described the soup course as very foamy and acidic. For the third course, we both opted for the steak dish. My husband's was modified to exclude shellfish, but the portion size was equal to mine. Although we were not given any option as to how our steak was cooked, it was tasty. The fourth course was a delicious cheese plate, but we commented that the cheese itself was probably not made in the restaurant, so we weren't really eating the chef's creation. The fact that we were most impressed with the cheese plate was unfortunate, considering it most likely wasn't the chef's creation, and we believe the price of the meal warranted more in terms of flavor. Dessert, the fifth course, was tasty, but didn't blow us away. For a restaurant with a Michelin star, we expected more. All in all, the service was excellent, and we enjoyed our third, fourth and fifth courses. The first two courses though were not at all what we expected, and we were disappointed. We would not go back, but we would not discourage others from trying the restaurant. It is advertised as being unique, and that is certainly what you get. read more

Little concerned over the price but they have a set lunch menu for £22 pounds two courses and it was to die for! Highly recommend it and we even went as far as ordering the cheese plate as the service, food and ambience was 5 stars!! Happy customer read more

Paul Kitching 21212 - French Near Me - Edinburgh, MLN

Fabulous dining experience from beginning to end. Young but superbly trained staff, some of the most imaginative flavor and texture combinations I've ever tasted, overall a brilliant dining evening. The space is lovely with an view into the kitchen. read more

Picked 21212 from a list of restaurants from travel guide after arriving in Edinburgh. It was not the highest rated place in the travel guide - just an entry about the food and cost. I called around 8:00pm to see if any reservations were available and they said yes, 9:00pm available for 2. My daughter and I arrived on time and were seated promptly. It turned out to be one of the best meals I have had in a lifetime. The pictures of dishes do not do this justice. We selected the 3-course menu, and my daughter and I ordered different dishes through-out. Each dish was consisted of a melody of flavor and texture - all were excellent. We were never rushed and the service was outstanding. And the decor is fantastic as well! The travel guide should have rated 21212 as outstanding. The restaurant is small, so reservations are a must. If I travel back to Edinburgh, I would eat here again! read more

Excellent meal. Every dish was carefully designed such that every bite was different and left you wondering what you were tasting. The starter - I had the "Shell Fish Shells - was perhaps a little over-complicated as it came in two parts, but both the prawns and crab were impeccably prepared and fascinating to eat. The vegetarian soup was an absolute surprise in terms of the depth of flavors and variety of textures. The Guinea fowl in my main melted in my mouth while the duck bacon was inspired. The cheese plate was wonderful and I would have preferred to end the meal there and then instead of having a proper pudding. But there's no need to quibble over a largely perfect meal. We also had the wine pairing, which was very well thought through. Kudos. read more

I had an extraordinary dinner in this place. A great experience I would say. Environment: Very elegant dinning room, tasty fabrics, original combinations, comfortable chairs. If you aloud me to say, the washing rooms were so nice decorated. Staff: Always super kind, polite and professional. They looked like they enjoyed their job. Food: Very nice combinations, balanced dishes in their taste and their presentation. Every ingredient served in our table found its good combination with the rest. Wine: Was a joy to drink that wine together with the rest. Dessert: A nice surprise. Strongly recommended. Look forward to return here! read more