PUMPKIN SOUP!

Number One restaurant is situated within the magnificent gothic building of the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. It is a one-star Michelin restaurant which I had high expectations in advance through my research.

Ambiance 

Since Balmoral Hotel looked so fascinating from the outside, I had a mild disappointment when I saw the decoration of the restaurant. It had an elegant and comfortable atmosphere, yet nothing so special. It was nice that the tables weren’t so close to each other, I felt the privacy of an exclusive dining experience. The tables were in my favorite round shape. Restrooms were outside the restaurant, being clean.

Since it was getting dark long after the dinner time during summer in Edinburgh, there was plenty of light coming from the windows. I know that generally dim light is being preferred in the restaurant for dinner. It both makes a romantic atmosphere and masks the mistakes that can be seen explicitly with the presence of light. I love to see what I eat, therefore I don’t enjoy dim light as much. Therefore the lighting in Number One was perfect for me.

Taste

There were different tasting menu options, starting from four courses up to seven or ten courses. Amongst them, I have chosen the seven-course tasting menu.

They have served three different kinds of bread at the beginning which are baked daily at the restaurant. The bread made with anise was worth trying since it was quite different. Together with the bread, I was asked if I preferred my butter salty or not.

I usually try not to eat too much bread with the tasting menus, since you already try a lot of different things and wouldn’t want to end up with a full stomach. However, I love to try different kinds of bread and especially if the restaurants are making an extra effort for baking their own bread.

The amuse bouche was extraordinary. Each one of them was a different pleasure. The second amuse bouche came after I made my decision to have a tasting menu. It was a crab-based sauce with cucumber and dill, however, it felt like I was eating the sauce alone.

The first appetizer was smoked salmon served with lemon mousse, quail eggs, and caviar. It was a professionally designed dish with a perfect harmony of the different ingredients. Next was Wye Valley asparagus with hazelnut, some salad and petals. I loved the fact that asparagus was undercooked. I like the vegetables undercooked for the health benefits and also they offer a much stronger taste.

First main course was a wild turbot accompanied with kuskus, peanut, raisin and stuffing. I found it very original and a bit oriental. It was the best dish of the tasting menu. Next main course was the belly of a Scottish hogget with potato, yoghurt and peas. The meat was fatty and delicious.

Pre-dessert was one of my favorites. Ginger mousse with ginger crisps and watermelon was amazing. Using watermelon as a refresher was a great idea. Combining it with ginger was even better.

Dessert was a Perthshire strawberry cheesecake. It was not too sugared, with a natural strawberry aroma and a super thin cake. I loved honey ice cream, strawberries and crisps served together with the cheesecake.

Lots of petite fours were served at the end. They brought a whole table on wheels. I had a hard time trying to decide which ones to try. From banana and lime marshmallows to passion fruit macaron and strawberry truffles, they were looking so good but had no ravishing taste.

Creativity 

The design of the dishes was made by Executive Chef Jeff Bland. He was not present at the restaurant when I went. Some of the ingredient combinations that I mentioned earlier were genius.  The finish had a perfect look, a scene that especially the sweet and chocolate lovers won’t easily forget.

In terms of decoration, there were some interesting paintings on the walls but overall they were repetitive.

Service 

I received a very friendly welcome as the staff asked how my day in Edinburgh was. The dishes were explained in great detail. However, it took a very long time for the staff to remove the dishes from the table once finished. Their pace throughout the tasting experience was rather slow.

I asked the sommelier to bring me a glass of his Scotch whiskey recommendation. Unfortunately, he totally forgot about it and didn’t show up in my table again.

I made an online booking from the website. My reservation was confirmed instantly.

Value 

The price of the seven-course tasting menu was £89 of being a great value. Sommelier looked quite well informed but I decided to choose an early harvest Gewürtztraminer being not so sweet.