First impressions: At this time of year you should push the boat out and dine somewhere special. The Balmoral Hotel’s private dining experience certainly supplied extra sparkle to my evening with a welcome glass of vintage Charles Heidsieck Champagne. I visited to discover more about their exclusive private dining room in Number One restaurant. Pre-dinner we were served a trio of divine gem-like canapes while relaxing in the bar. The private dining space seats up to ten, which makes it ideal for an intimate celebration, anniversary or meeting. You can select either the seven-course tasting menu, £115 per person or choose your own bespoke menu. We headed inside Balmoral’s wine cellar to learn more about their wine collection gathered from all around the world. Before we took our seats to sample the tasting menu created by head chef Mathew Sherry. We quickly polished off the linseed sourdough and demolished an out-of-this-world starter, created from the chef’s favourite ingredient Isle of Wright tomatoes.
Main course: The AA 4 rosette menu changes bi-monthly to showcase the very best seasonal produce. I was proud to see East Lothian’s Phantassie Farm supply the kitchen. The vegetarian main option featured aged Acquerello risotto with wafer-thin black truffle shavings. Then a plate of foraged mushrooms, gathered by Coeur Savage, served with charred baby gem lettuce, artichoke and courgette. The carnivores in the party lucked out with Isle of Skye Langoustine raviolo, dill and a taste of luxury with Oscietra caviar, followed by Aberdeen Angus sirloin, and short rib. Every dish was a feast for the eyes but even better to taste.
Sweet treat: The Balmoral have their own rooftop penthouse hives and their bees create delicious honey, used in the statement yoghurt and honeycomb dessert which certainly had us all buzzing. Another showstopper dessert followed which featured a crimson dome piled high with Leadketty strawberries flavoured with Madagascan vanilla, was simply sublime.
Drink up: It would be foolish not to use the extensive wine knowledge of head sommelier, Callum McCann. His encyclopedic knowledge paired our wines and the dishes to perfection (for an extra £85 per person.) But in a nutshell, Balmoral’s Number One was first class.
Cat Thomson was a guest at
Number One Restaurant
1 Princes St
Edinburgh EH2 2EQ
Tel: 0131 557 6727
