Living the high life at The Witchery

Dating back to the Middle Ages

Like much of the Old Town, The Witchery has its roots in the distant past, its name reflecting the city’s dark past, in which many women were burned at the stake on nearby Castlehill. Once a merchant’s house, the original inscription ‘O Lord in thee is all my traist’ remains above the doorway, which is accessed from a narrow close on the Royal Mile.

But back to the current era and The Witchery’s owner, James Thomson has been awarded an OBE in recognition of his services to Scottish tourism and the hospitality industry. His concept was conceived in 1979 when he repurposed the 16th century Boswell’s Court into a restaurant with nine exquisite rooms.

A theatrical dining room and a Secret Garden

The restaurant’s theatrical dining room is bathed in candlelight cradled by heavy silver candelabra, tapestries hang on the wood-panelled walls, light streams from the sash and case windows (by day) and extravagant floral displays create a sense of old-world grandeur.

It’s accompanied by the Secret Garden, which was opened by Thomson in 1990 on the site of an abandoned schoolyard next to the original dining room. A room, lying below the courtyard and entered via a stone staircase, overlooks a magical hidden terrace, for summer dining. Its ceiling features painted imagery from the tarot, including the angels with bagpipes.

From land and sea

The kitchen is led by Head Chef Douglas Roberts. His seasonal menus showcase the very best produce from land and sea across Scotland. This includes game from Perthshire, beef from the Borders, Tamworth pork from Berwickshire, Wild Red Deer from the Cairngorms, haggis from Findlay’s of Portobello and the freshest seafood catches from the pure waters of the Western Isles (such as hand-dived scallops from the Isle of Mull).

The wine is of course not to be forgotten. Its 900 battle strong cellar is renowned as one of the best restaurant collections in the world, with international selections from the very best wine-producing regions.

A la carte

Onto the menus, to whet your appetite for some upscale treats. The a la carte selection offers the likes of Balmoral Estate partridge breast with celeriac, foraged mushrooms, honey and lavender and pickled blackberries; steak tartare, burnt onion mayo and hens’ egg; lemon sole meuniere with cucumber and caviar butter sauce; barley risotto with braised heritage carrots, hazelnut crumble, pickled carrots, coriander oil and carrot crisp; and sweets such as fig and frangipane tart with white chocolate and raspberry cracknel, as well as lashings of clotted cream.

For richer, for poorer

And if you’re celebrating an extra special occasion, why not push the boat out with the Baerii 6* caviar, served with blinis and crème Fraiche (at a cool £215), followed by a shellfish platter served on ice, made up of langoustines, Islay oysters, mussels, clams and crab mayonnaise. A meal here needn’t break the bank, however. If you’re on a budget, The Witchery has a more accessible option, the £27 two-course light lunch. Served from midday to 4.30pm, it has options such as salad of endive with toasted hazelnuts, Serrano, apple and blue cheese; a house fish pie; and a seasonal mushroom risotto.

High Tea

This decadent setting is an indulgent backdrop for a fancy afternoon tea during the witching hour (betwixt lunch and dinner) of 3pm to 4pm. Take your tea in either the main dining room or the Secret Garden dining room, where you’ll be served your delights on traditional silver cake stands. Sandwiches contain fillings including Edinburgh Gin cured salmon with dill creme fraiche on rye bread and brioche buns with egg and cress.

Those with a sweet tooth will adore the restaurant’s freshly baked scones, dragon cake and rich chocolate tarts. Edibles are served with your choice of specially selected loose leaf tea, a glass of Billecart-Salmon Champagne, or a glass of Billecart-Salmon Rosé Champagne.

Its list of accolades could fill this entire page but include multiple AA Gold Star Breakfast Awards, the 5 Gold Star rating from VisitScotland, an Eat Scotland Silver Award and a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Serving lunch, dinner and afternoon tea, The Witchery by the Castle welcomes diners over the age of 10, to retain the very grown-up, sophisticated atmosphere.