[Scotland] Number One - 1* Michelin Dinner in Edinburgh

We arrived in Edinburgh by train from London for a 5 day tour of Iona, Mull and Isle of Skye in Scotland with Rabbie's Tour and celebrated J's birthday in advance at the 1 Michelin star Number One Restaurant at The Balmoral Hotel which features an unique blend of Scottish and French flavors! It was rainy and cold in Edinburgh but the moment we stepped into the restaurant, the lovely service along with the cozy red decor warmed us up immediately for our celebration. There were several tasting menus to choose from including a 4 course Scottish Experience Menu (£75) with seasonal Scottish produce, a 7 course Chef's Tasting Menu (£79) and a 10 course Prestige Tasting Menu (£110), and we ended up choosing the signature 7 course tasting menu with wine pairing (£55).

We started off with 3 amuse bouche that arrived on a 2-tier metallic stand with truffle, squid ink and duck confit but it was the huge bread cart that caught my attention with sourdough, cheese and onion, rosemary and sea salt bread. The rosemary was our favorite with its aromatic flavors and fluffy texture. 

The second amuse bouche was a Corn Soup with Parmesan that was appetizing with rich and sweet flavors.

The next course arrived in dramatic fashion with a glass case filled with smoke which turned out to be a Balmoral Whisky Smoked Salmon. Since Scotland is known for its whisky so it's appropriate that whisky is used for this dish. The salmon had a strong smoky aroma which was well balanced in flavor along with lemon butter, quail's egg and caviar.

The Heirloom Tomatoes with basil curd, avocado, black olive and tomato sorbet was an amazing dish with refreshingly light flavors. Surprisingly we all loved the tomato sorbet - I think tomato should be turned into a sorbet flavor to be served as a standalone!

The Hand Dived Scallops with seaweed butter, fennel, green apple, shrimps and artichoke had an interesting mix of textures while the scallops was cooked perfectly.

The Inverurie Hogget with bacon, peas, mint yogurt was J's favorite dish of the night. The lamb was very soft and tender while the pea puree was surprisingly delicious. 

The pre-dessert course with Black Cherry Cheesecake was a hit as it was very airy and light - perfect after all of the food that we just had!

I love a good souffle and the Raspberry Souffle looked gorgeous while the flavors were equally scrumptious. The accompanying ice cream was just cherry on top!

We ended our meal with some colorful petit fours and it was here where they restaurant created a special plate for J with happy birthday written in chocolate on it. All throughout the meal, the staff kept coming over to wish him a happy birthday which was very nice of them to do. 

Verdict - With four 1* restaurants in Edinburgh, I didn't know which one to choose at first but I saw that Number One was highly ranked on Tripadvisor for its impeccable service and after our experience, I have to concur that the service was definitely professional and friendly, and I was glad that I chose Number One to celebrate J's birthday in Scotland!

Number One
Balmoral Hotel, 1 Princes St, Edinburgh EH2 2EQ, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 131 557 6727
https://www.roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/the-balmoral-hotel/restaurants-and-bars/number-one/

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