The Secret Garden at the Witchery, Edinburgh

The setting was fantastic, it was very intimate so it really suited our anniversary dinner.

The starter was gorgeous and the first time I tried haggis, it tasted lovely and fresh, my girlfriend also had the haggis.

Then came the mains, I chose the steak which was MASSIVE and cooked really well. My girlfriend had the 3 little pigs which was also very tasty as I tried a bit. The veg of mash and carrots were extremely tasty.

Then for dessert, we ordered the pudding selection between us as we were both stuffed but desired something sweet.

The sorbet was delicious and very refreshing so I would recommend that if I were choosing a particular dessert.

The staff were fantastic and very helpful and courteous not at all forward or in your face.

They made us feel very welcome from the get go. We were afforded plenty if time to digest and to finish our drinks, I ordered a very tasty Oban which was a fitting way to top off the evening with a wee dram.

Our waiter who was fantastic then arranged a taxi for us. It was a brilliant experience with some very good food.

My only gripe is that it was a tad but pricey (£160) and that for the price you have to order your veg as extras!!

All in all though a very good experience.

LOVELY PLACE BUT FOOD IS TOTALLY BLAND AND OVERPRICED, WOULD NOT RECOMMEND OR RETURN WHICH IS SUCH A SHAME AS IT IS A WONDERFUL PLACE. I HAVE BEEN 3 TIMES OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS AND AM ALWAYS SO DISAPPOINTED. I THINK THEY RELY ON AMBIENCE AND PASSING THROUGH TRADE WITH ALL THE TOURISTS. THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN FLAVORS AND LOCAL BUSINESS, BUT THEY ARE SO BUSY MAYBE THEY DONT NEED LOCALS?? EGO IS HUGE BUT NOTHING TO BACK IT UP. INSTEAD GO TO LEITH AS THERE ARE MANY FABULOUS PLACES THERE, KITCHEN, WISHARTS, FISHERS TO NAME BUT A FEW. KEEP YOUR MONEY FOR THEM

Took 2 American friends to the The Secret Garden at the Witchery, Edinburgh after a visit to the Castle. Welcoming and attentive but not effusive staff, tables positioned so that conversation was possible, loos clean and well stocked, food above average for the price per head, ambience calm and relaxing, surroundings different but tasteful.

Only criticism would be that the food is not 5-star but if it was I would expect to spend another £5-6 per head for the deal we had.

I never go to the witchery on my own but I am invited about once a year. I went just last month and the service was appauling! The waiters seem like someone that would be working at an american chain, the sort that come to your table and say "hello, my name is xxxx and I will be your server tonight". I had not noticed this in the past, must be cutting costs during the hard times. I was sitting close to the loo which is RIGHT in the dining area with the word "TOILETS" written on the door in plain sight of all the diners. Very classy. But apparently I was in very close to the stairs and in the way of the waiters who CONSTANTLY bumped into my chair and kept apologizing all night. Very unprofessional. When the waiter asked me how my dish was the only thing that come to mind was that the side dish, the veggies, were very nice with a nice butter and some seasoning and they were not over cooked which is typical of british veg. The waiter then asked how my fish was. I had not even thought about the fish when he first asked how my food was because it was so average and nothing special at all, my veg was more memorable. He seemed annoyed which just confirms my initial suspicion that the wait staff is very unprofessional and belong in TGI fridays more than a "fine dining" establishment. I saw that the witchery just won some award, cant remember the name, and its shocking! Yes, it is a beautiful place but what does that matter if the food is unmemorable and the wait staff just a joke? Says a lot about what people expect in this country when it comes to going out for a nice meal......

I found the service and food at the Secret Garden at the Witchery, Edinburghto be of a high standard. I feel i must have been to a completely different place to everyone else here either tht or as i have been there most recently the place has changed. As it was hogmanay and we started our meal at around 11pm staff made time between courses so we could go outside to watch the fireworks.

A most enjoyable night!!

The Witchery appears to me to be living on its reputation these days. Having had a magical meal there some years ago, I was appalled on a recent visit (Summer 2008). The food was ok, but at the prices charged I feel represented very poor value for money, and the waiters seemed unable to answer basic questions about the food's provenance. Tables were squashed in to such an extent that I was practically hitting elbows with the diner at the next table. Worst of all however, they brought us a bottle of wine that was 3 times the price of the one we ordered, and we declined to pay this inflated price.

My mother came to visit me in May and I thought it would be really fun to go to a crazy, over the top place with her, so I chose the Witchery, having never been there. We had a very early dinner, 5:15 or something, so that we could take advantage of the early-dinner special. We were, with great flourish, escorted to a really nice table, right by the windows, so we could see a cute little garden outside. The waiters pounced right on us, offering things and, for the rest of our meal, were very attentive, never failing to fill our glasses or bring us more bread. If you want a really quiet, private meal, this may not be the place for you...I was really happy because I felt like I was a character in Hello, Dolly!, what with the waitstaff being so great. Then again, we were one of three tables when we arrived as well. If you like the idea of people brushing breadcrumbs from your table, having witty banter with you, and serving you bread with tongs, then yes, this is your place. Even the bathroom was super goth and luxe, complete with Molton Brown soap and lotion and fresh lilies all over the place.

The only down side was the bill. I smartly ordered the fixed menu, plus a side salad. I thought the food was just as good as anything else I had ordered for the same price (12.95 for two courses, plus 3 for the salad). My mother must not have had her reading glasses on because she ordered a 40 steak. It was quite good, cooked just the way she wanted, but she had a heart attack when she say the bill! We also ordered the dessert sampler and she had a glass of whiskey. I'm a student who appreciates the cost of things, so I had water.

The lavender ice cream was wonderful, and the atmosphere was great...but you are def. paying for the way it looks and the staff.

If you go: go early, order the fixed menu and bask in the soft glow of gothic pillar candles. And then go get drinks elsewhere.

They charge London prices, so should offer London levels of quality of food and service. One of the worst meals I've ever had.

The menu was pretentious which is not too bad a point until you realise the chef can't cook. It was a Sunday I went so maybe they had a relief chef. The food was terrible, I had a ham terrine to start and rabbit for main and both were dry and bland...regardless of the ill-fitting garmosj/ I was left feeling hungry but not wanting to bother with the dessert as I thought "why waste the money", they seem to have a knack of making even the most basic of food taste of nothing.

Very, very disappointing and expensive experience

Completely over rated, the food was not what you would expect for the money you have to pay and some of our dishes where cold.

The restaurant is cramped, I was sitting shoulder to shoulder with the woman next to us and I felt more intimate with her than with my own wife who was squeezed between a wall and the window.

The staff where polite but distant and we felt we where hurried from one course to the next as they wanted to go home early that evening.

The ambiance is totally over the top and the words theme park and tourist trap come to mind, they even put a gravestone on the balcony for heavens sake.

I have been to Edinburgh several times since then and found excellent restaurants with great personal service and better food for half the price.

The Witchery is definitely one for the tourists as you will only go there once.