][1]A location inside one of Edinburgh’s most visited buildings, spectacular views of the castle, the finest Scottish produce, and maybe even a celebrity spot or two, Tower Restaurant is one of the most impressive dining experiences in the capital.
In case you need any more convincing, we’ve listed the reasons why you should make a visit to Tower Restaurant a priority when in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
1) The View
Tower Restaurant boasts one of the most spectacular views in the capital. Located on the rooftop of the National Museum of Scotland, it has an outdoor terrace which overlooks the castle and old town. Senior manager of Tower Restaurant Steven Allam said, “I think whether you are from Edinburgh or just visiting, our view is a world class experience.”
Watch the video below for a snippet.
2) The Food
Rather than rely on its stunning view, Tower Restaurant has created a world class menu to match, featuring Scottish food with a twist. An example is the modern take on haggis neeps and tatties where, instead of the traditional mashed tatties, the potato is whipped and served as a dried noodle nest and served with tagliatelle strips of picked turnip.
Afternoon tea features a range of homemade treats such as shortbread, Dundee cake and a top layer of desserts made by the pastry chef, which changes daily. Those who are feeling a little more decadent can indulge in Steven’s favourite, the lobster thermidor. All of the food is created using local, seasonal ingredients.
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3) The Service
Tower Restaurant’s aim is to provide efficient laid back service which prioritises the customer experience. Or as Steven puts it “We are not one of those pretentious places where you have one waiter per person. We are much more laid back while still giving efficient informed service. We want people to have fun and enjoy their time here, the front of house team really care about that.”
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4) Celebrity Spotting
Celebrities including Kate Moss, J.K Rowling, Ricky Gervais, Joanna Lumley and Ian Rankin have all dined in Tower Restaurant. And Steven shared a funny story of when an A lister decided to pop by. “Kate Winslet came in having booked under another name, along with two other woman,” he said. “They were on their iPad speaking to someone in New York, and because they were speaking to their iPad, they were speaking quite loudly. There was two women sitting having afternoon tea and as it was a Monday or Tuesday afternoon it was quite quiet.
“Two women having afternoon tea called me over and said, “I think this is terrible. You should be ashamed of yourself. You have not gone across to that table and told them to keep the noise down. You shouldn’t have electrical equipment in a restaurant like this. We are trying to enjoy our afternoon tea.” I said, “I would usually go across and say but it is Kate Winslet so I’m not really sure what to do”. One said, “What’s that son? Its Kate Winslet? June, June, its Kate Winslet!” And then they got out their phones and started texting frantically. Its quite nice for other customers when there is a celebrity in.”
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5) Supporting Scotland
“We are in Scotland’s national museum, we have a view of the old town of Scotland’s capital so our menu focuses on Scotland,” Steven said. “Our food needs to be in season, it needs to be the best you can get and it needs to be sustainable. Our scallops are hand dived off the Isle of Mull from an amazing man called Guy Grieves. Our beef comes from John Gilmore in East Lothian, an award winning butcher. These are both small companies who we want to support. Our cheese is from Ian Mellis, Scotland’s premiere cheese distributor.
“We also like to give things back to the community; our owner sponsors a local rugby team and we give money to various charitable organisations including the Prince’s Trust which fundraises for the local area. Edinburgh’s old town is one of the nicest places in the world and one of the most visited, for good reason. It is a world class area; in terms of architecture, in terms of services, shops, bars, restaurants on offer. We are proud to be part of that group and proud to be part of the old town.”
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Visit 5pm Dining for fantastic offers at Tower Restaurant.