Photo of
Maureen McKendry
November 5, 2013

Every now and then comes a 5pm competition so good we wish we could enter ourselves (“Can we enter this one ourselves?” “No!” – Ed).

Our latest is one such competition. Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you, the chance to win two nights dinner, bed and breakfast, massage and full access to spa facilities at Edinburgh’s five star Caledonian Waldorf Astoria Hotel – a prize worth over £1000!

Now lift your jaw from the floor.

For those of you who don’t quite realise what an amazing prize this is, let me enlighten you with the following facts.

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The incredible Caledonian Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

  • The Caledonian is the ONLY Waldorf Astoria hotel in the UK.

  • Its restaurants are overseen by Michelin starred chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin who own a number of ventures including Galvin at Windows in the London Hilton on park Lane and Galvin Demoiselle overlooking the famous food hall in Harrods. Considered to be among the best chefs in the UK these guys are a BIG DEAL.

  • The “Caley” originally opened as a luxury hotel in 1903 and quickly became popular with the rich and famous, hosting Charlie Chaplin, Gene Kelly (who danced on the hotel’s sweeping staircase), Laurel and Hardy, Elizabeth Taylor and Bing Crosby. The hotel re opened last year following a £24 million renovation.

  • Its Guerlain Spa was recently voted by Stylist magazine as one of the top spas in the UK.

  • It has bigger bathrooms than any hotel in Edinburgh.

The Pompadour by Galvin

The ridiculously lucky winner of this prize will spend both nights dining in the hotel’s restaurants, The Pompadour by Galvin and Galvin Brasserie de Luxe.

The Pompadour is said to have the best table in Edinburgh, with impressive views overlooking Princes Street and Edinburgh Castle.

First opened in 1925 in the original Caledonian Hotel, the listed interior of the restaurant has been sensitively restored.

Serving French cuisine created with seasonal Scottish ingredients, dishes include starters such as the ravioli of rabbit with ricotta, sarriette and artichokes and a main of seared fillet and slow cooked Angus beef with potato galette Lyonnaise and cremated spinach.

With a stunning wine list and  exclusive cocktail salon, your drinks will more than equal the quality of the cuisine.

Galvin Brasserie Deluxe

Dinner on the first night of the prize will be served in Galvin Brasserie de Luxe, the Caledonian’s chich Parisian-style brasserie.

Paying homage to the grand urban bistros of Paris and Lyon, the restaurant’s atmosphere mimics the bustling cosmopolitan railway restaurants of the past.

A large oval bar with a seafood counter forms the centrepiece of the brasserie and signature dishes include the lasagne of Berwick crab with beurre Nantaise, duck confit, boudin noir with red wine sauce and tart tat in aux pommes.

One lucky winner

In case we haven’t made our point clearly enough, this is a very special prize indeed.

To put it in perspective – dinner for two in The Pompadour on its own usually costs £240 – the entire prize is worth over £1000!

Now, we imagine a lot of people will enter this competition. But one lucky winner has to be picked. And you never know – it could be you!

Enter by clicking here. The competition closes at midday on Christmas Eve. Keep your fingers firmly crossed!