Rick's
Edinburgh, United Kingdom[view map]
Comments from members who've stayed at Rick's
The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth: the only people who can contribute to a hotel Guestbook are Smith members who have just stayed there, so everything you read below is honest-to-goodness fact. We even credit members’ Vault accounts with cash for each comment we publish. To learn more about membership, click here.
Rick's bar is fab – great cocktails and a chilled soundtrack to drink them by. Edinburgh was fantastic. The Royal Botanical Gardens in autumn are a stunning array of greens, reds, golds and oranges. Urban Angel is the perfect spot for brunch – organic eggs benedict were a real treat. And the Secret Garden at the Witchery makes for a gorgeous, intimate romantic dinner.
After a disastrous anniversary meal in Glasgow a few nights before we decided to give it another shot and as we were both feeling exhausted after a weekend of family birthdays and newborn babies, we got no further than the restaurant at Rick's.
We started out in the bar (newly refurbished and extremely stylish) with a very generous glass of Moet (£5 Monday to Friday, 5-7pm), so after two of those each we moved onto the cocktails! Our complimentary Mr & Mrs Smith cocktails were chosen from an eclectic list. I plumped for an Aviation and my boyfriend for a Pegu Club, both delicious and mixed by proper cocktail staff who know exactly what they are doing. Dinner was fantastic and the restaurant is currently running a 2-for-1 deal on main courses. Our steaks were perfectly cooked, tasty as only highland beef can be and when purchased with the deal, amazing value.
Rick's is an extremely friendly establishment and we couldn't fault the service and the staff. The highlight of our stay was definitely the unexpected quality of the meal.
The room as expected was small and perfectly formed. My only gripe (and it's just a personal thing) is that all rooms are advertised as doubles but are in fact two single beds, with two single mattresses pushed together and transformed into a double by a sheet and a duvet. I know this is a common sight on the continent but it irks me in the UK and especially in a boutique hotel marketing itself at couples.
Breakfast was one of the best hotel breakfasts I've had in a very long time and they serve till 12, so perfect after a lazy lie in!
Don't bother with a pricey cab to the airport - we caught the shuttle bus, from outside Waverly Station only a five-minute walk away. It cost a thrifty £3.50 each and only took 25 minutes.
All in all a real credit-crunch-buster of a break!
We found Edinburgh a great city. Only regret is that we didn't have enough time there.
Dinner at Le Café St Honoré at 34 North West Thistle Street Lane is to be recommended. Small and intimite, not cheap but excellent for a romantic evening. Food very good. Service very good, too. We are hard to please when it comes to restaurants, so for us to be impressed it must be good. It is round the corner from Rick's, so not too far to stumble back if that's where you stay. Recommend booking in advance.
Another find was the restaurant at the National Gallery. We had lunch but they are also open for dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Lovely views across the city, good food and again, good service.
