Number One

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses: £55 (set dinner)
• House wine: £26.50 per bottle

• Hitlisted
• High point: Every mouthful
• Low point: The bill
• Food served: Mon-Sun 6.30-10.30pm
• Private dining: Up to 45 covers
• Open since: 1997
• Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least 25% of menu), Childrens portions, Childrens high chairs, Wheelchair access

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

If you're looking for a place for a romantic meal and some seriously imaginative cuisine, head for Number One, the smart basement restaurant of the luxurious Balmoral Hotel. The dining room (styled by Olga Polizzi) is opulent and glitzy - rich red wall coverings and black-lacquered gold velvet chairs amid colourful artwork. The innovative chef, Jeff Bland, who has been Michelin-starred since 2003, combines flavours and textures of Scottish and French produce reminiscent of the Auld Alliance. Try the set dinner or splash out on the tasting menu with wine pairings. Starters include foie gras sautée with braised chicory, which is a heavenly and decadent combination, and a crab and langoustine mille feuille with spinach purée - a perfect marriage of deliciously fresh ingredients. Continue with tender poached fillet of beef with turnip slaw, blushing pink roast pork loin with truffle mash or a crispy fillet of sea bass with cassoulet. To follow, it's worth waiting for some of the desserts that take longer to prepare, such as gingerbread soufflé or pineapple tart tatin, if simply to absorb the atmosphere and occasion of the dining room, or ponder over previous offerings. Ordering cheese from the trolley is an experience in itself. Service is knowledgeable and refined, and the wine list comprehensive. This is the gold standard by which other fine dining menus in Edinburgh can be judged.