Hotel du Vin
- Food served: Mon–Fri 7–10am, noon–2.30pm, 5.30–10.30pm; Sat 8–11am, noon–2.30pm, 5.30–10.30pm; Sun 8–11am, 12.30–3pm, 5.30–10.30pm. [Extended in Festival]
- Pre-theatre times: Mon–Sun 5.30–7pm.
- Bar open: Mon–Thu 11am–midnight; Fri/Sat 11am–1am; Sun 12.30pm–midnight.
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 15
- Private dining: Up to 26 covers
- No. overnight rooms: 47
- Also offers: Children's portions, Children's high chairs, Wheelchair access, Pre-theatre menu, Post-theatre menu, Outdoor tables, Live music, Free wi-fi
- Music on stereo: Easy listening/jazz
- Capacity: 82
- Largest group: 26
- Open since: 2008
Tell us more about this venue.
- Average price:
£12.50 (set lunch)
£21 (evening meal) - Pre-theatre price: £14.50
- House wine: £20 per bottle
The 2012 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).
This review is taken from the current (2012) edition.
Fact: eating out is way nicer than eating in. Or at least it is when the people who bring your food and pour your drinks are really, really lovely. This is well understood in Hotel du Vin, where the service is full of personality and pretty much faultless. This helps overcome a slightly cookie-cutter environment (even a boutique hotel chain is a hotel chain) and a few problems with food temperature. The menu is basically French accented comfort food – lots of classics, lots of meat. That’s no bad thing when a chicken and ham pie is this good – creamy, salty, with a thin flaky crust. Ballotine of hake sits on a bed of artichoke aioli, a great combination of earthy garlic flavours against the light, fresh fish. For starters, a kedgeree is properly dry, as it should be, though could do with a little more spice. Surprise of the meal must be yummy petit fours of deep-fried Mars bars. As you would expect, the wine list is compelling – but deep pockets may be necessary to properly appreciate its charms.
- High point: The deep-fried Mars bars, the service or the wine list?
- Low point: Uneven food temperatures
Events at Hotel du Vin (11 Bristo Place, Edinburgh)
| Location | Date | Event | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel du Vin | 17 Jun 2pm–5pm | Champagne Afternoon Tea with Flower Arranging by Mood Flowers | 0131 247 4900 £30 |
Reviews of Hotel du Vin (11 Bristo Place, Edinburgh)
- 3. Ducksauce, Edinburgh – 27 August 2010, 12:53am
Hotel du VinReport -
I treated a good friend and my partner to dinner at the Bistro on 16th August as we had wanted to go there for a while. The decore and layout were lovely and the place had a nice atmosphere, the service however was shocking!!
It was a Monday night and therefore not overly busy so there was little excuse for the 30 min wait to get water for the table.
The starters and mains were excellent but the deserts were not. Our after dinner drinks didn't even arrive and when we complained that they had the cheek to put them on the bill, the offered to call us a cab! Sufficed to say the drinks were never offered, complimentary or otherwise.
Sloppy service for the high prices and dire recovery when things go wrong.
- 2. combat, Edinburgh – 13 February 2010, 7:20pm
Hotel du VinReport -
This atmosphere and decor in this restaurant is amoung the best that I've ever experienced. It's a shame that the rest doesn't quite live up to it.
There are so many better restaurants in Edinburgh. The Stockbridge Restaurant or the Kitchen for a start.
We went on a Saturday and Sunday night as part of a special deal for staying in the hotel. We only experienced the mains and desserts and while they were well presented they just didn't deliver on taste. I also find it really annoying when you have to spend an extra £4 on a few boiled carrots and another £4 on a few green beans.
Worst of all my girlfirends mum's chicken was raw in the middle. She had it replaced and got her steak for free but when we went back the second night she wanted the chicken again but cooked. The waitress claimed that it could be red in the middle which was completely taking the mickey. But she persuaded her to not order it. One of us ordered it anyway and it was cooked properly this time. There's no way it was cooked the previous night! That's so dangerous to serve raw chicken but to have the head waitress defend it was unforgivable.
I have also been for a friends birthday party and had a set menu. All three courses were terrible and felt like we were eating in some buffet restaurant.
- 1. splorp, Edinburgh – 2 September 2009, 9:24am
Hotel du VinReport -
We went to Hotel du Vin on a Tuesday night and although it was fairly quiet, the bistro had a pleasant, cosy atmosphere. The food was interesting - pigs ear starter and beef & snail pie main were unusual but absolutely great. Wine list was very extensive but the sommelier was friendly and helpful (and brutally honest about some of the listed wines).
The service tailed off towards the end as waiters lost interest and a 10% service charge was automatically added to the bill - grr! Annoying perhaps, but not enough to mar a very nice evening.
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