number one

Situated in the heart of Edinburgh is the gorgeous Balmoral that oozes with luxury, synonymous with the reputation of the Rocco Forte Collection. Even the location can't be bettered, with the famous sites of Edinburgh such as Arthur's Seat, The Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle, just a step away.

The interiors of the individually designed bedrooms and suites are beguiling and themed around natural colour tones and fabrics reflecting their Scottish heritage. Step into the Royal Suite and you will soon realise you don't want to go anywhere, with a fireplace, well stocked in-room bar, double walk-in shower and breathtaking views over the historic old town of Edinburgh, all are sure to evoke a wowed response.

Michelin-starred Chef Jeff Bland (see the image in the gallery), awarded the honour of being named as Drambuie Scottish Chef of the Year in 2003, ensures that number one lives up to its name. It's currently the only hotel restaurant in Edinburgh to have gained a Michelin Star, first awarded in January 2003, which it has retained to this day, a fine tribute to Chef Bland and his brigade.

Using only the finest Scottish ingredients, Bland creates outstanding à la carte dishes using favourites such as Scottish beef, roasted venison, seared scallops and the finest Scottish salmon. It is easy to see why number one was given the Fine Dining Experience Award at the inaugural Scottish Restaurant Awards 2008, when the panel delivered their verdict that number one restaurant offers its customers 'the ultimate sophisticated dining experience'.

With that sort of accolade it might seem slightly superfluous to proceed any further, but a little detail might not come amiss. The success of number one revolves round the wonderful dishes on offer on the à la carte, with a Chef's tasting menu that is recommended for the whole table, to which we will return.

A stunning starter is provided by the asparagus soup with crispy quail egg and crème fraîche, quite one of the best dishes out the five choices on offer. It has close competition from the pressing of free range chicken and confit bacon with devilled chicken livers, traditional but beautifully prepared.

Monkfish is fast becoming one of life's great treats, and here it is combined with soft polenta, barigoule of vegetables and fried mussels to make an outstanding main dish, though you may find it a hard choice between that and John Dory and langoustine with morels, asparagus and peas and shellfish sauce. Fillet of Borders beef again has that magic touch, this time with oxtail ravioli, squash puree and braised leeks.

Scottish cooking has, with one or two notable exceptions, to make do with more widely spread attributions when it comes to desserts, which makes them no less tempting. Passion fruit soufflé with tropical fruit entremets and coconut sorbet is a work of art, and the tiramisu cream and coffee parfait with chocolate and amaretto sauce seldom fails to please wherever it goes.

A pre-theatre dinner offer of £45 for three courses is available if ordered before 7pm. Whilst, as previously mentioned, the Chef's tasting menu is an seven course affair, each with its own wine pairing. At £62.50 a head, or an extra £50 with wine pairings, this is not for the faint hearted, but should you wish to travel along this most wonderful of gourmet roads you would be hard pushed to find anywhere better to do it than number one at The Balmoral.

Click on the Website for more information about number one, particularly about private dining and gifts.