The Witchery

The Witchery

Nine richly theatrical suites beside Edinburgh Castle, with candlelit Scottish dining in the Original Dining Room or Secret Garden making the evening as distinctive as the overnight stay.

At a glance

• Location: Edinburgh
• Main restaurant: The Witchery Restaurant — 2 AA Rosettes
• Bedrooms / accommodation units: 9

Why we like it

The Witchery is a choice for guests who want the surroundings to be part of the occasion. Its dark, decorative interiors and individually conceived suites create a very different experience from a contemporary city hotel. The Royal Mile setting puts historic Edinburgh immediately around the property, yet the appeal of staying is also to retreat into the room after dinner. It particularly suits couples celebrating something, and travellers who are comfortable choosing atmosphere and individuality over a standardised layout. The suite and the dining room should be considered together because both shape the visit.

Eat

The Witchery Restaurant

The restaurant holds two AA Rosettes, with Douglas Roberts named as chef on the current menus. The Original Dining Room and Secret Garden are two dining settings within the same restaurant offer, rather than separate restaurants with different awards. Candlelight and decorative detail frame a menu of Scottish ingredients and recognisable celebratory dishes. Current examples include lobster bisque, haggis, halibut, grouse and sole, alongside a celeriac option. The menu has the breadth for a straightforward three-course dinner as well as a more expansive special occasion. The room is theatrical; the food is ordered à la carte rather than through a compulsory tasting sequence.

Choosing a table

Choose the dining setting when reserving if one room is particularly important to the occasion. The restaurant welcomes many diners who are not staying, so a suite booking should not be assumed to secure the table you want. Chocolate torte and fig and frangipane tart on the current menu illustrate the style of the finish. A separate visit to another Edinburgh restaurant can be an appealing second-night plan, but it is not part of the Witchery's on-site dining offer. Timberyard is an independent restaurant elsewhere in the city; its Michelin recognition does not describe the Witchery's restaurant or accommodation.

Sleep

There are nine suites, each designed for two adults. Their individual character is a reason to choose by name rather than simply request a generic upgrade. The Library makes books part of the setting; the Old Rectory is a larger option with a different outlook; the Vestry involves a specific upstairs position and stone-stair approach. Decorative bathrooms and separate spaces vary, making the actual suite description essential reading. This is a stay in which spending time in the room can be as important as the daytime sightseeing. Reserve the suite that fits the mood and practical needs of the occasion, rather than assuming all nine share one layout.

Retreat

The Castle and Royal Mile provide the natural city focus. An early walk can be followed by a slower afternoon in the suite and a candlelit dinner, which is likely to suit the property better than an itinerary filled from breakfast until bedtime. Attractions require their own reservations and opening checks. The hotel experience is the richly furnished room and historic city setting. For a two-night celebration, keeping one evening at the Witchery and planning the other separately allows the city and the property to offer different experiences. Leave room in the daytime plan to enjoy the suite itself; that is a considerable part of what distinguishes an overnight booking from dinner alone.

What guests say

Google rating: 4.3/5 from 4,144 reviews, checked 6 October 2026. The atmosphere and setting attract especially strong praise, with many visitors enjoying the candlelit sense of occasion. Food and service are more mixed, with value and the pace of a meal among the less enthusiastic comments. This profile includes a large number of restaurant visits, so it should not be read as a review of the nine suites alone. It suits guests who actively want a theatrical celebration setting and select both suite and dining room carefully.

The Gourmet Getaway

The indicative price panel combines accommodation and breakfast for two with dinner for two. Read the menu basis and eligible service days for the selected option, then confirm both reservations for your dates. Drinks, dish supplements and service are additional. Official hotel packages have their own inclusions and terms.

Worth knowing

• Suites accommodate two adults. Check the individual access route and stairs before choosing a suite.
• The restaurant publishes restrictions on young children and larger groups; discuss the party directly before reserving.
• Original Dining Room and Secret Garden are different rooms within the same restaurant.
• Accommodation Gold Stars, hotel Red Stars and restaurant awards are different forms of recognition.

The Gourmet Getaways view

A compelling Edinburgh celebration stay for couples drawn to candlelight, decorative suites and Scottish à la carte dining. The right suite and dining-room reservation matter more here than a generic luxury-hotel description.