Great Places to Stay
- Dining at the Sheraton Grand Hotel, Edinburgh
The Terrace Brasserie
There is now a choice of three restaurants, offering contrasting menus and style of cuisine at the Sheraton. Overlooking Festival square with a view up to the Castle, designed like a conservatory with floor to ceiling windows, is the informal Terrace brasserie (illustrated above). This is a self-service buffet dining - with style. For starters a fabulous display of freshly prepared salads and vegetables, hot soup, fish including mussels and entire poached salmon, and cold meats is laid out where you can help yourself to as little or as much as you like.Then to the main course and select your choice from the carvery, the grill or a stir-fried wok dish as you watch the chef at work. So you know everything is absolutely freshly prepared in front of you. A range of delicious sweets, fresh fruit and cheese ends the meal. Lunch and dinner at the Terrace are very reasonably priced and the atmosphere is very relaxed and casual. As you can select exactly what you wish to eat, at your own pace, this is a perfect atmosphere for all ages, couples, families and friends. On Sundays there is a popular brunch menu running through to Sunday afternoon, often accompanied by live jazz music.
The Grill Room
"The Grill Room offers an oasis of traditional style service and superb dining"
A Taste of Scotland
Next door to the Terrace is the Grill Room, a formal fine-dining restaurant, designed like the lobby and reception with wood panelling, and paintings on the walls, and a thick tartan carpet of the Usher pattern which means 'to welcome'. The tables are lain with crisp white linen tablecloths and fine crystal. Under the expertise of Executive Chef, Nicolas Laurent, and manager, Jean-Philippe Maurer, this is a sophisticated and intimate dining room for the best of Scottish and international cuisine. The professional 5 star service is impeccable.
A Sample menu starts with smoked salmon with herb salad, quail and foie gras terrine, and a good choice of soups. Fillet of veal with grilled scallops, roast rack of lamb with Provençal crust, black olive sauce; and lobster with artichoke mousseline. Almond macaroon, roasted pineapple and pina colada parfait - amongst many beautifully designed desserts.
Santini
In the summer of 2001, the Sheraton Grand opened a luxurious spa complex called ONE to offer a range of quality beauty, fitness and health treatments. To reflect this philosophy of well-being, a new restaurant within the complex is SANTINI, serving the very best of Italian cuisine. It is a well known fact that this is regarded as one of the healthiest diets in the world.
First the ambience and decor: Spacious, cool, and relaxing with colours in ochre, cinnamon, ginger and cream. The bar area has comfy leather sofas, armchairs and stools surrounding the semi circular bar and the overall bright and fresh design with flagstone flooring and colourful mosaic walls promotes a sunny Mediterranean ambience.
After a glass of ice-cold prosecco we are taken through to the restaurant, again beautifully designed with long white muslin curtains and white table cloths contrasting with the ochre and cinnamon coloured armchair seats. This is not your average cheap `n cheerful Italian pizza house. This is the ultimate in style and sophistication direct from Milan - literally. The owner Gino Santin also has Santini restaurants in London and Milan. The young staff are dressed elegantly in Versace or Gucci and not only look good, they are charming and utterly professional.
Antipasti dishes feature some specialities such as char grilled baby cuttlefish, baked artichoke or melt in the mouth slices of smoked swordfish, served imaginatively with slices of ripe pear. Absolutely superb. The primi course offers an intriguing selection of fresh pasta dishes, such as tagliolini with fresh crab, linguine with aubergine and ricotta, or a delicate ravioli filled with pumpkin, beautifully arranged around the plate. The Italian feast moves on to the main course with a wide choice of classic fish dishes such as succulent scallops with langoustine or a grilled baby chicken with a spicy chilli sauce.
Then conclude with a delicious pear poached in Barolo wine, or perhaps a cooling gelati to help the digestion process. Then back to the bar for an espresso and sit awhile before leaving this relaxing Mediterranean haven.
Santini Bis
For a lighter bite, adjacent to the restaurant is a bistro, serving more casual but equally excellent, Italian cuisine with a selection of pizzas, pasta, grills and salads.
Next page > "One" Spa and Health Club > Page 1, 2, 3
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