As someone who reviews a lot of restaurants in Edinburgh, there’s a handful of questions which recur on a regular basis. By far the most frequent is “what’s your favourite restaurant?”, but then there are a whole bunch of others jostling for elbow space. Where are the best private dining spaces? Where’s good for gluten-free or vegetarian dining? Where has the best views? That last question about stellar vistas of the capital has a few answers, depending on how you want to eat.
The Lookout on Carlton Hill is undoubtedly the best, but it’s not cheap. Chaopraya’s glass box has good views of the castle if you feel like Thai food, and if top-end fine dining is the order of the day, the Pompadour is right up there with its views of the castle and Princes Street. But there is now a strong viewing platform challenger from the ultra-hip W Hotel – one of around 75 in the world’s most fashionable cities – which comes with an unbeatable 360 degree rooftop view of Edinburgh, and which also offers a cocktails terrace.
The W Deck, a terrace and outdoor bar which provides panoramic views over every part of the city and across to the bridges and to Fife, is one of the highest points in the city and is truly stunning if you’re looking out rather than in (it’s just below the controversial and contemporary Mr Whippy-style landmark that powers over the end of George Street and which has become universally known as The Turd by the city’s largely unimpressed inhabitants). .
