The Gardener's Cottage Reviews Summary

Service

Pros:

• "Staff and service was good."
• "Service was impeccable, so I can't put that down."
• "The staff knowledgeable and friendly."
• "The service staff was great, including the friendly dish washer."
• "They took really good care of us as customers and we really felt welcomed."
• "The waiting staff are fab, and were very knowledgable. They ensured you had a lovely evening."
• "The staff was all very friendly and hospitable."

Cons:

• "We were finally served dessert at 10:30pm. Our reservation was for 8pm and we finally left at almost 11 pm."
• "The service was good but slowed down towards the end."
• "Dreadful customer service. They say you can move your booking, but they have not picked up the phone or answered multiple emails over 2 weeks now."
• "Service was ok, but not particularly attentive, which you would expect in this price bracket."
• "Service is alright but also below our expectations."
• "The service however left a lot to be desired."
• "Services was 'efficient'; minimal friendliness, nudging you to finish rapidly so the next batch of customers could be processed."

Atmosphere

Pros:

• "Incredible meal in a quaint, peaceful and family style setting."
• "Very nice atmosphere, intimate and cosy."
• "Tiny, and you’re seated on benches with others (it’s quite intimate), so it’s nice and communal."
• "Very cool little place serving excellent food."
• "A cute and quirky hidden gem, within the city, the cottage is set within the Royal Terrace Gardens in the East End of Edinburgh."
• "Jazz music made the atmosphere warm."
• "The atmosphere was, for me, what really blew me away with this restaurant. It was like being invited to a friend's house for some great food."

Cons:

• "Uncomfortable and lacking in atmosphere."
• "Some burnt toast set off all the smoke alarms three times while we were in there as well, which did spoil the atmosphere a bit."
• "Bench seating and the small room means it’s quite noisy and not very private."
• "You are crammed in 10 to a shared table elbow to elbow with other guests also feeling uncomfortable."
• "I was constantly banging elbows with the guy next to me and we were sat so close I kind of felt like I was third wheeling his date."
• "Community tables made for a very awkward dinner experience when the couple next to us was arguing THE ENTIRE TIME."
• "In such a small cottage this created a draft instantly."

Food Quality

Pros:

• "Fresh, seasonal food in a relaxed, rustic setting. But we were left underwhelmed by the experience."
• "Wonderful food, locally and sustainably based, with the dishes highly varied and consistently delicious."
• "Amazing food and wine pairings. Michelin quality dessert IMO."
• "Fantastic experience. Great service and wonderful to watch the master chefs at work! Lamb, lobster and halibut just perfect."
• "The food was such a gloriously crafted paring of flavours. Each dish was truly a delight."
• "The food was excellent, the wine (well, there was a cider on it) was expertly chosen."
• "The food is incredible, using the best of the in season ingredients."

Cons:

• "Overpriced and underwhelming."
• "Food was not that great and sometimes even tasteless."
• "I found the value of the meal to be quite low."
• "Nice food, albeit very expensive. Nearly 300 pound for a meal for 2 plus wine."
• "The food was too rich (and we love 5* dining) and odd combinations that didn't work."
• "Tasteless and overcooked food, lack of creativity and originality."
• "The soup was desperately bland and woefully underseasoned."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "The price was commensurate with a starred restaurant but worth the price."
• "And very reasonably priced for the quality."
• "Good value for the 7 courses (£50) which requires about 2.5 hours of your time."
• "Overall perfect experience at a very affordable price."
• "Lovely wait staff and reasonable prices for the quality of food that you get."
• "Prices were reasonable, we live in London and the bill was about 50% of what we normally pay."
• "Quite expensive for the 6 course tasting menu (with paired wines) but completely worth it."

Cons:

• "For the price I would certainly want a more intimate dining experience."
• "Unfortunately I did not feel like the food and service justified the price tag."
• "Overall I was disappointed with the meal given the price."
• "It wasn’t a bad experience but could have been so much better by or slightly reducing the price (£40 is too much for the little ‘actual’ food you get)."
• "Don’t believe the price is correct for the quality of the food - ingredients are fantastic but not really elevated beyond their natural freshness."
• "We found it overpriced for what you get."
• "All in all, completely overpriced dinner (GBP 145 per person) for mediocre food, service and atmosphere."