Paul Kitching 21212

Reviews

• Andrew S.

  star star star star star 8 June 2026

  Incredible experience. Drawing room was nice relaxing touch to begin the evening. Sitting adjacent to the kitchen allowed the excitement to build as I watched 9 chefs perfectly prep and plate each dish. Paul and his staff transformed otherwise bland local staples (haggis, blood pudding, etc) into world-class flavorful cuisine.

• pamela M.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 31 May 2026

  Was truly disappointed with this restaurant. I had just been to Number One, The Kitchin and Martin Wishart. My experience here paled in comparison.
  
  The food was so-so and hardly special. The staff was worse. I arrived at the restaurant early (I had a 6:30 reservation) but was made to wait. I was told the place only opened at 6:30 pm. That was fine except a couple that came after me - before 6:30 and well before their 6:45 appointment - was immediately seated.
  
  When I finally got a table, I was told I should be done by 8:30 as the table was already booked for that time. Seriously???
  
  An Edinburgh local told me he did not think much of 21212. Now I know why.

• Vanessa B.

  star star star star star 23 May 2026

  Delicious food, beautifully presented and interesting combinations. The salmon starter was great, and the mcsurf and turf was too. The cheese course had about 8 different cheeses which were all wonderful and I'd return just for that! Desert was nice, not too sweet.
  This is an expensive restaurant but the service and food were both outstanding so it's worth it. The sommelier was a star and talked us through the various options.

• Marina P.

  star star star star star 22 May 2026

  Fabulous food, service and atmosphere. We wanted to experience a Michelin star restaurant in Edinburgh and were not disappointed. Restaurant is very quite, no background music (thank god), conversations are subdued, very intimate atmosphere. Tastefully decorated rooms upstairs and downstairs.  Lots of attention is given to presentation of each plate, nice mix of flavors and textures. Upon request we were invited to observe the kitchen staff at work in the open kitchen and given a mini presentation :)
  Our compliments to the chef and heartfelt thanks to the staff.

• Haley B.

  star star star star_border star_border 14 May 2026

  On our first night in Edinburgh we decided to try 21212.  The service was outstanding, but unfortunately most of the meal left us underwhelmed.  We were greeted by two very friendly and hospitable hostesses, and the service throughout the night was equally friendly and hospitable.  There seemed to be some confusion over where we were to be seated, but it was cleared up quickly and we were seated at a table in the dining room. The dining room is well appointed, and the tables are not too crowded.  However, if you are shy about having the table next to yours being able to hear your conversation, this might not be the place for you, as the setting is very intimate, and several tables share a common bench as one side of the seating.  The dinner menu was straightforward, and we were informed that the menu changes weekly, which impressed us both.  
  
  The wine list was good, and, although I wouldn't describe it as extensive, they offered a variety of bottles, as well as a pairing for each course.  The sommelier however did not offer any suggestions to us, which was a bit surprising, considering this is advertised as a "haven for wine lovers" on the restaurants website. I would have expected the sommelier to approach us and offer a suggestion, or, at the very least, speak to us, but he did neither.
  
  The amuse bouche was creative, but the texture was not appealing.  For our first courses, my husband and I each tried a different dish, but neither of us were impressed. The textures for both dishes were off (both dishes included a foam type element that was very sour, and one dish included raw onion, which wrecked our palates).  Our second course, a spring vegetable soup, was also not what we hoped for.  My husband described the soup course as very foamy and acidic. For the third course, we both opted for the steak dish.  My husband's was modified to exclude shellfish, but the portion size was equal to mine. Although we were not given any option as to how our steak was cooked, it was tasty.  The fourth course was a delicious cheese plate, but we commented that the cheese itself was probably not made in the restaurant, so we weren't really eating the chef's creation. The fact that we were most impressed with the cheese plate was unfortunate, considering it most likely wasn't the chef's creation, and we believe the price of the meal warranted more in terms of flavor.  Dessert, the fifth course, was tasty, but didn't blow us away.  For a restaurant with a Michelin star, we expected more.  
  
  All in all, the service was excellent, and we enjoyed our third, fourth and fifth courses.  The first two courses though were not at all what we expected, and we were disappointed.  We would not go back, but we would not discourage others from trying the restaurant.  It is advertised as being unique, and that is certainly what you get.