How is The Tower restaurant rated?

Name: The Tower
Address: The National Museum of Scotland Chamber Street, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, EH1 1JF
Telephone: 0131 225 3003
Price range: £26 to £40
Rating: 4.3

The Tower

4.3 (232)

£26 to £40

British

The National Museum of Scotland, Chamber Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

About this restaurant

Romantic
Good for special occasions
Great for scenic views

Perched on the roof of the Museum of Scotland, the Tower Restaurant boasts striking views of Edinburgh’s famous castle and city skyline. The sleek, contemporary interior features Scottish leather, oak tables, violet suede and a mosaic bar – ideal if you’re looking to impress friends or family. Run by Scottish restaurateur James Thomson, the Tower has become a must-see venue for celebrities and visitors from across the UK, as well as a firm favourite with the locals. The menu features the best available seasonal produce, with local seafood, game and Angus beef prepared in the Tower’s signature unfussy style. Favourites include navarin of lamb with confit of celeriac and baby onions; calves liver with Ayrshire bacon; and brioche doughnuts with espresso ganache.

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Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
British
Hours of operation
Daily 12:00 pm–4:30 pm Daily 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
0131 225 3003
Website
http://www.tower-restaurant.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual

Location
The National Museum of Scotland, Chamber Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Neighborhood
Newington
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Cocktails, Full Bar, High Tea, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Rock Oysters
from Carlingford or Sound of Cumbrae Choose either or a mixture Shallot and pickled vegetable vinegar, Tabasco
- (6)£17.95
- (9)£25.95
- (12)£33.95
King Prawns on Garlic Toast£15.95
chilli, spring onion, avocado, brown bread
3 'The Ethical Shellfish CO.' Scallops£21.00
shellfish velouté, lemon and garlic potato, crispy ham
Belhaven Brown Crab Cocktail£14.50
Marie Rose sauce, egg, lemon

Starters

Arnold Bennett Omelette£14.50
smoked haddock, béchamel & cheese sauce
Goat's Cheese Parfait£9.75
beetroot chutney, brioche croutons, micro-rocket
Trio of Scottish Salmon£12.95
home-cured, mousse, Loch Duart smoked
Dingwall Haggis£10.95
potato, spiced pineapple, whisky jus
Marinated Courgette£7.95
roasted red pepper, rocket and pine nut salad
Spiced Celeriac and Apple Velouté£7.50
smoked paprika oil

Grill

The Tower is a proud member of the Scotch Beef Club and source only the finest Scottish beef from local suppliers. Choose – hand-cut chips or pomme purée; Choose – béarnaise or peppercorn sauce

8 oz Rib-Eye Steak£38.50
Himalayan salt aged Scotch beef, supplied by award-winning Simon Howie Butchers
8 oz Sirloin Steak£38.50
Himalayan salt aged Scotch beef, supplied by award-winning Simon Howie Butchers
7 oz Fillet Steak£42.50
Scotch grass-fed beef dry-aged for a minimum of 28 days by craft butchers J. Browns
18 oz Chateaubriand
Himalayan salt aged Scotch beef, supplied by award-winning Simon Howie Butchers. Organic mixed leaf salad, hand-cut chips or pomme purée, béarnaise or peppercorn sauce
- For Two£88.00

Mains

Gressingham Duck Breast£31.95
celeriac purée, braised red cabbage, kale, jus
Haunch of Cairngorm Venison£34.50
roasted beetroot, glazed Chantenay carrots, spiced carrot purée
Winter Squash and Chestnut Risotto£23.50
parmesan shavings
Whole Sea Bass£29.50
baby capers, crayfish, beurre noisette (served on the bone)
Cauliflower 'Steak'£21.95
Seasonal mushrooms, crispy kale, creamy truffle sauce. Available vegan
Pan-Seared Fillet of North Sea Cod£25.50
baby capers, heritage potato, chorizo, tomato & red pepper chutney
Tower Shellfish Bouillabaisse£28.50
king prawns, mussels, hand dived scallop, crayfish, potato fondant

Tower Sunday Roast

both served with roast potatoes, steamed Chantenay carrots, tenderstem broccoli, Yorkshire pudding and gravy

Himalayan Salt-Aged Scotch Sirloin of Beef£20.00
Whole Gartmorn Free-Range Chicken£44.00
for 2 people to share

Tower Classics

Omelette Arnold Bennett£14.50
smoked haddock, béchamel & cheese sauce
Tower Shellfish Bouillabaisse£28.50
king prawns, mussels, hand dived scallop, crayfish, potato fondant
Grilled Toulouse Sausage£23.50
wholegrain mustard mash, caramelised onions
Borders Beef Bourguignon£23.50
wild mushrooms, bacon lardons, mashed potato, baby onions

Puddings

Peanut Butter Parfait£8.95
chocolate sauce, salted caramel popcorn
Home-Made Ice-Cream & Sorbet
ice-cream – vanilla, tiramisu, raspberry ripple; sorbet – cherry, pineapple, passion fruit
- 3 Scoops£6.00
Classic Banana Split£8.50
almonds, cherries
Madagascan Vanilla & White Chocolate Cheesecake£8.50
poached pear, raspberries, meringue
Juan's Vegan Carrot Cake£8.50
coconut, pineapple gel, carrot sorbet
Fennel Crême Brûlée£8.75
blackberry gel, fennel crisp
Ian Mellis Cheeseboard
(see our cheese menu for today's selection) crackers, oatcakes, quince jelly, grapes
- Choose 3£9.95
- Choose 5£12.95

Sides

£3.95 each

Mixed Organic Leaf Salad
Hand-Cut Chips
Honey Roasted Parsnip
Pomme Purée
Cauliflower Cheese
Steamed Broccoli with Toasted Almonds

Table D'Hote Menu

3 courses £38

Course #1

3 Carlingford Rock Oysters
Chicken & Ham Hock Terrine
piccalilli, croutons
Spiced Celeriac and Apple Velouté
smoked paprika oil

Course #2

Grilled Toulouse Sausage
wholegrain mustard mash, caramelised onions
Pan-Seared Fillet of Hake
crushed heritage potatoes, crayfish, saffron butter sauce
Winter Squash and Chestnut Risotto
Parmesan shavings

Course #3

Callebaut Dark Chocolate Terrine
Maldon salt, honeycomb
Isle of Mull Cheddar and Blue Stilton
quince jelly, homemade oatcakes
Assiette of Puddings
for two to share; peanut butter parfait, rice pudding brûlée, tiramisu ice-cream

Light Lunch - Theatre Supper

Any 2 courses £19.95. Available noon - 6.30pm / 9.30pm - 10.30pm. Add a glass of Billecart-Salmon Champagne to this menu for just £7

Course #1

Butternut Squash & Curry Oil Soup
Home-Cured Salmon
cornichons, capers
Spiced Merguez Sausage Stovies
oatcakes

Course #2

Coq au Vin
mashed potato, smoked streaky bacon, mushrooms, baby onions
Tower Fish Cake
leek & béchamel sauce, pickled gherkin
Wild Mushroom and Truffle Oil Tagliatelle

Drinks

Fraise d'Amour£12.00
strawberry & passion fruit purée, Billecart-Salmon Champagne
Celtic Kiss£12.50
Famous Grouse, Glayva, Heering cherry liqueur

What 232 people are saying

The Tower reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

4.3

4.3 based on all time ratings

4.2Food
4.3Service
4.3Ambience
3.7Value

Noise • Moderate

232 Reviews

A
Andres
London2 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 26, 2020
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent setting, tasty menu and cocktails. Great service. Pricey though! But A+ for overall quality and experience.
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IR
IanR
Northern Ireland8 reviews
4.0
Dined on January 24, 2020
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Excellent experience, a tad on the expensive side, but you get what you pay for. Service was excellent and so were the views.
Is this helpful?
A
Anonymous
Edinburgh/Midlothian11 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 6, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Perfect meal in a perfect setting I'd recommend 100%
Is this helpful?
KM
KitMac VIP
Seattle / Eastern Washington7 reviews
3.0
Dined on September 8, 2019
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 4
There was some good and unfortunately, not so good with our meal. Everything would of been better if we had good service, but it was awful. I just don’t think our waitress cared or she was completely disinterested in making a pleasant experience for us. We started with the oysters and they were very good. For the main dishes, the sea bass and cod with chorizo were also very good. Everything was just mediocre, and for the price it should of been outstanding. We had gone for the view of the castle, but we were seated in an area that you couldn’t see the castle, so we were bummed about that too. We won’t go back.
Is this helpful?
MM
MaxM
Charleston28 reviews
5.0
Dined on September 5, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This is our second time in Edinburgh and the first time that we had dined at The Tower. The service was excellent and very attentive. The food was great. There is nice view of Edinburgh Castle too.
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SE
StuEdinburgh
Edinburgh/Midlothian9 reviews
4.0
Dined on August 29, 2019
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Amazing views, great service and delicious food - definitely recommend!
Is this helpful?
SJ
SantJordi
Richmond15 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 23, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
It was another great meal. Somehow we managed to be there when the fireworks at the castle were going off
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P
Prof
Edinburgh/Midlothian18 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 14, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A special birthday for our youngest son (21) and the Tower certainly lived up to expectations!
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KJ
KathrynJ
Edinburgh/Midlothian2 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 6, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely restaurant with helpful, informative staff. The food was delicious and well presented.
Is this helpful?
RK
RebeccaK
Houston25 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 15, 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful dining experience. Would love to go back across the pond to visit again. The food was delicious, the service was impeccable and the view was so lovely!
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FAQs

The Tower is rated 4.3 stars by 232 OpenTable diners.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

The National Museum of Scotland, Chamber Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

Additional information

Neighborhood
Newington
Hours of operation
Daily 12:00 pm–4:30 pm Daily 5:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
British
Dining style
Fine Dining
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Cocktails, Full Bar, High Tea, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Website
http://www.tower-restaurant.com/
Phone number
0131 225 3003

The Tower

About this restaurant

Not available on OpenTable

There’s more to explore

Additional information

Crustacea

Rock Oysters

King Prawns on Garlic Toast£15.95

3 'The Ethical Shellfish CO.' Scallops£21.00

Belhaven Brown Crab Cocktail£14.50

Starters

Arnold Bennett Omelette£14.50

Goat's Cheese Parfait£9.75

Trio of Scottish Salmon£12.95

Dingwall Haggis£10.95

Marinated Courgette£7.95

Spiced Celeriac and Apple Velouté£7.50

Grill

8 oz Rib-Eye Steak£38.50

8 oz Sirloin Steak£38.50

7 oz Fillet Steak£42.50

18 oz Chateaubriand

Mains

Gressingham Duck Breast£31.95

Haunch of Cairngorm Venison£34.50

Winter Squash and Chestnut Risotto£23.50

Whole Sea Bass£29.50

Cauliflower 'Steak'£21.95

Pan-Seared Fillet of North Sea Cod£25.50

Tower Shellfish Bouillabaisse£28.50

Tower Sunday Roast

Himalayan Salt-Aged Scotch Sirloin of Beef£20.00

Whole Gartmorn Free-Range Chicken£44.00

Tower Classics

Omelette Arnold Bennett£14.50

Tower Shellfish Bouillabaisse£28.50

Grilled Toulouse Sausage£23.50

Borders Beef Bourguignon£23.50

Puddings

Peanut Butter Parfait£8.95

Home-Made Ice-Cream & Sorbet

Classic Banana Split£8.50

Madagascan Vanilla & White Chocolate Cheesecake£8.50

Juan's Vegan Carrot Cake£8.50

Fennel Crême Brûlée£8.75

Ian Mellis Cheeseboard

Sides

Mixed Organic Leaf Salad

Hand-Cut Chips

Honey Roasted Parsnip

Pomme Purée

Cauliflower Cheese

Steamed Broccoli with Toasted Almonds

Table D'Hote Menu

Course #1

3 Carlingford Rock Oysters

Chicken & Ham Hock Terrine

Spiced Celeriac and Apple Velouté

Course #2

Grilled Toulouse Sausage

Pan-Seared Fillet of Hake

Winter Squash and Chestnut Risotto

Course #3

Callebaut Dark Chocolate Terrine

Isle of Mull Cheddar and Blue Stilton

Assiette of Puddings

Light Lunch - Theatre Supper

Course #1

Butternut Squash & Curry Oil Soup

Home-Cured Salmon

Spiced Merguez Sausage Stovies

Course #2

Coq au Vin

Tower Fish Cake

Wild Mushroom and Truffle Oil Tagliatelle

Drinks

Fraise d'Amour£12.00

Celtic Kiss£12.50

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs