The East End of Edinburgh, home to The St James Quarter Shopping Centre, Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre, Omni Cinema, Toppings Bookshop, and Carlton Hill, boasts a vibrant culinary scene. From Indian to Fish n Chips, Italian to Street Food, you’ll find a variety of cuisines. However, there’s one standout venue: the 1802 Lounge & Grill at the Courtyard by Marriott.

REVIEW OF RESTAURANT 1802, COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT, EDINBURGH

Whether you’re in Edinburgh for business or pleasure, this hotel provides all you need for a productive visit. As I mentioned, its a prime location spot but it is also only 7 minutes walk from The University of Edinburgh, 5 minutes walk from Princes Street, Waverley Station, and the Edinburgh Tram on York Place, and 35 minutes from Edinburgh Airport.

The Courtyard by Marriott Edinburgh seamlessly blends heritage and style with innovative design, complemented by locally inspired furnishings. Guests can expect spacious, modern rooms (check out my review here), indulge in the 1802 Lounge & Grill for a contemporary twist on locally sourced cuisine, unwind in the sophisticated lobby, and enjoy the outdoor terrace and bar—open to both residents and non-residents.

The 1802 Lounge & Grill at the Courtyard by Marriott Edinburgh is a delightful dining destination that seamlessly blends Scottish culture with modern elegance. Named after the year the hotel was first built, the 1802 Lounge & Grill offers a fresh culinary experience. It opened its doors on Monday, May 13th, and was closely followed by the 1802 Terrace, later in the month.

The menu celebrates Scottish food heroes, featuring fresh produce from haggis bon bons to Scottish seafood linguine. Expect a delightful fusion of flavours that reflect the local culinary scene.

The ground floor of the hotel has been updated with a luxurious blue and gold art deco style. The statement bar area draws inspiration from the prohibition era, creating a speakeasy feel for guests to enjoy while dining.

We headed downstairs into the 1802 Restaurant for dinner. The main restaurant has the Grill menu whilst upstairs in the Lounge and Terrace, you’ll get the Lounge Menu. There is not a big difference between the two. The Day menu from 12pm-530pm is essentially a condensed version of the evening menu and has a selection of snacks like Cullen Skink and Squid, Mains such as The Smashed Bacon Burger and the Madras Lamb Shepherd whilst the Evening menu, has a broader selection of Snacks, Starters, Mains (Grill items) and Burgers.

We tucked into

Heritage Beetroot Salad (£7.50) with whipped Crowdie and candied walnuts AND Portobello Mushroom Fries (£7.50) with parmesan and jalapeno ranch dressing.

My Beetroot Salad was a pretty little thing, vibrant and elegant. Earthy and slightly sweet, the purple, maroon and gold beets had a tender texture whilst the crowdie was creamy, tangy, and rich, adding a luxurious element. The Candied Walnuts added that: Sweet, crunchy, and nutty, contrast.

James, the Assistant Food & Beverage Manager commented that the mushroom fries where his favourite, and we know why! These fries are a delightful twist on a chunky chip, super crispy outside and a slight bite on the inside. An absolute crowd pleaser and low in carbs too!

For Mains we both chose steak.

Campbells Scottish Fillet Steak (£39.95) with baby gem Caesar salad and Parmesan AND Campbells Perthshire Sirloin Steak (£34.95) with Koffmann’s fries, onion rings, flat mushroom and tomatoes.

Fillet steak is a premium cut of beef prized for its tenderness and delicate flavour. My steak was well over an inch thick and a hefty portion size. I requested it cooked rare/medium rare and it was delivered!

Sirloin Steak is flavourful and juicy and partners so well with the classic accompaniments of fries, mushrooms and tomatoes.

Dessert menu is short and sweet with the only choice being the Innis & Gunn Homebaked Sticky Toffee Pudding (£8.00) .

Other options included Cheese board, Flourless Chocolate Cake and Ice-cream, to the STP was a no brainer! These bowls of delight where packed full of rich flavours and comforting textures. The cake was soft, moist and sticky with plenty of sauce. As always the ice cream created a heavenly contrast of deliciousness that just swirled around your taste buds.

This review was part of my BEHIND THE SCENES WITH TARTANSPOON, where I take one of my lovely followers to enjoy the experience and give their feedback too. Roseann McGee joined me and here is her review of the dining experience at 1802 Restaurant, The Courtyard by Marriott, Edinburgh.

“On arrival at Hotel on a lovely sunny evening the outside terrace was busy. Large open space with sofa’s, chairs , parasols and heaters that provides table service. The newly refurbished Reception & bar area is done beautifully is Rich Blue/Yellow & Gold Tones with lovely textures and finishing touches. Quite a 1920’s Art Deco feel throughout in my opinion, especially the gold & blue wallpaper

The Assistant F & B Manager James was very welcoming and showed us to the stylish 1802 Restaurant which is one level down from the ground level bar and Reception. Our sever Jack was attentive and polite throughout without being overbearing. The décor in Restaurant is lovely classic muted tones of black/white/grey & gold without being too flashy. The Restaurant menu wasn’t too big but giving enough options for most diners. The starters had quite a few fish or haggis dishes but a nice lighter option of Beetroot Salad and different Portobello Mushroom Fries. My choice of the Portobello Mushroom Fries were super tasty , not too wet like cooked mushrooms can be with lovely light crispy batter and Jalapeno ranch dressing and a sprinkle of Parmesan

The Mains are heavily influenced by meat, all locally sourced. My main of Sirloin Steak was served with yummy crispy onion rings, tomato & mushroom with skin on fries. Although Adele’s Fillet Steak looked Amazing ! The portions aren’t massive so managed to leave some room for dessert. The dessert menu does not have as big a choice as some other Restaurant’s but glad to say a classic favourite of Sticky Toffee Pudding was still there. It was a good size with ice cream and plenty of lovely creamy sauce.

The Restaurant had a nice, relaxed feel, with mostly hotel guests as diners. Toilets were good size clean & tidy happy to say. There are a selection of menu’s available throughout the day. From Breakfast /Snacks / Lounge Lunch & Grill Menu’s. Overall a lovely evening with great service, lovely surroundings and good company.”

I couldn’t agree with Roseann more. A massive thank you to Jack and James for looking after us. A highly recommended from both of us.

THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT 1802 LOUNGE & GRILL, COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT, EDINBURGH

• They do cater for vegan, vegetarian and gluten free. You need to let them know.

• Toilets are located down stairs in the main restaurant so be aware of this if you are dining on the terrace.

• They are not dog friendly.

1802 Lounge & Grill, 1-3 Baxters Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3AF www.1802loungeandgrill.co.uk

My Spoon Award : Gold Spoon 9/10

I was invited by 1802 Lounge & Grill to review their menu.

Food and drink were complimentary but the views are very much my own.

TartanSpoon is an Award-winning blog that brings you reviews and recommendations on the very best places to eat, drink and stay in Edinburgh, Scotland and beyond.

Adele is a writer, reviewer, judge and panelist living in Edinburgh. She sits on the Committee for the Guild of Food Writers (Scottish Events),  is a Great Taste Judge for the Guild of Fine Food, Scottish Bakers, Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards and a Judge for the Gin Co-operative awards.

Should you wish to work with, invite or collaborate with TartanSpoon, please email tartanspoon@yahoo.co.uk