International Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Edinburgh Girls
We may come for one night after Christmas, without kids, for a night away. What hotels would you recommend? Right now price is not an issue, although I have looked at the Balmoral already. We like boutique hotels. Any suggestions?
Also, any restaurant suggestions?
Thanks 
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
Re: Edinburgh Girls
I'm not based in Edinburgh but I really love it there and have made numerous visits for work and pleasure.
Do you definitely want a hotel? I have stayed mostly in apartments and B&Bs and really enjoyed them. Am staying in Fraser Suites when I'm there this week, and can let you know how that goes.
I really love 'Black Medicine' coffee shop, near Edinburgh University. Very good atmosphere, nice coffee (or so I'm told--I'm a tea-drinker!), free newspapers, etc. I also like Clarinda's Tea Room on the Royal Mile. Touristy? You betcha. But it's a Tea Guild choice and it feels a bit like visiting your grandma's house--little doilies on the tables, mis-matched china, nothing's changed since 1950, etc. Food is nice and price is very affordable. Great after a hike up Arthur's seat.
I'm sure you'll have fun. I love the idea of a post-Christmas Edinburgh romantic get away!
I'm not based in Edinburgh (I'm about 40 minutes away), and have no hotel recs, but here are some restaurant recs:
The Dome. They have the best burgers I've ever tasted. It's a pretty fancy restaurant with several dining areas. We ate in the Grill Room, and it was gorgeous.
http://www.thedomeedinburgh.com/
Khublai Kahns is a mongolian restaurant on Assembly Street, Leith. We've not been, but my BIL and SIL can't say enough good things about it. You can choose between several different types of exotic meat (think Zebra, ostrich...etc). All of the meat is sourced from England.
http://www.khublaikhan.co.uk/
Definitely, definitely recommend The Dome. If you're here right after Christmas they decorate the whole thing, it's my favourite place in Edinburgh. Super yummy food and amazing cocktails. Just a fantastic atmosphere. What kind of restaurants are you looking for?
I've heard good things about Hotel Missoni (http://www.hotelmissoni.com/?csref=ppc2_edifm_uk_hotel). We've never stayed in a hotel here and our family stays with us so I don't have many other recommendations. Hotel Missoni is pricey but right on the Royal Mile. The resturant is interesting although I've had better food. I've used Ten Hill Place Hotel for visitors for work and it's nice but nothing super special.
For restaurants, once you have an area or a type of restaurant, I can definitely help more!
BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks, Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks
Thanks guys! As far as restaurants I will check out the Dome, we are pretty easy going with food, I would say just a good restaurant! I know that is vague but we travel so much and never, ever prepare ahead of time to find restaurants and always end up with so so food, so a nice restaurant, romantic (as cheesy as that sounds, so no loud music, etc), not very touristy would be great!
That hotel looks awesome!
I've heard the Witchery is pretty good. It's another fine dining establishment, and the photos make the place look amazing. We're thinking about getting a gc for my IL's for Christmas. Pitt, have you been here?
The Witchery is set right at the gates of the Edinburgh Castle. They also have suites available.
http://www.thewitchery.com/
I went to the Witchery for pre-theatre. It was super awesome. I'm sure the rooms are amazing but also super pricey! But if your budget stretches to it, they're supposed to be amazing.
Another good restaurant is Tower Restaurant on the top floor of the Scottish Museum. You get a good view of the castle.
My absolute favourite restaurant ever, and most romantic place I've ever been probably, was Rhubarb Restaurant in Prestonfield House (http://www.prestonfield.com/Dining-FoodAndDrink.html) It's amazing. It's in an old house so there are a bunch of different rooms - you have pre-dinner drinks in the drawing room, then move to the dining room with tons of candles for dinner, then you can have after-dinner drinks somewhere else. They have rooms too which I'm sure are incredible.
The three restaurants are owned by the same person. The Witchery and Tower Restaurant have a pre-theatre menu for something like 15 quid (which is how we went to both!) I think it's 2 courses and we ended up getting drinks and dessert. Rhubarb Restaurant has a set menu for 30 quid which we did on my birthday. It was amazing. Obviously, they all have longer menus if your budget is better!! Any of them are fantastic - Rhubarb is the most romantic, the Witchery is the most iconically Scottish (it's on the Royal Mile) and Tower is very contemporary and cool. I would go back to any of them in a heartbeat. Rhubarb is in it's own grounds while the other two are right in the city so that might affect your choice too.
Oh - and if you go to the Witchery, there are a few different options for rooms to eat so make sure to mention you want it to be romantic.
Let me know if you go to one of them and if you have any other things I can help you with, I really love this city :-)
BFP Apr 2012, EDD Dec 19 2012 * twin h/b at 6wk, 9wk scan * Baby A lost at 12wks, Baby B was my rainbow born at 36wks
I guess there is a limit to our budget and the Witchery definitely is beyond that
It looks awesome but ?325 a night is a lot of money 
Those restaurants look great, we will definitely go with one of them. Thank you guys again!
Oh - is the Radisson Blu on the Royal Mile any good? It is probably either that or the Missoni boutique one.
Do you want to be within walking distance of tourist destinations? If so the Radisson on Royal Mile is perfectly located for that and is really nice inside. It's not a botique hotel but it is legit. Good breakfast, too.
Tiger Lily and The Links I hear are nice hotels, but they're harder to access the main tourist sites.
I was just coming in to recommend the Radisson on the Royal Mile - not boutique obviously but very nice hotel, great location and good price too when we went.