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Malmaison
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5 reviews for Malmaison
For the restaurant: The decor is dark, calm but comfortable. The service is excellent. The steaks are probably some of the best that I've ever had.... they prepared them rare even when we forgot to ask for it that way. The wine selection is phenomenal, I have almost nothing bad to say about this place.
Except the nicois salad. If that was all I had, I would have given this place two stars. I've had better nicois salads from supermarket readymeals! It seemed to have a a few flakes of canned tuna, half an egg, a small potato. I've been to greasy spoon diners that made better nicois salads, with proper blocks of braised tuna. I could go on...
But everything *else* was excellent. The bread, the appetisers, the steaks, the creme brule, the wines. etc.
Pouring us both a few fingers of Laphroaig, looking startlingly deep into my eyes, he said "Then I will suck life from those sweetest lips, though I die in doing so" (a quote from the book I am reading which he'd already read -- a reference to Siegfried and Brünnhilde in Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen)... We spent the next 96 hours sequestered and quarantined in ecstatic undulation.
The hotel is simply stunning, extremely elegant. It smacks of sophistication, a sort of modern classic -- with the clock tower it vaguely resembles a castle. And it's by a lovely river.
The bed was incredibly comfortable -- we spent a lot of time in it.
The shower was not only gorgeous in its minimalism, but, thankfully, had very powerful water pressure.
Fortunately for us there was a CD player, we listened loudly (day and night, repeatedly) to the complete symphonies and song cycles of Gustav Mahler -- the amazing Chailly/Concertgebouw recordings on Decca... The walls and doors and floors were all thick enough so that we never received any complaints about the music (or other noises, for that matter).
There was a gym, a very nice one. As if I weren't getting enough exhausting exercise elsewhere (including miles upon miles and hours upon hours of walking), to clear my head I lifted some free-weights a couple of times.
There is a bar with an awesome wine collection and a beautiful terrace -- I can't imagine a more ideal spot for reading Theodor Adorno's "In Search of Wagner."
There is a very dapper dining room where I had the pleasure of enjoying a terrific dinner featuring many incredibly fresh local ingredients... It wasn't cheap (though I didn't pay) but you get what you're paying for -- high quality. Considering the wrought-iron decor, moody lighting, chic and comfortable leather chairs and banquettes, I'd consider this a perfect destination for a leisurely romantic meal.
Every employee I encountered was exceptionally friendly and helpful.
Terrific experience in every way the entire time... Most highly recommended!
When we come to Edinburgh now this is our hotel of choice. Fantastic modern clean rooms (in the same style as the "W" hotels). Excellent food. The cooked breakfast is stunning. Great location for restaurants and bars and less than five minutes away from downtown Princess Street.
The only downside being they don't do valet parking so when its pissing down with rain (which funnily enough happens quite alot in Edinburgh) expect to get pretty wet since the parking can get tricky when there are events on.
Great hotel with a lovely brasserie, perfect for a lazy brunch or lunch.
damn you michael, gettin in on the good places before i have a chance.
once again, i concur. great location- on the shore you have shitloads of places to eat and drink- just on the corner you have fishers, probably the best seafood restaurant in edinburgh, and next it, a bar called the shore that is cozy and often has local live music.
the hotel itself from the outside is like a mini castle without the tower, so yeah, maybe just big and old fading bricks and old looking. the rooms are minimalistic. great bed, pillows and comforter. the staff are helpful, the breakfasts are great, get the eggs benedict. the bar seems to stay open later for the guests than any of the pubs around during weekdays, so even after i was no longer a guest i worked it. if you are a gambling addict, there is a casino around the corner with a great buffet at midnight, often chinese. no live poker sadly.