Rick’s

Last minute stop with a friend this weekend and we had a fantastic time. Delicious food served fresh and prompt. And the cocktails were just brilliant. Ana the head bartender has concocted the ‘Honey Ryder’ belvedere Bond themed cocktail and it’s my new favourite! Defo recommend any cocktail lover to give this a try. Vibe was relaxed and fun with great music, not too loud, and we loved sitting in the drinks area for a change.

I have very, very mixed reviews about Rick’s– so much so I wish I could write two reviews. For now we’ll have to average them.
As a restaurant, the food is brilliant and well thought out. During our visits here we had the scallop appetizer, the sharing plate (ginormous!), and some mains that I actually forget, though they were tasty. We ordered room service so I can’t speak to the quality of their restaurant service, but the attention we got was quite nice. The prices were definitely reasonable.
As a hotel they have a lot to improve. My husband said it best when he pointed out they are a restaurant first and a hotel second. The front desk was nice, they certainly were very friendly, but there were definitely some glitches. For starters the room needed some updating– chipped counters, burnt out light bulbs, exposed wire, those little things I can overlook. The wifi was very fast and I liked the modern look/​feel of the room.
What was horrible was that they have some sort of central heating unit for all the rooms which cranks up the heat– it was at one point 80 degrees in our room. We called to report it but were told nothing was wrong. I know what you’re thinking– open the windows right? Well, our windows were on street level with no screen facing an alley next to a restaurant where constant early morning and late night deliveries were made which were very loud and had several smoking patrons.
The next obstacle to over come was the construction at 3am. Hammering, banging, loud thuds. Seems they wanted to get this done in off-​restaurant hours, but did not seem to care about the sacrifice to the guests (maybe we were the only ones so they just said f-​it??). We called around 3:30 to ask when the construction would be done and were told «right now,» but of course it waged on. Spent a few sleepless nights as a result of the construction/​heat.
For the restaurant I’d give them a 4 and the hotel a 2, so here they are with 3 stars.

Two friends and I had lunch here today, my second time visiting. They took advantage of the 2 mains for £10 deal while I had the leek and gruyère tartlet – yum!!! We ate outside in the intermittent sun, and my tartlet was gooey and hot and decadent, without being at all heavy. It came with a little pile of sticky onions which were extraordinary and full of flavour. Enjoyable place to have a casual lunch with good tasty food.

Armed with a Voucher for a posh Burger meal Anita and I were not disappointed.
The burgers are normally served on their lunch menu but for the sake of the voucher they have made those available for evenings too.
Rick’s is an boutique hotel, and the reception, bar & dining area is functional and modern with warm touches in colour and materials used.
The voucher had Innis & Gunn as the beer option, but that was not available and I chose the Grolsch swing-​top instead. No complaints there: o)
The burgers were big, juicy and well filled. The fries were skinny and crisp.
I liked the meal and would recommend taking the burgers here. Though remember that you normally will have to fork out around £10-£13 for the burger — that to me is loosing 1 star.
Service was very attentive, efficient and pleasant. Top marks!
I’d go back.

Stayed here for two nights during a honeymoon trip to Scotland. A top notch hotel located in the heart of Edinburgh. Very stylish modern décor in the hotel and restaurant, many complimentary amenities in the room, world-​class breakfast (I’m talking about a huge selection of items, cooked fresh to order and outstanding quality) and it was super clean throughout the building. The only thing preventing it from being a five star review is that there is no lift or convenient passage for hotel guests going from the entrance to their rooms. You must navigate a narrow path through the actual restaurant. However the clerk was kind enough to help with the luggage. As others had mentioned, the racket of the bin collectors in the morning is loud enough to wake you up. Although I can’t really fault the hotel for that fact. At the end of the day, you’ll get great treatment and a very comfortable stay for the money you pay (very competitive price compared to similar hotels nearby).

I had snapped up a
deal for Rick’s a few months ago which had actually expired, but the management at Rick’s were very co-​operative about it. There was a supplement for booking the deal on a Saturday so I ended up paying £135 for a bed/​2 cocktails/​breakfast package which I think should have cost around £185.
I had a pleasant experience, there are nice touches in the room like an iPod dock and hair straighteners. The cocktails were great and breakfast was tasty. Fair enough as other reviewers have noted there is no view to speak of, but if you walk 4 minutes to the end of Frederick Street you get a picture-​postcard view of the Castle which is genuinely breathtaking. On the downside: i) the bed was 2 singles pushed together and was incredibly spongy; ii) whoever was in the room upstairs had their marching boots on and woke me up; and iii) the room was incredibly hot. A good night’s sleep is unlikely to occur!
In summary however it’s a nice place with nice staff in a great location and although I may have felt a bit overcharged if I had paid top whack, £135 felt OK.

We had been wanting to pop in for a while, but just never seem to be in this end of town when we are looking for food or drinks. I had heard some really good things so when a voucher popped up I jumped at the opertunity to dine out here. On arrival you wander down some steps to the basement bar/​reception area and the staff member that greeted us was friendly and welcomiong. The décor was contempory but… comfortable I guess, so the feeling of the place ends up being relaxed but trendy. Good start.
The staff through out the meal were friendly and proffessional even adjusting the sharing platter for a vegetarian option without fuss. To be honest I really could not fault the staff infact I think the service was great! The wine was another big thumbs up from me and the missus.
The food however was just okay. Everything appeared very quickly as in the wine appeared and then a minute or so later the food. I guess this is a good thing it just felt a bit odd. The quality and presentation were fine, but again just okay. Nothing to really bang on about either way. The couple on the table next to us seemed to be having a similiar experince.
I would pop back in for a drink, but I dont think I would go out of my way to eat here again. Nice place, great staff but slightly lack lustre food.

Two mains for a tenner sounded pretty good — particularly when one of the menu options was an 8 ounce burger with a side of fries. For the non-​bovine inclined there was a reasonable selection of alternatives. Sadly my partner was non-​plussed about her focaccia and roasted vegetables — it looked a pretty half-​hearted effort to me.
The burger was good, with just enough charred edges to let you forget about an unused udder dangling in a field somewhere.
A good selection of beers on draft, but be warned — they don’t come cheap. A couple of pints of Blue Moon set me back over a tenner. I’m maybe out of touch with pint prices, but i haven’t had a bill shock like that since I filled up the car on super unleaded.
Décor typical of the chain, but pleasant enough and attentive and polite staff. Not quite 4 star stuff for me, but a safe bet for a spot of lunch.

I had been to Rick’s before for drinks and knew that it was a nice bar and had heard good things about the restaurant so decided to book online and go for a meal.
On arrival, it was a bit hard to find the right person to ask for our reservation but we got there in the end!
Unfortunately, we were seated in the part of the restaurant that is more of an extension of the bar than anything else and were, as a consequence, plagued by very loud music throughout our meal. It wasn’t a deal breaker, it just meant that we had to shout over our meal to have any sort of conversation — not ideal.
Now, the food! The Thai soup starter was fantastic however the rest was good but not great. To begin with they were out of the fish which was my first choice and I found the lamb to be quite dry with an odd selection of vegetables.
I’m told the beef selection was quite nice, but nothing very special.
The drinks afterward were very nice and quickly made cocktails.
All the staff were very friendly and helpful.
Over-​all we had a nice evening but I don’t think we’ll be going back here for a meal.

Rick’s use to be a regular haunt of mine, but I’m there less often, these days. This was the first time I’d eaten there in a while, and I have to say that I was rather underwhelmed.
Overall, we said: «unless my memory is very much mistaken, I’ve eaten many better meals than this in Rick’s. This meal was in the territory of posh pub grub, whereas I had previously come to expect restaurant quality dishes. It’s still a very stylish spot for drinks, so I’ll definitely be back, but I’ll think twice about eating here, next time.»

I went for an early dinner the other night. As it was before 6pm we had to go for the Lunch menu which is the 2 mains for a tenner. Good deal, although menu little limited. We both opted for the gnocchi with chicken and spinach in a very nice creamy sauce. A very filling meal. Also had a nice balsamic salad to share.
My friend had some sort of chocolate brownie style dessert with mascarpone cheese, which we both enjoyed!
Yes nice place to dine. Been a few times and will continue to go there
from time to time.
Its a good place to go on a sunny evening as sun pours in and the windows are open. Also adequate dining/​seating outside.

Having read Cheryl C’s, Fiona H’s and other reviews below, I had high hopes. I know Cheryl C likes her cocktails, and on an evening when I wanted a nice meal and *good* cocktails with a long-​lost friend of two years, Rick’s seemed to tick both those boxes in one.
Both the meal and the cocktails were nice, they just weren’t worth writing home about. To elaborate…
The meal was quite nice, but quite generic. The £10 offer they have is quite bizarre. It’s £10 for a main and either starter or pud, from a slightly more limited menu, but that menu includes a lot of the mains that are normally £14. That may tell you something about the quality of the food. It is by no means bad, it was good and I ate all of mine, but it was very generic.
The salmon sashimi was really just unsmoked salmon and dip. Not very sushi-​esque. The chicken caeser salad was slightly dry (the chicken that is) the sauce tasted, I hate to say, out of a jar, and there were only two anchovies in my salad. I ate it, like I said, but as a foodie did not rave once. My friend’s chicken parfait was also quite nice, in fact the nicest thing out of all (very rich and porty) but once chicken parfait does not a stellar dining experience make.
The lemon tart for dessert also tasted bought in. Nice-​ish but lemon tart can be done SO well. This was very bland. And a little too heavy on the berry compote (it looked a bit like a bloody masacre).
The staff, however, were really friendly and sweet. And we were really, noteable impressed that they managed to serve the table of 14 beside us so efficiently. Their food came out quickly, and mains followed starters quite swiftly. But again, what does that say for the quality of prep in the kitchen???
We switched to the bar for cocktails. A bit more lively, but the vibe here is definitely not the hip-​and-​happenin’ one we were after. Suited office workers, a few friends out for a drink, but a bit quiet. It was Tuesday evening though. I had the El Diablo — tequila based with raspberries. It had a kick but tasted a lot like any other fruity, tequila based cocktail I’ve had. My friend’s Aviator was far more unique and had a great kick. There’s a huge cocktail list, but the prices are too much for what they offer. I’ve been to other cocktail connosieur bars where it’s consistently cheaper with far more character and personality.
So overall I had a nice time here, but that’s as exciting a word as I can think of to describe it. Were I invited to another dinner back here with a group of friends I wouldn’t hesitate or say no — but I wouldn’t be excited either.

Really nice setting for a meal, really modern décor.
We were in before 6 and so it was 2 mains (from a specific menu) for £10, happy days.
It was pretty quiet and we were seated in the front room, right in the corner which was more than suitable.
Our waitress was really nice & attentive, without being overpowering, and our food was served quickly enough.
The food was simple, but cooked very well. Just as I like it actually.
I also believe that they have good deals on cocktails.
I doubt it will be long before we’re back.
4 Badger stars.

I know I gave Rick’s 5 stars last time, I think I love it even more now. Like all the Montpeliers venues they have selected drinks on half price, which means you can enjoy the gorgeous surroundings without the expected price tag.
But the best thing about Rick’s in comparison to all the other places in this chain is that the cocktails included in the Better By Half promo are amaaaaazing and not like cocktails you’d find in any other bar. Although the Vanilla Daisy came in a depressingly small glass, the combination of vanilla vodka, grenadine, fresh lime, egg whites and soda slid down dangerously nicely. What I especially liked was that a lot of the ingredients were home-​made, like the grenadine in my cocktail or the lemon sherbert in my friend’s.
And at only £3.50 each we could afford to have a few too many.

I really have nothing to compare Rick’s to, considering we were in Edinburgh for about 48 hours for a wedding and didn’t really have the opportunity to explore the nightlife around the city. But that’s not to say I didn’t do my fair share of drinking thanks to Matty and friends behind the bar. They make some excellent cocktails, reasonably priced, and fabulous, friendly service.
The rooms are really comfortable and sleek, but beware — it’s quite difficult to sleep on the weekend evenings as the bars let out around 3am and the noise carries — FAR. My suggestion: take Matty’s recommendation for the piano bar next door and stumble home at 3:30am. Problem solved.

Rick’s is a bit more unassuming than some of the other bars in the same area, hiding away beneath the basement area of Frederick Street, but really a lovely, chic little place to hang out of an evening and sip a beautifully chilled and superbly bubbly prosecco, much like I recently did. Mmmmm, prosecco, can’t beat some fizzy, perfect temperature, liquid joy on a beaming sunny day.
There is outside seating at Rick’s, immediate tick in the bonus check list, plus it does a really tasty, classic but modern range of food, for meals at both lunch and dinner. I’ve done both before, and have no complaints, the service has always been friendly and efficient, and the dining experience as a whole has been really positive.
Rick’s definitely handles the mix of bar and restaurant well, with most people having no qualms about just sitting at the bar having a drink, while groups eat nearby. Some bar/​restaurants make this an awkward experience, but the stylish, all round good looks of Rick’s, and crucially its non-​pretentiousness, make it a really attractive place to have a few cocktails with friends or have a relaxed banter over some food.

I’m glad I went to Rick’s as it’s never the first place on my mind when I think about placed to eat or drink. But it has that cosy feel that the other bars in the Montpellier group (Opal Lounge, Tigerlily etc) seem to lack a bit.
There was a buzz from people having sophisticated fun. Being one of the few Edinburgh bars with the «elite» bar staff everything smelt like fruits and mints from the mass of cocktails getting sent out.
I was surprised to see decent portion sizes. I had some Seafood medley and my boyfriend had the lamb shank which he said was cooked to perfection (people from northern England love their lamb eh?)
Buy one-​get one free meals also. Make sure to investigate before hand.

A trendy wine/​champagne/​cocktail bar that’s worth going to every once in a while but is really a bit too flashy and overpriced to become the sort of place that I would regularly frequent.
The cocktails are rather expensive compared to other similar bars in the area (typically around £6.95−7.95 — ouch!) and are bulked out with ice cubes large enough to sink the Titanic. The place is quite nicely decorated though, and there are even peacock feathers in vases in the gent’s!
Generally, the sort of place you would go on an office night out to celebrate landing that big contract. When the boss is paying.

My partner and I were pointed in the direction of Rick’s from a bouncer around the corner at The Opal Lounge (who had politely informed us that we were 2 years late for dinner service there!). We walked in and both thought yeah, just what we are looking for. It had that cosy feel, but with a buzz from music and people having fun (it was a Fri night). We were going to be seated next to the door but asked if we could have something further back and she took us to the conservatory. The smell of mint (from the frehly-​made mojito’s hit us as we walked through and whet our appetite for a cocktail from the (very) long selection list and both were happy with our choices.
On to the food, to start I had the butternut squash & ginger soup and my GF had the mussels. Both were very good (and very decent portion sizes). A glass of house red each next with our mains and I don’t know if they accidentally gave us red from the wrong bottle, but it was absolutely delicious.
For mains, I had the rack of lamb with mushroom rosti (both were excellent and the lamb was cooked perfectly, if not slightly fatty). GF had pan-​friend sea bass on a bed of scallop/​king prawn risotto and we both agreed that this was one of the best risottos we’d ever had.
After these considerable portions, there was no space for desert. We were also delighted to find out that our mains were BOGOF and the total bill came to a reasonable £50 (+ tips). Staff were friendly.
A nice experience.

What to say about Ricks? Its popularity perplexes me, Ricks — just off George street, it has continued to attract a dedicated band of regulars who must see an attraction that I miss. The staff here have always carried a very bad attitude, I joke that it must be a pre-​requisite of their employment. I occassionally am pulled back to Ricks by colleagues and have found that little has changed over the years. Very expensive, very pseudo-​trendy and, for me, totally characterless.
Ess