the huxley - the rutland hotel

a very nice drinking venue on the western edge of princes street, which serves high quality food.

the place loses a few marks as service can sometimes be slow and not enough staff working to help speed up the rate of service, but the quality of the drinks and the food carries this bar over the line.

i have been told that it used to be a sports pub, frequented by rugby crowds back in the day, but since then it has modernised, even having a name change in the past few years from the rutland to the huxley, perhaps to cement the transition.

the hot dog menu is fantastic, i highly recommend the korean dog, but the soft shell crab sandwich is another go to for myself. it is as luscious as it sounds and, above all else, very moreish.

a very good bar, with nice decor, but one that needs to improve it's service somewhat. it's also not as pricey as it looks like it should be, with several other bars in the vicinity actually charging more for certain drinks!

the summer sun was finally shining on this teasingly mild sunday morning. the expansive georgian windows at the huxley combined with the weather make this the perfect spot to watch the world go by.  i’ve enjoyed the odd burger and hot dog here before (and maybe a pint or three), but today was all about breakfast.

just looking to this restaurant and had one of the most amazing brunches in my life ever!
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we opted for the veg brunch menu on a sunday morning with some hot cappuccino and hot chocolate, can never forget that amazing food taste and the awesome view from this restaurant.
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the place amazingly managed with good interiors and everything is very well managed with some good and helpful staff.
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one humble request to the management here, that the food served on on sunday brunch was beautifully presented, where, same food served 2 days apart lacked presentation & taste.
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surely can go back here another vacations.!

used the huxley for 3 days whilst staying at the caledonian

eggs benedict and nice coffee to start the day

all for around £32 for the family

nice little saving when you consider the waldorf is £27 each for breakfast

and the huxley is 5 steps away

nice ambiance and great service from staff. we had the hotdogs with beer onions. it was flavourful and moist. i thought there was too much mayonnaise on the onions. other than that, would love to try more things on their menu.

this was nice place to stay during rainy days. the place was cozy and staff are welcoming.

as we were just here for a quick snack, we ordered the chocolate bowl for three. it was the best thing i've tried that day! the marshmallows were toasted on point and the bread is crunch on the outside, soft inside! of course, the main course-dark chocolate sauce was well made as well! love it's texture and it's not too bitter not too sweet.

i choose the huxley to take dad for lunch because the seating looked comfortable and that makes all the difference to him and being able to enjoy his meal. the menu isn't ideal for someone with  his simple taste but they kindly accommodated dads request for the blt on brown bread rather then f.ocaccia.

i ordered the piggy burger which was pulled pork, maple glazed bacon, pork scratching crumbs with chips. 

the food arrived in red plastic baskets. i could not believe they felt it appropriate to serve my dads sandwich and salad in a red plastic basket. to top it off the sandwich had been left uncut so he was had to cut through it while stabilizing the basic. it was a disgrace and i have to say their choice of serving dish ruined the meal for us both.

serving dishes seems to be a weak point with them as dads coffee came in a clear glass mug. looked great but had no finger hole so each attempt to drink it meant holding it from the bottom as the handle slipped through his fingers.

the food itself was good. my burger was a meat indulgence. lots of flavour and the chips were some of the nicest in the city.

dad couldn't stop raving about the delicious bacon but that may have been to make me feel better for my choice of venue. 

this venue has achieved the perfect balance of classy yet funky in their decor. why they serve food in cheap plastic baskets is beyond me. 

i wont go back until i hear the basics have been banished.

i visited the huxley for lunch and had already decided that i was going to be "boring" and just go for something simple. however, the flatbread with falafel caught my eye. unfortunately it was served with coleslaw which i for various reasons cannot eat, so when i asked the waitress if i could have it without the coleslaw i was rather impressed when she returned just after a minute to ask if i wanted something else or at least some dressing because otherwise it would be quite bare. 

even though the flatbread was still a bit dry (yes it is my own fault for not having it with coleslaw, but i genuinely think falafel is made to be dry) i loved being in there because of the mixture of people (families, couples, group of lads and girls sharing a bottle of bubbles). the huxley seems for of a place for some casual drinks or cocktails that you have with a sharing platter and some snacks. 

it's safe to say that i won't have the falafel again, but i'll definitely come back to try those amazing looking cocktails the family was drinking next to me. the orange one in a cocktail glass with a passion fruit looked yummy!

i'd previously read a review about how a blind customer was turned away because he wasn't allowed to bring his guide dog into the restaurant and wasn't sure what to expect from their customer service. on a recent visit for a friend's birthday, i was pleasantly surprised by the friendly staff and the beautifully decorated bar. there are a range of spirits and cocktails available on the menu at reasonable prices for the centre of town. their stock of various liquor should also be commended.

decor wise the huxley is an interesting mismatch of leather seating, re-upholstered vintage cinema seating and wooden chairs and bar stools, eclectic yes but in a safe west end kind of way.

always really good food, and friendly staff. i only gave 4/5 as they recently took the pulled pork sandwich off the menu :-(

the dishes we had at the huxley were fairly good, but nothing was particularly outstanding