The Dining Room

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• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses: £16
• House wine: £13 per bottle

• Hitlisted
• High point: Eating
• Low point: Leaving
• Food served: Wed-Sat noon-2.30pm, 7-9.30pm; Mon/Tue 7-9.30pm. Closed Sun.
• Bar open: Mon-Sat 9.30am-11pm
• Private dining: 8/14/48/18
• Open since: 2004
• Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least 25% of menu), Wheelchair access, Pre-theatre menu

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society began over 20 years ago when a group of whisky-loving friends clubbed together to buy a cask of fine malt whisky. Today, the international society has three UK branches (two in Edinburgh and one in London) with more than 20,000 members worldwide. The Queen Street venue runs over three floors centred around a whisky bar/lounge. If you're lucky enough to be there during the day, the seasonally changing bar menu is imaginative and reasonably priced. In the evening, it's probably best to start in the bar where extremely knowledgeable staff will advise on a suitable whisky aperitif. Then head down to the club restaurant (open to non-members on Thursdays) which is found in a magnificent Georgian dining room on the ground floor, with views over to Queen Street Gardens. The menu (with a very good pre-theatre option), a combination of Scottish and French influence, really is outstanding. It will be hard not to be enthralled by a carpaccio of kohlrabi with sautéed duck livers and puy lentils, or to marvel at a tortellini of ham hock for starters. Main courses rely on local produce (often Scottish game): roast partridge is carefully balanced with bacon and curly kale, and venison is accompanied by an inventive little game pie with a crisp, crunchy outer shell. Desserts do not disappoint. Butternut squash panecotta with browned butter ice-cream is a heavenly sweet and rich combination, and pineapple tatin with coconut rum shot and dark chocolate sorbet is more than its match. Service is polite, informed and friendly, and the wine and whisky list is exceptional.