The Dining Room

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

The Dining Room sits within the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's members' rooms in sober Queen Street, and is a far cry from the rather more raffish charms of the Society's rooms in Leith. In fact, the austere New Town has exerted a gentrifying influence over these quietly refined Georgian premises, but it hasn't managed entirely to remove the Society's egalitarian leanings. The dining room itself is formal and the tasteful, if chilly, artwork references malt whisky obliquely, but the waiting staff are refreshingly warm, knowledgeable and helpful. You're quite safe in their hands. The wine list is exceptional, with a terrific range of wines by the glass, and the auld alliance of Scottish ingredients and Gallic flair is as strong as ever. Starters such as a red pepper jelly with goat's cheese cream and tapenade packs a delicate but powerful punch, while a main of roast pork with sauerkraut, pork crepinette and caramelised apple purée is a perfectly judged combination of salt, sweet and sharp flavours and is also deceptively substantial. Some of the dessert combinations are less successful – for example, a tart sherbet dusting on creamy saffron rice pudding is unexpected and not entirely welcome.

• High point: An amuse-bouche of celeriac foam with smoked bacon and a dram actually amuses
• Low point: If it was a while since your last French exam, the menu could be a struggle