Albannach

We enjoyed our desired main course meal of haggis, neeps and tatties, and a medium rare Rib Eye steak with chips and some spinach, plus a side order of spring greens very much. The steak was juicy and chips, so often a problem, were fine.

The Chef can clearly cook. Service was strange. As you arrive you are greeted by a bouncer, who deposits you downstairs in the bar then upstairs at a table, but leaves you standing and lets the lady pull out her own fairly heavy leather chair. The restaurant is hot. Then just after sitting a waiter marches over and instead of saying hello says "still or Sparkling". Declined. He later takes the order, but our apparent disinclination to order starters really bothered him, and so he tried urgently to get us to order starters. They all seemed to go with white wine, but we wanted red with our mains and they dont do half bottles, and the result was bafflement and a desperate effort to create demand. "Ham hock and piccalilli would go with red" (Unsure about that). The other (mainly fishy) starters wouldnt have settled easy on a steak or haggis either. It was a bit odd, and later the mains were large enough anyway so we would have wasted good food.

We didnt want starters anyway, just a good carniverous meal and a bottle of hearty red. So we ordered them - the latter a Cabernet Merlot Knappstein 2005. It was served, tasted quite strong, a little tart and berryish, probably fine with beef, and accepted. Then the waiter who had poured it (same chap, by now becoming irritating) said he thought it was "a bit heavy", smiled and set off leaving us puzzled as to his motive. What if we had agreed with him, and asked for another? As it turned out, he was probably right; it later really jarred with the food and seemed to get more acid as we went along, with no moorishness very poor for £36. But why didnt he express doubts about it BEFORE opening?

Then with puddings you are shown a card of dessert wines - by the bottle! Including Tio Pepe! No glasses listed!

We declined, and paid up. £87 inc service and a double expresso. Great food. We could only just finish it and were glad we had not had starters. The £36 wine and baffling service were unnecessary as the food sings of good stuff well cooked.

They need to sort out the wines - half bottles please and a different "House Cabernet". Also Fino sherry starts a meal, and sweet wines by the glass would sell more puddings.
Comment on this reader review

william
6 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 6
Wednesday, May 27, 2009