Albannach

I came to this restaurant on the reccomendation of a friend and I was pleasantly surprised in many ways.

We came into a vibrant ground floor bar with the usual city types drinking a mixture of champagne and cocktails and had a look at the cocktail list - we decided to try a raspberry something and it was great.

Our reservation was for 8.00, there was a slight delay due a couple of tables running late, but the maitre D found us (not easy in a busy bar!) and let us know what was going on, he was perfectly charming and reassured us in a professional manner.

When we sat down for dinner, we decided to have a liver pate flambeed with whisky and my partner had a salmon and lobster parcel - they were fantastic, full of flavour! we then had our mains: the beef fillet for me rare of course and the better half had the special of venison medallions - again fantastic!

The service on the night was punctual and attentive as these waiters seemed to genuinely care if we were enjoying our meal. After dessert of Chivas Regal ice cream we retired to the DOON bar with our friendly maitre D' in escourt.

Here we had some more cocktails and left around 1 o'clock thoroughly satisfied, I've since read some of the reviews this place has had and wonder if they were in the same restaurant as my experience and that of my better half was fantastic. I'll definitely be back.
Comment on this reader review

Paul Lewis - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Thursday, June 21, 2007

Food is pretty good - especially if you're a fan of neeps and tatties, but the service is a joke. Our server took our order, went away came back a minute later and took the order again. I've no idea what he wrote down first time, but it was like a Victoria Wood sketch. It also took him 3 attempts to bring the correct wine!

The other waiter who cleared was balancing plates in a mildly dangerous manner in an attempt to cut down on trips to the kitchen. I was expecting to be covered in left-overs at any second. Any restaurant that adds 12.5 % automatically to your bill on a moderatelt pricey menu should provide perfect service. This one falls a long way short. Which is a shame because the look and feel of the place is great.

Don't come here is my advice, unless you're feeling good natured and you want a laugh
Comment on this reader review

londonneil - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Food is pretty good - especially if you're a fan of neeps and tatties, but the service is a joke. Our server took our order, went away came back a minute later and took the order again. I've no idea what he wrote down first time, but it was like a Victoria Wood sketch. It also took him 3 attempts to bring the correct wine!

The other waiter who cleared was balancing plates in a mildly dangerous manner in an attempt to cut down on trips to the kitchen. I was expecting to be covered in left-overs at any second. Any restaurant that adds 12.5 % automatically to your bill on a moderatelt pricey menu should provide perfect service. This one falls a long way short. Which is a shame because the look and feel of the place is great.

Don't come here is my advice, unless you're feeling good natured and you want a laugh
Comment on this reader review

londonneil - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, June 19, 2007

I went to Albannach for dinner with a couple of friends on a Thursday and the atmosphere was great. The bar is buzzing all evening which adds to the ambience of the restaurant. The food was very very good. I tried the haggis for the first time and was nicely surpised. My friends had the lamb and the halibut and were equally happy. We dined a la carte but I noticed they do a express menu and I will definitely try it for lunch.

And to make it even better, the lounge bar has an impressive collection of whiskies and a mouthwatering cocktail list, and all the staff, guys included, wear kilts!!

I must say I find some of the reviews very harsh on Albannach. It can always happen to be disappointed but what might not please some might make other very happy, like my friends and me.
Comment on this reader review

Bea
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, May 11, 2007

If anyone wants to sample real scottish cuisine, avoid this restaurant AT ALL costs. You can easily get a flight up to Glasgow or Edinburgh and experience real authenticity in both food and ambience for the same amount of money you would pay in Albannach for the tiniest conceivable portions.

The staff were all foreigners dressed in some pathetic modernised attempt of a kilt, which by the way would shame any real Scot.

Food was nowhere near authentic or good for the charged prices, half of the items on the menu had ran out by the time our order was placed and they couldnt even prepare a portion of chips as it wasnt in the menu.

It takes a lot more than a gaellic came and a pleated skirt to call a restaurant Scottish.....
View/Add comments (1)

Anna I.
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Thursday, May 10, 2007

The service was APPALLING!! The waitresses were rude and inattentive. I do not recommend.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Friday, February 16, 2007

Dear me. I've eaten here twice. Once at lunchtime, and on the strength of that, once for dinner.

Lunch was great. Really good food, lovely atmoshpere. Very pleasant indeed.

Dinner was horrendous. Not for the food, which was good, but the atmoshpere and envioronment made it just about the worst place I've ever eaten.

You sit, suspended above a pounding nightclub - literally 5 yards away from a dj blasting out hideous rave music. its impossible to have a conversation, impossible to relax. No attempt has been made to soundproof the dining area - curtains or some absorbent fabrics on the ceiling would help. I felt so so so sorry for the staff. It must break their hearts to serve such good food in such a nasty nasty nasty place. Truly, don't go there - its so upsetting.
Comment on this reader review

S McGrail
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Saturday, February 10, 2007

I had VERY high hopes for Albannach. Sadly i left more than a little disappointed. I booked a table for 20 and although the private room wasn't available I was assured that we could have one on the mezzanine. Imagine how annoying when we got there to find it was two tables of 10. When i complained i was told I should have checked and that it wouldn't be normal to have a table of 20. When I pointed out that i'd booked A TABLE for 20 not two for 10 the manager said he'd have had to re-arrange the whole restaurant. But i had booked this two weeks previously, which is more than enough time. Because it was a big booking we had to have the party menu but I'd been promised a haggis main course. It was after all, the day after Burn's Night. There was NO haggis main course and when we ordered the starter haggis dish, the waitress returned half an hour later to say there was NO haggis. The food we did have was good but I think a bit overpriced. Venue and decor are superb and the waiting staff were friendly. Pity about the rest though!!!!
Comment on this reader review

tim - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 2
Sunday, January 28, 2007

The decor is superb, especially the "antler chandelier"

Service great, the Brazilian manageress is stunning.

Atmosphere very good.

Only problem price, although I had my tastelondon card so saved 50% on food (if not I don't think I'd have been happy with the prices I'd have paid).

Overall great experience.
Comment on this reader review

ElPeelo - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 5
Monday, January 22, 2007

I've always walked past this place and never went in because of the bad reviews from the critics.

Boy are they wrong!

When we went upstairs the place looked fantastic, the staff wear kilts and we were seated accordingly.

the food was out of this world - I even had a bet on with the restaurant manager who offered to buy my starter of black pudding if I didn't like it (after recomending it)- I ended up almost licking the plate clean!

The main course didn't disappoint either - I had the venison, the missus had the beef - both were fantastic and full of flavour.

The staff were all friendly and could speak English(a rarity these days)

I'll definitely go back again, the only bad point was that the restaurant just doesn't seem large enough for the demand on a Saturday night.
Comment on this reader review

george mason
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, January 16, 2007