Food & Drink: The Albannach

Ah, Sunday. The quiet day of the week. The time for families and friends to get together and share a meal which, most commonly will be the great British institution; Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Those who know me, will know that I am a huge scotch whiskey fan, and those who don’t, do now! So imagine my delight when my brother announced that he heard of restaurant that combined the two. Albannach is located on Trafalgar Square and consists of three floors, each with its own specific purpose.

Upon arrival, we were welcomed warmly by the manager and then directed to the bar where we ordered our first of three whiskeys; a beautiful 18 year old Highland Park. The whiskey was served in the traditional Glencairn crystal whiskey glass. Definite plus point for Albannach! Now, I will just point out that the whiskey in Albannach can be a little pricey, however with the quality on sale I think these prices are more or less justified. The whiskeys we had did not venture over the £15.00 mark and each was a delight on the palate. Our waiter/bar tender was a very knowledgeable young man who had a particular passion for Islay malts. He listened carefully to us and then used the information to recommend whiskeys which would both suit us and compliment our meal. At one stage my brother and I were sampling the aroma of our second whiskey, a very nice 18 year old Jura and he mentioned rubbing a little between our palms to get a true sense of the aroma without the spirit. Something I had heard of before but then I am a relatively new starter in the world of Scotch whiskey and am prone to forget these things! As we were sitting at the bar, we were provided with a small jug of natural spring water which is essential to open up the flavour of many of the whiskeys, a small point I was aware of, but the help the bartender provided added to the overall experience.

We were shown to our table and presented with some bread to get us started. Right here is probably my only gripe of the whole experience. Side plates would have been a welcome addition as the bread was a little crumbly. Our order was taken and I sat back to appreciate my surroundings for the first time. We were seated in a corner of the restaurant and our table had a good view of Trafalgar Square. Looking at the extremely busy square, I could appreciate the calm, welcoming atmosphere of Albannach. The interior was decorated tastefully and it would not take a great imagination to see it being a relaxing place for friends and work colleagues to meet after a long day at the office. There are some Scottish references which can be seen in the antler shaped lighting and the stag sculpture but the real reference is the huge range of Scotch whiskey kept in small cubby holes behind the bar. The naughty school boy in me wanted to ask for the bottle kept at the very top, but I restrained myself!

The food arrived promptly, so promptly in fact that I was a little worried about its quality. These worries were completely unfounded. The food was cooked to perfection; my medium rib eye steak was delicious and the roasted vegetables complimented it delightfully. I often find in many restaurants that seasoning is left up to the customer. I know this is due to personal taste but asking an uneducated palate to season a dish always seems a like a bit of a gamble. The food in Albannach however was seasoned to perfection. Pudding followed and I had the absolutely fabulous crème brulee which I had decided on having with the Bowmore Darkest (15 year old). The rich sherry cask Islay malt sat very well with brulee and the slightly salty undertones contrasted the pudding perfectly.

After our meal we had a chat with the manager of Albannach and found him to be a very polite and enthusiastic man who confessed to enjoying whiskey but like me, his experience was in its infancy. Still, his passion for the single malts should never be doubted as he introduced the Albannach whiskey ‘flights’. These deals give the inexperienced whiskey drinker a chance to try a variety of single malts from all the regions of Scotland or even from the whole world. I have to admit, I was a little intrigued by the Welsh whiskey! The great prices on these actually become more attractive when you see the individual prices of the whiskeys, particularly the 21 year old Glenfarclas which appears on the Sommelier menu for £30.00. Yes, the luxury tour costs £199 for 5 whiskeys but sometimes paying for the best and most unusual is worth it.

In conclusion I would highly recommend Albannach to all. Even to those whom Scotch whiskey doesn’t appeal, they offer a range of wine, beer and cocktails. I would of course suggest that even those people try at least one recommended by the exceptionally friendly and helpful staff.

My thanks go out to Steve from Invermoriston in Scotland who helped me pick out the whiskeys my brother and I sampled and to all the staff at Albannach.

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