Amber
The Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre, 354 Castlehill, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, 0131 477 8477. www.whisky-heritage.co.uk Open Mon–Sun 12pm–4pm; Fri–Sat 7–9pm. Average two-course a la carte lunch for one (excluding drinks) £10. Average two-course a la carte evening meal for one (excluding drinks) £22
In the wrong hands, a whisky-themed restaurant within a shout of Edinburgh Castle could easily become a grim tourist trap. But not Amber. Safe in the control of father and daughter team Wendy and David Neave, the restaurant in the bowels of the Scottish Whisky Heritage Centre offers serious tribute to Scotland’s culinary traditions. Doff your coat and make your way downstairs to the bar where a whisky sommelier is only too happy to begin your induction from one of the 280 bottles on offer. But the real key to Amber’s appeal is in the restaurant’s restraint. There’s a comprehensive wine list for those nattily dressed diners who can’t stomach the whisky-with-each-course tasting, while the golden elixir shares billing with just a scattering of dishes on a menu: roasted baby leeks and woodland mushrooms taste of caramel and earth, while a fork-tender fillet of Buccleuch beef in a rich truffle sauce battles for supremacy with a thick wedge of organic Scottish salmon in Seaweed and Islay malt. The only surprise is the dining room: even with the velvet drapes and arched windows the somewhat sparse space — while fine for the bustling lunchtime crowd — would be improved with a little embellishment.
High point: Fabulous cooking that avoids clichés
Low point: Only open for dinner Friday and Saturday nights