What?
And how do you say that?
Are the first responses from most people when I suggest we meet at
The Albannach. So I'll save you the trouble, lassy or laddie: it's pronounced
All-ban-accck – but with a guttural sound on the multiple c's. And if you're curious it means Scottish, or Scotsman – in Scottish, or more correctly Scottish Gaelic.
So it's Scots for Scot. And you should have guessed by now that it's a home from home for the wee kilted folk, a place that serves the largest collection of Scotch Whisky (without the 'e' remember) in London, with a best-of-British menu to match – and included on that list of dishes are haggis, neeps and tatties, which are on the menu all year round.
There are several stings to The Albannach's bow – or flutes to their bagpipes. There's the restaurant, which has a view of Trafalgar Square, and which spreads up to the mezzanine, the ground floor bar - which is ideal for a spot of afternoon or early evening drinking, and then there's the
A Lounge and the vaults, which are underground and vault-y – this is where you can go for a spot of fling-ing, if whisky makes your feet feel like dancing.
The basement isn't just called the vaults to be cute, this used to be a bank and these arches of solid, underground brick are where they used to store their treasures. Book a place in the vaults if you know there are going to be a few of you and you'll get free entry to the A Lounge.
The
cocktails are inventive, if a bit on the whisky heavy side, the grill
menu is impressively British – and very varied: their lamb is black faced and their haggis comes in at £16.50, and their
whisky list is something from north of the border.
