For lovers of whisky this is the place.Didn't have food so I haven't rated it but from nearby tables looks impressive.Highly recommend this place for a wee dram ... or two.
Dessi Veltcheva
A lovely experience trying high quality whisky which are single barrel. We went to the society members floor which was really nice and we enjoyed the service and atmosphere. We had a sorbet as well which was nice. Having a jug of water could be a nice touch as well.
Andy Carr
My favourite place to go and hide from the world. Attentive staff, very knowledgeable.Not cheap to be a member, but completely worth it.
B Heidemann
Brilliant place for a whiskey lover and the steak was great as well. Very good tasting with an enthusiastic and knowledgeable lady.
sean flinn
My experience of vegetarian food is high-end restaurants is generally very poor. It always seems tokenistic, they are just offering something to appease. This was a rare exception. The chef has put a lot of effort into having a phenomenal menu to vegetarians. I’m so appreciative. Everything was amazing. Thank
Ashley
If you can only do one whisky tasting in Edinburgh, let this be it! They know their whisky and will tell you all about it. We had one person in our group who doesn't really like whisky and our server/connoisseur put together a custom selection for them and they finished them all. Aside from the whisky, the place has a great atmosphere. Lively and jovial while still being relaxed. It was a highlight of our trip and a place to truly sip and savor.
Martin Baxter
We went last week and absolutely loved it. We arranged a place to work for a few hours and the staff couldn't have been friendly and more hospitable. We also had food there (fish and chips and a burger) which both were delicious. We were in the library which had a great feel to it and was super Comfortable to work in. Would recommend highly
Danny Beckman
Wife and I went here during a recent trip to Edinburgh. Great table service, honestly pretty great food. We had a lovely time chatting with the staff about different whisky's and had some lovely flights. My only complaint is that it's very hard to go home with a bottle. To purchase a bottle you need to be a member of the club, which is about 100USD I think?Anyway- we spent a long time looking at the bottles and trying to decide which one to take home, chose one, took it to the nice woman behind the counter who told us that we actually needed to be members. We didn't feel like cutting out an additional 100 bucks, so we left it. I'd recommend maybe just doing a surcharge or something for non members. I wouldn't have spent 100 bucks on the membership, but I'd definitely had paid like a 20% surcharge or something like that. It was a little embarassing, but we still enjoyed our dinner.
GS and RH
Very informed staff. Cask strength blends of single malt whiskies. Not a huge seating area for non-members so a reservation would be good. Quiet atmosphere, which reflects the fact that it is a Society. The only downfall for me, as a tourist, is that they would not be whiskies I could find in a store to purchase and take home.
Xinyi Shu
During my visit to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society on Queen Street, the initial encounter with the bar waiter marred what was otherwise a notable whisky experience. His response to a simple inquiry about bottling was condescending, implying I couldn’t grasp the concept of a bar. This patronizing tone persisted when I sought clarification on their confusing menu's 'per person' pricing, only to receive a dismissive "Per person means per person."The service began disappointingly as well. After being handed menus, he served subsequent patrons before us, returning with a blank demeanor and no apology. His suggestion to a colleague to "answer questions with questions" was also overheard, adding to the unwelcoming atmosphere.However, as the evening unfolded, there was a palpable shift in his demeanor. His extensive knowledge of whisky became apparent, and his recommendations were spot on. Notably, he offered us a generous discount when the whisky we wanted was unavailable. Gradually, his attitude softened; he started smiling, offering warm "you're very welcomes," and became more engaging and pleasant.The whisky selection itself was impressive, and the compensation for unavailable bottles was fair. The food was excellent, and by the end, the atmosphere had improved significantly due to the waiter's attitude change. This experience underscores the importance of consistent, welcoming service in complementing the society's remarkable offerings. It’s a reminder that while quality products are crucial, the human element remains indispensable.
Amazing location at the Queen Street venue, staff are helpful, friendly and
Josh S
5 star for the vaults, 2 stars for the Queen Street venue. As a member from Australia, I visited the vaults on a Friday night and had a wonderful experience. Friendly and attentive staff, other patrons happy for a chat and a great selection to try.I tried to visit the Queen St venue on Satirday, and was told to come back later in the evening as they were quite busy, but assured I wouldn't need to book a table if coming after 9pm. Turned up with my wife at 9:30pm, and was turned away as they were "still quite busy". The person at the entrance was not very welcoming and we felt he couldn't wait for us to walk out the door.If visiting Edinburgh as a member, skip Queen St and head straight to the Vaults in Leith.
Jane H
Superb staff, amazing food. They know their whisky!
Tim Ottinger
Delicious food and libations, served with class.
Susanna Castello
Fantastic experience. Great food, great atmosphere and perfect service.And there is no need to talk about the number of bottles of Whiskey you can taste. All unique.
For lovers of whisky this is the place.Didn't have food so I haven't rated it but from nearby tables looks impressive.Highly recommend this place for a wee dram ... or two.
A lovely experience trying high quality whisky which are single barrel. We went to the society members floor which was really nice and we enjoyed the service and atmosphere. We had a sorbet as well which was nice. Having a jug of water could be a nice touch as well.
My favourite place to go and hide from the world. Attentive staff, very knowledgeable.Not cheap to be a member, but completely worth it.
Brilliant place for a whiskey lover and the steak was great as well. Very good tasting with an enthusiastic and knowledgeable lady.
My experience of vegetarian food is high-end restaurants is generally very poor. It always seems tokenistic, they are just offering something to appease. This was a rare exception. The chef has put a lot of effort into having a phenomenal menu to vegetarians. I’m so appreciative. Everything was amazing. Thank
If you can only do one whisky tasting in Edinburgh, let this be it! They know their whisky and will tell you all about it. We had one person in our group who doesn't really like whisky and our server/connoisseur put together a custom selection for them and they finished them all. Aside from the whisky, the place has a great atmosphere. Lively and jovial while still being relaxed. It was a highlight of our trip and a place to truly sip and savor.
We went last week and absolutely loved it. We arranged a place to work for a few hours and the staff couldn't have been friendly and more hospitable. We also had food there (fish and chips and a burger) which both were delicious. We were in the library which had a great feel to it and was super Comfortable to work in. Would recommend highly
Wife and I went here during a recent trip to Edinburgh. Great table service, honestly pretty great food. We had a lovely time chatting with the staff about different whisky's and had some lovely flights. My only complaint is that it's very hard to go home with a bottle. To purchase a bottle you need to be a member of the club, which is about 100USD I think?Anyway- we spent a long time looking at the bottles and trying to decide which one to take home, chose one, took it to the nice woman behind the counter who told us that we actually needed to be members. We didn't feel like cutting out an additional 100 bucks, so we left it. I'd recommend maybe just doing a surcharge or something for non members. I wouldn't have spent 100 bucks on the membership, but I'd definitely had paid like a 20% surcharge or something like that. It was a little embarassing, but we still enjoyed our dinner.
Very informed staff. Cask strength blends of single malt whiskies. Not a huge seating area for non-members so a reservation would be good. Quiet atmosphere, which reflects the fact that it is a Society. The only downfall for me, as a tourist, is that they would not be whiskies I could find in a store to purchase and take home.
During my visit to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society on Queen Street, the initial encounter with the bar waiter marred what was otherwise a notable whisky experience. His response to a simple inquiry about bottling was condescending, implying I couldn’t grasp the concept of a bar. This patronizing tone persisted when I sought clarification on their confusing menu's 'per person' pricing, only to receive a dismissive "Per person means per person."The service began disappointingly as well. After being handed menus, he served subsequent patrons before us, returning with a blank demeanor and no apology. His suggestion to a colleague to "answer questions with questions" was also overheard, adding to the unwelcoming atmosphere.However, as the evening unfolded, there was a palpable shift in his demeanor. His extensive knowledge of whisky became apparent, and his recommendations were spot on. Notably, he offered us a generous discount when the whisky we wanted was unavailable. Gradually, his attitude softened; he started smiling, offering warm "you're very welcomes," and became more engaging and pleasant.The whisky selection itself was impressive, and the compensation for unavailable bottles was fair. The food was excellent, and by the end, the atmosphere had improved significantly due to the waiter's attitude change. This experience underscores the importance of consistent, welcoming service in complementing the society's remarkable offerings. It’s a reminder that while quality products are crucial, the human element remains indispensable.
Restaurantji Recommends
Amazing location at the Queen Street venue, staff are helpful, friendly and
5 star for the vaults, 2 stars for the Queen Street venue. As a member from Australia, I visited the vaults on a Friday night and had a wonderful experience. Friendly and attentive staff, other patrons happy for a chat and a great selection to try.I tried to visit the Queen St venue on Satirday, and was told to come back later in the evening as they were quite busy, but assured I wouldn't need to book a table if coming after 9pm. Turned up with my wife at 9:30pm, and was turned away as they were "still quite busy". The person at the entrance was not very welcoming and we felt he couldn't wait for us to walk out the door.If visiting Edinburgh as a member, skip Queen St and head straight to the Vaults in Leith.
Superb staff, amazing food. They know their whisky!
Delicious food and libations, served with class.
Fantastic experience. Great food, great atmosphere and perfect service.And there is no need to talk about the number of bottles of Whiskey you can taste. All unique.