WHISKI Rooms

The Whiski Rooms is hit and miss. I’ve had dinner and lunch here a few times. Their rib-​eye steak cooked medium rare is very good so I recommended it to my friends and we went there for lunch. One of my friends ordered the braised shoulder of spring lamb and there was plastic in the dish which is UNACCEPTABLE. They offered him free dessert, however, after that incident I would not return as there are plenty of great restaurants in Edinburgh.

Fabulous whisky and cheese tasting experience at the Whiski Rooms! Went with a few friends for a tasting event on a Saturday evening and now see this as a beautiful staple to bring any future visitors to — highly recommend a visit to this spot for any budding whisky fans! The four whiskies provided gave us a great range of tastes, building slowly from a relatively easily drinkable whiskey from the lowlands, up through to some of the more peety/​smoky whiskies from the islands and highlands. The cheese pairings with the whiskies were delicious and incredibly well done. I’m mildly cheese obsessed, so potentially a bit biased, but beyond just giving us some great new local cheeses (highlight was one called «old smokey» — if you ever see this in a store, please buy it, try it, and then come back down from your visit to heaven and let me know where to find it!), each one truly did bring something wonderful and new to the whisky it was paired with!
Our guide was personable and knowledgeable — he gave us lots of information throughout the tasting but was also open and happy to answer any questions. He was unpretentious and thankfully didn’t attempt to influence our tasting by saying things like «you’ll get notes of cinnamon on the nose, and honeysuckle on the palette» — he simply guided us through the process of drinking whisky, allowing us to get the most from the experience, reminding us throughout that each of us is different, and as such will experience each whisky differently.
I went to this tasting event with three friends, and we went through the experience with around 12 other people at a long beautiful wood table. I loved that the décor and vibe of the place was very much in keeping with the whisky culture. A few of those I was with had been to the Whisky Experience previously (another whisky tour option in Edinburgh), and mentioned that the Whiski Rooms tasting was far better done, so go for this one if given the choice!
Note that I didn’t eat here so can’t say anything regarding the food — this rating is solely in regards to their whisky and cheese tasting events (which are offered regularly).
The whole tasting cost all of about £25, which I can happily say was beyond worth it. You also get £5 off any bottle purchase afterwards (which they fortunately don’t push you at all into using — they’re all happy to help but not aggressive salesmen!). You could look at it from the perspective of «I could get a lot more than 4 drams of whisky and 8 hunks of cheese for that kind of money,» but I promise it’s worth it — you’ll never drink whisky the same way again after this tasting!

Whiski Rooms is one of those places that you think is a bit of a tourist haunt, but also heard good things about it, so, whilst out checking out Fringe shows, thought we would stop in for a quick bite. That was the first thing to slip… time — while we had over an hour to eat, we had to rush eating by the time the food finally showed up and the SR actually had to pay the bill while I finished up.
The SR went for the burger, the Venerable Nephew selected haggis (while in Scotland…), and I opted for the vegetarian version. Bless the VN’s description of his meal, that ‘looked as if it was doused with hay’ (that would be leeks). Sadly, it was a disappointment across the board — bland haggis, underseasoned potato, a very peaty whisky sauce that was super ‘loud’ compared to the rest of the meal. At least the sauce came on the side and you could pick how much you wanted (ordrown your plate, as my VN did… oops). Others do it better, sadly. Wait staff were perfectly pleasant, though.

We walked passed and decided to chance getting a table for lunch on New Years Eve. Unfortunately all the tables had obviously been pre-​booked or where full. They did however manage to squeeze us in at the bar which we were happy to. The staff are extremely knowledgeable about the Whisky’s and gladly talked us through them so we could pick the flight (tasting menu) we would most enjoy. All the flights are very reasonably priced considering the quantity you get in each glass. We predominantly went in to try one of their Whisky Flights but ended up also ordering a shared charcuterie board. When it arrived it was huge, I didn’t expect that sized portion for how cheap it was. Great selection of meats and the right ratio to dips and bread. Very impressed. I would definitely recommend and would come back again if I visited Edinburgh to explore what other Whisky’s they have. (Visit — 31/​12/​2014 Lunch)

Loved the appetizers and desserts. The beet root carpaccio with goat’s cheese is excellent. The rhubarb rice pudding and sticky toffee pudding are delicious. Good service in a central location.

Terrible service, the waiter’s were lazy and dismissive, and an hour-​long wait for some very average sandwiches. A must AVOID.

Spent a really nice late afternoon here last fall. We had the very respectable fish and chips and then did a lovely whiskey tasting flight. I fell in love with the Auchentoshan Three Wood here. Maybe my favorite Scotch ever.
Our young Canadian server was quite wonderful. We loved her. Can’t wait to go back again when in Edinburgh this coming fall! Highly recommend a visit here.

Great place. We began with a scotch and cheese tasting, which was very good. I’m not a whiskey fan, but enjoyed it.
The food was very good. If you are in the mood for a burger this is the place to come in Edinburgh. I also enjoyed their Scottish ales. I’ve read where the service is slow, but we were a party of 12 and they did a great job.

Had some friends visiting from London and I was tasked with booking us a table. My first two choices were all booked up for Saturday night (I never want my dinner as late as 9pm!) so after a browse around Unilocal I settled on Whiski. Looked like I’d be able to give them a taste of some nice traditional Scottish food.
Looks very hip when you arrive — all exposed brick walls etc. While we waited for our table to be turned around we were invited to partake of a drink at the bar. I always hone in on G&T and the barman was able to talk me through their gin selection, recommending one for me with a wedge of grapefruit in it — very refreshing!
We were shown to our table, and (wisely) informed of their 2-​hour turn around policy — nice to know in advance but plenty of time to eat.
All of the food was very tasty and well presented — I managed to talk both of my companions in to sampling haggis and they both enjoyed it. I went for the haddock which was delicious and meaty.
Having tried this place on a chance the gamble paid off and I’d definitely come here again. Maybe for a whisky tasting?!

Nice restaurant and bar that offers superior Scottish food. Not cheap.
There are actually two restaurants bearing the name «Whiski», the «Whiski Rooms» and the «Whiski Bar and Restaurant» — the one I’m reviewing here is «Whiski Rooms», with a view of the Sir Walter Scott Monument.
This is a superior bar and restaurant that serves modern interpretations of traditional Scottish dishes like haggis at slightly inflated prices, but the food is well-​presented and of good quality. Service can be a teensy bit snooty, and Whiski Rooms are a busy establishment at lunch AND dinner times. So a reservation is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment.
The décor is modern-​stylish and streamlined. A broad range of drinks is available, including a number of lagers and ales — and, as the name implies, lots of different single malts. Again, prices aren’t the lowest.

This is a really neat place to go for whiskey tasting, but unfortunately the service here is just horrible. My husband and I came here twice while in Edinburgh for New Years, and each time, we sat for at least 10 minutes before we could get anyone to even bring us a menu. And then, it took at least another 10 minutes before they’d come back to take your order.
We didn’t here for food, so I can’t vouch fo the food. But they do have nice whiskey/​scotch flights. I highly recommend the flight that allows you to taste a scotch from each region of Scotland. It’s a great way to really taste and learn the differences between the various types of scotch. If you can get a seat by the front window, especially in the winter when there are no leaves on the trees, you’ll end up with a really nice view over the princes street gardens.

We went back here on Friday night for dinner and it was just as good as the first time. Good service, delicious food and wine, and a nice setting. We booked online (which is a seamless process) and I requested a window seat which was offered to us on arrival. We ate the Château Briand and it was cooked just how we ordered it. I paired it with a delicious Pinotage. Only gripe is that the main was so large that we couldn’t fit in any dessert, which was a right shame because I really wanted the chocolate fondant. Oh well, next time!

Very very good food, very happy we stumbled upon this place. If you are passing this place you have to eat here. My only problem with this place is we fou d the service rather slow but the waiting staff were really nuve and helpful. But because the food was so good I didnt mind the wait in the end

Of course since we were in Scotland, we HAD to do a whiskey tasting, and Whiski Rooms did the trick. We dropped in on a busy saturday night, hoping for a little calming effect before our haunted tour, and they made room for us.
Our bartender/​server was great– we told him what whisky types we normally like, and he brought out a flight that was similar enough, but that let us try new types of whiskys. Super nice. I cant comment on the food, but, it was definitely a great stop in before our tour!

Easily understandable tasting… but probably varies significantly.

I took a friend who was visiting from out of town here for dinner on a Saturday night. We were looking for good food, relaxed atmosphere and we weren’t disappointed. We were seated in a little secluded area at the back with a view of the bar where we could enjoy our meal in peace and quiet. The atmosphere was just right, buzzy, busy but not too loud to enjoy a chat.
Service was great, a warm welcome, friendly chat but no hovering (i see others have mentioned poor service but I can only say we certainly had no complaints). And the most important thing — the food was delicious. I had the Chicken Supreme followed by Crème Brulee while my friend opted for the Steak & Merlot pie with Chocolate Cheesecake for dessert. A nice bottle of Sauvignon Blanc — perfect.
I would definitely recommend and will be returning.

With Unilocal as our guiding light in all things food and drink this place provides one of the most divided selections of reviews that I’ve seen on the site. To justify my two meagre stars:
Yay!
— big range of whiskies
— central location
— appealing décor
Nope
— service is so slow
— seriously, haven’t they picked up the message — people are WAITING!
— I had a straight whisky, though friends had a cocktail that they failed to finish as it just wasn’t very nice, which is something of a failing in a cocktail that you’ve paid a fair whack for
So, if you’re in the city and looking for a drink — particularly an unusual or exclusive whisky — then this is just the place for you, so long as it’s just about empty.

Wenn man während des Theaterfestivals und dem gleichzeitig stattfindenden Military Tattoos nach Edinburgh kommt, muss man sich nicht wundern, dass die Stadt proppenvoll ist.
Schön ist es dann, ein relativ ruhiges Plätzchen zu finden, um nur mal ein, zwei Guinness zu genießen. Das kann man hier auf jeden Fall. Der Service war freundlich und schnell, die Preise im üblichen Rahmen.
Der Jahreszeit entsprechend bevölkern sehr viele Touristen den Pub, aber soll ich mich beschweren? Bin ja auch einer

Be prepared for a long wait for drinks, just spent 15 minutes waiting for four drinks. We popped in for pre-​dinner drinks and whilst the bar area was only mildly busy it took 15 minutes to get our first round of five drinks — the bar staff were standing around chatting rather than getting on with serving drinks. We ordered a second round half an hour before we had to leave for our dinner appointment and eventually had to cancel the order 20 minutes later despite asking after 10 minutes where the drinks were because we were in a rush.
Terrible experience and I wouldn’t recommend this place at all.

A great atmosphere…
A really good selection…
Horrible service.

I love whisky. And so when WHISKI Rooms opened up on the Mound, and I passed it day on day with all that liquid sunshine beaming out at me, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I stopped in here to sample what was on offer.
The boy and I came here for a Friday evening meal. It was a lovely sunny evening and around 7.30 the place was almost full but had a really nice relaxed ambience about it, rather than rushed.
I had a craving for seafood, but didn’t fancy the salmon in the mains section so asked if it was possible to have the scallops starter as a main. All they did was double up the portion size, and price, equally but this suited me fine. The boy had the soup and then the burger.
The scallops, served on black pudding, were really quite delicious. The scallops were beautifully cooked and the contrast of the crispy black pudding was just mmm. It looked like a fairly small portion (despite being doubled) — it was 6 scallops in total. But I had it with a side of the seasonal veg and struggled to finish it all. The seasonal veg was also really nicely cooked — shredded cabbage and carrots, neither covered in butter or dried out — just right.
The boy’s soup was, I have to say, a little bland. But hey, you win some you lose some. Despite being a creamy soup it just lacked much flavour. His burger was epic, a giant hand-​made beast with bacon and a delicious WHISKI sauce and onion relish. As far as burgers go, it was good. The chips, I am told, were a little meh. (The burger + chip combo is an important one.)
Now, the drinks. The cocktail list has a whole page (or more) dedicated to whisky cocktails. Oh yes. My favourite cocktail is a margarita. And what did they have? A whisky-​rita. That’s right, a margarita made with whisky. It even came in a margarita glass, salt-​rimmed. I have to say a margarita with tequila is still better for this combination BUT I really enjoyed it and loved the ingenuinty and cheeky take on it. The whisky sour I had after was one of the better ones I’ve had in the city too.
You need to ask for the whisky menu itself, as this isn’t provided as standard on the table. But when you do be prepared to get those reading glasses out. It’s very long, in very small print. I’d guess at least over 100 whiskies. The boy was happy. And the one he ordered, a new Islay one we hadn’t tried yet (Aird Bheag) hit the spot nicely.
The staff were really friendly, and the waitress and I had a wee laugh when she came to ask about my order just as I was taking a sample bite of the boys burger, which as I said was epic. Friendly, familiar and down-​to-​earth but still very attentive.
OH! I forgot to mention the chocolate mousse. A really generous serving, really quite dense and rich which was looovellly although we were both really full from our mains.
I had a really nice evening here for a relaxed post-​work dinner. You could definitely rock up here straight after work and enjoy a nice meal without feeling under-​dressed but it’s also got some class. Due to its location and the fact its called WHISKI, serving whisky, in the capital of Scotland (whisky land) I can tell it’s going to be mobbed during August. But it’ll be nice to re-​claim it as a local in the winter.