Despite its Trafalgar Square location, the popular Scottish restaurant and bar admirably resists tourist trap laziness with good food, decent prices and a satisfyingly subtle nod to Scottishness.

The Venue
Located just south of Trafalgar Square, Albannach is just about far enough away from the crowds of camera-wielding sky-gazers to cast its net westwards and welcome in the workers from Whitehall. It’s much more suited to them too, with a refined decor boasting immaculately buffed dark woods, soft leather seating and ambient spotlights making everything feel nice and atmospheric. Black and white photographs of Highland landscapes, a million whisky bottles behind the bar and fascinating creations from discarded antlers hint at the venue’s roots, but most of the Caledonian influence is kept to the menu.

The Atmosphere
The abundance of smart dress drowning out the odd bit of casual clothing suggests that Albannach may have somehow managed to attract all that braying bravado from The City but fret not, most are civil servants, an altogether more civilised breed. So whilst you won’t be elbowed out of the way at the bar you might get waylaid by a congregation painstakingly seeking consensus on the next round of drinks. It’s all friendly enough though, with excellent service from affable staff and a dining area that allows for some great people watching, especially if you can get a ringside seat on the mezzanine level overlooking the main bar.

The Food
Scotland has a rich, yet hardly expansive cuisine history and purely for variety and choice, Albannach combines traditional dishes with those you might expect to find on any British menu. It’s easy to keep things comprehensively Scottish, with cullen skink, blue cheese bridies, haggis and of course neeps and tatties all looking appetisingly prominent on the menu, but those who eschew tradition will be just as richly rewarded.

The leek, tomato and goats cheese tart (£6.95) is a fine place to start, with light, fluffy and buttery pastry giving way to a delicious mix of leek, sun-dried tomatoes and tart, just-melting goats cheese that could be a little bolder, but plays its part adequately enough. The ham hock terrine (£5.95) is very good indeed, with two hearty slabs of smooth, meaty and impeccably seasoned terrine interspersed nicely with chunky bits of veg. It’s served with a little pot of exquisite, mustard-rich piccalilli but strangely, no extra bread.

The fish and chips (£12.95) are pretty impressive, and certainly the match of most restaurant versions you’re likely to encounter. Beautifully cooked pollock (ecologists will be proud) falls apart nicely on the fork, even if the batter is a little limp due to what’s probably not enough heat in the oil. The accompanying chips are magnificent (double or maybe triple fried to a tough crunch that still gives way to soft potato), whilst the promise of mushy peas turn out to be a little disappointing – the real deal is obviously a little beneath an establishment such as this, so it’s replaced with delicately crushed petit-pois instead.

Committed carnivores get the opportunity to stare their dinner right in the eye upon walking into the restaurant, as the bull looking menacingly delicious from within a frame offers a friendly reminder that Scottish beef is indeed good stuff. This is proved impressively by the sirloin steak (£16.95), a soft, buttery cut that’s cooked to medium-rare perfection and served with the Albannach’s own sauce, a rich, sweet, whisky-based concoction that adds a deliciously smoky edge to the steak.

Desserts are worth saving room for, especially the cranachan (£6), a traditional Scottish dessert that has sweet raspberry compote topped with whipped cream and toasted oatmeal that’s been dressed lightly with whisky to give the whole thing an extra bit of depth. If you’re struggling for room then give the Highland coffee and tablet (£6) a go and enjoy an excellent coffee with a splash of whisky, topped with loads of whipped cream, coffee beans for decoration and a quite ridiculously sugary tablet of fudge.

The Drink
As you would expect from a place like this there’s an obvious emphasis on whiskies, with everything from affordable introductory Scotches such as a ten year old Ardbeg to extravagant Highland malts like the 50-year-old Balvenie coming in at a mere £750 a pop. Admirably, they’ve also welcomed American whiskeys and bourbons, as well as having - in a nod to their burgeoning reputation – found some room on the shelves for Japanese options.

If you’re looking to accompany your dinner with something a little more appropriate however, similar care seems to have gone into an extensive wine list that covers the globe. The house option, a quaffable, fruity merlot, comes in at a very reasonable £15.95, and starts a list that rises steadily through to some fantastic pricier bins, including a very good Chateau St Jean Chateauneuf du Pape at just £60.

The Last Word
It almost feels strange that somewhere with a location like this doesn’t sell its soul for the tourist pound, but thanks to good food, good prices and what’s mercifully just a humble nod to its heritage, Albannach doesn’t have to.

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