The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Edinburgh, City of

What a night.. we had planned to be here on Friday.. but Storm Éowyn disrupted our plans. The Vaults close earlier on Sunday night, and we closed house, but not before the staff graciously let us posed behind the bar - with them! Food was outstanding, and The Old Fashioned was the best I’ve tasted. SMWS Queen Street stayed open later, so we joined friends who were not SMWS members there. What a difference.. bar staff at Queen Street were not personable, needed deodorant and firmly refused to let us sit together, despite there being an empty room. They obviously wanted to go home and gave us a count-down of when we needed to leave. Joining SMWS and experiencing an evening at The Vaults is worth every penny. I was last there in the late 1980s.. although this time the two fires were not lit, the hospitality was just as warm as I remembered.

Great space to enjoy top notch drams 👌

Cracking place, watch the booze it's crazy strong!

The aroma is intoxicating!!!! 🍷

Always fantastic to visit. Great room, fab friendly staff and if course the whiskys are most excellent!

Great unique place to try whiskey with good food

A really great experience that you should have as an SMWS member! Excellent, unique whiskeys in a special atmosphere are definitely worth a trip when you are in Edinburgh. And we didn't expect the food to be so good either - a clear recommendation even for people who aren't absolute whiskey fans!

Exceptional whisky, knowledgeable staff and great value for the best whisky anywhere

A lovely vibe, great decor, rows and rows of cask whiskeys, amazing service, great tipples, super food and lovely place to be. It has some amazing whiskeys from different distilleries and the flights are so well thought out. Cracking food to go with the drams and nice place to wind down with friends and family alike. It has a wide variety and the decor is set up very nicely. The staff were very informative and attentive and the overall experience is lovely. You have to know someone with a membership but getting over isn't too expensive or complicated.

First stop of our whisky adventure in Scotland. Been a member for years and it was such a pleasure to stop by. Amazing Whisky variety and knowledgeable staff. Will be back here next time I'm in Edinburgh!

The staff (and members for that matter) were amazingly kind and friendly. It’s such a warm atmosphere. The bar tender went above and beyond with recommendations and information. And might I add, very smooth scotch whiskey. I highly recommend!!

Had a lovely night with my partner. Special thanks to Saul for talking through the menu so well and making great recommendations!

There is no better location for top whiskey. The advice is extremely professional and very, very knowledgeable. The atmosphere is unique. You don't want to leave anymore.

It was a really lovely experience. Superb food and service, flights of whisky were wonderful. The bar and restaurant are very plush. And the music from the Clarsach and Fiddle player was top class.

Took friends there for a drink. They loved the whisky and the experience of a wonderful premises and excellent knowledgeable staff.

Went to the Queen Street bar (the only option for a non-member). Well worth it. The Sunday set menu was incredible value at £28 for three courses - the best venison roast I can remember. The flights of whisky are expensive (£33 for four drams is the starter option) but for that you get a set of whiskies that absolutely blow your socks off, served by an incredibly knowledgeable barman

Great venue, really inviting, great food and impeccable service. We were a large group and Evan, Angus and the team were attentive throughout the night

If you're a SMWS member, you definitely should prioritize a visit to this location. The whisky options we tried were all incredible, and the more intimate seating area for members was awesome.

Lovely members room with good food and selection of drinks.

Had our Ruby Wedding family celebration in the Tasting Room. Could not fault it fabulous food, service and atmosphere. As members of the SMWS we simply had to book here and we're not disappointed. Thanks to all the team. We look forward to hosting our Golden Wedding here!!

Great place to have some casual drinks. Incredible variety of whiskey as one might expect. This is my favourite of their locations as the building has so much history. Food is divine and quite reasonably priced. Grab a flight of whiskey and be prepared to be blown away by their flavour note descriptions. Cocktails can be hit or miss but I’ve never had a bad time here. During the days it’s quite calm (nice place to read a book or get some emails done) but in peak times reservation is absolutely necessary.

One of my favorite places in Edinburgh. Good thing I'm a member 🥰

Six of us had booked for dinner and drinks at 6pm. We turned up to be told that we were sat on a sofa for 4 people with 2 armchairs at the end for the other 2. When I said that we had booked for dinner (obviously meaning that 4 of us can’t sit on a sofa and 2 on an armchair to have starters and mains on our knee) we were told that there were no other bigger tables. They did manage to get us seated at a proper table but the whole thing was very strange, like they had forgotten our booking in the first place. Drink service was slow, and food was mediocre. Snacks were good but the batter on the fish & chips was raw on the inside, as was the onion rings. Duck was overcooked and 100% not a full breast as stated on the menu. Had to go to the bar to ask for condiments as there was no service. No music on or any atmosphere and no offer or upsells of any whisky and we were willing to spend a bit of money. Left after just one dram and a 3/10 dinner. Very disappointing especially as the SMWS in Glasgow & Queen Street are always consistently good.

A disappointing evening at the beginning but was rectified later on. Took three friends with me as I have always had excellent experience at the Vaults. Normally there's table service, but yesterday after we signalled that we'd like to place an order, one of the staff told us to go order at the bar in such a rude manner, my friends felt we were getting told off for wanting to be served. Even after we got to the bar, the same staff looked at us with an annoyance, I was very unhappy with the disrespect we received. I can empathise when the venue is fully booked, staff could be overwhelmed. That's however not an acceptable reason to treat customers in such a manner. No one pays their membership to have that sort of service. Luckily, one of the staff, Ben, was an amazing host to us for the rest of the evening. He chatted with us with enthusiasm, and happily explained the background of the whiskies he recommended to us. We felt looked after. Thanks Ben!

Had the best time here, would def recommend to anyone visiting Edinburgh.

Visited as a guest of my Cousin who is a member. I was very impressed with the range of drinks available, quality of food and first class service.

Fabulous whisky drinkers paradise. Wall to wall whisky and terrific staff as a bonus.... Andrew, Dean and Gregor.......exemplary service........great surroundings and great food too.....sausage and mash was excellent...thanks guys.... and thanks to Bob for the introductions 😊 Just amazing place and staff. Keeps getting better.

As my first time experience, I loved it! If you an avid whiskey conosier then it's a no-brainer.

Great wee 60th birthday celebration.

Great food and atmosphere. One server is great, and the other one was rude and spilled my beer…

To whom it may concern, I write this review today after being a member for four years. In this time as a member I have been to this establishment many of times, along with others. Of late however, I feel the service has really started to fall short. Saying that the waiters treat you with disdain and disinterest is an understatement. Which after looking, many other reviews suggest also. I feel it is such a shame given it is such a great venue. However it has come to a point now that I won’t be returning or renewing my membership. Along with many others I visit with. You get grunted at and pointed to sit at a table when checking in. You now get no history of the whisky, you get looked at if you ask for sauce with your food. You never get asked if everything was ok for your meal. Just a comment saying ‘are you done with these plates’ I and others shall not be revisiting along with many other members I presume . I do however write this with the hope that it shall finally settle in with management and they can rectify the issue. At which point I would love to return. But as it stands I would much rather go to a different venue to spend my money and get treated with respect by staff who want to have you there. Not that you feel you are a chore to deal with. To note, I visit always during the evening period, where it always appears to be the same staff and an empty premises. So you’d assume the service could be better, but you have to go to the bar to order absolutely everything which at cheaper venues you would get table service. With a very low ambiance. Even to the point at which I was paying, I just got thrusted the card machine, whilst the manager on duty carried on their conversations with a member of bar staff. I hope this is escalated to higher management and dealt with accordingly.

This was our first visit to the Scotch Whisky Society in Leith, and first impressions were excellent. Elegant room, high ceilinged with cosy sofas, armchairs etc and a majestic bar, floor to ceiling with whisky bottles. Food was good, and the flight of whiskies were delicious. The reason I’ve knocked off a star was the strangely offhand manner of the waiter when we were choosing our whiskey. We explained that it was our first time here, that we didn’t know quite what we wanted, needed a bit of advice etc, and he acted as if we weren’t worthy of his knowledge (and I thought the point of the society was to help people learn more about malts). He wanted us to all have the same three whiskies, as he said ‘writing out the labels would take forever”. When the drinks came, the labels just have a few numbers on each, so wouldn’t have taken that long at all. The place wasn’t particularly busy, so he could have spent a tiny bit more time with us. When he came back with the bottles, he gabbled through their names and characteristics so quickly you could hardly make out what he was saying. So sadly the service just didn’t live up to the surroundings, which is such a pity as it is a gorgeous place

Went to the Queen street branch. Smaller venue. Invited by a member. Fun experience and worthwhile if you like whiskey. I had the 3 dram cask tasting, explained what I din;t like and within 5 minutes I got perfection. Unbranded whiskey's to many variations to even contemplate all. Food fair but good with the whiskeys. Service excellent with friendly and knowledgeable wait staff. I would certainly do this again.

Simply the best. The food is on another level, I challenge anyone to find a better dinner for the price, simply fantastic. Staff are always friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. Couldn’t fault it. Important to note is that it is Members’ and their guests only, so if you don’t know a member, you are best off visiting the Queen’s street location in central Edinburgh.

Absolutely smashing. Whisky to die for. Knowledgeable staff. Delicious food.

The SMWS bar in Leith is a treasure. Hidden and out of the way in a quiet Leith street, its a stunning venue, full our class and colour (after a recent refurb') The SMWS branded whisky speaks for itself, and all of their drams are available to drink there in the bar or buy and take away. The staff are super knowledgeable on all things whisky BUT you can also have a wine, beer or other spirit if whisky is not your thing. What completes the SMWS experience is the food. A brilliant and varied menu, all presented in passion and flair. Have been there for a meal many times, and have never been disappointed. Well worth a visit... https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g186525-d2365105-r944359806-The_Scotch_Malt_Whisky_Society-Edinburgh_Scotland.html#

One of the best whiskey experiences so far. Here you can find almost everything you can learn about whiskey. Great service and good food.

A customer invited us. A very beautiful face, tradition, of Scotland.

Staff are really helpful here, and they do a really decent steak. The Whisky, of course, is very good 😁

Four of us visited today as my husband is a member. The members lounge was quiet and there were two members of staff working. On arrival we were not given a warm welcome, merely told to go thru to the members lounge. We made ourselves comfortable and waited to be served - and waited - and waited. My husband eventually approached the bar and placed our order. A soft drink arrived followed five minutes later by my coffee but two whisky flights had to be requested a further twice and eventually arrived 30 minutes after ordering. The staff appeared to be disinterested in serving and had to be encouraged to give an explanation of the whiskies presented. I asked if it was possible for them to order us a taxi and was told it was not possible as it was a business was account (??). When we got the bill it was over £100. My husband queried it and it was reduced to the correct amount of £50+. This was our second visit to the Vaults and we had expected a similar level of service again but were sorely disappointed. Today was not a good experience.

Perfect whiskey club, headquarters of SMWS

Oh yes visit this amazing place. Lovely knowledgeable staff. Great scottish whiskey

Amazing interior, good whisky, wine and food.

Really nice experience after the refurb! Place looks lovely, great menu, tasty food. I don't understand why there is still no table service, and why they are under staffed. I was with a friend, went to the bar to order and was told to wait a couple minutes. Not great... I did get served in the end and food and drinks were both lovely.

Went to the coos and booze event at the end of the year. Brilliant event. Tasted 5 different whiskies, and had a very lovely steak dinner. The host was very knowledgeable and the setting was wonderful.

We were taken care of so well during our visit and we were able to taste some new drams.

We love The Vaults. Always a warm welcome and friendly service from very knowledgeable people.

Just an amazing place to be! Membership helps obviously 😋

The new decor is really lovely - and especially so with the Christmas tree. The Vaults are calm and comfortable - you don't want to leave!

Hosted a private function here recently and it was flawless. Great food, fab service and lovely atmosphere. Thanks Sonia for helping us to organise a memorable event.

Nice atmosphere, good food. Not really liking the new decor so much!

Delicious food, excellent service from knowledgeable staff and friendly atmosphere.

I went out with a group for dinner and had a terrible experience. I left early because the staff made me feel like an inconvenience for asking about gluten free options on three different occasions. I am newly diagnosed with coeliac so going out for dinner is quite a rare occurrence for me, and this evening will make it even more difficult going forward. All night, the staff were unfriendly, which I brushed off the first two times, as I also work in hospitality and can understand that people have difficult shifts where they aren’t up to being super enthusiastic. That’s fair enough. The third time was too much. I have been a SMWS member for two years and been to the vaults several times and this is the first bad experience I’ve had. I’m genuinely upset that I’ve been made to feel this bad for something that’s absolutely out of my control. I will try not to have coeliac next time. Cheers guys.

Great table and excellent Whisky and food.

Lovely surroundings, helpful knowledgeable staff and a great experience. Only one of us was a whisky fan, but we all tried some under the guidance of the bar staff. They have other spirits too, and wine for the not-so-brave.

A strange experience…..amazing whiskey but very average and unhelpful service at the bar tonight… also very very bright for 10:30pm - perhaps dim the lights?

The Vaults in Edinburgh is an exceptional whisky bar that I've had the pleasure of being a member of for a couple of years now. While both of their Edinburgh locations are fantastic, The Vaults holds a special place in my heart due to its authentic and cozy atmosphere.The opulent jewel tones and warm lighting make this bar a perfect winter hideaway. It's the kind of place where you can sit back, relax, and savour a dram or two of some of the best whiskies in the world. The knowledgeable staff is always on hand to guide you through their extensive selection and help you find something perfect for your tastes.

Lovely Spot to have a dram or two. Cosy and elegant interior. Highly recommended to Whisky lovers even If you need to be a member to get in.

First visit since the member rooms were refurbished. Great atmosphere as always.

Hervorragendes Essen, unterirdischer Service. Zunächst einmal muss man für den Eintritt Mitglied sein und sich voranmelden. Das Essen war wirklich ausgezeichnet. Leider ist der Service völlig inakzeptabel. Für die Bestellung muss man selber zur Bar gehen, während das Personal hinter der Bar damit beschäftigt ist Blickkontakt zu vermeiden. Für einen Whisky Club mit einer exorbitanten Auswahl finde ich 7-30£ pro Dram schon heftig. Im Prinzip zahlt man für jedes Dram 15-25% des Flaschenpreises, was ich persönlich unverschämt finde. Nachdem wir zwei Flaschen gekauft und einen Umsatz von weit über 300£ hatten haben wir um drei Tasting Gläser für unsere Reise gebeten. Für diese hätten wir 20£ bezahlen sollen. Sorry, aber beim nächsten Mal kaufe ich keine Flasche mehr dort. Der Kundenservice bleibt leider auf der Strecke. Das war der erste und auch letzte Besuch. Leider keine Empfehlung.

They could do so much more with the food here. I love this place, am a member, and enjoy every time I come here. How could you not? However, I do think that the quality of the food that comes out of the kitchen could step up a bit.

Wood, leather, musk, whisky and live music. If you're entertaining guests in Edinburgh take them here for a great experience - the staff are so friendly and helpful (which is what you want when you're being talked into a £20 glass of whisky).

Ein fantastisches Erlebnis! Unser allererster Whisky. Wir wurden sehr zuvorkommend behandelt, sehr freundlich, keinerlei Herablassung oder elitäres Verhalten. Im Gegenteil: völlig normal! Wir saßen im Garten eines historischen Gebäudes und haben uns bei unserer Whisky-Verkostung sehr wohlgefühlt. Auch ohne Kenner zu sein, kann ich nur sagen: exzellente Qualität, wow! Echt beeindruckend!

Super fantastic taste adventure of Scotland

Always a great place to visit and the staff feel like friends. Hadn't realised til this visit though how excellent the chef is. Even chicken pakora, the very best I have ever tasted. Wow!

Took a tour and learned how to taste and enjoy scotch. Then, I learned how bagpipes are played and got to try making noise on the chanter. It was very fun.

Brilliant evening. Drams just fab. Lovely warm welcome and the fiddler and accordian music just hit the atmospheric button

Lovely location and whisky but food and service have been disappointing as of late. It didn't use to be so, pre pandemic it was a choice spot to take our visiting friends and family to. We tried a few times, might have been unlucky, but the food and service quality have taken a bit of a dive. Stunning location though.

Great food, lovely venue and an amazing choice of whiskeys. Bar keepers were very knowledgeable and could always recommend a good dram from your taste profile. Wish we had a branch of the society near us.

Good food and a good atmosphere

Great place to spend a few hours chilling out. It is members only. We joined after a recommendation from someone. There is a pub locally which you don't have to be a member where there is a wide range of whiskeys from this place available. We had some bare snacks whilst there which were very nice as well. Staff really pleasant and helpful.

Top Angebote für Whisky Liebhaber

The original and simply the best: whisky, food and members room

Great food by a great gas fire.

Atmosféra byla úžasná a ikdyz nejsem pro independet bottlery, tak toto mě dostalo

One word - rude. Always wondered what this place was like, popped in to see if they had a table; really nice inside, as it happens. Thought it may be a members club - maybe it is, maybe it isn’t? Never found out. Ushered out by a waiter who couldn’t have tried less to explain what the deal was, and I’m not going to look at your website on a night out. Could have been a convenient local, but instead I’ll spend my money at more deserving, accommodating and less pretentious places in Leith. Try Nauticus, Bittersweet and Lost in Leith which are all much better.

Unfortunately the Dining room on the second floor is not open anymore - so the atmosphere is quite cosy. Would have been nicer to sit in the room with the bar. Food was very good and the Whiskys stand for themselves.

Fabulous place, atmosphere, staff, surroundings & food, All great

Always nice to go to your club, after many years of membership. But the whisky has become very expensive.

A must visit if your a Whisky fan. You need to be a member or with a member to get in.

Fantastic on all fronts! Staff are hugely knowledgeable about their whisky (a collection unique and second to none) the food is amazing and the members area is top class.

If you want a good whisky experience go up the Highlands and Islands of Scotland where proper whisky is made. This place is poor. Only putting 1 star because it won't post without one.

Haben einen herrlichen Abend mit traditioneller Livemusik, leckerem Essen und selbstverständlich hervorragendem Whisky erlebt.

Moved to Edinburgh in April, and last night at this place might have been my most enjoyable evening to date. The staff was friendly and attentive, the whisky selection is excellent, the venue was great. If it didn't take an hour for me to get there I'd have signed up for a membership last night already. Even still, very likely to join, as I don't see how they could have been better.

Another great visit. Staff are fab !

Great food friendly staff beautiful historic interior

A hidden gem in Leith!!! We walked by and luckily we stopped and asked about this great place. Miguel gave us a bit of an introduction about the club and we decided to join right on the spot. Lovely decor and relaxing atmosphere, great selection of whiskey and fantastic food.

A fantastic venue with exceptionally friendly and welcoming staff. Nothing was too much trouble. We enjoyed an afternoon of whisky in the relaxed surrounding on Christmas Eve. Dean, Andrew & Ronan were fantastic hosts. All three hosts were efficient, welcoming, mannerly and knowledgeable. One would hardly believe that Ronan has been working at SMWA for a couple of months, he’s exceptionally relaxed with the customers and very knowledgeable about whisky. The venue at The Vaults was tastefully decorated for the festive season. Now that my husband is a member (again) we’ll enjoy visiting more often. Thank you Dean, Andrew & Ronan for making our Christmas Eve 2022 memorable and most enjoyable.

So good I have now joined. Good news for those in tow being good food and non malt refreshments. Relaxing spot

A must for any member, great whiskey, great food & awesome staff.

Frightening to realise it is a year since last visiting the Vaults but everything is still great - ambience, service, drams of course and still good food. Yes we have enjoyed Queen and Bath Streets over the year but it is Vaults again in January. Hopefully also it will finally be easier to reach after 3 years tram laying chaos.

Tolles englisches Club-Ambiente. Man fühlt sich wohl. Das Essen ist überraschend gut für einen Whiskyclub. Die "Fish and Ships" sind wirklich herausragend. Die Whiskys sind etwas teuer, aber es sind Einzelfassabfüllungen. Wer nicht bereit ist, ein paar Euro mehr auszugeben für was Besonderes, muss ja nicht herkommen.

A wonderful experience from very friendly and knowledgeable staff

Amazing venue, amazing whisky and great food. Members only, but if you can find someone to take you, it's a must visit place.

Great food and drinks and excellent service. Also very near our hotel with was a bonus the only criticism was that they overly push to try and get you to sign up to be a member of their whiskey club which was £65 a year which we mentioned we were not interested but tried to keep telling us the bonuses of signing up

One of my best experiences in Scotland, service and food was excellent.

It was a few years since I'd been (I'm a member and when in Edinburgh it's easier to go to Queen Street) so I'd forgotten how relaxed and characterful it was. Excellent comfortable space with a fire, and if course exceptional drams.

Good night at the musical evening at the vaults, but one or two issues with the food. Opted for chicken Balmoral special at £22. Quite pricey, and I had to return mine as the mash was barely warm. Half pint of beer was taken off the bill. Chicken was nice though. My sister's chips tasted old or reheated. Definitely not fresh. Other local restaurants don't serve oven chips, especially not at this price. Could do better!

While in Edinburgh for work I was lucky enough to be taken to this place by a current member. The Gnocchi was delicious and the rest of the menu sounded great. The main reason we went was obviously for the whisky, the staff were knowledgeable but weren’t as attentive as the queen street location. It wasn’t a massive problem, but we had to go to the bar to get service, while others seemed to get table service. As you can see by the photos the members area of this place has a great atmosphere, it isn’t over crowded and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely be a signing up as a member.

Great venue, good food and a fantastic range of whiskys. Heaven