Tasting menus are a Marmite-like phenomenon which people seem to either love or hate. There were some groans from our tour group at The Macallan, some of whom I overheard saying were already planning to get a takeaway after the meal. But I suspend judgement, keen to try the offering from TimeSpirit.
I’m on a £250 Mastery Experience Tour at The Macallan Distillery in Aberlour. And the tour ends with a tasting menu at the new restaurant, from the brothers behind the three-Michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca in Spain. The restaurant recently earned a spot on the Michelin Guide.
What is TimeSpirit restaurant like? I don’t know what to expect from the six-course tasting menu. But from the moment we enter the restaurant, the décor is striking. The white walls behind the shelves of wine intentionally mimic the white chalky earth where the grapes are grown.
We walk through here to reach our table, where the tour group are to dine together. The six-course lunch menu costs £60 per person, while the dinner menu costs £95 per person. Paired wines cost an additional £55, while a whisky pairing is £65.
It’s dark by the time we make our way through the restaurant. The floor to ceiling windows offer a view out into the dark countryside beyond. This would be even more beautiful in daylight, I’m sure.
The kitchen stands in the centre of the room, offering diners a view of their dishes being expertly crafted. A lovely touch. Vegetarian haggis starts off The Macallan tasting me.