With a bit of time before Johnnie Walker, we have stopped by an empty Chillie Dhu. I am trying the Glaswegian raspberry rhubarb gin (based on the rectangular bottle), and I really like it.
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Looking forward to the JW review, I didn’t have time on my last whistle-stop visit and it’s on the list to return as it’s only an hour away on the train (although I’d probably fly :D) and a great trip report overall too may I say, much jealousy and many good ideas for the future being stored away.

Two thumbs up for the Johnnie Walker Experience. This isn't a distillery tour (and Johnnie Walker doesn't distill its own whisky anyway), but I still learned something about the distillation process.

The audiovisual features of the tour were quite impressive. My favorite part was the second room, where an actor talks about the history of the company on a stage with two moving walkways and a sliding globe, accompanied by some AV effects.

Before the tour, you do a quiz that provides you with your preferred flavor profile. (These are later visualized as colors on a color wheel.) At the outset, you are given a wristband based on your result.

There were about five stops focusing on different aspects of the company's history and whisky production. At the third, you get a cocktail based on your wristband color, served from an automatic dispenser. These are all highballs made with various whiskys, accompanied by a garnish. At the end of the experience, you get your choice of two cocktails or drams of whisky. I am still not a fan of Johnnie Walker, but the cocktails were solid. The experience lasts about 80 minutes.

I was skeptical going in, but I'm glad we did it.


After Johnnie Walker, we went up to The Gently Mad, an antiquarian bookstore and bookbinder in the northern part of the city. It is small but has an impressive collection of books. The fiction selection is limited, but I picked up a Graham Greene novel I haven't read yet.
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Afterward, we walked down a few doors to The Tollhouse, where we enjoyed a cocktail and some snacks along the river. I liked the Mexican Negroni.

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Thanks for this trip report ewh9 , really enjoying it and you have sure added a few culinary and drink options for us Brits. I particularly like the live/semi-live reports that you and JapesUK have brought to this small part of FT.
Its now my first port of call!

We have hosted some local friends for the past few hours on the terrace of this suite. The hotel sent a member of the engineering staff to turn on the fire pit. This is a truly lovely environment, although I wonder how many days each year it can be used.

The minibar's contents are being put to good use, and we ordered some chips and cauliflower "buffalo" wings as snacks.

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Thanks! I have learned a lot on this site, so I'm glad to provide some useful information. @JapesUK is definitely the standard-setter for this type of report!

Dishoom had at least an hour wait, so we went to Ka Pao in the mall next to the hotel. It was also bustling, but we were seated immediately. This was a very solid Thai-inspired meal. The stir-fried lamb mince and haggis with chili and lime leaf was the standout.

Now getting a nightcap at Joao's Place on the 11th floor of the W before an early morning flight tomorrow.
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Nitro Agave

Shame about Dishoom, that is a go to of mine but Ka Pao is now on the list for me too, looks very good. Is that some variation of a satay crispy duck in the middle of the photos?

We now have a reservation for the Shoreditch Dishoom on Saturday. Yes, that's the duck confit phanaeng curry with burnt grapes and peanuts. Very solid, although I could have done without the grapes, and the duck should have been crispier.

Not saying it doesn't look tasty , but it really doesn't look Thai.

Yes, I agree, I'd put the emphasis on "inspired." The menu was too large to photograph well, but I'd describe it as a Scottish twist on Thai food. For example, all of the meats and fish appeared to be relatively local (hake, bream, lamb, ox tongue).

Both the Edinburgh airport and British Airways lounge are extremely busy this morning. The lines for check-in and fast track security were reasonable, but we were once again selected for secondary screening. This time, it was for a swab.

We have been in the BA lounge for about ten minutes, and the buffet items like beans and eggs have not yet been replenished. So, while the offerings here are on their face substantially identical to the Aspire Lounges, thus far today, they have been worse. The Greek yoghurt and pineapple were surprisingly good, though.

This is my first time on the City Flyer service and in Club Europe, for that matter.

Pre-boarding began at 8:20, and Group 1 was called a few minutes later. (There was no Group 0.) We then waited on the stairs for about 5 minutes. Passengers boarded through both doors.

This is a full flight, but there are only ~three rows of Club Europe. I am not sure if the curtain moves on these planes.

There is plenty of legroom in Seat 1B, but 1C and 1D appear to have at least another foot of space.

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Next stop: London City.

We ended up only beginning our taxi after 9 am. Four uniformed BA crew boarded at around 8:50, so I assume we were waiting for them.

I don't have much to say about the spinach omelet served on board.
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We made up time in the air and landed only one minute past our scheduled time of 10:20. It took ten minutes for the forward stairs to appear, but we still had our bags by 10:38.

We are now on our way to the Bankside Hotel, which is nearly sold out.

We only realized this past week that Taylor Swift is performing at Wembley now, which will make our Taylor Swift brunch tomorrow much more interesting.