I must apologies now, my photos are absolutely awful. Normally I’d like to say my photography is riveting with excitement and makes your drool on cue at sight – which of course it does. Doesn’t it? Either way this time round I found myself at the oh-so sumptuous Plum + Spilt Milk for Burns Night, fighting low light and a cloudy reflection off the drop-dead gorgeous light feature at the centre of the room. It really is lovely inside this place. The bar downstairs is fabulous too and the hidden drinking den upstairs next to the restaurant is cosy and intimate. I’m already feeling the need to come back here more often.
Priced at competitive £60 we sat down in Plum + Spilt Milk for an evening of all things Scottish for the annual Burns Night celebrations, including four sumptuous courses, live music and a matching whisky flight from spirit producers, Dalmore. I’m not entirely sure the live bag pipes in a small room was the wisest idea, you could barely here one another – but I’m putting it down to an immersive experience. To start the evening ahead we had a quick drink in the bar, before tucking into some fantastic bread at our table. Thick, fluffy and full of flavour.
Scottish food is unfamiliar territory to me. We rarely see it here in London. It’s rich, hearty and portions are generally large – flavours are intense too. Kicking off our four course menu was an Arbroath Smokie – a type of smoked haddock. Here they’d turned it into a thick and rich soup mixed with leek and a dram of whisky. It was absolutely delicious. A small glass of Dalmore 12yr old paired beautifully with the dish, especially against that smokiness from the haddock fish.
The one thing I’ll never forget about our experience here at Plum + Spilt Milk was the elaborate theatrics of piping in the haggis. Everyone in the room stood to welcome the dinner’s star attraction (the haggis), which made its way around the room on a silver platter by a procession of both the chef and the piper. It was then followed by a whisky toast and a poem or two. It’s an atmosphere unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Haggis itself isn’t particularly pleasing on the eye, but flavour wise its delicious – especially the example here. Happily enjoying our food we completely forgot about yet another course on its way and portions were gargantuan. Loin of venison, roast beetroot and shoulder stuffed cabbage was a stunner. The meat perfectly cooked, the beetroot tender and juicy – but the cabbage ball stole the show with its perfectly seasoned meaty centre. The dish was paired with Dalmore’s 18yr old whisky which left the palate tingling.
Dessert was another Scottish classic and in all its richness completed finished us off, that and the whisky anyway. Cranachan is essentially a (heart attack version) trifle of sorts. Thick whipped cream, whisky, honey, fresh raspberries and toasted oatmeal – all soaked in even more raspberry sauce. It’s not for the faint hearted. We sipped on the Dalmore King Alexander III with this course. A smooth and silky whisky filled with notes of spicy citrus and smooth vanilla.
My first Burns Night experience turned out to be a fantastic evening and one I won’t be forgetting any time soon. The bag pipes at close proximity, for two whole hours was yet another experience on its own – one which I definitely won’t be forgetting anytime soon. The team at Plum + Spilt Milk are a great bunch who know exactly what they’re doing and I highly recommend you give them a try. The room is gorgeous, the atmosphere is fantastic and the food delicious. Three reasons alone to visit this King’s Cross gem.
8/10
