An exhibition of culinary delight

Place: The Tower, Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street,EdinburghTelephone:

0131 225 3003 Other information Main courses on the a l carte menu range from #11.95 to #23.95 for dinner. Lunch from #6.00 upwards. Non- smoking only.

The Museum of Scotland's restaurant is a triumph, writes Alison Craig

DECIDING which restaurant to review for such a momentous occasion as the new millennium was difficult, but The Tower, which is located in the Museum Of Scotland, was a natural choice. From here you can gaze out at some of Scotland's most historical landmarks while, beneath you, in the four floors below, sit the artefacts which chart the history of our country.

Taking the lift to the top floor of the Museum, we arrived in the restaurant and took a moment to gaze through the massive picture windows which provide beautiful views of the Edinburgh skyline. We were met from the lift, whisked slickly to our table and handed menus.

Oysters head the menu and come in portions of six, nine or twelve. Also on offer was crab with lemon and lime mayonnaise, lobster claw or a huge platter of fruits de mer. The neighbouring tables ordered this and were rewarded with a vast platter so substantial it practically had to be winched on to the table.

I settled for a prawn cocktail at #8.95. This sounds pricey for such a humble dish, but the large bowl of plump, juicy prawns with tail intact more than justified the price. These were corkers. My partner, meanwhile, ordered crispy oysters and coriander noodles at #9.95. These were equally superb. The five large oysters were each wrapped and deep fried in a miniature spring roll and possessed the gloriously fresh sea-salt tang of the ocean.

We took a break between courses as my smoking companion needed a puff. The entire restaurant is a no smoking area, not just because it is now desperately unfashionable to be seen with a fag hanging out of your mouth, but because the fumes could alter the very controlled atmosphere of the museum and affect the priceless exhibits that lie within.

Nicotine craving sated, we returned to the restaurant and were glad we did so when we saw our main courses arrive. I ordered scallops with ragout of haricot beans and wild mushrooms with butternut squash sauce. The scallops were soft, tender and free of the orange roe. The beans had been cooked slowly and infused with all the delicious juices as a result. The butternut squash sauce proved to be the perfect complement to the clean fresh taste of the scallops.

As Christmas was past and we no longer had to think lovingly of Rudolph, my partner ordered roast saddle of wild venison with mulled pear. It was tender, rich and lingering.

If you feel you need your greens, side orders cost extra, but our portions were just right. Not that this stopped us - for our dessert we shared an elderflower and pickled ginger crme brlee. This had the rich creamy consistency and hard crunchy top one would expect, but also boasted the most subtle wafts of flavouring. Another triumph.

If The Tower continue to serve up meals of this quality, they will see the next millennium as well.

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Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.