For the latest in our series of wine columns with Tennent’s, SLTN visited The Dome on Edinburgh’s George Street to talk accessible luxury with bars manager Michael MacLean.
Originally built to be the home of the College of Physicians, The Dome spent most of its life as a bank, before being acquired by Caledonian Heritable and opened as a hospitality venue in 1996.
The grand building incorporates a number of different spaces, including The Grill Room restaurant, The Club Room, Georgian Tea Room and The Front Bar as well as spaces for private dining and conference facilities.
The company’s award-winning Why Not Nightclub resides in the building’s basement and the Rose Street Garden outdoor area is at the rear of the property.
The Dish
Scottish lamb rump, with dauphinoise potatoes, pea and mint puree, baby rainbow carrots and rosemary jus.
The Wine
Chapoutier Crozes Hermitage Petite Ruche (France).
How would you describe the customer demographic at The Dome?
Michael MacLean, bars manager: “We describe ourselves as a generational venue. We’ve got families with their kids coming in. Then you can have people coming in for teas and coffees, catching up, then we’ve got the younger generation maybe looking at cocktails before heading downstairs to Why Not Nightclub.
“We’ve got afternoon tea, private dining, where you’ve got the whole family coming together. The locals are as much of a driving force as tourists.”
You recently worked with Tennent’s to re-design your wine menu. What were some of the biggest changes?
Michael: “We’ve more than tripled the number of wines by glass we offer. We’re looking at 32 of the 67 wines we offer are available by the glass now. We’ve done that consciously because people’s consumer habits are changing ever so slightly. They might not want that bottle to share, whether it’s a moderation thing or a price thing, but they’ll happily spend £21 on a lovely glass of Meursault.”
What wine and dish did you decide to pair together and why?
Michael: “It’s a lovely lamb rump finished in a red wine jus. When I’m picking a wine it’s either to compliment or contrast. We’ve paired it with a Crozes Hermitage – the Chapoutier Petite Ruche – because it gives us amazing acidity and tannins which is going to cut through the fattiness, but with a nice dark berry note coming in the back which is going to be fruity enough to compliment the jus.
“For me a wine pairing is like the sauce to finish off the dish. The dish is amazing on its own, but that wine with it makes the world of difference.”
How important a partner is Caledonian Heritable for Tennent’s?
Katie Chorley, key account manager – East, Tennent’s Direct: “Our relationship with Caledonian Heritable is hugely important to us, and we value the commitment they’ve shown to Tennent’s over the years. Seeing our brands poured in The Dome, an iconic venue known across Scotland, is a brilliant reflection of the partnership we’ve built together.”
