Anyone who waits for the next Ian Rankin Inspector Rebus mystery as I do might look at this Sept 11 story on Times Online for his Edinburgh haunts:

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/arti...6793_1,00.html

Or, for insights into both Mr Rankin and aspects of Edinburgh you'd never stumbled on before, Alexander McCall Smith's recently published "44 Scotland Street"

Though anyone with an irony bypass must read it with a very large pinch of salt. Otherwise we'll soon be seeing questions here about the date of the Edinburgh Establishment's AGM, and where to buy tickets for it.

flanneruk, LOL.

I finished reading "44 Scotland Street" a couple of weeks ago. I was surprised to find the book in Costco. I used to love having dinner at the New Club. There was very good sherry and a great wine cellar, and the food was pretty good too!

The concept of an "Edinburgh Establishment AGM" isn't too much of a stretch, unfortunately.

Whenever I've had dinner at the New Club it has been disgusting.

It must have changed a lot. How is it disgusting now?

Barbara, we disagree on little, but whilst i find the food at the New Club quite palatable, the concept of it is beyond words (in a bad way)

Sheila, do you mean the concept of the New Club? If so, then we still agree!

Phew. What a relief!

I've found the food quite school dinners-y - e.g. meat overcooked until it is grey; and bright pink rubbery stuff masquerading as both seafood mousse and fruits of the forest mousse, both just tasting 'pink'...

I've heard they do a nice afternoon tea, though.

That does sound yucky. It's a long time since I was there, back in the days when Edinburgh didn't have many decent restaurants at all, and I have good memories.