At the heart of the relaunch of 1820 Rooftop Bar is a regularly changing menu of sharing plates, snacks and desserts created by Smith, best known as the chef and co-owner of recently closed modern Scottish restaurant Fhior.
Designed to complement the cocktail programme, the menu focuses on seasonal produce and Smith’s flavour-led approach to cooking.
Dishes include Carlingford oysters with jalapeño and kelp hot sauce and grilled courgette with sunflower seed ajo blanco and lovage oil, alongside larger sharing plates such as whole lemon sole with chanterelles and kombu butter.
“1820 is a different kind of venture for me: the cocktail menu is adventurous and exciting in its ingredients and storytelling, so I wanted to make sure the food menu not only harmonised with it, but stood on its own, while still being approachable,” Smith says.
“It’s pushed me to think differently about how I approach menu development, which has been really exciting.”
Developed in partnership with Mr Lyan Studio, the new cocktail menu is inspired by Johnnie Walker’s journey around the world, drawing on the people, places and moments connected to it.
Drinks include the Rollerskate Sour, which celebrates the Skate Bomb Girls of Manila through Filipino flavours and disco culture, and the Flinted Godfather, inspired by the volcanic landscapes beneath Mount Etna and pairing Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old with amaretto and tonka bean.
Alongside the new menus, 1820 will introduce a programme of live weekend music showcasing emerging Scottish talent.
Launched in 2021, The Johnnie Walker Experience is Diageo’s flagship whisky attraction, set across eight floors of a restored building in Edinburgh’s West End.