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May 31, 2016
Cannonball Bar: the new venture from Victor and Carina Contini.
Cannonball Bar: the new venture from Victor and Carina Contini.

Edinburgh’s Contini restaurants have always been enthusiastic supporters of Scottish produce. Their latest venture finds them making best use of perhaps the most famous of all Scottish products: whisky.

Victor and Carina Contini have teamed up with another family business, Ian Macleod Distillers, to open Cannonball Bar on the middle floor of the three storey Cannonball House on the Royal Mile. The building, which already houses the top floor  Contini Cannonball Restaurant, takes its name from a cannonball which is embedded in one of the walls.

Finest malt whiskies

Ian Macleod Distillers own Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Tamdhu Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Both brands are at the heart of the new bar’s whisky offer.

Launching tonight, the bar has a selection of over 120 of the finest malt whiskies, including the full Glengoyne and Tamdhu collections. It will also serve a contemporary menu of lunch meals and light bites.

In addition to the bar, the Continis have also unveiled a new private event space, The Glengoyne Room. Located on the basement level, it can cater for up to 40 people.

Neil Boyd, Commercial Director for Malts for Ian Macleod Distillers, said: ‘We’re delighted to be working with Victor and Carina to launch Cannonball Bar and The Glengoyne Room. The location of Cannonball House is so unique spot and couldn’t offer a more authentic Edinburgh experience.

‘Our collaboration with Contini is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Scotland’s national drink and we’re looking forward to welcoming the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the capital with a dram of Glengoyne for fans of a Highland whisky, or Tamdhu for Speysiders.’

All about family

Carina Contini said: ‘At Contini we are all about family and offering our customers a fantastic eating and drinking experience. We’re so happy to be collaborating with Glengoyne, who share our ethos and passion.

‘In addition to the superb Glengoyne and Tamdhu collections, we offer a vast selection of whiskies from all over Scotland. So no matter your preference, you’re bound to find the dram of your dreams at Cannonball Bar.’

In Cannonball Restaurant, the chefs have created a tasting menu paired with different Glengoyne expressions. A typical pairing might be the Glengoyne ten year old paired with the roasted Peterhead cod with streaky Edinburgh bacon, summer vegetable fricassee and tomato consommé.

Cannonball Bar will be open Tuesday-Saturday from 11am until late. A full list of whiskies on offer can be found here.

Other Contini restaurants include the original Italian restaurant on George Street and The Scottish Cafe and Restaurant under The Scottish National Gallery on The Mound.

The Glengoyne Room: private event space.
The Glengoyne Room: private event space.