BARS & PUBS
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EDINBURGH
a fire at one end, dark wood tables and a bright metal and glass bar, while the wine-matched food consists of a menu of solid classics and twists. These include roasted quail or a goat’s cheese crottin balanced with pear jelly and beetroot to start, and haunch of venison or a pairing of pork belly and pork cheek on savoy cabbage and mash, while the weekday prix-fixe menu is good value. + The atmosphere and the wine - Food servings could be more generous
The Auld Hoose 23–25 St Leonards Street, Southside (Map 3C: E1, 7) 0131 668 2934, theauldhoose.co.uk | No Kids | £13 (lunch) / £13 (dinner)
This traditional pub, though appearing relatively unremarkable at first glance, sustains a reputation for an extensive collection of punk, goth and metal music on the jukebox as well as mountainous portions of nachos. A firm favourite with students, particularly of the more alternative set, the Auld Hoose frequently plays host to a number of university society groups alongside a loyal band of local drinkers. In keeping with a friendly, no-fuss interior, the menu is a predictable but comforting selection of pub favourites, from steak and ale pie and scampi to build-yourown burgers, and boasts a number of vegetarian and vegan options. The famous nachos are topped with more than generous helpings of jalapeno peppers and guacamole. Puddings, including the usual hot chocolate or sticky toffee variety, are also limited but certainly filling and good value for money. Food is well cooked and partnered with a thoughtful selection of craft beers and a more than reasonable lineup of whiskies. + A friendly, unpretentious local - Menu a little uninventive
The Balmoral Bar Balmoral Hotel, 1 Princes Street, New Town (Map 2A: D1, 2) 0131 524 7100, thebalmoralhotel.com | £30 (lunch) / £30 (dinner)
With a cocktail on the menu that costs
£75, it’s safe to say this isn’t one of the city’s budget options. Rather, it’s a place to indulge and feel spoiled. Drinks are served with complimentary cones of moreish wasabi-flavoured popcorn, smoked almonds, and daily papers too if you want. During the week the bar is mostly used by hotel residents, sharing copious platters of Scottish seafood or delicious game terrines and charcuterie. Trios of sliders (mini beef burgers with Swiss cheese, bacon and red onion relish), truffled chips, pulledpork brioche sandwiches and haddock tempura also make tempting snacks for when a pitstop, rather than a sit-down restaurant meal is needed. Weekends draw more non-residents, when whisky tastings, champagne afternoon teas and themed drinks menus (around Mothers’ Day, Valentine’s Day and so on) attract locals looking for a sophisticated place to get mildly sloshed. + Calm surroundings and extra-special treatment - Eye-watering drinks prices
Bar 50 50 Blackfriars Street, Old Town (Map 2B: A3, 8) 0131 524 1989, smartcityhostels.com | £12 (lunch) / £12 (dinner)
Nestled just below the Royal Mile in the Smart City Hostel, Bar 50 is a dream space for students, backpackers and sports fans. The functional but funky décor boasts flat screens for sports fixtures and a popular pool table. Lively music adds to the sense of enthusiasm but there is the real impression that this large space is rarely empty or lacking atmosphere. Behind the bar there is the standard offering of draughts and bottles but the cocktail selection is not to be sniffed at either: Bar 50 offers in the region of 16 reasonably priced cocktails which can be ordered individually or in pitchers to share. Other reasons to visit this energetic venue include affordable diner-style dishes such as nachos, chicken wings, burgers and pizzas as well as their open-mic music Mondays and table quiz Thursdays. + Budget-friendly beverages in an
animated setting - Not for everyone – it caters perfectly for students and backpackers
4 HITLIST
Bar G&V 1 George IV Bridge, Old Town (Map 2A: C3, 20) 0131 220 6666, quorvuscollection.com/gandv-hoteledinburgh | £13 (lunch) / £13 (dinner)
Oozing style and sophistication, Bar G&V (formerly Missoni) is a city centre destination for top quality bar food and some seriously classy cocktails. Tomato and avocado bruschetta arrives on delicious ciabatta bread, and the classic Italian platter with cured meats, olives and tangy, sweet pickled onions adds an elegant element to bar snacking. Cocktails are the forte here, and the bar boasts a wide array of seasonal boozy blends. Dubbed as ‘the only blue drink you should ever order’, the Aviation is a piquant blend of gin, creme de violette and maraschino liqueur, while the Sloe and Steady is beautifully sweet and sour with a silky texture. Whether you’re looking for a place to graze while exploring the Old Town, or a chic destination for after-dinner drinks, Bar G&V is one to remember. + Classy cocktails, stylish surroundings - Menu can be hard to navigate
The Basement Bar and Restaurant 10–12a Broughton Street, New Town See Mexican
Beer & Skittles Basement, 14 Picardy Place, Leith (Map 1B: C5, 38) 0131 556 1289, beerandskittlesbar.co.uk
In the basement of what used to be Ego nightclub, then cocktail bar Hawke and Hunter, now lies a sports bar serving world draught and bottled beers. The décor is polished bachelor pad, with black subway tiles lit up by occasional flashes of pink neon, a pool table in the back (all games are free), and a patch of Persian rug in front of a well-used dartboard. Midweek nights can be fairly empty, but the bar’s spacious room and courtyard garden fill up on football
BARS & PUBS 4 The Bon Vivant Unusually sophisticated drinking and dining for the city centre, and all the better for being affordable and enjoyable. 4 BrewDog The brash Stonehaven brewers know their beers and they know their pubs, and both combine beautifully in this essential pint-drinker’s playground. 4 Caley Sample Room Textbook neighbourhood drinking and dining at this lovely local, with great beers on tap and a hearty, home-cooked menu of Scottish classics. 4 King’s Wark Still one of the Shore’s finest bars for its old-time ambience and locally sourced food menu which is strong on meat and fish, with Sunday brunches a speciality. 4 The Last Word Saloon Just edges its stablemates Bramble and Lucky Liquor Co on below-stairs atmosphere, although all three are home to some of the city’s most dazzlingly inventive cocktails. 4 OX184 Freshly opened and perfectly formed, OX184 is a spacious two-storey bar breathing life into the Cowgate with strong beers and drinks, a lively bar menu and late-night dining and drinking. 4 Panda & Sons As fun as its discreet entrance through a mockedup barber shop, this high-quality, low-fuss cocktail bar is one of Edinburgh’s better hangouts. 4 Roseleaf Contemporary pub food, quirky cocktails served in teapots, afternoon teas and a warm atmosphere add up to one of the city’s best destination pubs. 4 Spit/Fire A contender for most atmospheric bar in the city, this hollowed-out sub-basement from the Hanging Bat stable delivers first-rate beers and bourbons, and Americaninfluenced snacks. 4 VDeep Under the direction of the Vintage’s Ruairidh Skinner and Hardeep Singh Kohli, the relationship between beer and curry is brought to a new level at this essential new opening.
Anfora: bringing a wine-bar buzz to a venerable Leith venue with modern classic dishes to match the drinks The List Eating & Drinking Guide 23