EXPLORE EDINBURGH
ERS! FOOD & DRINK OFF
Palm Court
Until the end of January, George Street Bar and Grill (130 George Street, georgestreetbarandgrill.com) offers the Bubbly Brunch: two brunch items and two glasses of Prosecco for £19.95 per couple.
clothes, jewellery and accessories, while fans of music, film, TV box sets and posters should head straight for Fopp (Rose Street, @ FoppEdinburgh). Bonkers (54 Hanover Street, bonkers.uk.com) serves up fun by the cartload with their loveable Jellycats, natty iPod ear buds and owl cushions (we recommend the ‘Hamish’) while ALC (61 Thistle Street, alceshop.com) has a range of clothing but lays its claim as the first Edinburgh store to specialise in women’s denim.
At The Caledonian (Princes Street, thecaledonianedinburgh. com), you can enjoy the St Mary’s School Choir with Afternoon Tea on Thu 5 Dec, 4pm. At The Balmoral Hotel (1 Princes Street, thebalmoralhotel. com) there are various festive dining treats to be had at Hadrian’s Brasserie, their Number One restaurant and Afternoon Tea at Palm Court, while at the Apex (23–25 Waterloo Place), there’s afternoon tea for two in Elliot’s Restaurant. See apexhotels.co.uk/ en/offers for full details.
(99 Hanover Street, 99hanoverstreet. com), which hosts DJs seven nights a week. Down in the New Town, what public houses there are fall into the best categories: the local sort, but with a keen sense of standards, such as the bustling cubby hole, the Star Bar (1 Northumberland Place, thestarbar.org.uk).
SPECIAL PLACES
Iconic buildings are ten a penny in Edinburgh but dominating the centre is the Scott Monument (Princes Street Gardens East, BARS edinburghmuseums.org.uk). Few cities can lay claim to having a Whether it’s food, drink or shopping, Victorian gothic marvel right in the New Town-style grid is dense the middle of one of its busiest with big chains and mainstream thoroughfares – yet even with operations. Amidst it all there are Edinburgh Castle looming large a few gems though, including nearby and Edinburgh’s busy the high quality basement shopping street just over cocktail snug Bramble the road, nothing can (16a Queen Street, detract from this rather bramblebar.co.uk). are epic monument to There’s the smart the S climbed t o cott Scottish author Sir but affordable Monu reach up me Walter Scott. Open dining and view permost nt’s i ng pl Mon–Sun, 10–4pm (last drinking experience atfor m admission is 3.30pm. the Bon Vivant Up on George Street, (55 Thistle Street, the Assembly Rooms bonvivantedinburgh.co.uk), (assemblyroomsedinburgh.co.uk) is and the trendy 99 Hanover Street
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5 MARKET MARKETS TS EDINBURGH’S SCOTTISH MARKET (St Andrew Square, Fri 22 Nov–Sun 5 Jan, 10am– 10pm) All the best cuisine and beverages which the country has to offer including butteries with a twist and Scottish crafted beer. THE REAL SCOTTISH CHRISTMAS FAIR (Castle Street, Sat 30 Nov–Thu 5 Dec, 10am) Ideal for experienced exhibitors looking to sell Scottish crafts, jewellery, fashion items, food and drink. EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS MARKET (Mound Precinct, East Princes Street Gardens, St Andrew Square, Fri 22 Nov–Sun 5 Jan, 10am–10pm) A traditional yuletide set-up with crafts, art, gift shops and some gastronomic surprises. THE ETHICAL CHRISTMAS FAIR (Castle Street, Sat 7–Sun 15 Dec, 10am) This is the place to head for if you’re keen on fair trade, ethical and environmental businesses. Jewellery, crafts, hats and music will be in abundance. CHILDREN’S MARKET (St Andrew Square, Fri 22 Nov–Sun 5 Jan, 10am–10pm) A magical space of festive shopping including the city’s very own Toys Galore.
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