True romance
Edinburgh is the perfect city in which to spend the twilight hours in the company of a loved one, finds Allan Radcliffe.
n '.\larmion'. \Valler Seott reler'x to lidinhurgh a\ 'mine onn romantie tonn‘. 'l'raditional imagex ol Seolland\ capital ax a tartan tourist trap shouldn't ohxeur'e the laet that )ou don't haxe to \tra} lar l'rom llre heaten eohhlex lo enjo} an id_\ llie night out. \Vork up an appetite h} dropping in on the Caledonian Brewery r43 Slatelor‘d Road) nhieh ltr)\l\ a eeilidh exer} Saturda) night t'r'om
Spm. l-‘or lltt)\L‘ keen to tr} the most romantie ol'
daneex. the Edinburgh Tango Society l’llll\ tree heginnerV L‘l;t\\L‘\ e\er‘) Sunda} nigltt aho\ e the Blind Poet (33 \Vexl \iL‘l)t)l\t)lt Street). l'iot‘ a hunter £3. nox ieex ean tr_\ out their nen ttto\e\ in a glitterhall—lit \etting until llprn. ll. )ou prefer a le\\ plnxieall} aeti\e \tart to the night. \impl} enjo} an aperilil or [no in the \t}li\h \ttl'l‘Ulllttlx ol' Oloroso (33 (‘axtle Street) or the intimate retreat ol‘ Metro (3| 35 (it';t\\ltttll‘kell hel‘ore \etting ol'l' l‘or' your \upper.
The Witchery (352 (‘axtlehilh hax heen ealled ‘an operatn e l'antaxt} ‘. and pro\ idex an ewettlial ltlL‘lttl Uli \[teL‘lttL‘llltll' \L‘lllltg. L‘\t|lll\lle loud and e\len\i\e nine lixt. Nine in er eandlelight \ur'rounded In oak panelling. or opt for a tahle in the gorgeous Seeret (iar‘den.
On one ol‘ thoxe rare halm} exertingx. \eale the heith ot‘ The Tower. perehed atop the .\lu\eum ol' Seotland l('hamher\ Street). The elimh i\ north it tor the rextauranl'x e\eeptional seal’ood and traditional Seottixh tare. not to mention the breathtaking \ ienx.
.»\ r‘omantie night out r'eguirex a \ormdtraek. .la// l'anx n ill lind no \hortage ol' \enue\ to kiek
hack in. l'rom the dark. dramatie amhienee ol'
Henry’s Cellar Bar (S \lrtr‘l‘i\i)tt Street) to the
chic ltttt‘kdl‘itp Ul' Eighty Queen Street. ltoll) til.
nhieh oller |i\e gigx moxt ltlglth. ll~ it'x elaxxieal ltttt\ie or \omething more eontempor‘ar‘} _\ou \L‘L‘k. lltL‘ Usher Hall ll.r)ll)l;tlt Road) lt‘illllll‘S a \ar‘ied programme. l'rom regular perl‘ormaneex h} the RSNO to popular li\ e hand» lhe Edinburgh Festival Theatre rl.i 2‘) Nieholxon Street) rrreannhile. ix a \eritahle Shangri—ln ol' perl'ormanee. heing the tit-Vs main \enue tor opera. danee and hallet a\ n ell as popular touring muxiealx and play.
l‘or tho\e on a r‘extrieled hudgel. n h_\ not eomhine romance and entertainment nith a \ixit to one ol' lidinhurgh'x eelehrated hixtorie huildingx‘.’ Greyfriar’s Kirk l l (ire) li'iar'K l’laee). nhere a eertain pooeh tended hix maxter'x graxe tor a deeade. leaturex reeitalx and eoneertx h} the
Edinburgh Symphony Orchestra. .\leann hile.
_\ou leel men the eheerlexx .lohrr Kiro\ himxell
nould ha\ e appr'm ed ol~ the \aried programme
ol‘ music pro\ ided n ithin the heautil'ul \etting ol'
St Giles’ Cathedral tlligl) Street).
.v\nd hon to end thix night ol' hlixx'.’ llon elxe hut h} n alking. hand»invhand. up the Royal Mile. linger a nhile at the \ummit. eonxider Seot'x portr'a)al ol' the \eene: ‘Sueh duxk} grandeur elothed the height/ Where the huge ea\tle hold\ itx \tate and all the \leep \lope don n.’
ROMANTIC GLASGOW
Alex Lawrie finds St Valentine in the Gorbals and high culture in the city centre.
You might tie surprised tr, near that E}: Valontrno':; ro'nrrnr; arw lt‘lllllt’lll‘. kept in .l Gorlrals .‘hurt‘h. though l‘li|\, rl tucker rnrunm: the council's arluertrrang to! tho annual t Elatxgt ‘ irt. of l_( Wt" textual l\.’.".'.".'t'.t‘|l‘.t‘lll we r it uh that) that (loorar't happen until l olrruan, start .) romantrr night out with a ‘.|tl|l to Kschocolat ‘lvl“lt l).lr‘.l Stttrarc, (:.tlltllt"ltltlf§t which will: .r rlt‘lt‘i tal‘lw range ot unrguc <‘hot‘ttl.)to croatrr ‘llfl Illt ,lutlrng .r r;c<lu<‘tr\.'r= (‘llttrit )Iate fitlltltlt'. .luut 'tuxt tlllill tho Metropolitan fltll‘uf‘f‘, ontr: rngr ot‘ktarlr nut :h at. tho lrorah raaphorry anrl rnrnt l’rrrktrnr in t or )llt, contornporai‘, surroundings. lho ()hr'rstrnaf; light:; in (ioorgo tiguaro tfillt ho charrnrng own unrlor a worst coast ’lll.".'lt'. ospocrally whon you'rt: hoarlrng to the original art deco rntorror of Rogano it 1 Exchange Place) it n oysters and champagne. ll high r:t)llt)rr- tarlf‘. ‘errttt hoart a lluttor thon wandor round tho Glasgow Museum of Modern Art (Royal l xchangr: Sguarc, opon untrl 8pm on lhurtalaym or take Ill a recital at the Royal Concert Hall ti) Sz'tuchrohall Shoot), porhapt, lolloworl l); (llllllt r at tho Buttery toil? Argyle Str'ootr ’)ltt.- ot Glasgow's long torrr) culinary hoax/t: hrttcrs. ()t tho award Winning fish rostaurant Gamba r1)f)_‘)a Worst (ioorgo St)
Loss protlrgato or morc- frnxolous; lovers; might protor a class) : rornantrc lrlrr) at tho Glasgow Film Theatre (1? Rt so St) or a snrrplc, gulct drrnk in tho atmosphorrc, candlolrt rntorror ot Cottiers “)3 95) l lynrllanrl Strcot) accornpanrorl by a Show in the attached corwortorl church venue The arnrnous; might ovcn fancy hooking a hotel -- tho Arthouse Hotel (17‘) Bath Strootr Is; an orrgrnal arts; and crafts; hurldrng dccoratcrl lll comcrnporary lasshron with \xolvoté, and (lelllf;()llf,, each room boasting rtf; own individual :;t=,t!o.
La Parmagiana ’ :‘ it 1. .l: ;
The Music Academy’. .' w: ' 3' r: 2 North Bridge Brasserie ’.‘ '°" :;w E :~ Rhubarb, Prestonfield House 1" -' : 1* : 1 2' v
\fintners Rooms it- F 1': .' :'
St Giles Cathedr‘
1 THE LIST 21