Edinburgh
\Vllat makes l‘or a good ol'lllicence‘.’ .'\ccording to James \Vi'obel. who ow its the recently opened (‘ornelius on liastei' Road. it's pretty simple.
'.\'e\'er underestimate the punterf he say s. ‘l)on‘t just giye them what they expect. My best selling beers haye been truit beers l‘rom Belgium and really good American imports: that stul'l' has been dying otit. The original plan was to haye three l‘ridges. one deyoted to eyeryday stul'l' like Stella. btit no one‘s interested in that. because whateyer price I ptit it at. they can always get it cheaper in .-\sda. You haye to concentrate on quality.‘
llaying worked l'or ten years with ()ddbins. \Vrobel linally decided to set tip his own business after decrying the lack of oil-sales options in his local area.
'.-\ couple of years ago I ended tip shaking my sister in the street because I couldn‘t get hold ot~ a cold bottle ol‘ ll’.-\.' he says. ‘I just thought I might as well set out to do it mysell'.‘
Cornelius concentrates on quality beers and wines. with a small but intriguing list of each on offer. There are plenty of oft-licences in the same area. btit nowhere that offers the same kind of quality shopping experience. and \Vrobel is happy to slowly educate punters about his product.
114 THE LIST l“ Feb—3 ls‘a' QCCT‘
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‘The beers get people in the door. and then I can start trying to l'log 'em good Burgundyf he says. 'And people have been tiying new things. experimenting. I‘ve been getting lots ol liastern liui’opean wines in and people haye been picking them tip. ()ur top selling wine's llungarian.‘
One last thing. where does the name (‘ornelius come l‘i‘om‘.’
‘Well. it's my middle name.‘ \Vrobel explains. ‘But we‘ye also got a little I’lum'l oft/iv Apes theme going on in the shop. Also. it‘s got a touch of class about it. and to be honest. with a lot ol~ posher customers. that helps.'
(Doug Johnstonel
I Cornelius, 18-20 Easter Road, 0131 652 2405
Best for bottled beers
The Wine Basket is best known for an extraordinary selection ol‘ beers. All sorts ol~ Belgian wonders are on otter. alongside German weiss beers and a strong selection from
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EAT&DR|NK
small Scottish independent breweries. Plus they sell some
swanky l‘c‘c‘l‘ gl;t\\c‘\. ll‘t‘.
I The Wine Basket, 144 Dundas Street, 0131 557 2530
Best for whisky
\Vith oyer lSll single malt whiskies in its basement shop. Villencuxc \Vines has something tor c\ei'_\oiic. with rare editions l‘rom the more laiiious distillerics alongside some intriguing smaller name whiskies. and expert help behind the counter to guide you through.
I Wlleneuve Wines, 1193 Broughton Street, 0131 558 8441
Best for spirits
Demijohn has racks ol‘. well. demijohns filled with wondrous spirits and liqueurs lining the walls. Tasting is positiyely encouraged bel‘ore you buy. and with eyei'ything t'rom liast l.othian raspberry \odka to Moniack mead on ol‘l‘ei'. you could end tip tasting a hell iii a lot. I Demijohn, 32 Wctoria Street, 0131 225 3265
Best for wine
Peter (ireen ck (‘o has oodles ol
experience. and its relaxed stal'l' are more than happy to talk you through the l()()() wines on ol‘l‘er. Old and new world sit happin together. with eyerything l‘rom gluggable table wine to ultra-rare delights on otter. plus lhere\ a tree wine tasting eyery l‘riday 5--7pm.
,r‘” -'
I Peter Green & Co, 37A—B Warrender Park Road, 0131 229 5925
SideDishes
News to nibb/e on . . .
I A new sandwich shop imported from Australia has opened at 40 Queensferry Street in Edinburgh. It‘s called Make Your Own and customers do precisely that - creating sarnies from some 80 fillings and slices from a choice of 12 different breads. Franchise holder Marnie McKinley is responsible for bringing the concept to Scotland. She saw a MYO store in Perth, where she worked in IT for two years. ‘The Make Your Own concept caters for all tastes, a wide range of dietary needs and has had great feedback from customers who have very specific dietary requirements,‘ says McKinley. ‘lt's important to us that there's something for everyone’. MYO is open 7.30am-4pm; call 0131 226 6667.
I Malinaison brasseiios in l (Hill and Glasgow are offering a new set price $2141.50 lunch special. As an added ii'iceiitivo, pairs of diners Wlll also receive a complimentary 50 cl bottle of house Wine. Maliiiaisoii is at 1 Tower Place. Leith, 0131 468 5001 and 278 West George Street. Glasgow. 0141 S72 1001.
I First Coast, the neighbourly bistro on Dalry Road near Haymarket Station in Edinburgh, is expanding its premises at the end of the month. Adding another 25 covers, the restaurant run by brothers Alan and Hector MacRae will soon feature a front dining room with windows that open onto the pavement and a rear space as well as a disabled toilet. They expect to be closed for only a week, with work completed around mid-March. Phone 0131 313 4404 to book.
I And expanSion may be on the cards for Martin Wishart. proprietor of the eponymous Leith restaurant which last month retained its Michelin star rating. Wishart has lodged proposals to develop the ground floor space next to his eXisting restaurant. The proposal includes plans for a new conference and eating space. as well as the conversion of some existing office space int a bigger dining area.