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David Pollock sees a diverse drinking scene in the capital, with business especially buoyant in George Street.
hile much has been written in these pages about the alleged death of the lidinburgh club scene (and it's not literally true. you just need to know where to look alter a recent spate of closures). the city is still a bustling and energetic place to spend an evening thanks to its high concentration of bars and pubs in a relatively small city centre area. Any capital city has to please a rather broad drinking demographic — in lidinburgh this includes locals (from students to professionals). tourists (stag parties to l‘estival visitors) and a thriving gay scene. But in workers and well-heeled scholars who traditionally congregate around (ieorge Street and the surrounding
98 THE LIST .i’; Nov 1-1 l)‘..‘(, YOU-f}
2006. the white-collar
New Town district have unquestionably had the most to gain. The area. always keen to present itself (though not always accurately) as lidinburgh‘s most exclusive drinking street. has seen a new generation ol~ expensive developments reinvigorate the heart of the city centre.
EACH NEW BAR FEATURES A SPANKING STATE OF THE ART BAR LAYOUT, COMPLETE WITH DINING AND COCKTAIL LISTS
Chief among these are (ieorge Street‘s Tigerlily. Tempus and Le Monde. as well as nearby Hope
Street‘s Hudson Hotel and another
even more recent newcomer called Bramble Bar & Lounge on Queen Street. liach l‘eatures a spanking state ol‘ the art bar layout. complete with obligatory dining and cocktail lists. and some Turn) of adjoining
accommodation (Tempus is part of
the (ieorge Hotel. while the others have overnight rooms in their own right). Naturally. drinks prices are more expensive. but as is the case with all such modern developments 7- you‘re paying in part for the lustre ol‘exclusivity.
()ther central streets manage to incorporate more old l'aithl'uls with a crop of new releases. The
(irassmarket and (‘owgate are busy haunts on almost any night. but particularly at the weekend. There are one or two gems amidst the slew of well-known howt’l‘s. West l’ort’s Dragonfly is an attractive and relatively new bar with an excellent cocktail list and a young. stylish clientele. while Blair Street's (‘ity (‘ate is a local legend. a ubiquitous destination for the city‘s clubbing malia. It also offers inexpensive food and pool for daylight visitors. Slightly l‘urther al‘ield but still within walking distance of the centre is the newly-regenerated lidinburgh Quay. which features large. glossy bar and brasseries such as (‘argo and the recently opened limbark with its views ol‘ the canal which runs parallel to