BARGUIDE 2009
Hawke and Hunter HANGOUTS
COCKTAILS BRAMBLE
16a Queen Street, 226 6343. www.bramblebar.co.uk Mon–Sun 4pm–1am. Basic pint: £3 (bottles only)
Bramble doesn’t exactly make a big fuss of itself. Buried on the corner of Queen and Hanover Streets, only a small, astro-turfed ledge with a couple of smokers’ chairs points to its location. Inside, however, is another matter. The darkened ambience survives, but this subterranean jumble of brick-walled rooms and snugs draws attention through its sheer individuality.
Bar staff prepare a range of 24 bespoke cocktails and any other standards you might fancy. This is a proper cocktail enthusiast’s bar, with the absence of a coffee machine and even beer taps allowing more room to shake up a gin’n’jam or a lavender martini. This may all sound a bit too genteel for some, but there are DJs in on Friday and Saturday nights. For similar, but with food and room for a wider drinks range, visit Bramble’s recently opened Stockbridge sister bar The Saint (44 Saint Stephen Street, 225 9009. www.thesaintedinburgh.co.uk). High point: feels like a well-kept secret
THE VOODOO ROOMS 19a West Register Street, 556 7060. www.thevoodoorooms.com Mon–Thu 4pm–1am; Fri–Sun noon–1am. Basic Pint: £3.30
Imagine George Street with a bit of real style and you have the Voodoo Rooms. Co-owned by the people behind the VEGAS! swing night and the Villager and Dragonfly bars, its dual-aspect bar narrowly avoids overdoing it with a combination of Georgian high ceilings and black and gold bling. Two function rooms play host to private events and touring bands of all genres, while food is served until 10pm and 20 specialist cocktails are on the menu. High point: VEGAS! style
HAWKE AND HUNTER 12 Picardy Place, 557 0952. www.hawkeandhunter.co.uk Cocktail Bar: Mon–Thu 5pm–1am; Fri & Sat 5pm–3am. Closed Sun. Green Room: Mon–Thu 5pm–1am; Fri–Sun midday–1am. Basic pint: £3.20
26 THE LIST 19 Nov–3 Dec 2009
There’s no doubt that Hawke and Hunter is aiming for an upmarket clientele, home as it is to a restaurant, boutique hotel rooms and a whisky bar, as well as a cocktail bar. The Green Room is cosy and the Secret Garden provides comfortable shelter for smokers. High point: smartest pool hall in Scotland
BOND NO.9 84 Commercial Street, 555 5578. www.bondno9.co.uk Mon–Sun 11–1am. Basic pint: £3
Another sign of the Shore area’s growing credibility as a destination for a night out, Bond No.9 is based in a converted bonded warehouse. Its cocktails (35 choices) are excellent, with DJs on Fridays and Saturdays, and live jazz on Thursday nights. High point: length of the cocktail menu
AMICUS APPLE 17 Frederick Street, 226 6055. www.amicus apple.com Mon–Sun noon–1am. Basic pint: £3.50
This is a bar to be seen at with a contingent of young, student-age patrons, but it still manages to maintain an air of style. Food is served from noon until nine daily, and a bunch of changing weekly specials supplements a 42-strong cocktail list. High-point: youthful vigour
SPECIAL MENTIONS 99 Hanover Street; The One Below; stylish LGBT hangout GHQ.
ROSELEAF 23/24 Sandport Place, 476 5268. www.roseleaf.co.uk Sun–Thu 10am-midnight; Fri/Sat 10am–1am. Basic pint: £2.60
As new apartment blocks have forced Leith into its current regenerative state, so the area’s nightlife has improved. What’s so special about the Roseleaf, though, isn’t just that it’s probably the best pub in Leith at the moment. Were you to stick this lovely, personable boozer on any street corner throughout the city, it would easily hold its own. That’s why the Roseleaf is our favourite place to hang out in Edinburgh. Opened by Lyn and Jonathan Kane two years ago, this pub is bursting with character. Vintage typewriters and chintzy artworks decorate the crimson-painted rooms, and even the food manages to be charming. Brunch, lunch and tea are served from opening time until 10pm, but the tea party menu is a particularly nice touch, with cakes and nibbles served up on old-fashioned doilies. A cocktail menu of nearly 20 drinks is the crowning touch, with cold and warm drinks served in little teapots. High point: excellent service
THE CUMBERLAND BAR 1–3 Cumberland Street, 558 3134. www.cumberlandbar.co.uk Mon–Sat 11–1am; Sun 12.30pm–1am. Basic pint: £2.50
The Cumberland oozes old-school style, and there’s little surprise that it welcomes such a varied clientele. A lick of paint would ruin the (noiseless – no telly or jukebox here) atmosphere, while affordable real ale from one of the eight taps can be enjoyed in a snug, the back room or one of the city’s best beer gardens. High point: that beer garden
JOSEPH PEARCE 23 Elm Row, 556 4140. www.bodabar.com Sun–Thu 11am–midnight; Fri & Sat 11–1am Basic pint: £3.30
Further evidence of the renaissance in Leith’s pub culture can be found in the chain of Swedish-owned bars that stretch from the top of the Walk down to the Shore. All fulfil a similar function, catering to a cross- section of stylish students and more bohemian older drinkers, and Joseph Pearce – which has held its corner for more than a century – is the latest addition, mixing traditional style and shabby chic. See also Boda (229 Leith Walk, 553 5900), Sofi’s (65 Henderson Street, 555 7019) and Victoria (265 Leith Walk, 555 1638). High point: Swedish pear cider