Avoid the kitschy tourist traps by visiting these terrific spots.
(Bloomberg) — Edinburgh’s history with whisky is long, but not as long as people might expect from a place that would seem to be built on barrels of the stuff.After all, winemaking in the Republic of Georgia dates back to 6000 B.C. The Scottish capital, while not that ancient, was founded around the seventh century A.D. Its commanding castle (and tourist hub) was built at the start of the 12th century, but it wasn’t until the 1490s that whisky made an official appearance in Scotland’s tax records.
Whisky is now a big business in Edinburgh and Scotland. Last year, exports of Scotch whisky hit a record high of £6.2 billion ($7.73 billion), according to the Scotch Whisky Association. The spirit accounted for 25% of food and drink exports from the UK and 77% of Scotland’s.
Edinburgh’s drinking cred goes way beyond the golden liquid. Around 80 brands of gin are currently produced in Edinburgh, according to Martin Reid, co-founder of the Gin Cooperative. The cocktail scene in Scotland’s capital city is notably good, thanks to such destination spots as Panda & Sons, the underground, avant-garde speakeasy, and Nauticus, set in the trendy port area of Leith. The beer scene has never been better by virtue of places like Newbarns, which recently opened a taproom for customers to sit and sip from cans of extra hoppy Pilsner that it supplies to many local bars. At the same time, the city is part of Scotland’s love affair with wine bars; places such as Spry specialize in natural wines. Even the city’s top restaurants have become drinking destinations. Timberyard, located in an old warehouse near Edinburgh Castle, just garnered its first Michelin star; its 40-page wine list is one of the UK’s strongest.
The 11 spots below offer opportunities to shun kitschy tourist traps and sip beverages the city is famous for, as well as some that soon may bring it more acclaim.
Brauhaus
This great corner pub and takeaway shop in central Edinburgh, a short walk from the National Museum of Scotland, is favored by members of the city’s restaurant community. Beer varieties and styles range from regional German and Belgian brews to “the modern insurgence of quality-focused craft brewing of British styles in the UK and particularly, Scotland,” says owner Dominic Wright. The special focus is on locally made beers, including pale ale from Newbarns (see below), and natural wines. Snacks include oversized bags of Spanish Torres chips, as well as tins of Perello olives. They are, Wright says, based “on what traditional pub snack offering looked like—and what it should look like today.”
Panda & Sons
The entrance to this Queen Street lounge is hidden at the back of a faux barber shop with a bright red storefront. A giveaway that it’s a facade: Haircuts and shaves are priced at 25¢. Downstairs, the bar comprises multiple rooms with more energy than most speakeasy-style spots and an advanced menu with drinks for under £10. The Red Panda is a savory mix of gin, tomato and sriracha, topped with Guinness foam. The Birdcage is made with scotch and Aperol flavored with spiced cinnamon smoke. Both have been offered since Panda opened in 2013.
Newbarns Brewery
In October one of Edinburgh’s top breweries opened a taproom with a view of its vast tanks in the trendy, waterside neighborhood of Leith. The bar at the end of the white brick-walled space has nine beers on tap, including its bestselling super crisp, German-style pilsner. A couple of fridges are filled with such Newbarns cans containing, for instance, easy-drinking Table Beer Mosaic and potent 11% Plain Dark Beer, a stout. In lieu of serving food, Newbarns keeps delivery menus on hand from such local spots as Razzo Pizza Napoletana.
Spry
At this small, sunny natural bar and wine shop from Matt Jackson, any bottle on the shelf can be opened for a £10 surcharge. Among wines he might pour by the glass are the refreshing white Bel from the Czech Republic and the deep-flavored, engagingly titled red wine & Walked Abroad In Lychee Showers that’s made with Italian grapes by Leisure Wine in south London. To accompany the pours, small plates and snacks include such dishes as beef and carrot jerky, salami picante and steamed crab buns.
Timberyard
What used to be a prop-and-costume warehouse is now an exceptional restaurant with Scandi-style decor and one of the country’s best wine lists. There’s an emphasis on natural bottlings and back vintages in the 40-page list, with more than a dozen Jura wines and several heavy-hitting barolos from wineries like Mascarello. Cocktails include a spiced rum old fashioned and booze-free negronis. Walk-ins can drink at the bar if there’s space. It’s well worth ordering the £85 tasting menu that focuses on such local ingredients as scallops with smoked roe; for an additional £65, you’ll get the wine pairings.
Jolly Judge
Just a quick walk from Edinburgh Castle, this pub hides down a few steps on a dead-end street. A red sign gives it away, as do some outdoor tables. An extensive, rotating selection of beers highlight small UK breweries such as Leith Juice from Campervan Brewery, along with some imports like Oude Geuze Boon, from Belgium. In addition to the requisite whisky pours, several well-chosen British ciders are on hand.
The Palmerston
In a former Bank of Scotland building, this restaurant has high ceilings, vast windows and a very good, long, Old World wine list punctuated with a few New World selections. Options include the 2005 Didier Dagueneau Silex (£330 a bottle) and the Double Pinot from Westwell in Kent. There’s also a strong list of beer and ciders, spritzes and highballs and several whisky pours. If there’s room at the bar, you can just drink. Still, the daily-changing, Anglo-Mediterranean menu—with such dishes as linguine with mussels and lemon and succulent, crispy porchetta with turnip tops—is wonderful.
Smith & Gertrude
Behind a handsome, blue, big-windowed storefront, this clean, modern bar is squarely focused on wines from around the world, plus cheese and small plates. The list has such English sparklers as Albury Estate Classic Cuvée. There’s citrusy Yannick Chablis and rich, spicy Kunin Syrah from Santa Barbara, California. The food menu features alluring grilled cheeses, including taleggio and bacon jam, to go with sausage rolls and cheese and charcuterie boards. There are now locations on Portobello High Street and on Stockbridge.
1820 Rooftop Bar, Johnnie Walker Princes Street
This rooftop space, above busy Princes Street and the Johnnie Walker superstore, is packed with merchandise and immersive experiences. It’s one of the best places to look out over Edinburgh, drink in hand. Along with such cocktails named for flavors as Maple + Nutmeg (with rye and amaro), there are zero-proof drinks and pours from the house bottles like Blue Label blended whisky (at £18).
Nauticus
This destination cocktail bar in Leith pays homage to the area’s past in seagoing and shipping. The menu makes for lovely reading: It shouts of trade routes with drinks like Sweet Victory (vodka, lemongrass sorbet, bitters and sparkling sherry) and a history of making wine and then whisky bottles: The Great British Drink Off features vermouth, whisky and rejuvenated apple cordial. The long whisky list is worth a journey.
The Bow Bar
On a well-traveled street in Edinburgh’s Old Town, just off the Royal Mile, the Bow Bar offers an absurdly fine escape from the tourist madness. The place stocks more than 300 whiskies on the crowded shelves of its wooden back bar, from single-cask selections to new releases. A handful of beers and ales are on tap at the cozy, red-ceilinged spot with no-frills tables and chairs. This place is hardly unknown, having been crowned best bar at the Scottish Hospitality Awards three times in the past five years.
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