I had a boozy date night at this cool new Edinburgh 'five-star dive bar'
You’ll find this spot in the city’s west end
It’s getting to that time of year when I might be able to say that the nights are fair drawing in, without anyone punching me in the face.
Coinciding with the creep of autumn, are my going-to-bed-early habits. I’m afraid that the 10pm-ish of summer has recently switched to 9pm, sometimes even 8.30pm.
Anyway, saving me from my bed rot was a Tuesday visit to the new bar, Understory. Drinkies on a weeknight. I know, so daring and kinda chic.
If anyone’s going to tempt me out from under my 20 tog duvet it’s this place. It’s a collaboration between former Bramble bar manager, Sam Baxendale, and The Rutland Hotel’s head of bars, James Grant. They’re calling their new venue a ‘five-star dive bar’, whatever the heck that means.
It’s in the former premises of Heads & Tails, down in a basement underneath The Rutland Hotel. Look out for the red door, and follow any bagpiping sounds, as this place is a neighbour to Scottish haggis-flinging restaurant, Ghillie Dhu.
Inside, and they haven’t changed too much. There’s a bit of new moody lighting, fresh furniture and glassware, plus a uniform of Carhartt aprons, but they’ve syphoned their identity into the menu, rather than going for a Panda & Sons-esque themed aesthetic.
There will be a rotating cocktail menu, and their first chapter, Batch 01: Halcyon Days, is based on childhood memories.
Apart from their list of classics, there are 10 drinks in the themed list to choose from, so you don’t get overwhelmed, and they’re all £12. That seems very reasonable, in an age where a cocktail can sometimes cost the same as a new pair of shoes.
Apparently, they’ve developed a serving technique in this bar, based on what they do at a place called Seed Library in London. That means that three mixologists make each cocktail, by splitting the jobs required, from measuring spirits to shaking. Thus, service is speedy.
I thought I’d start with Marmalade Sandwich, which was a stoat-coloured concoction that had a foam on top that tasted like toasty croissants. So very Willy Wonka. It also contained Angostura 5-Year-Old Rum and Diplomatico, Nixta Corn Liqueur, Fair Kumquat and butter. Although it sounds like that combination might be a bit too sweet, the rum gave it hoist.
My other half tried the ode-to-a-misspent-youth that is Parkside Buckie, with Vivir Tequila, Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz, and lemon, all served on a pile of crushed ice. You pour the mini bottle of spiced Buckfast Amaro over the top. The lemon and tequila lifted any syrupyness, and this felt like a relatively light and sophisticated drink, rather than something that’d leave you stocious and spinning face down on the roundabout.
I am a lightweight, so I knew it was just going to be one more drink for me - the sgroppino, which is their take on an Irn-Bru float. It was a well rounded blend of dessert wine, verjus, peach aperitif, and the orange drink made from girders, with a scoop of fizzing tonka bean sorbet. They described it as boujee. Well, exactly.
He tried a take on the kids’ yoghurt treat that is a Petit Filou, though we’re more of a Ski generation. This Tipsy Filou was poured at the table, from a frosted bottle of pale pink liquid Black Cow vodka, wild strawberry, lychee vermouth, coconut and Petit Filous.
I’m impressed. I didn’t think this theme would be for me. After all, I’m someone who likes my cocktails how like I like my men - short and bitter.
However, they are fun, and each is quite distinct. I’d be keen to try everything, in the drink responsibly fullness of time, of course.
The food is very much a secondary concern, on a visit here. Still, they go for the jugular, when it comes to salt, tang, fat and spice.
Our favourite bits included the Nashville fried chicken (£10), with two soft battered schnitzel-ish pieces of chook that were basted in hot honey and a chevron of creamy dill dressing.
The teriyaki cauliflower poppers (£9) were sweet and sticky soft-centred nuggets, and BBQ corn ribs (£9) had another smoky and sugary varnish that pushed all my buttons.
I liked the idea of Silly Crisps (£12), served with caviar and a dip, but we went for the equally sophisticated Dirty Martini Olives (£6) - fat meaty gordals, with a hit of chilli, lemon verbena and vermouth.
We concluded our boozy Tuesday with a whirl of their tonka bean soft serve (£6), which is topped with halved cherries, dark chocolate shavings and tiny buttons of meringue.
After that boozy feast, there was a speedy tram journey home, where we wondered if there was room to lie down on the luggage racks.
And, we managed to get inside before 8pm.
Sometimes, you CAN have it all.
Understory, 1 a Rutland Street, Edinburgh, understorybar.co.uk
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