Address: 16A Queen St
Website: http://www.bramblebar.co.uk/
Type of Meal: Drinks
If you find
yourself in front of a dry cleaning place while looking for Bramble then you’re
at the right place! With no prominent signs
and the non-descript location, it can definitely be over looked. So, first find the dry cleaners, head down
the stairs and the door on the left is where you want to enter.
Just looking
for Bramble brings a whole speakeasy vibe to the place, which continues when
you enter. The small basement space is
dark and intimate, with lighting given from candles scattered around tables and
the bar. With a cozy bar area and a few
small seating nooks you want to show up early or risk being packed by the
entrance.
It’s really
hard to decide what to order with Bramble’s extensive menu of cocktails. Even if you wanted a simple gin and tonic,
they have 40 types of gin and a plethora of mixers to choose from! I tried one of the “recommended” G&T’s
called Three Corners & Fevertree Tonic (£6). Although it looks simple, watching him make
it made me realize the amount of work that goes into the drink and now understand
why Bramble was voted as one of the best bars in Edinburgh and the World.
The bartender
obtained a large sphere of ice and painstakingly whittled it down until it was
the perfect size for my glass. Next, he
added to it was a freshly sliced piece of orange peel and a crushed seed (not
sure what it was), before a small bottle of Fevertree Tonic was opened up and
finished off the drink. The first sip is extremely strong, but once the ice
block melted down and the orange and seed mixed in everything mellowed out.
My husband
asked for custom one and was asked a few questions before they narrowed it
down to one that was good for him.
Certainly the options and combinations are endless!
We also tried
some of their mixed cocktails. The
Bramble (£6.50) is a safe bet consisting of Bombay Dry Gin, freshly
squeezed lemon juice, sugar syrup & creme de mures (a blackberry liqueur. It was fruity and simple, tasting somewhat
like a grown-up Killer Kool-Aid.
I personally
preferred my Most Unusual Drink (£7) more, especially since it was served
in a teacup martini glass – how great is that?
Also gin based (this time using Sourdough Hendrick), its flavours are
derived from cucumber manzanilla (type of sherry?), freshly squeezed lime juice
and rose water. The flavours were very
crisp and clean, absolutely delicious!
Bramble is a
good place to head to with a few friends who appreciate tasty fresh
drinks. This is not the place to go if
you want to dance or are expecting to meet people. When we went, early on a Friday, it seemed
like a mix of the after work crowd, friends catching up and date crowds. Everyone pretty much stuck to themselves,
chatting away. The surroundings were
crowded by still pleasant with each drink giving us something to enjoy and talk
about. With so many to choose from, it’s definitely somewhere you can keep
going back to.
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