#369. Liquid Rooms, 9A Victoria St, Edinburgh

We love Grimes, the stage name of 24 year old Canadian indie music darling Claire Boucher.

I wasn't expecting much of the Liquid Rooms, but it blew me away with its state of the art front-of-house consoles, air conditioning, sight lines, and acoustics. The beer selection wasn't that bad, either, with cold Guinness and Belhaven Best on tap.

I actually had the good fortune to meet Claire after the show. Here she is next to a guy from Aberdeen who had made the trip down to see her. Claire and I bonded over the fact we both have family in Chilliwack.

#368. Montpeliers, 159-161 Bruntsfield Pl, Edinburgh

After venturing to the southern suburb of Morningside to see the movie Ted at the beautiful Dominion Cinema, Sean and I stopped in at this contemporary bar for a couple of pints. The beer selection was great, and I enjoyed an Innis & Gunn on tap followed by a Belhaven Best as a chaser.

#364. Drinkies, 39 Queen St, Edinburgh

Drinkies is the white-fronted place on the right.

All told, we figure we've probably spent at least one full day of our year in Edinburgh waiting to cross Queen Street. At Frederick and Queen is this hole in the wall I didn't actually realize was a drinking establishment until fairly recently. (I thought it was a wine shop.) Much like Snoopy's doghouse, or the TARDIS on Dr. Who, Drinkies defies the laws of physics by being dramatically larger within than it appears from without. The interior is spread over two floors, complete with interesting art, a wheel-chair accessible washroom, and comfortable furnishings.




















I was served by the owner, who recently sold the establishment. He was attempting to drain the inventory before month's end, so the only remaining beer on tap was the Italian lager Peroni, which is too bad as they used to stock a couple of decent kegs. After three years as owner/operator of Drinkies Wine Bar, he was moving to a beach in Gambia to escape the dismal weather. Born in India to Scottish parents, he was raised abroad in the sunshine until returning to Glasgow at age 12. He opined that the Scots are all depressed due to the lack of sunshine, and they drink so much in order to self-medicate.

Aye to that.

#361. Ventoux, 2 Brougham St, Edinburgh

Deuchars is the only cask ale on tap, so I went with the old reliable bottle of Innis & Gunn. Bicycles are mounted on the walls, but it seems to work here, unlike Cabaret Voltaire. The aquarium is a nice touch, as are the big comfy chairs. The patio is popular with the locals.

#360. Abbatoir, Bristo Square, Edinburgh

The real party at the Udderbelly is in this backstage bar that is off-limits to anyone without a performer pass. Fortunately, I know people.

Unfortunately, there was no sign of Hugh Grant (sighted here the evening before), nor Robert Smith (hey, a guy can dream, can't he?). Also unfortunate was the crap beer selection. I think I had a Staropramen, but couldn't even finish it.

#356. The Place, 34-38 York Pl, Edinburgh

I was on my way to Cafe Picante for some late-night chippy goodness when I passed this hotel just after Queen Street turns into York Place. A man on the front step notices me peering through the window at the purple lights, and he invites me to come inside for a drink, noting that the bar is open to the public.

Well, I can't exactly say no to that.

The beer selection is great for a hotel bar. I ordered one of my new favourites: a Black Scottish Stout from Belhaven. The staff were friendly, and I bonded with the man from the steps (the night porter, it turns out) over our mutual love of Glasgow.

#354. The Traverse, 10 Cambridge St, Edinburgh

After an aborted attempt to get a beer at the sweltering Dragonfly on West Port, I kept walking and ended up here at the Traverse. Slick, but not much happening. The crowd mainly consists of overdressed theatre types, featuring many gay men, here to get cultured up at one of the preeminent Fringe stages. I find myself sitting on a bench beside two redheaded Irish girls, both drinking Innis and Gunn and talking in upper-class accents about their 55 year old new age parents. I am jealous of their beverage, as my Traverse Ale is the usual run-of-the-mill Stewart stuff.

#339. Innis & Gunn, 32 Potterrow, Edinburgh

Officially called Innis & Gunn at 32 Potterrow, this welcome replacement for the underwhelming Room @ 34 has perhaps the best taste and local beer selection in all of the capital. Under the same ownership as 56 North, this pub is not owned by the brewery that bears its name. Rather, the proprietors recognize a good brand and a great beer when they see one and have entered into a licensing agreement with the local brewery.

I had just enjoyed an Innis & Gunn at their other pub down the road, so I opted for the delicious Black Ball Stout, the Williams Bros. Scottish answer to Guinness. Just in time for the Festival, this popup bar (i.e., they are testing the market to see whether or not it will become permanent) will likely do a very good business all month long.

#338. 56 North, 2 W. Crosscauseway, Edinburgh

Here are a couple of arty shots for you:




















The observant reader will notice not only that the sun is shining, but that Innis & Gunn is flowing from the taps at this cocktail bar with the fantastic location on the south-facing corner near the University. This, along with the rotating Stewart Brewing selection and comfortable furnishings, saves 56 North from relegation to forgettable status.

#336. Amicus Apple, 17 Frederick St, Edinburgh

The first thing you notice when you step inside this downstairs New Town cocktail bar is the smell: like rotten milk mixed with a tropical fruit. Linus thought it smelled of douchebags during our first aborted foray, but on pause methinks he exaggerates. The clientele weren't that bad, but perhaps some of the unfriendly bar staff were responsible for the odor..? The beer selection was the usual corporate, lager-heavy rotation (Fosters (!?), Stella, Tennents et al) and with nary a Belhaven nor Deuchars on the menu I chose the Extra Cold Guinness.

#323. Tonic, 34A North Castle St, Edinburgh

After aborted attempts to visit Harry's Bar (closed Sundays) and Amicus Apple (smelly with douchebags, according to my son), we end up in this basement cocktail bar close to our home. An Innis & Gunn for me, and because Linus is a working class Protestant, a Tennents for him.

#322. Harry's Bar, 7B Randolph Pl, Edinburgh

My second day in a row with the intention of visiting Harry's. The wankers close on Sundays! Here is Linus expressing his outrage.

The view from the street is spectacular. This is what Linus is looking at in the above photo.

UPDATE: I visited Harry's on September 6th, 2012. I drank a pint of Belhaven Best and listened to a live set by an acoustic MOR duo. The place is popular with well-dressed folks about my age. Here is what the interior of this West End basement bar looks like.

#321. Rutland Bar, 1 Rutland St, Edinburgh

Tram construction in front of the Rutland.

On my way here I stopped at an ATM to get more cash. A homeless man huddled on the sidewalk asked if I had any change. I checked my pockets and apologized. He said thanks anyway and wished me a good evening. I am always amazed at how courteous the panhandlers in this city tend to be, and how often you will see a fellow citizen crouched down in conversation with them in what appears to be a sincere act of caring. I took my bills from the bank machine and gave him a £10 note. His initial shock quickly abated as he shook my hand and smiled and thanked me profusely. Any problems I might be having pale in comparison.

My intention was to try Harry's Bar on Randolph Place, but it was packed. The Rutland is where I end up, and after waiting for 15 minutes at my cowhide barstool I am finally served a Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted (delicious) for £4.50 (not delicious).

This is mostly a cocktails and be seen kind of crowd.

#320. Indigo Yard, 7 Charlotte Ln, Edinburgh

The day after my visit I came back and took this photo.

Tucked in behind Pizza Express is this West End bar with a great looking outdoor patio. It would be fun to visit Indigo Yard on a warm, dry evening, but alas it is damp and 11 degrees when I make my way through to the bar. Their website promised me Innis & Gunn on tap, but I was handed a bottle by the bartender. I took my drink outside and sat on a wet chair.

Back inside and smooth funk is playing a bit too loudly. The place needs more cowbell, even with LaBelle's Lady Marmalade.

#318. Fingers Piano Bar, 61A Hanover St, Edinburgh

I have walked by this place on so many occasions, but it is rarely open. It turns out it doesn't open until 10:00PM, stays open until 3:00AM, and caters primarily to the after-pub-closing crowd.

I was the only one there at 11:30PM on a Thursday night - the calm before the storm. They were cleaning the lines on all the taps, so on the advice of Stevie the bartender, I ordered a Highland Park whisky.

Stevie was cordial, and quite happy to discuss Edinburgh's pub scene. He claims that Fingers has been around for decades, and that Dirty Martinis copied their business model of the sing-along piano bar.

#312. Tigerlily, 125 George St, Edinburgh

I am not sure what is going on at Tigerlily, or where exactly the bar begins or ends. There appears to be an older, wider gentleman curled up with a blonde escort on the couch next to the fireplace. The music is vanilla disco, but the Innis & Gunn on tap is a nice touch, as is the comfy furniture where I sit and enjoy a half-pint. There is purple neon leaking through from the next room. Otherwise it is all candles, mirrors, and 15-foot ceilings.

#311. Tempus, 25 George St, Edinburgh

The Tempus is part of the George Hotel. It features lots of ornate mirrors, leather furniture, but very few lumens up here in the seating area. The lampshade on my table is like a parody of The WestRoom.

I am on a streak of dimly lit cocktail bars, having run out of traditional pubs within a brisk walk of home. Will it ever stop raining? Belhaven Best is the best they can do for beer. The music seems chosen so as to offend no one, but in my case they have failed. It's not their fault, for I am in a bad mood, having spent the past two weeks eating from a buffet of sadness.

I distract myself by reading Wikipedia entries on my phone about algebra, relational algebra, analysis, and topology. Mathematics is a good place to retreat when one's emotional state is out of balance.

#310. Sygn, 15 Charlotte Ln, Edinburgh

A stone's throw from its sister, the Sygn is another stylish cocktail bar. I ordered a £4 Guinness. The bartender was cute, so I assumed she wasn't from here. Her English was excellent and her accent somewhere between Aberdeen and Dublin. She was asking me a bunch of questions while she poured my beer (her curiosity and friendliness towards me yet another indication she was not from here). I got shy and walked away, sitting as far from the bar as possible, upon where I took these two pictures.

Sygn is The WestRoom without the big lampshades. After checking my phone for any new email, I decided to go stand at the bar and ask the bartender where she was from. Suddenly three Scottish dudes came in and used their red hair and small stature to temporarily distract her. I don't understand where their shameless confidence with women comes from. Is it Francis Scott? William Wallace? Eric Liddell? Sean Connery? Alcohol? Anyway, it turns out the bartender was from Poland (of course), and she had just finished a degree in Design at Napier.

#309. The WestRoom, 3 Melville Pl, Edinburgh

After the disappointment of the Raconteur being closed, I walked west to Queensferry Road and crossed the Dean Bridge. The view from the bridge is stunning, but I have to say the skyline would look nicer if (a) the sun ever came out, and (b) the buildings were painted in vibrant and dynamic colours a la Prague.

I ended up at this stylish bar, where I drank an always satisfying Caledonian 80/-. The WestRoom features the biggest lampshades (of any bar in the world?), part of its modern decor.

The lampshade overhead.

#307. The Last Word Saloon, 44 St. Stephen Street, Edinburgh

As if Stockbridge couldn't get any cooler, along comes The Last Word. Sister bar to the Bramble, this place shares the same moodiness, beautiful clientele, and excellent customer service. This is not ordinarily a place to go for a pint, though I did notice they had some decent local beer from Williams Bros. on tap. Sean ordered me a couple of drams of single malt whisky from Islay (pronounced eye-la).

Sean settles the tab.