This autumn, experience the after-dark magic where disco meets modern-day elegance at Lady Libertine, as the subterranean venue launches its brand-new GREY GOOSE® Lates.
Taking over the stylish Edinburgh basement, this exclusive series of two intimate late-night parties promises electrifying performances, signature cocktails, and vibrant disco ambiance.
Kicking off the series just in time for All Hallows’ Eve on Thursday, 31st October from 7 PM until late, the alternative Halloween event will feature a live DJ set from the wildly unpredictable Billy Woods, known for his eclectic and bold beats that are sure to captivate the crowd.
Also supporting the evening is Craig Smith, adding his unique flair to what promises to be a chic, no-tricks Halloween filled with stacked disco tunes.
On Thursday, 21st November, the final GREY GOOSE® Lates event will showcase the smooth sounds of CC:Disco!, renowned for her feel-good sets and the self-proclaimed intergalactic vampire Kitty Kat, delivering an energising disco experience while indulging in Lady Libertine’s signature GREY GOOSE® cocktails.
For music lovers and cocktail connoisseurs alike, GREY GOOSE® Lates at Lady Libertine offers the ultimate evening escape this autumn.
Guests to either event can enjoy a curated selection of cocktails and classic martini serves from Lady Libertine’s bar including: Starry Night – a refreshing signature sip with GREY GOOSE®, Briottet Banana, Aperol, Absinthe, and Raspberry, or Garden of Eden – a long spritz with GREY GOOSE®, Italicus, Limoncello, Absinthe andCremant.
A must try is the Strawberry Fields Forever mixed with GREY GOOSE®, Verjus, Strawberry & Basil Shrub, Basil Leaves, Soda, and Cremant for a fresh, fizzy finish. This exclusive cocktail menu runs until the end of November.
To buy a ticket to experience GREY GOOSE® Lates at Lady Libertine— head to https://ladylibertine.co.uk/whats-on/ Admission to each event is £10 and includes live DJ set entertainment and one cocktail.
Both events run from 7PM until 1AM at Lady Libertine on October 31st and November 21st.
And they’re celebrating with a free drink for all who come to try it between 14th – 18th October!
Flight Club, the lively and fairground-inspired bar known for its craft cocktails, sharing plates, and Social Darts combo, is launching a reimagined menu: delectable new dishes, upgrades to the favourites and a fresh selection of gorgeous drinks.
Launching on 14th October, the revamped food menu is geared towards dishes that can be enjoyed by groups of friends (and can be eaten with a dart in hand!). The drinks list has had a makeover too, featuring some stunning newcomers and an expansion of its low-and-no-alcohol offering, culminating in an impressive selection of delicious booze-free options to choose from.
To celebrate the arrival of this exciting new menu, from 14th – 18th October 2024, Flight Club is offering a free drink from its new Signature Spritz menu (or beer if a spritz isn’t your thing) for those who come in to eat (T&C’s apply)*.
All-new dishes
Lovingly designed by Arnaud Kaziewicz, Flight Club’s Head of Food Development and Masterchef: The Professionals finalist, the new menu consists of tapas-style small plates, pizza paddles, and a crowd-pleasing selection of grills and salads.
Mix-and-share dishes include South Korean pork belly bites with chilli and honey glaze, Yakitori beef skewers made from prime British beef marinated in soy and ginger, and Middle Eastern sliders with plant-based lamb, smoked Applewood cheese, gherkins, and slaw.
New sourdough pizza flavour combinations include the gorgeous Gorgonzola portobello: tomato sauce, mozzarella and grilled portobello mushrooms, finished with white truffle oil and Italian pork and fennel sausage: plant-based sausage, caramelised onions and salsa verde.
Other newcomers include a poké bowl with coconut lemon rice, crunchy slaw, cauliflower, lettuce, and red pepper sauce and a chicken tikka wrap with coconut raita, tomato, lettuce, and cucumber.
Freshly crafted beverages
The redesigned drinks line-up includes four new cocktails, a new selection of signature spritzes, and a significant increase in low- and no-alcohol options.
New cocktails include ‘Highland Blush’, a combination of raspberry gin, whisky, raspberry, lemon, almond, and vegan foaming bitters and ‘Take a Trip’ – Hendrick’s gin, St. Germain elderflower liqueur and lime, topped with Trip Cucumber & Mint. Another new entry on the cocktail list is ‘Nunya Beeswax’.
This tequila number was created at Flight Club Bristol as a one-off for Bristol Cocktail Weekend 2023. The drink was such a hit it was named Cocktail of the Year. Naturally, it had to feature in the new line-up.
Arnaud Kaziewicz, Flight Club’s Head of Food Development said, “This menu refresh has been months in the making, involving countless taste tests and iterations to get every dish and cocktail completely right.
“We’re hugely passionate about delivering a truly memorable experience at Flight Club and our food and drinks is a big part of that. We always want to give our customers something new to sink their teeth into and we’re excited to finally share this with them.”
The winners of the 2024 Scottish Bar and Pub Awards have been revealed! The winners picked up their trophies at a glittering ‘Grand Ole Opry’ themed event held at the Doubletree Hilton in Glasgow on Tuesday 27th August.
The awards, now in their 29th year, celebrate all that is good and great about the hospitality industry with more than 100 hospitality venues shortlisted as finalists at the event.
Industry veteran Stuart Ross, former Chief Executive of Belhaven received a Legend of the Industry Award while David and Ruth Wither, the founders of Edinburgh-based Montpelier Group, picked up the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Other award winners came from as far apart as Carnoustie and Inverness!
There were celebrations in Glasgow as The Piper Whisky Bar won the double for Benromach Whisky Bar of the Year and with Gillian Kirkland becoming Deanston Whisky Guru 2024! The Absent Ear was named Brugal 1888 Cocktail Bar of the Year, Shilling Brewing Company as Cold Town Craft Beer Pub of the Year, Boteco Do Brasil as Favela Latin American Venue of the Year and The Smokin’ Fox snatched the Sunday Mail Pub of the Year accolade.
Fullbacks Sports and Pizza Bar in Milngavie was named Sims Automatics Sports Bar of the Year while Ayr venues Tempura and The Stravaig were also winners picking up the Casual Dining Award and Kopparberg New Bar of the year awards respectively. The Ship in Irvine was Dog Friendly Pub of the Year and Steven Muir of Beatbox Leisure was named Boss of The Year!
It was also a winning night for Stravaigin in Glasgow who proved they have some of the best staff around as Olivia Wong was named HOSPO Manager of the Year and Marquis Smith as Schweppes Bartender of the Year.
The party continued in Edinburgh where Black Ivy snatched the Best Outdoor area award for the second year in a row while Teuchters Landing was named Inverarity Morton’s Best Drinks offering and Lochrin Rooftop Bar (Moxy Edinburgh Fountainbridge) as Molinari Hotel Bar of the Year.
In Aberdeen, Malones were crowned Jameson Best Irish bar, in Fife Hugo’s Bar and Pavilion collected the Staropramen Award for Outstanding Quality and in Dundee Forbes of Kingennie Country Resort was awarded Family Business of the Year. There was also a special award for The Craw’s Nest in Carnoustie who scooped the ‘Community Pub of the Year’ accolade.
Other big winners were two of the industry giants – Manorview Hotels who proved what a great company they are to work for by snatching the Hospitality Health Employer of the Year gong and Inverness based Cru Hospitality who won Drinks Express Independent Operator of the Year.
The late Janet Hood was posthumously named ‘Inspirational Woman of the Year’ and Gordon McIntyre received the Scottish Hospitality Group’s Contribution to the industry award.
Susan Young organiser and Editor of industry publication DRAM, said, “These awards are all about the people that make the hospitality industry the success it is.
“This year we had an exceptional entry. All the finalists deserve credit for the great venues that they run, but the trophies were presented to the pubs, restaurants and people that impressed their customers, judges and mystery shoppers most. Congratulations to each and every one!”
The full list of winners is below:
Lifetime Achievement Award
David & Ruth Wither
Benromach Whisky Bar of the Year
The Piper Whisky Bar – Glasgow
Black Ivy and Montpeliers Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year
Alex & Rachel Palumbo – Hey Palu & Chancho, Edinburgh
Brugal Best Cocktail Bar of the Year
The Absent Ear – Glasgow
Campari Bar Apprentice 2024
Finlay Paterson – Scotts South Queensferry
Cold Town Craft Beer Bar of the Year
Shilling Brewing Company – Glasgow
Deanston Whisky Guru 2024
Gillian Kirkland – The Piper Whisky Bar, Glasgow
DRAM Casual Dining Award 2024
Tempura – Ayr
Drinks Express Independent Operator of the Year
Cru Hospitality – Inverness
De Kuyper Liqueurs Mixologist of the Year
Fowwaz Ansari – Bittersweet, Edinburgh
Favela Latin American Venue of the Year
Boteco Do Brasil – Glasgow
DRAM Dog Friendly Pub of the Year
The Ship – Irvine
Hospitality Health Employer of the Year
Manorview Hotels – Howwood
HOSPO Manager of the Year
Olivia Wong – Stravaigin, Glasgow
Hotel Scotland Family Business of the Year
Forbes of Kingennie – Dundee
Unsung Hero Award
Jules Clark – Montpeliers
Inverarity Morton Best Drinks Offering
Teuchters Landing – Edinburgh
Jameson Best Irish Bar
Malones – Aberdeen
Kopparberg New Bar of the Year
The Stravaig – Ayr
Media World Best Outdoor Area
Black Ivy – Edinburgh
Molinari Hotel Bar of the Year
Lochrin Rooftop Bar – Moxy Edinburgh Fountainbridge
Schweppes Bartender of the Year
Marquis Smith – Stravaigin, Glasgow
Scottish Hospitality GroupContribution To the Industry Award
After a cold, grey winter, the sun is finally making an appearance, nights are getting lighter and there’s blossom on the trees; the season of days with friends turning into nights dancing until the small hours is here, and The Botanist is helping everyone celebrate summer with free live music every weekend at The Botanist LIVE.
Supplying the soundtrack to your weekend every Friday and Saturday night, The Botanist’s talented artists are set to play live from 8pm until late. Guests can expect a vibrant party atmosphere and sounds of rock, pop, soul, R&B, funk, disco and blues.
The events are not ticketed and are free to attend, so all you need to do is turn up at the bar, order one of The Botanist’s refreshing botanical cocktails and wait for its house band get the party started.
Out for the night? Showcasing what it does best, the Botanist team will be serving up signature feel-good food and shaking cocktails as usual throughout the evening, for those looking to book a table in the restaurant before letting the good times roll until the early hours.
To find your nearest The Botanist and book your spot, visit:
As we move into spring, it’s time to celebrate mums, grandmas and motherly figures for all they do year-round, as the annual celebration of Mother’s Day falls on Sunday 10th March. Offering the perfect opportunity to get the family together, The Botanist is hosting all-day-long celebrations to take care of mum.
The botany-inspired bar & restaurant’s Sunday roast is perfect for catching up and spending quality time together. Choose between Roast Sirloin of Beef, Pot Roast Lamb Shoulder, Slow Roast Honey Glazed Pork Belly, Roast Chicken or vegan Celeriac, Mushroom and Pearl Barley Wellington, each served with a fluffy Yorkshire pudding and accompanying sauce. The dishes come with maple glazed carrots, roast potatoes, greens and gravy, for the whole table to dig in to.
Extra sides can also be added to the family feast, including cranberry glazed pigs in blankets, cauliflower cheese with parmesan crumb and creamed cabbage with smoked bacon.
Showing her just how special she is, every mum dining at The Botanist will receive a complimentary Poppy and Beefeater Pink Gin Punch, as well as a bespoke box of wildflower seeds to plant at home – a gift that keeps on giving.
Throughout the day, the bar will be offering bottomless drinks for an additional £25 with any main course, so Mum can truly let her hair down. Choose between Bloody Mary, Aperol Spritz, Prosecco or The Botanist Lager and enjoy unlimited drinks for 90 minutes whilst dining.
As always, The Botanist’s house bands will be providing the soundtrack to the weekend, with live music throughout the afternoon on Mother’s Day.
Can’t be there in person? Show Mum the love by sending her a gift voucher, bottle of prosecco or bottle of champagne available to purchase online and sent directly to her inbox to be redeemed at The Botanist.
Free gifts are available whilst stocks last. To find your nearest restaurant and book your table visit https://thebotanist.uk.com.
Special offers revealed for 40 City Centre restaurants and bars taking part in the festival
Eat Out Edinburgh, the highly-anticipated restaurant festival taking over Edinburgh’s city centre next month, has now released a full list of venues taking part in the campaign, with incredible deals from the most exciting restaurants from Princes Street and Charlotte Square to St James Quarter throughout the entirety of March.
Amazing set menus, special offers and events are now available to browse from each of the 40 venues involved on Eat Out Edinburgh’s website with guests able to book now for dates from the 1st to 31st of March.
The past year has seen an influx of new bars and restaurants to the capital, bringing a variety of new dining experiences to explore during Eat Out Edinburgh’s run, including:
– Willow Tea Rooms: The new traditional afternoon tea spot is opening later this month in the former Starbucks unit with stunning castle views on Princes Street and will be offering a traditional afternoon tea throughout March for £17.95 per person, excluding March 10th.
– RIO Brazilian Steakhouse: The newly opened Rodizio style steakhouse within the Assembly Rooms will be offering their unique menu including unlimited salad bar access and meats served tableside at £34.95 for dinner and £19.95 for lunch.
– The Alchemist George Street: The creative cocktail bar and restaurant’s newest venue on George Street has curated a special menu offering two courses for £20 and three courses for £35.
– Fat Hippo: The new restaurant known for its extensive menu of juicy, decadent burgers has created a menu with a starter, main, and a sidefor £15 from Monday to Thursday throughout the month.
Offers vary from venue to venue, with each location bringing its own unique value with something to appeal to everyone, from celebrating Mother’s Day with a brunch at Duck & Waffle with £29 for 3 Courses or a lesson in mixology with a cocktail masterclass for £25 at the Hard Rock Café.
Eat Out Edinburgh brings friends, family, and colleagues together from across the Lothians for the chance to explore new cuisines and try special occasion restaurants for an accessible price while supporting the city’s vibrant hospitality sector.
Run by Essential Edinburgh, the campaign taking place throughout the capital’s dedicated Business Improvement District (BID) returns this year for double the time after a successful two-week run in 2023.
Emily Campbell Johnston, Senior Manager of Marketing & Communications, Essential Edinburgh, said: “The venues taking part in this year’s Eat Out Edinburgh have gone above and beyond to create really exciting offers for guests that will let Edinburgh locals, visitors and workers in the city centre experience some of the city’s best cuisine at an accessible price.
“The scope of this year’s campaign brings more venues than ever over a longer period of time for a massive celebration of Edinburgh’s unmatched food scene right in time for the Spring season to bring a renewed energy to the city.”
Businesses Participating in Eat Out Edinburgh 2024
Angel’s Share
Auld Hundred
BABA
Badger & Co
Bonnie & Wild
Boozy Cow
Bread Street Kitchen
Cadiz
Café Andaluz
Contini George Street
Copper Blossom
Dean Banks at The Pompadour
Duck & Waffle
Element
Fat Hippo
Fazenda
Gaucho
Grazing by Mark Greenaway at Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian
Gusto
Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh
Harvey Nichols Forth Floor
Haute Dolci
Hawksmoor
Huxley
Indian Lounge
Ka Pao
Lady Libertine
Le Monde
Maki & Ramen St James Quarter
Malmaison
Queens Arms
Rabble
Rio Brazilian Steakhouse
Tattu
TGI Fridays Edinburgh Castle Street
The Alchemist – George Street & St James Quarter
The Register Club
The Scottish Café And Restaurant
The Voodoo Rooms
Tigerlily
Twenty Princes Street
Willow Tea Rooms
For more information on each venue, and to keep book, visit:
The tents are up, the sun is out and we are now counting down the days until we bring you our 2023 festival!
We open the gates to our site in the Lodge Grounds at 10am on Friday and we can’t wait to welcome you inside.
Fringe by the Sea is for everyone: big people, little people, four-legged friends so, whether you’re coming to see a show or not, you can still soak up the festival atmosphere at the North Berwick Trust Festival Hub with free live music and performances from the Lighthouse Live Stage, have a wander round the stalls at the Coulters Makers’ Market, grab a bite to eat at our Street Food Village or Pincho tapas bar, or a drink from our new container bars.
All the big headline shows have now sold out but with more than 225 events in the programme, there is a lot more to uncover whether you’re looking for family fun, musical gems or inspiring talks.
Maker’s Mark, the handmade bourbon from Kentucky, has teamed up with Edinburgh’s finest bars and artisan producer Scottish Bee Company, to celebrate Maker’s Remarkable Neighbourhood Initiative for the first time in Scotland.
You can enjoy limited edition drinks on a new bourbon cocktail trail across Leith until May 31st.
Three Edinburgh bars, Nauticus, Mother Superior and Innis and Gunn, have created their twist on a Maker’s Mark’s ‘Gold Rush’ cocktail made with honey syrup, lemon, and Maker’s Mark bourbon.
The brand’s signature serve has been chosen for cocktail lovers to enjoy and, as a delicious option for those who might not have tried bourbon before, for its smooth and well–balanced flavours.
Imaginative drinks from Edinburgh’s top bartenders are available exclusively on curated menus in each bar until the end of the month and feature homegrown honey by Scottish Bee Company to enhance the bold flavours of Maker’s Mark bourbon.
Menu highlights in venues include a refreshing Fools Gold at Nauticus with Maker’s Mark, Edinburgh Honey Co, ginger, rooibos tea, fresh grapefruit and lime. Or try a smoky Maker Break cocktail at Mother Superior, expertly mixed with Maker’s Mark, Laphroaig 10yr Old, lemon and honey syrup.
The Remarkable Neighbourhood Initiative takes place in May throughout the UK across Bristol, Manchester and Edinburgh, with 18 of the UK’s best bars and restaurants part of the exciting programme of craft cocktails and events.
All are designed to explore iconic bourbon cocktails whilst celebrating local communities and neighbourhoods. Bars have been selected for their superior quality and sustainable practice, and partnerships with local, artisan honey producers will occur in each city, paying homage to Maker’s Mark recent B – Corp certification.
Handcrafted in small batches, Maker’s Mark bourbon is crafted with precision and care to create a smooth yet full flavoured bourbon whiskey. Their production process includes rotating each barrel by hand and hand dipping each bottle at their distillery in Loretto, Kentucky in order to create the best-tasting Bourbon whiskey.
Edinburgh: Remarkable Neighbourhood – Edinburgh: Leith
Mother Superior Book your table by calling 0131 554 5280
Celebrate your local neighbourhood in style this May. MAKER’S MARK Remarkable Neighbourhood runs until May 31st across Leith in Edinburgh. For more information, visit https://www.makersmark.com/uk
Businesses in Edinburgh city centre are being encouraged to note their interest for Eat Out Edinburgh 2023; a tasty restaurant campaign returning to the capital for a second year.
Following the success of the inaugural Eat Out Edinburgh in 2022, Essential Edinburgh – the capital’s dedicated Business Improvement District (BID) – has announced that its two-week celebration of all things food, drink and hospitality will be back to help support the wider sector as it slowly recovers from the challenges from the past few years.
The BID comprises those businesses located from St James Quarter to St Andrew Square, to George Street and Princes Street and as far as the Johnnie Walker Whisky Experience. Essential Edinburgh is urging those interested businesses within the BID area to sign up soon, whether they participated in 2022 or would like to be a part of the 2023 campaign for the first time.
Celebrating the best of food, drink and hospitality, and with over 20 participating venues already confirmed, the Eat Out Edinburgh 2023 campaign will run for two weeks from 13th to 26th March.
A bumper list of participating Edinburgh venues will be announced in the coming weeks, promoting special tasting menus, set menus, events and exclusive offers to attract bookings and increased footfall throughout the campaign period.
From business breakfasts to leisurely lunches and evening gatherings over dinner and cocktails, the Eat Out Edinburgh campaign has been designed to bring friends, family and colleagues together whilst helping to support the city’s vibrant hospitality sector.
Roddy Smith, Chief Executive & Director, Essential Edinburgh, said: “Following the success of last year’s campaign, we are bringing back Eat Out Edinburgh for 2023 – with the help of our partner businesses in the hospitality industry, we want it to be bigger and better than 2022.
“This unique celebration of food and drink enables our residents, visitors and office workers to enjoy what’s on offer with special menus, events and offers for city centre workers.
“After the challenges of the past few years, there is a real appetite for people to come and enjoy all that our city centre has to offer. So whether you’re a local, from the wider Lothians region or visiting from further afield, we know there will be something on offer to suit all tastes.”
Business can register interest before Friday 10th February by contacting:
Kay’s Bar in Edinburgh’s New Town has a reputation for selling top quality real ale and this has resulted in Kay’s being awarded the local CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Branch’s 2022 Real Ale Quality Award.
CAMRA’s members provided beer quality scores during 2022 when visiting real ale pubs in the Branch area (there are over 300) and Kay’s came out top for its average score – not only in Edinburgh but throughout the Lothians and Borders.
The presentation will be made by the CAMRA Branch Chair, Pat Hanson, to Simon Fisher, manager at Kay’s, at 8pm on Thursday (19th January 2023) at the pub.
On hearing the news of the award Kay’s landlord Fraser Gillespie said: “We are delighted with this recognition by CAMRA of our commitment to serving a range of quality real ales”
Runners up in Edinburgh were the Mitre (Royal Mile) and the Dreadnought (Leith).
