Bar Review: Brass Monkey, Edinburgh

It’s not often you get ‘lost’ in a venue, with the outside world seemingly miles away as you absorb yourself in a new surrounding – perhaps the cinema is the most popular place to get away from it all. If you’re looking for somewhere more social than the movies however, the Brass Monkey bar could be the place for you.

Nestled just off Nicholson Street, this ‘secret of the city’ has everything you would expect in a pub – stools around the bar, seats, a TV and, obviously, alcohol. Continue through the venue though, and you will find a large room plastered with tens of enchanting movie posters, some of which have been cleverly adapted to feature the Brass Monkey name – ‘Twelve (Brass) Monkeys’ being an example. With several other movies to spot, you’ll find yourself drawn to the walls, examining them on a journey of nostalgia, trying to identify those you have seen.

The most stunning aspect of the room is the mattress-seating ‘arena’, which is essentially two big mattresses made up of several mattresses – you can spread out, relax and ultimately unwind, with or without company.

At 3pm every day there is a selection of films which you can choose from to be shown on a projector screen, giving you the perfect opportunity to lounge and enjoy a classic. With snacks and an adequate choice of beverages available, it really is an intimate escape.

As a uniquely reflective place to go in the middle of the afternoon and as a lively venue in the evening, Brass Monkey provides an inviting, comfy atmosphere, allowing you to sink into a film (and into the mattresses), socialise and relax, leaving your troubles at the door.

Brass Monkey: 14 Drummond Street, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH8 9TU: 0131 556 1961