October signals autumn’s arrival for me – time to hunker down, catch up with family and friends after August’s Fringe madness, and usually recover from my September holiday.
This year’s different though. I’ve shifted my break to later, which means for once, I’m actually here for Edinburgh Cocktail Week.
Running from 3 to 12 October (12 noon to 11pm daily, 8pm Sunday close), this year’s festival promises to be bigger than ever. The redesigned Cocktail Village at Festival Square has 24 pop-up bars, double the number of £5 cocktails, an outdoor drinks terrace, village pub extension, all-day live music, a new street food market, and – brilliantly – a dog-friendly policy on weekdays.
But here’s the real draw: over 100 bars citywide are offering £5 cocktails throughout the 10-day festival. It’s the perfect excuse to finally venture past the doors of those cocktail bars you’ve always wanted to try but feared for your wallet’s well-being! Familiar faces like The Dome, Tigerlily and The Alchemist return alongside 30-plus newcomers, including BABA, Bar 1819, Brunswick Book Club, Crybaby, Edinburgh Gin Distillery Bar, Little Beef Bar, The Spanish Butcher, The Volley and Vessel – quite a lineup.
The Prestige Cocktails return too – elevated serves from the city’s most talented mixologists for £9 with a wristband. Panda & Sons, recently crowned with World’s Best Cocktail Menu, leads the pack alongside newcomers The Hoxton, Lucky Liquor, Nor’ Loft (a favourite) and Joao’s Place in W Hotel Edinburgh, which I highly recommend and will certainly be visiting again. Returning favourites include The Register Club, Devil’s Advocate, and Lady Libertine.
Wristband options are sensibly priced: Weekend passes £12.50, weekday £8, or splash out £18 for the full ten-day experience.
edinburghcocktailweek.co.uk
Bar Prince Raises the Bar
Despite 25 years in Edinburgh, I’d shamefully never stepped inside the Balmoral’s Bar Prince – until recently, when I was invited to sample their new “Connected Icons” menu. Each cocktail tells a story rooted in the hotel’s history, from celebrated guests to that famously three-minutes-fast clocktower.
‘The Proud Scotsman’ caught my attention immediately – a tribute to Sir Sean Connery, who reopened The Balmoral in 1991. Blending Aberfeldy 16, Sweetdram Amaro, Drambuie, walnut bitters and lemon oil, it’s bold and complex with smooth Hollywood elegance. Very Bond, very Edinburgh.
‘Always on Time’ cleverly references the clocktower’s charming tradition (three minutes fast to ensure passengers never miss trains, except on Hogmanay when Edinburgh joins the world’s countdown). My friends might say that it should also be my nickname – either that, or ‘Annoyingly early’. Mixing X Muse Vodka with Highland Park 18, lemon juice, spiced agave and plum bitters, it captures that moment when time stands still – smooth with a touch of smoke.
‘The Glamis’ pays homage to both the castle and the hotel’s Glamis Suite, celebrating local whisky with warming chilli, softened by sweetness and grounded by earthy artichoke. Each sip is a journey through Edinburgh’s stories.
New kid on Shandwick Place
Now, strike me down, but pizza and small plates aren’t typically my go-to food choices. My friends find it laughable, or just fussy! However, there’s a new arrival on Shandwick Place that’s apparently the hottest hangout for cocktails and sharing plates.
Social by Matto is the fourth venture from the family-run team behind MATTO, Edinburgh’s popular pizza joints in Newington, Meadowbank and Morningside. While the cuisine might not be my usual preference, I’ll never refuse a frozen Aperol margarita!
The menu features Venetian cicchetti for grazing, small plates, sharing plates, pizza and pizzette, loaded crisps, and indulgent desserts made with top-quality Italian and Scottish ingredients. They’re also first in the city to provide golden scissors for easy pizza cutting – a nice touch. Cool me a cynic, but I wonder how many of those will find their way into people’s handbags?
The drinks list is extensive and Italian-themed: from tiramisu martinis to Social lager on draught, even an Irn Bru whisky sour. There really is something for everyone. Inspired by Venetian Bacari – wine bars where locals gather for cicchetti, finger foods, and ombre (small wine glasses) – the restaurant offers an exclusively Italian wine list, accompanied by expert staff who explain perfect pairings.
Social By Matto sits at 97 Shandwick Place, and despite my usual reservations about pizza joints, the cocktail game here might just win me over.
October’s shaping up nicely – cocktail week adventures await, and perhaps I’ll surprise myself by enjoying those small plates after all.
https://socialbymatto.co.uk/
