Cocktail Crawl.

Hello Everyone ! 
For ages I've been planning a trip around some of the best cocktail bars in Edinburgh. There is so many good ones in the Burgh and I wish I could have got round them all, although my liver probably  disagrees. I chose these four simply because every time I've been I've had an excellent experience. Me and Casey started out Journey at: 

1. Bar Kohl  

We started our journey at the wonderful bar kohl. After attending there birthday bash I had to pop in again for another fresh cocktail. I had a 'Garden Bramble':Hendrick's gin, cucumber, fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup & lejay creme de mure. Case had the 'Pear shaped': Sailor Jerry , Xante pear liquer , fresh lime juice , cinnamon syrup and fresh apple juice. I love the ambiance in bar Kohl, the low lighting sets the tone perfectly.

2. Dragonfly

Our second stop was the lovely Dragonfly bar on West bow. I love the quirkiness of Dragonfly, the cute mezzanine level looking over to the space below. It's a great wee cosy spot to enjoy their wonderful  cocktails. I can't exactly remember what was in mine but I remember it tasted damn fine. Casey had an espresso martini which was delicious as well. 

3. 52 Canoes 

Our 3rd stop was a very colourful little place down the West end. It's a tiki themed den with mismatching furniture and lots of interesting bits and bobs. We managed to grab one of the last tables as it was absolutely packed! My cocktail was a gingery delight. Casey went for a cheeky pina colada. Definitely worth a look. The food menu also looks spectacular. 

4. Bramble

Our last stop was Bramble on Queen street. This underground hide out is a stunning example of a good cocktail bar. The drinks are unique and beautiful. Good music blasting and tasty drinks, what else do you need... 

All of the bars we visited were excellent and there's so many more to try, all in good time my friends. 

Christmas in the Burgh.

After finally coming to terms that Christmas is nearly upon us, I thought I'd put a wee post up to show how pretty Edinburgh is over the Christmas period. From mulled wine at the Christmas market to getting a birds-eye view of the city from the big wheel nothing will disappoint. It's not just the Princes street area either. There's a crimbo tree on every corner I tell ya. 

Merigoround in the Gardens 

There's Gildo at the christmas market 

Multrees walk

St Andrews square bar 

Tree at the Dome 

Christmas market 

Big wheel

Perfect for presents !

The 'Star flyer' at St Andrews square 

Stuck for present ideas ? Check out the craft reactor exhibition at Hula juice bar :

https://www.facebook.com/hulajuicebar?fref=ts

Outside looking in.

Hello!
I have been wandering around lately searching for some fine window displays to throw up on ye olde blog. Once again the  Grassmarket has come up trumps. The thing I love about these are they're not in your face but still bold and cute enough to catch your eye. There is so many more I need to photograph but unfortunately my camera suddenly died with no warning. So keep an eye out for some more photos I will be sticking up soon.

Black box boutique on Victoria street

Hannah Zakari on Candlemaker row

Book shop Golden hare on Victoria street p.s LOVE the marshmallows 

Harvey Nichols

Although I prefer independent businesses Harvey Nichols always have a crazy window display.
                                                              
Which one is your favourite ? 

Gelato in the Grassmarket.

I am in love with Edinburgh's Grassmarket. There I said it.  

The old town colourful streets wrap around local businesses and familiar faces. To top it all off there has been a semi recent addition to the Grassmarket family; GELATO. I know what you're thinking. How could something so cold possibly be enjoyed somewhere so cold. Trust me, 3 degree weather should be no reason to not enjoy a cheeky wee sorbet. Ignore the frosty breath and numb toes and go to Mary's Milk Bar. 

They make all of their Gelato on site and also home make the chocolate treats which are gorgeously gift wrapped. 

I had the Spiced apple sorbet and the Super dark chocolate sorbet which are both dairy free! Perfect for vegans and allergies. They were both absolutely delicious and I am dying to get back in there and try some more!

Along with the homemade artisan chocolate there's drinks like Affogato and Hot chocolate which I am still needing to try. Thank goodness it's just down the road. Lovely wee place, the only sad part is when you eat it all. 

Cocktails, good company and a very special birthday bash.

Bonjour

On Thursday I was lucky enough to attend a very special 20 year milestone for Bar Kohl located on George IV bridge Edinburgh. Bar Kohl is a gorgeous cocktail creating hub sitting in the old town area of the city and has been entertaining people since 1993. To celebrate their 20th birthday they have launched an amazing new menu particularly focusing on fresh apple, pineapple, lemon and lime juice to make their cocktails taste even better! The juice is made by my very own place of work Hula juice bar just down the road. The night itself was spectacular with lofty lighting, 90's beats blasting and complementary nibbles and drinks all night, it simply wasn't possible to be unimpressed. Thank you for an excellent night. 

 

Left: Dress-Little white lies , Shoes&Socks Topshop
 Right: Dress-Missguided, shoes & tights H&M 

Amy and Caseys cafe crawl extraordinaire.

Good day!

In this post i've decided to focus more on the lifestyle side of my blog , and what a life I lead. I work full time in a cafe and for some reason every single day off I have, I decide to spend in other cafes, and my oh my there is some amount of cafes in Edinburgh! So me and my pal Casey decided to narrow our choices down to 5 and go on a cafe crawl ...

The plan

Our journey began at Freemans in the Marchmont area. Freemans is a quirky cafe with a relaxed vibe and comfy interior. With a spread of armchairs and benches you can always find a corner to nestle in. There is also free wifi which is always a bonus. The main thing I enjoy about Freemans is their focus on good coffee with guest espressos and perfectly sized flat whites they honestly have something for everyone. 

LOVE IT

Our second stop on the crawl was Artisan roast in Brunstfield which is a pint-sized hang out with friendly staff and a cosy atmosphere. Artisan roast, roasts all of their own coffee beans and are an independent business based in Edinburgh. While having a few cafes around the city, they also have their own roastery and supply beans to a lot of other top cafes and restaurants around Edinburgh, including the cafe where I work: Hula juice bar. Their coffee is without doubt one of the best in the city and they have a bean to satisfy everyone's taste. 

Soya picollo and El chollo brew 

Next, we tried somewhere a bit different. Pekoe tea of Edinburgh in Tollcross is a loose leaf tea specialist who stock 100 loose leaf teas which you can buy or try inside their calm interior. They also have a selection of adorable tea ware.  I had 'white monkey green tea' which acted as an excellent  detox after all the coffee I had just drunk and tasted amazing. Casey had the 'chocolate mint rooibos tea' which tasted equally superb. I will definitely be coming back here to try out some more teas and maybe even purchase a cute teapot.

Of course I didn't give it time to cool.

Looking glass books was our fourth stop. It is tucked away in the quarter mile area of the city and is a wee gem. Half bookshop half cafe it is a perfect balance with a large selection of interesting books to browse through. Smiley staff and miss matched furniture fits perfectly. I had a delicious soya hot chocolate which was a perfect winter warmer and Casey a peppermint tea. This is one of my favourite spots and if I'm ever struggling for something to do on my day off I can sit here for hours and pretend to be productive. 

Our 5th and final stop was Brew lab on South College Street. It is on a quiet cobbled side street. However it's the opposite inside with students getting on with work and friends chatting and laughing. It provides a great atmosphere for concentrating or a catchup. The interior is gorgeous with exposed brick work and restored wooden tables and chairs to plonk down on. I tried the decaf filter coffee as our over consumption of caffeine had finally hit us. uh oh. The decaf was extremely fragrant, fruity and refreshing. It was different to anything else I had tasted before but I will definitely try it again. Brew lab is a definite stop off for a rainy day, which is most days...

Ok so those were the five great places in the cafe crawl. In all of them I was greeted with a smile and made to feel as welcome as possible. However, I couldn't do a post about cafes and not include my own place of work. Warning. This will be 100% biased but who cares eh. Hula juice bar situated in the Grassmarket has recently been voted the 'best cafe in Edinburgh 2013' by readers of 'The Skinny'. I've worked in Hula for around 5 years and have kind of grown up with it, watching the interior and menu evolve over my time there. From green super juices to Artisan roast coffee, Hula is a health kick and a half with gluten-free goodness as well. I promise you will never be disappointed with fresh art exhibited on the walls and homemade soups and salads changing daily. No matter if it's 8 in the morning or 4 in the afternoon, you will always get a smile and a warm welcome. Especially if you've read this blog post!

I Hope this has inspired you to try out some of the best hang-outs in Edinburgh. See ya!