‘Tis the season to be Jolly.. about finding a genuine gem of a gin joint
You wouldn’t expect to find one of Scotland’s finest gin jaunts tucked up an alleyway but then life is full of surprises.
And the good ones tend to be when and where you least expect them.
The Jolly Gin And Craft have an eye- popping 80 varieties of gin on offer, from their signature Jolly Botanist and Kintyre pink gin to a delicious poppy liqueur cocktail, which is a proper f loral assault on the senses.
The staff really know their stuf f , recommending their favourites whether you are a gin novice or a connoisseur.
And as if that wasn’t enough, craft beer fans can also have a field day with dozens of artisan labels on offer, including the Edinburgh-brewed Radical Road.
We enjoyed all of this in a cheery bar with a romantic Mediterranean gin ga rden fee l , complete with a wisteriafe stooned ceiling, hanging lanterns and mismatched wooden chairs.
So with the drink sorted, lunch was a huge sharing board of tasty delights including arancini balls, halloumi sticks, haggis scotch eggs and chicken skewers accompanied by a trio of homemade dips and salsa. For the main course, I opted for their delicious crispy chicken oriental noodles, while my other half went for the seismic all- day brunch. Needless to say, we couldn’t even look at dessert.
The staff were all young, hip and friendly and proud to tell us about the modern bar, which opened in March after having a £300,000 refurbishment. It’s the sister pub to Edinburgh’s awardwinning venue The Jolly Botanist – so it won’t be a shock when it picks up some gongs of its own.