The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Glass of winter magic
Karla Sinclair revels in the tastes, experience and atmosphere of a pop-up bar and restaurant
Ness Walk in Inverness has opened a magical pop-up bar and restaurant for the festive season, known as Bruach Wintertide. The five-star hotel nestled on the banks of the River Ness will be offering a mouthwatering line-up of street food dishes and festive-themed drinks until Friday, December 31 in the space, which is located in the hotel’s garden.
Featuring fairy lights, glamorous decor, soft throws and more, around £4,000 was invested into bringing Bruach Wintertide to life.
The space, which is open to residents and non-residents of Ness Walk, has a capacity of 50.
In terms of what food and drinks are on offer for customers, there is something to suit all tastes.
Bubble & Goose Hospitality will be serving up delicious street food, while Highland Mixology has curated an enticing cocktail and mocktail menu to accompany.
Queenie scallops, crispy cayenne buffalo wings, chorizo and king prawn linguine, a Bruach beef burger and Philly cheesecake loaded fries all feature, as well as a range of daily specials.
As for the drinks, the quirky line-up includes gin, rum, wine, whisky and vodka-based concoctions such as a Gin-gle All The Way, Gingerbread Snowman, Spiced Fig Punch and Festive Fizz.
There is also a Butterbeer cocktail comprising Bumbu Rum, butter candy vodka, cider, ginger beer, pumpkin spice syrup topped with whipped cream.
Cocktail prices vary from £8.50-15 and mocktails cost £6. Beers, wines and other soft drinks are also available.
Arran McAleer, marketing manager for the Kingsmills Hotel Group which operates Ness Walk and Kingsmills Hotel, said: “Bruach Wintertide offers a unique experience to Inverness this festive season.
“We have collaborated with local favourites Bubble & Goose and Highland Mixology to create an enchanting dining experience with delicious street food and theatrical cocktails.
“The goal is to bring to Inverness a winter food and drink experience similar to those in popular festive destinations like Edinburgh and London.
“We will be continually refreshing our menus and adding new seasonal dishes and cocktails in the build-up to Christmas.”
Kitting out Bruach Wintertide took just two days (Monday November 8 and Tuesday November 9) to complete. It officially opened on Thursday November 11.
Arran, who joined the Kingsmills Hotel Group in August 2018 in the build-up to Ness Walk opening in June 2019, said: “The exterior now features beautiful purple uplighting and an arched entrance, perfect for an Instagram photo.
“Inside, we have continued the theme with purple uplighting and created an enchanting and classy feel with the addition of winter-inspired decorations and subtle lighting.
“Additionally, the seats are now adorned with extremely comfortable Spanish Boho sheepskins, and the floor features similar large rugs throughout.
“We have been completely taken aback by the initial support we have received since launching Bruach Wintertide last week.
“Bookings have been flying in. Our first weekend was a massive success, with the teams from Bubble & Goose and Highland Mixology blowing our guests away.
“For me, my favourite aspect of Bruach
Wintertide is the collective experience you get when you visit.
“The opportunity to enjoy the best street food and cocktails in the city at a truly stunning location is really special. The Galician mulled wine is a close second.”
Bruach Wintertide is open from noon to 9pm Thursday to Saturday with Sunday brunch served from 10am to 4pm.
Walk-ins are welcome, however booking is strongly advised.
“The space will run until the end of the year before we take a brief break and prepare for the next chapter in our Bruach story,” the 25-year-old added.
For further information on Bruach Wintertide and all of Ness Walk’s festive events or accommodation bookings visit nesswalk.com or call 01463
215215.
WE WILL BE REFRESHING OUR MENUS AND ADDING NEW SEASONAL DISHES AND COCKTAILS IN THE RUN-UP TO CHRISTMAS