Bramble

The 2012 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2012) edition.

Passers-by can be forgiven for not noticing Bramble – this place does everything short of donning a glasses-nose-moustache combo in its effort to remain disguised. Indeed, not content merely to be buried in a Queen Street basement, it doesn’t even boast a sign. To Edinburgh’s cocktail cognoscenti, however, it has been firmly on the map for the last five years – first and foremost for the bar staff’s imperious ability to mix an extensive selection of drinks. Bramble’s appeal is also enhanced by a number of quirky touches: drinks menus concealed within covers of hard-backed books, a number of cocktails served in teacups, and seating arrangements limited to perches in nooks, crannies and alcoves in its small, yet strangely labyrinthine interior.

• High point: An escape from everyday Edinburgh
• Low point: Slightly hit and miss music selection