Tonic

Bar Tonic – Cocktail Bar Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s intimate cocktail bar where it’s all about you.

Come in, sit back and have a look at our award winning cocktail menu to see what takes your fancy, or forget the chair and enjoy the music as one of our bartenders creates the drink of your dreams, whatever that may be.

As a small independent bar we have very few restrictions on what we can do.

We can make new and exciting drinks each and every day, using all the best homemade ingredients to quench your thirst, whilst creating the perfect atmosphere for the occasion.

As Dale DeGroff said: “A bartender is most definitely on stage”  And he was certainly right – we aren’t just here to provide the drinks but the entertainment too.

http://www.bar-tonic.co.uk

TartanSpoon - REVIEW, Tonic Cocktail Bar, Edinburgh

The menu is broken down into six sections of cocktails namely – Vodka, Gin, Rum, Whisky, Tequila and the Classics.

The cocktail is made with Orange infused Ketel One, Briottet Creme de Cassis de Dijon, apple juice, lemon juice, egg white, raspberry sugar syrup topped with their famous strawberry swirls.

I remained on the Vodka page and chose barman Connor’s entry into the cocktail bible, the Red Sky at Night and Lotte skipped over to the Rum page and went for the I Open at the Close.

I usually have Rum based cocktails but was super happy staying with the Vodka ones.

This cocktail contains Grey Goose Vodka, Briottet liqueur de Litchi, fresh lychee juice, lime juice and grenadine.

Bar Tonic – Cocktail Bar Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s intimate cocktail bar where it’s all about you.

Come in, sit back and have a look at our award winning cocktail menu to see what takes your fancy, or forget the chair and enjoy the music as one of our bartenders creates the drink of your dreams, whatever that may be.

As a small independent bar we have very few restrictions on what we can do.

We can make new and exciting drinks each and every day, using all the best homemade ingredients to quench your thirst, whilst creating the perfect atmosphere for the occasion.

As Dale DeGroff said: “A bartender is most definitely on stage”  And he was certainly right – we aren’t just here to provide the drinks but the entertainment too.

Daffy's Gin, Edinburgh, gin review - Scotsman Food and Drink

First seen in the craft beer movement and now reflected in spirits, small batch gin is fast becoming a prized commodity.

With this in mind we went to the Good Spirits Company on Glasgow’s Bath Street, to speak to spirit expert Matthew McFadyen and mixologist Khi Leonard – a former finalist in the Diageo World Class – about their thoughts and recommendations on some of Scotland’s up-and-coming gins.

With tonic (one part gin to two parts Fever Tree): Spring light, mint appears again, little bit floral mixed through with herbs, orange overtakes lemon towards the finish, leaves it feeling sweet, goes down very easy.

Matthew says: “A lovely fresh gin that’s as good neat as it is with tonic.

Khi’s choice: “I chose King’s gin for the Daffy’s because it is light and fresh, I wanted a cocktail that would let the aromatics shine and compliment the gin.”

Honeycomb & Co, restaurant review, Edinburgh - Scotsman Food ...

As you don’t have to stick with one salad as a side, we went for two half portions alongside our lemon and dill plastered poached salmon fillet, which came with a blob of creamy “bergamot aioli”.

There was a mulchy forest-floor-y one with sweet miso roasted aubergine, sesame seeds and speckles of quinoa, as well as other titbits; plus a version featuring roast za’atar sprinkled sweet potato, spinach and pomegranate.

It consisted of a large vinyl-album-sized flatbread topped with an assemblage including sprigs of dill, stamps of lamb, still glossy from the pan, yet more pomegranate seeds and a sugary molasses dressing.

The shakshuka (£9), served in a cast iron pot, was good too, with the usual mixture of tomato and peppers in a thick blanket of acidic tomato sauce and a whole egg baked into the mix, as well as a sprinkling of hazelnut dukkah, yogurt, a topping of crisped-up and crumbled black pudding and a napkin of flatbread on the side.

The strawberry mille feuille (£6.50) was pleasant, with sheets of light puff pastry cemented together by crème patissiere, and a few scatter-y shards of meringue and berry on the side, plus a blob of pistachio gelato.

Tonic | Bars and pubs in New Town, Edinburgh

Tonic has been around for more than 15 years so it’s a survivor.

At the moment, it’s friendly staff creating a real sense of welcome in the contemporary, non-flashy interior – and a commendable cocktail list.

If Tonic has one unmissable cocktail though it’s the magisterial Lost: single malt and blended Scotch (Talisker and Johnny Walker Black Label), Velvet Falernum and Peychaud’s Bitters: layered with flavour, it’s really quite remarkable.