Copper Blossom

New kid on the style bar George Street block and it’s lady who lunches spring time chic. Very light, bright, with that whole mishmash furniture thing but more French great aunt’s salon than city hipster digs. Rating 3 stars as the service was attentive, plenty of bar/​waiting staff and drinks/​cocktails all reasonably priced for such a location but the food was a let down. Bistro/​high end bar type items you can pretty much get anywhere and done better. Portions a bit meh, flavours bland and menu seems at odds with the style. Would suggest better just for drinks with your most feminine of friends.

i have to say i was totally shocked when we wandered past this place on a thursday night and decided to go in. namely because i’m usually in the know when it comes to new bars and restaurants in edinburgh and i’d never even know that this place existed. to be fair it’s set in the basement under ESPC and i’m pretty sure that nothing existed there before… so perhaps my lack of knowledge was due to there not being much information floating around the social media world.
anyway, we decided to give the place a try as it had tables available and our other choices that evening sadly did not. i was a bit unsure as generally basement locations mean dark clubs with music that is far too loud and way too many people for my liking. however Copper Blossom is not this at all. it’s like an english country garden on a lovely summers day, with flowers all about either on cushions or painted onto the wall as you enter. the décor is lovely and i would love the designer to do my flat when i eventually buy one in the future. there are a mix of tables, high and low, and a bunch of seats round the bar. we were sat at a high table which is usually fine but i found that the overly cushionyness of the chair meant that the table ended up being just a wee bit too high for me… not great but maybe they could lower their tables a bit? however i did spot booths along one side and cosy looking sofas with low tables near the back so i’ll go for one of those in the future.
the drinks menu isn’t massive, but has a really good list of cocktails. there looked to be about a dozen specialty ones and i’m sure that the bartenders could make you any of the classics as well. i was drawn in by the Blossom Martini which turned out to be an incredibly lovely drink. it basically tasted like melted sherbet and came with a pretty flower on top. i’m pretty sure it was my spirit animal in drink form… had i not had an early start the next day i would have ordered these to closing time but i had to settle with just two. i will need to try a few other cocktails next time i go but i think i’d find it hard not to just order a blossom martini because it was just so good.
to go with my drink i ordered the chicken caesar salad and a side of polenta chips. i know that a caesar salad can be a bit on the dull side, but this version was really tasty with what appeared to be homemade croutons and two strips of very crispy bacon topping off the salad. there was a good amount of chips and not too much dressing (which i hate) although i don’t recall there be any parmesan cheese which would be the only negative point. also at £6.95 for a starter this was an incredibly good size, definitely more of a main size than a starter for me which worked perfectly as i’d ordered it for my meal. the caesar salad also comes with the option to have lobster instead of chicken if you’re feeling fancy. the polenta chips were quite tasty, although £3 for six chips is a bit steep. maybe £2 would be a better price mark. the chips were crispy on the outside with a soft polentay centre inside. the tomato dipping sauce was nice as well.
so overall for a place that i had no idea even existed, i thoroughly enjoyed my evening there. the wait staff were really friendly and helpful, the food was tasty and the drinks were incredibly good. i loved the whole vibe and will definitely be back! although my only hope is that this place isn’t taken over by the want to be seen george street crowd or super posh students…

Stopped by for a look see and stayed for four cocktails. The latest addition to New Town. This place is understated and has a well curated cocktail selection. When so many new bars are going kitsch, this place has a great vibe and isn’t overly pretentious even tho the staff are in bow ties, collared shirts and braces. My friend and I were very well looked after, our questions about our drinks very aptly answered. They have a big screen which can be hidden away but the rugby world cup was much appreciated. Looking forward to trying out the food menu on my next visit.

I had watched work progress on Copper Blossom for the past few weeks and went in on Thursday (17^th Sept) for dinner and drinks.
It is lovely inside. Even entering the bar (at basement level) on North Castle St, it is all lights and painted pavement and so pretty.
Inside it was beautiful, high-​end marble tables but also part shabby-​chic with cream colours and plants.
We were able to grab one of the high tables that was fine for 5 of us and perused the menu’s. A mini dish menu is available between 3−10pm and includes things like squid (£6) polenta chips (£3) and reblouchon (£5). Many of these are not gluten free so I ate off the dinner menu. Ask for the allergen menu as it contains full details of what you can have if you have any dietary requirements. Staff were friendly and helpful and discussed being able to adapt dishes to what I wanted which is a nice touch.
My duck was lovely but there were elements of my dish that were hot and others lukewarm like they had been plated too early. One of my dining companions also had hit and miss experiences with their selection of mini dishes.
The cocktails are stellar though. The Blossom Martini is fabulous. There is an underground space where all sorts of alchemy is being done by the team in infusing spirits and in being able to produce clear bloody mary’s!
So, I think the kitchen might just take some time to bed in as we were a mixed table with bites and main orders, but the cocktails are fab and I’ll definitely be back :-)