Arts - Just For Culture

Just For Culture

Live Review: Calyx & TeeBee, DJ Zinc, Special Request - Liquid Rooms, Edinburgh, 6 February 2016

8/2/2016

It was about 2.40am when Calyx & TeeBee blasted smash hit ‘Long Gone’ around the Edinburgh Liquid Rooms on 6 February 2015.

Even for what was already a rowdy as hell night, it’s safe to say that this was a defining moment. The moment Calyx’s voice came on the track, eyes opened even wider, feet shifted slightly faster, endless grins darted from side to side. Half the people in the front row were dumbstruck to the point that they looked as if they had stolen their own bodies and were about to be caught out.

Questionable dance moves were being thrown in every direction. The dance floor was taking a beating. You could say that the place erupted when ‘Long Gone’ dropped, but the truth was, it was already long gone before that – no pun intent ended (f*ck it, pun intended). To be honest, the entire night was absolute carnage.

Special Request (aka Paul Woolford) took to the decks early doors and didn’t exactly provide a tame start. The thing about a drum and bass night, you see, is that there’s an awful lot of drum and bass. And drum and bass doesn’t tend to be too gentle. Certainly not in this case.

Woolford brought some filthy basslines. They were absolutely unrelenting; dirtier than a night out with David Cameron during the pig years and filthier than George Osborne’s immortal soul.

Speaking of Mr. Cameron, we noticed that our Prime Minister was trending on Twitter this morning for claiming the “Brexit could bring ‘jungle’ to the UK”. Dave clearly wasn’t at Liquid Rooms at the weekend, because the jungle is already here. DJ Zinc unleashed a specialist jungle set at 1am and easily could’ve headlined on the strength of it. The man almost tore the roof off when he dropped a remix of Fugees – Ready or Not.

Calyx and TeeBee took over for the final hour, and if you’d think the crowd would be a bit shattered by then, you’re probably a sensible person. Of course, given that it was physically impossible for most of the attendees to stop moving at this point, spirits couldn’t have been higher, and the biggest duo in drum and bass coming onto the decks was only going to get the crowd going even more so.

Phones were in the air, high fives were flying, feet where stomping, ‘Where We Go’ caused a moshpit, ‘Pure Gold’ caused chaos, ‘Elevate This Sound’ was a thing of absolute beauty.

All round, this was probably one of the most full on nights Edinburgh has had the privilege of hosting in 2016. Not for the feint hearted, but for those full of heart, it was not to be missed, and it certainly left the capital crying out for more.

Nightvision Series 4 continues on Saturday 13 February as Skream & Ame take to The Liquid Rooms. Check out the official Nightvision website for the full line up and tickets.

Review: FLY Edinburgh w/ Tom Trago & William Kouam Djoko - Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, 4 December 2015

6/12/2015

Fly Club, Cabaret Voltaire. The venue was always going to be perfect. There’s something about descending into what is effectively a collection of old brick tunnels in the old town of Edinburgh which will never get, well... old.

Fly Club has been providing the soundtrack to the freshest Friday night in Edinburgh for some time now. Their resident Theo Kottis has been picking up regular play time on BBC Radio One recently, the place is pretty much always rammed, and when the Fly team do book guest slots, they tend to do so rather well.

On 4 December it was the turn of Dutch duo Tom Trago and Willam Kouam Djoko to take to the decks in the Scottish capital. The latter has been toning his trade on the Amsterdam club scene for years and making a name for himself far from just the Netherlands.

The former, of course, is a huge name on the electronic scene, and one of the best known in Amsterdam. Trago has three albums under his belt which have all warranted vast acclaim, his list of collaborations makes for impressive reading, and his ability to work a crowd has earned him the right to do exactly that on a regular basis all over the world.

Trago and Djoko fitted together perfectly on stage; similar ideas and music philosophies which blended wonderfully, all of which resulted in a set almost definitely dissimilar to any other on offer in the capital that night.

Catchy hooks circled down the main room over thumping backbeats, floor-shaking speakers funnelling well-thought-through electronics to the packed out audience.

House was the central theme of course, with the loops inspired by elements of hip-hop and jazz, possibly some African roots and the toe-tapping touch of Trago flowing firm and fluently throughout.

The crowd in attendance will no doubt have been drawn to the night either through a long-term following of Trago and his progression through the house scene in recent years, or perhaps even just on the strength of his single releases – the likes of ‘Hidden Heart of Gold’, above, a track so cool that it'll make you feel like Ryan Gosling, even when the only thing stopping your hangover from progressing to certain death is half a leftover chippy lurking ominously next to your bed.

Either way, they – and the JFC team – turned up expecting energy, originality and a set delivering something more than just bassline after bassline. We’re glad to say that we were not disappointed.

The other possibility of course is that the clubbers in the capital have simply learnt to trust in Fly Club to deliver the goods, no matter what the name on the poster. Fly can now add Trago and Djoko to the impressive list of those who have spun under their banner, and they continue to reinforce the point that on a Friday night in Edinburgh, there’s only one place to be.

Review: Annie Mac Presents - Corn Exchange, Edinburgh, 28 November 2015

1/12/2015

There aren’t many club nights in Edinburgh outside of the old town that serve up carefully selected, banging basslines alongside your vodka and coke.

It often feels like it’s difficult to get away from the same old places if you want new beats. Ironically, the old town tends to be the saving grace for new music, while the new town charges you £20 for a shot of WKD and insists on making you listen to David Guetta songs from 2010.

The team at Nightvision have been shaking up the capital club scene for over a year though, bringing some huge electronic names and huge nights to the city. Fittingly, these are normally based in the old town, which is why we were particularly intrigued to see Annie Mac and her ‘AMP’ circus scheduled to shake the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on November 28.

The Irish electronic music idol always smashes it when she comes to the Scottish capital, spinning fresh beats and irresistible loops in front of sell out crowds – and bringing some cracking new acts to warm up the audience as well.

Annie unleashed an hour and a half of what Edinburgh so often misses when she takes her hand off play

This time though, it was a little different, with her usual jamming ground of the HMV Picture House shut since earlier this year – something the JFC team are still rather bitter about – Annie took to the aforementioned Corn Exchange, which presented a few little problems.

The first little problem is that the place is freakin’ massive. It’s more of a hall than a club venue, though Annie brought a big enough turn out to make this a non-issue.

We met one guy at the bar who had travelled down solo from Aberdeen for AMP. Is that weird? Of course it is. But it also shows the cult status of these nights. Either that or that Annie Mac has a stalker or two based in the north of the country.

If there’s one thing we can guarantee anytime you go to the Corn Exchange though, it’s that if you don’t arrive seven hours early, you will never see the middle or the front of the dance floor. Of course, this is normally because of the whole ‘smash-your-way-to-the-front-and-trample-on-little-people’ vibe so common at gigs in Scotland, but it held true for the length of the night at Mac, giving the night a much more music-centric focus.

This, unsurprisingly, was partly down to the fact that the bulk of the audience wanted to stare at Annie Mac as she blasted the chockablock dancefloor with beat after beat, and partly due to the fact that she absolutely killed it.

Coming on around 12.30 after grime-upcomer Stormzy had earned himself a new set of fans, Annie unleashed an hour and a half of what Edinburgh so often misses when she takes her hand off play; big melodies, bigger basslines and a knowledge of the modern music scene so deep that not a single track misses the beat.

The only drawback from her set? Well, that comes in our third and final problem with the Corn Exchange; the license. The venue was only open until 2am, which let’s not lie, is a little bit shit.

It’s already bad enough that the latest club in Edinburgh is only open till 3am, so delivering Annie and then taking her away so early was like being given half a can of Irn Bru for your hangover the next morning - sure, it’s great and you’re going to make the most of it, but it’s not going to last long enough to stop you vomiting in your bathtub in a couple of hours.

Needless to say Annie didn’t put a foot wrong throughout her set, but the night was lessened by that age old problem of a lack of appropriate venues in the capital. Let’s hope that next time, they give her the castle.

Review: The Best Cocktail Bars in Aberdeen

15/10/2015

When you think about Aberdeen, cool and sophisticated cocktail bars might not be the first thing to spring to mind – or the second thing, or the third or the fourth for that matter. But fortunately for you, we’re here to tell you that if this is the case, you’ve been missing out.

If you know where to look, Aberdeen has a handful of lively, chic bars serving delicious and imaginative drinks. Here’s the Just For Culture guide to everything you need to know.

Best for Beginners: Amicus Apple

If you’re new to the cocktail scene (where have you been?), then Amicus Apple is the best place in Aberdeen to get acquainted with these fun and flavourful drinks.

While the menu offers a fairly decent list of beers, ciders, and wines, the cocktails are what make this bar stand out. Tantalising ingredients such as marmalade, green tea syrup, or blood orange liqueur are mixed with fruity flavours and topped with fun and inventive garnishes to make easy-to-drink cocktails. Rather than experimenting with complex drinks which people keep telling you are ‘an acquired taste’, Amicus Apple gives the people what they want: cocktails that look fun and taste good, simple as that.

The bar itself plays it safe with neutral but attractive décor, although the simple clean lines and coloured lights are saved from being boring by the bare brick walls behind the bar and the feature-wall covered in real moss. A favourite with students, couples, and after work drinkers, Amicus Apple is a great place to try out cocktails and just have a good time with friends.

Best Venue: 99 Bar and Kitchen

In an enviable location just off Union Street, 99 Bar and Kitchen is the ideal place for a pre-dinner drink, or the perfect setting for a romantic date.

Its cocktail menu changes seasonally, but is always a balance of the classics you’d expect, and some fun and quirky drinks that you’ll enjoy trying out. Unlike Amicus Apple, however, some of the cocktails at 99 are better left to those who are a bit more familiar with which spirits or flavour combinations they like. While cognac, port, whiskey and ‘home made winter Falernum’ sounds like an intriguing mix (the Smoking Bishop cocktail, currently on their winter menu), some of us soon realised that it’s not something you can gaily down while gossiping with your girlfriends like a Cosmopolitan.

99 is serious about its cocktails, and their daring concoctions may not all be to your taste. Don’t be put off though – swapping drinks and trying each other’s, because you just need to know what apricot and fig infused gin tastes like (found in the Pedro Paramo), is all part of the fun! Plus, even if you end up choosing one of the safer classics, this bar is still a favourite with the JFC gang. Decorated with dark wood, and furnished with an eclectic mismatch of armchairs, pouffes, and stools, the bar feels classy and chic, while still being cosy and comfortable. A winning combination in our eyes!

Best Menu: Dusk

Luxury cocktail bar meets gothic boudoir: in a good way! Your first thought when entering Dusk is, ‘wow, it’s black’. Black walls, black floor, black furniture. However, rather than seeming dark and depressing, Dusk manages to make it decadent and, we’re just going to admit it, a little intimidating.

However, make your way past the opulent mirrors and large flatscreen showing extreme sports (an odd but not unwelcome choice), sit down on one of the black, studded leather sofas, and open a menu. All is forgiven.

Flip past the champagne list (we told you it was decadent) and take your time looking through the many, many cocktails available here. As well as the old favourites, Dusk offers twists on the classics, like an elderflower and Hendricks mojito. They also have a great selection of their own cocktails with something for everyone, no matter what kind of spirit or flavours you prefer. The bartender tells us that the Flirtini is considered their signature and most popular drink and we soon see why: a delicious, fruity mix of Chambord, strawberries, and raspberries, topped with Prosecco.

Once your eyes adjust, you can relax and take your time picking a yummy sounding drink from their long list. While the black leather and chandeliers make it a bit over the top for a first date, Dusk is a great place for a girls’ night out, or some late night drinks on the weekend.

Best Atmosphere: The Tippling House

Advertised simply by a smart window display with the words ‘The Tippling House’ across it in gold, this bar may not be much to look at from the outside, but nip down the stairs into the cellar bar and you’re in for a real treat.

Smartly decorated with solid, wooden booths, hanging lamps and a wood-panelled ceiling, it puts you in mind of an old speakeasy, using words like ‘dapper’, and ‘slick’. We seat ourselves at a table and a waitress comes across with a smile and a couple of glasses of water. The menu has an impressive list of whiskeys and some unusual but appetising snacks, which I make a mental note to come back and try some time – white crab mac ‘n’ cheese sounds a bit more interesting than the usual crisps and peanuts! But what we are really here for is the cocktails, and they look at least as good as the food.

My friend goes for the Bohemian Milk Punch, but I just can’t decide. When the waitress comes back though, it turns out that this isn’t a problem! When I ask for more time with the menu, she suggests that the bar can make something up for me if I tell them which spirit and flavours I like. I go for something fruity with gin, and she comes back ten minutes later with our drinks. And what drinks they are! The Milk Punch is sweet and creamy without being sickly, and my drink is just what I would have asked for if I’d known it existed.

Later, we order gin martinis which are a bit pricey, but expertly made, and who can put a price on perfection? As it gets a bit later, the bar starts to fill up and we’re glad we came early enough to grab one of the comfy booths. With a brilliant combination of a chic interior, delicious drinks and helpful staff, this bar has got to be one of our favourite places to drink in Aberdeen. Perfect for a casual drink with friends, a quick one after work, or a romantic date if you’re quick enough to get a seat!

Anna Williamson

Are Cider Cocktails The Next Big Thing? We Try Them out With Rekorderlig Ambassador Joel Persson

6/2/2015

Joel Persson is the Global Brand Ambassador for Rekorderlig Cider and the only cider ambassador in the world. He knows about cider. He has the hard task of developing the brand with the addition of cider cocktails to their portfolio - being made only more difficult by the fact he is the only person in that type of position.

Cider cocktails had never even crossed our minds before. Having expected to just have a cider tasting session when we headed out to meet Joel, this caught us out and really had us interested.

Having started out as a concept in Australia, it was brought over to the UK, especially London last year, and needless to say, it really took off.

The concept is taking cocktails that already exist and turning them on their head; making traditional cocktails even more appealing with the addition of their ever popular range of flavoured ciders.

There is so much scope for the cocktails which could be created with the different ciders they produce

First up was a twist on the mojito, taking your mojito ingredients - rum, lime, mint, sugar, soda water, ice - then topping it up with their Winter cider! It makes for a pleasant experience which completely changes the way that cider is drank. You get the hit of the mojito but it is finished off with the cider. Very drinkable!

It can also be used to make sharing pitchers of light, fruity cider paired with tequila and lime for summer or even a mulled cider hot toddy in winter. There is so much scope for the cocktails which could be created with all the different ciders which they produce. We even got a sneak peak of their pomegranate cider, something not so sweet and easy to drink, one to watch out for!

With this being the new big thing in some of the biggest bars in London, it won't be long until it's in bars around the country. The company's pitcher concept is currently outselling Pimms by 4:1 in certain bars.

This concept really has the potential to be explode into something huge and has so much scope for developing flavours and trends. We're definitely excited - and you should be too.

John Allan

Bar Review: Beer And Skittles, Edinburgh

30/1/2015

Finding the entrance to Beer and Skittles isn’t the simplest of tasks, but once you’ve passed through the entrance of ‘Steak’ and worked your way down to the basement, you’ll be rewarded with a seat in one of the most stylish bars in Edinburgh.

From the offset, the tasteful decor comes across as modern and welcoming, simple but slick, with low hanging lights and couches that it’s more than easy to settle into in an instant.

The main attraction of the bar isn’t the fine furnishing though, nor even the free pool, as crazy as that may seem. Rather, it’s the 70 hand-selected beers on offer from a total of 39 different countries. Put simply, the selection is outrageously good.

In our introductory session there, we managed to make our way through beers from Kenya, Namibia, Brazil and Canada, as well as sampling the excellent home brew ‘Beer and Skittles’. All reasonably priced as well.

On request, you can pick up a World Beer Tour card – which in our excitement we forgot to do – which lets you chalk off the beers you’ve tried and after making your way through them all (not in one day of course), get the right to have your name and photo on the ‘Hall of Foam’. We have literally no idea what that is, but it sounds excellent.

Decent beers without the condescension of craft beer that the likes of Brew Dog seem to enforce...

The thing is, that with a bar specialising in world beers in a stylish setting, which occasionally puts games – think beer and Jenga, a great, great, dangerous mix – you would normally expect the vibe to be a little bit, well, hipster. And by hipster of course, we really mean dick-ish, but that’s not actually a word.

To our delight though, this was not the case. Not even remotely. The bar certainly has a Shoreditch, London vibe about it – the quirky nature of the games, the free darts and pool worked into a chic layout – but the wonderful news is that it has none of the snobbery about it. It all feels pretty casual.

Bar staff are friendly, welcoming and ready to recommend a beer to your taste. We even ended up having a rather interesting conversation with them about the awesome Australian hip-hop soundtrack that was sounding nicely round the venue.

You might not be able to order certain traditional (where it says traditional, read ‘shit’) lagers ala Carlsberg and Carling and other unfortunate specimens that start with ‘Car’, but this is just the glory of it. You get decent beers without the condescension of craft beer that the likes of Brew Dog seem to enforce.

You can even order draft beers in steins. Steins we tell you!! You know it’s good when we have to use a double exclamation mark.

The vibe of the place, then, is fine but friendly, pairing live sport on multiple screens with cosy booths and a sterling range.

The perfect choice for a comfortable beer or three, and even better for heading to for a date or before a night-out on the town. I think the JFC crew may have found a new regular...

Stuart Kenny

Review: Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party, 31 Dec, 2014

4/1/2015

The Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party. It’s become the stuff of legend, planted deep in the genes of guidebook folklore and featured on more global bucket lists than sweating a 26-miler.

The best thing about it? As long as you tackle it in just the right way, it’ll never fail to live up to the hype – a large part of which is down to the shared mentality of the 80-odd-thousand revellers who end up attending.

‘Come in and do the right thing. Get up and have a party’. A couple of sentences which will guide you towards a memorable night on Princes Street on 31 December, and also, the opening lines to ‘Get Up’ by Young Fathers, the Mercury Award-winning Edinburgh hip-hop act who opened the Waverley Stage on Hogmanay.

Of course, anyone who knows Young Fathers will know that their lyrics go a lot deeper than your usual low-depth, party-endorsing chart act.

Hot Dub Time Machine is the most welcoming, triumphant, irresistible sing-along the world has ever seen... And we can't recommend it highly enough

The trio are bold, confident, original, and most importantly, they know what they’re doing. And they know that they know what they’re doing as well.

The group swaggered around the stage on NYE with the same daring yet expressionless authority that comes across when they talk to the press. Their faces may not give much away, but all the depth you need is planted finely in their lyrics.

Hogmanay partying may not have been the best setting for new listeners to appreciate their craft, but Young Fathers are unquestionably an exceptional act, and they provided an entertaining opening to the night.

The Twilight Sad were up next, but while we are indeed fans of the awesome punk-indie-rock band, we left the Waverley Stage at this point to take on the Hot Dub Time Machine New Year Special a little further up the street. Any event with that many capitalised letters in the name is bound to be exceptional.

The idea is simple: DJ Tom Loud bangs out “instantly recognisable tunes from the 60s to the present day” in chronological order, and the end result is so addictive and accessible that it’s impossible not to get drawn in.

From the Beatles to Queen to Britney Spears and endless others, this is the most fun the JFC team have had in front of a single DJ. We’re largely into different kinds of music and different genres, but Hot Dub isn’t about music appreciation in the typical sense. Put simply, it’s the most welcoming, triumphant, irresistible sing-along the world has ever seen – and we can’t recommend it highly enough.

Back to the Waverley Stage, though, and Twin Atlantic bringing us into 2015. Sam McTrusty and co. did exactly what you’d expect them to do. They absolutely killed it.

Their newer material may be a bit cheesy, but Twin’s stuff has always translated beautifully to the stage. It’s accessible, the riffs are catchy as hell, the hooks are wonderful and McTrusty’s signature twang is the cherry on top of the rocking cake. They’re just a great live band.

Heart and Soul rang from the speakers at midnight and the traditional Auld Lang Syne madness ensued – complete with a JFC colleague yelling at all the rest of us for crossing our hands too early.

A wonderful night and another welcome edition of this categorically must-not-miss event. Truth be told, the street party is almost always more about the people you meet and the random folk you end up hugging than the live acts on stage... But it certainly didn’t hurt this year that the entertainment was out of this world.

So, thank you again for another great game of the Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party. It’s always a guaranteed winner.

Stuart Kenny

Preview: Edinburgh's Hogmanay Street Party - City Centre, 31 December, 2014

29/12/2014

The Edinburgh Hogmanay Street Party has become a legendary event now across the world.

There’s the packed out high street, the backdrop of the castle, the midnight fireworks and the tens of thousands of strangers, many of whom you’re bound to be best mates with by the end of the night.

The thing is, that the night has such a reputation that the organizers could chuck any old bands or capable DJs up on their various stages and it’d be a success, but to the credit of them, they keep going bigger and better. And this year looks like it could be one of the best.

The Waverley Stage line up is what has really been catching eyes since the posters went up around the city. Young Fathers, the brilliant Mercury Award winning hip-hop trio, will be playing their hometown from 9pm, The Twilight Sad are set to follow at 10pm, and Scottish rock superstars Twin Atlantic will take over the show at 11.30pm – playing both before and after the fireworks.

We can’t wait to ring in the New Year to such an unbelievable line up...

Of course, if you’re travelling from abroad or simply after a more traditional element – the famous ceilidh will be in full flow on the street and the Scottish Stage boasts an admirable line up on Frederik Street as well.

We can’t deny that we’ll be spending most our time divided between the Waverley Stage and the Rewinder Stage at the top of the mound though, where Hot Dub Time Machine are set to bring their ‘biggest party ever’ to the capital showdown.

Anyone who has been to the Edinburgh Fringe favourite will know what this means – unfortunately not jacuzzis that take you back in time – but a “funk filled” adventure that takes you chronologically from the 60s right back to 2014, before the bells for 2015 ring in. Quite fitting we must admit.

As we’ve said above though, the line ups and the music are the cherry on top of the event at these parties. What really makes it is the people. It’s a mix of thousands of locals and thousands of travellers – each getting in each other’s ways and pissing each other off, but occasionally stopping and becoming friends for the night.

It’s bring your own booze and it’s consistently memorable (unless you capitalise too much on the aforementioned BYOB rules of course and forget the whole night).

So stay tuned to the site for pictures and reviews from the event, but until then, Merry Christmas, and we’ll say Happy New Year in person if we catch you by the Time Machine on December 31st...

For more information and to buy tickets for the event, click here for the official website.

Review: Aberdeen's Craft Beer Corner...

28/11/2014

Oil, strip-clubs, cold weather and granite. Those are the headlines that the city of Aberdeen offers. This list is missing at least one item though...

Next to the gorgeous Marischal College (seriously Google it) you'll find three bars, under a minute apart, all dedicated to the art of brewing: Brew Dog, Six°North, and the Bottle Cap Bar and Brewery. All three bars are worth a visit, with the area boasting hundreds of different beers to try on ever changing menus. Here is the breakdown:

Brew Dog:

Brew Dog is pretty much a household name now, but lots of people don't realise that it originally comes from Fraserburgh - a small town north of Aberdeen.

It was started in 2007 by two guys who were just fed up with corporate lager and wanted to see what they could do. What resulted is a huge range of beers, including the now famous 'Tactical Nuclear Penguin', which became the world's strongest beer in '09.

Now the company is the largest independent brewer of beer in Scotland, employing over 200 people and owning 12 bars nationwide (as well as bars in Stockholm, São Paulo and Florence).

They are known for their variety and alternative names, but at the heart of the company is a real love for what they do, and a love for beer. The bar itself is pretty much always packed, and has a great atmosphere to it.

If you do find yourself there on a quiet Tuesday night in November, then it's still a great place to drink. The service is excellent, and we really cannot fault the Brew Dog team.

Six°North is the JFC pick from Aberdeen’s craft beer corner – and possibly the best bar in the city – for a solid date-night...

Bottle Cap Bar and Brewery

Bottle Cap Bar and Brewery is the newest addition to the area, seemingly following in a similar mould to Brew Dog, and occupying the site of Aberdeen Uni's former unofficial union.

The place has – thankfully – been hosed down in the interim, but admittedly the new bar hasn't done too much with the space. The JFC team really wanted to like this bar, but something about it is just lacking. Now, we are not ones to judge a place by its wallpaper or soft furnishings, but here it really was a bit grim.

Once we had got our inner Kevin McCloud out, it was time to try some of their beers. Fortunately, we can announce that they really come though on that count, and properly make up for their decorating. Because of this, and the fact that it is generally quieter than its competitors, Bottle Cap is great for a quiet drink with a mate, a pint and some good old-fashioned board-games.

Six°North

Six°North opened its doors in 2013 and heralded themselves as the 'Belgian Brewers of Scotland'.

Indeed, their name refers to Aberdeen's location in relation to Brussels, and the bar itself reflects this love of all things Belgian, with a huge range of Belgian beer, and of beer in general.

They have over 200 different bottles on their newspaper style menu, as well as a weekly draft menu. Everything about this bar just seems to work. The place is set out as a traditional beer hall, with lots of open wood, barrels and long benches, but it manages to be cosy and pretty modern at the same time.

The beers are also amazing, with an even larger variety than Brew Dog. Even if you are not a big fan of beer, we would highly recommend Six°, as they always manage to find something you like. Because of this, and its cosy feel, the Belgian beer hall is the JFC pick from Aberdeen’s craft beer corner – and possibly the best bar in the city – for a solid date-night.

Bars' Best Beers:

Brew Dog - Hardcore IPA (It really will kick your ass!)

Six°North - Wanderlust (Crisp, homebrewed wheat beer)

Bottle Cap - Hitachino Nest White Ale (Very easy to drink, properly refreshing)

Fraser Bonar

Bar Review: Candy Bar, Edinburgh

27/10/2014

Sunday afternoon and the JFC team saunter down George Street, bleary eyed and reminiscing about the events of the previous night on the same road. We make our way to the west end and swing a right down the stairs to Candy Bar.

Whether you’re after a cheese fondue or one of their black and blue burgers the menu has a good variety of quality food. The prices are also astounding. You can get a serious amount of food for your buck! During the Edinburgh Festival they even do all the food for under a fiver. Grab an Oreo Candy Shake and you’re on to a winner.

Candy bar has sported a number of decorative themes (our favourite of which was Après Ski) and they always give the place a nice atmosphere and gives you a lot to look at while you wait for your food, which could be some time. So let’s get this out there, the one and only drawback of Candy is the wait. It really is quite incomprehensible. Whether the place is full or empty you’ll be left to wonder at the decor as your stomach rumbles.

But when your food does arrive you will be blown away considering the price. I would go as far as to say this is the best value food in Edinburgh. There’s a reason the team loves Candy. It’s just a straight up great place. A combination of good food, chilled out ambiance and abundance of cheese all comes together in perfect harmony. We will continue to head along at every opportunity and tuck in to delicious cheese and bacon wedges despite a bit of a wait. See you there next Sunday.

Robbie Ambrose