Red Squirrel

21 Lothian Road, West End, Edinburgh, EH1 2DJ
0131 229 9933, redsquirreledinburgh.co.uk
Daiy 10am–late; food is served until 9pm.
Ave. price two-course meal: £10 (lunch/dinner)

What many folk discovered and liked about Old Town bar Holyrood 9a (including ourselves, as it’s on our Eating & Drinking Guide Hitlist for 2011) can now be discovered and liked on Lothian Road under the name of Red Squirrel. Owners Fuller Thompson are gradually building a portfolio of bars and cafés in Edinburgh and Dundee, and the formula of gourmet burgers along with a extensive range of contemporary beers from near and far has clearly struck a chord. A little less spacious and classy compared to its city sister, Red Squirrel still offers smart surroundings dominated by bare brick, dark wood, elegant fittings and a mix of seating from small booths to refectory-style tables and secluded enclave.

This is the type of modern bar that has no shame in offering porridge and granola for breakfast, Suki teas and wine-bar style sharing platters for the nibbling after-work crowd. The signature gourmet burgers come in decent sourdough rolls and perched on a rustic wooden slab, with a zinc tin of straw fries and slaw alongside, while beers on tap range from hip North American wheat beer Blue Moon to St. Mungo’s from Glasgow’s WEST brewery, all available as 1/3 pint tasters for £1.