Heads & Tales Bar

I must admit I checked twice on the map the exact location of this bar. The entrance is very well hidden on the side of Kyloe. There is only a small board on the wall that says Heads & Tales so it's very easy to miss it. I went last week and I loved everything about it! Lovely decor with wooden chairs, comfy armchairs and sofas. There are also booths for bigger groups so I would come back with a bunch of friends for their tasty cocktails again. The cocktail menu has two pages - one with set cocktails and the other one where you can create your own (kind of). You choose a glass first. They give you a choice of 4 but I went for high bowl every time. Then you can choose out of different kinds of gin. It varies from their own Edinburgh Gin that they make at Heads and Tales to Spanish Gin Mare, German Monkey 47 to many others. After picking your favourite gin you continue with choosing a flavour to be mixed with your gin. I tried Plum, Coriander Seed and Sweetcorn. The Plum was definitely the best one of those three while the others were very interesting. I tried them because I've never heard of cocktails being those flavours. I'm glad I did even though next time I would probably go for more safe choice. I consider myself a beer lover who regularly goes for a standard G&T or whisky. However, after trying cocktails here I'll definitely be returning for more as these were extraordinary! This is an amazing bar with great atmospehere and very friendly and helpful staff. Maybe my new favourite!

This place, words cannot describe how awesome it is, I was taken there last night for the first time and placed in a booth, the atmosphere, the lightning and cocktails are just amazing, who knew there was so many different types of gins! Want to impress this is the place to go, its on my list when people come to visit! MUST try, tucked away which makes it more special and not crazy over the top busy! Just perfeccct Ohhh i could so do with the pomegranate gin slushy!

I was taken here with a group of friends who stumbled across it one night and decided it would be good to go back with a table booked in one of their booths. The entrance is fairly hidden and down a set of steps to the side of The Huxley (Or Rutland as it was formally known).

Inside it was lovely and the booth we had easily sat our party of 13 and we could all chat together rather than huddling together in an overcrowded bar. The cocktail list was lengthy with such a different mix of cocktails other than your usual classics which was nice for a change. I wasn't brave enough to try some of the mixtures but some of our group tried a different one each time with some stronger than others. Would definitely be back here, especially if there is a large group of us! The girls who were serving our table were lovely also and couldn't have been nicer.

Heads & Tales is Edinburgh’s latest new gin bar. What makes this one extra special is that is features a distillery: yes, this is a bar but it also houses two stills. Two gleaming copper contraptions will make gin while you sit in the bar enjoying yourself. What a great idea!

Heads & Tales can be found at 1a Rutland Place. 20 years ago, this was L’Attache, a dark and, as I remember it, dingy night club. The unit’s been empty for a long time and it’s good to see it in use again. Despite knowing where it was, I walked past it the first time I visited. I’ve become blind to the stairs that seem to head into the Rutland’s cellar on Rutland Square. A quick re-adjustment and kind advice from a man hiding in a nearby doorway, saw me on the right route. I headed down the stairs, into the comforting darkness of a gin bar.

Distilled in front of your eyes

The bar houses an Edinburgh Gin distillery with two stills. One’s alembic (curvaceous) and will give a more aromatic spirit, the other has a longer, straighter neck and will result in a purer (less flavourful) spirit. Which you want depends on what you’re making. The stills are relatively small and allow the Edinburhg Gin team to try different combinations of ingredients. Hopefully, we’ll be able to sample some of their experiments. Distilling will start at the beginning of July, once the area has been signed off for safety, and the last practical issues have been worked out. Every work space has its challenges, and these two stills are in a narrow room under the street. Visitors to Heads & Tales can see them in action through windows.

I’ve been a fan of Edinburgh Gin since my very first Edinburgh Gin gin fizz, a blushing glass of prosecco and raspberry gin liqueur. I thought the raspberry fizz couldn’t possibly be topped, until, last year, I had elderflower fizz at the Foodies Festival. It was glorious. At the core of both liqueurs sits Edinburgh Gin’s gin, a pleasant, rounded spirit with the soft warmth of juniper, a certain sweetness and notes of citrus and green apple. It’s a great everyday gin and works well with tonic or in a cocktail.

Steampunk

To me, the idea of having a relaxing G&T within metres of working stills is deeply appealing. The stills are also very attractive. There’s something a little steampunk about Heads & Tales. Not in a bad, rusting iron and random cogs kind of way, but in a gentlemen’s club with wires kind of way. There’s a distillation theme throughout with lots of gleaming copper pipes and the lighting is based on filament bulbs which give off soft orange light. There are lots of interesting spaces to sit in, from the snug vaults you pass on the way in to the bar, to the relaxed wood paneled area I think of as the lounge, and, of course, the bar. The bar mixes tall and low tables to give everyone a good view of the stills.

This is a gin bar so there are lots of gins and gin cocktails on the menu. I like that the cocktails offer interesting flavour combinations and that most cocktails have few ingredients so I expect them to present clean, strong flavours. Don’t want gin? Don’t worry. There are beers and wines too. The bar’s owner, Bruce Hamilton, has over a decade’s experience in the hospitality trade and will use all of his skills to make Heads & Tales a unique experience.

I visited at the press launch and enjoyed myself very much indeed. It was impossible not to. The music stayed true to the speak-easy feel with classic crooners and everyone was in a good mood. The next time I go there probably won’t be guys and gals bringing me canapés, drinks and G&T marshmallows*. Still, I expect I’ll enjoy myself anyway. Heads & Tales has a really relaxed ambiance and there are several cocktails on the menu I want to try.

Extremely knowledgeable barman. Great cocktails and competitively priced. Really opulent décor and upmarket atmosphere.

Wow! Loved this hidden gem! The drink menu was terrific and I had one of the best Gimlets ever. Great service and fantastic atmosphere!

Gorgeous decor, super comfy seats with plenty of space. Atmosphere a perfect mix of relaxed and upbeat. Lush drinks, we only got cocktails so about £9 per drink but happy to pay for the quality we got! Lovely service and friendly staff.

It took a bit of research to find this place, but finally we ended up in a fantastic cocktail bar with thoughtful mixology and a great selection of booze. The house recipes we tried (the bananarama, the one-shot method, and the foreshots) were creative without being too over-the-top. They offer twists on the classics (the heads (negroni), the copper pot (corpse reviver no 2)) that hold their own. Staff was friendly and fun. Nachos earned 3-stars.

Came here for drinks on the way back from the royal mile, what an amazing drink bar! Such a cool and unique atmosphere! They have a precise menu of appetizers and charcuterie trays to go with the magical drinks, can't recommend this place enough! It's sexy as hell, as were the drinks, charcuterie was delish, and the service was top notch! Just try it!!