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The Living Room This Week’s Hottest Bar

CROLLA EDMOND

This week's hottest bar is The Living Room in Glasgow. We've asked the team at The Living Room to come up with an exciting new Courvoisiero Cognac based cocktail which tantalises one of the five senses and embodies the luxurious spirit at the heart of this delicious cognac.

Sur rise your tastebuds with Le Goat (pronounced Le Goo), a fusion of lavours created by the bar staff at The Living Room. Indulge your sense of taste at home by spoiling yourself with Le Goat . First make some toffee vodka by placing five ZOOg packets of soft toffee in a bowl with a 70cl bottle of vodka. Heat the mixture gently, stirring occasionall , until the toffee melts. Over ice, shake one measure of the toffee vod a with one measure of Courvoisiero Cognac, some fresh cream and some sparkling apple juice. Pour the mixture into a glass and sprinkle with cinnamon to decorate. Settle back and enjoy the latest Courvoisiero Cognac cocktail.

Mix Le Goat in style with Courvoisiero Cognac at The Living Room. As opular with bohemian pre-clubbers as it is with laid-back relaxation overs, The Living Room boasts two open coal fires to turn the coldest

nights into the cosiest not to mention the coolest candles you'll ever

flee. Enjoy yourself, relax with Courvoisiero Cognac and The Living oom.

Mix it free with Courvoisierg, Cognac and The Living Room

Courvoisiero Cognac and The Living Room are offering you the chance to try a complimentary Le Goat cocktail. Simply take alon your copy of this feature and ask at the bar for Le Goat from ourvoisiero Cognac. The first ten readers to present this feature at The Living Room will receive a glass of Le Goat on the house. (All recipients must be aged 18 years or over). Sante!

This offer is available from 12 midday on 28th November. The Living Room, 5-9 Bytes Road, Glasgow, 339 8511

COUIQI'OISIER. gm.

IMO & DRINK

mamm— Steamy nights

It’s full steam ahead at Edinburgh’s newest style bar. Jonathan Trew takes it to the bridge.

The southside of Edinburgh is heaving with pubs. probably more so than any other area of a city which has the highest ratio of licensed premises to population than any other city in the UK. lfyou want a quiet pint. a loud pint. a lively pint or practically any other sort of pint in traditional surroundings then you‘re spoilt for choice. But try getting a decent cup of coffee. an interesting cocktail or something more substantial than a cheese roll or more exciting than bog standard pub grub and the choice suddenly looks a lot more meagre.

Until now. The status quo looks set to change with the opening of the Southside Steamie on the former site of the Highlander on Newington Road. A complete refurbishment has seen the former basic boozer transformed into a bright. stylish bar where the staff will be as happy to serve up a cafe creme as a creamy pint of cask conditioned ale to go along with your cannelloni.

lnjust under two months the premises have been turned around to provide a party place for those who want to relax in surroundings a cut above the wood and brass fittings ofthe traditional pub. Decorated in a lively orange and blue. the Southside Steamie boasts a host of unique design features. Ceilings aren't usually the most visually stn'king part of a bar but here there are surreal portraits staring down at customers. So far so unusual, but look a little longer and you‘ll notice details such as the fact that the portait’s jewellery isn‘t painted but is, in fact, real and hanging down from the ceiling. One of the walls is taken up with cannibalised parts from the Belhaven brewery assembled to create a somewhat distinctive mechanical face lit up with UV lights and crowned with candles.

Edinburgh‘s southside has always been a popular stamping ground for the university's students and given the proximity of the Southside Steamie to Pollock Halls of Residence it seems likely that those thirsty for something a bit stronger than knowledge will be regulars here. The prices reflect this with all the main courses coming in at £3.95 fora regular portion. While a fraction under four quid will allow you little more than an anaemic curry with a side order of watery rice in a good many pubs. the Southside Steamie will set you tip with the likes of steamed fish creole. cajun chicken with sweet potato or a platter of fried vegetables. skins and roasted cheeses with crudite’s and dips. The majority of their starters and snacks cost less than £2 and students can get a [5 per cent discount. The young professionals and couples who are likely to make up the rest of II c clientele will just have to grin and bear the surprisingly good value prices.

The only problem that diners are likely to encounter is deciding which coffee to finish off with. There are ten different types. from the simplest espresso to house specialities like the caramel latte macchiato which looks like it needs a masters degree in food technology to construct.

Apparently. the perfect espresso ‘can only be created by forcing water at nine bar pressure and 88 degrees centigrade through a tightly compact wad of eight grams of freshly ground coffee beans. producing l.7 fluid ounces of coffee in exactly 22 seconds.‘

()n the alcohol front. look out for the shooters and there are also cocktails available by the glass at £2.50 or the litre pitcher at £9. Beer lovers have a choice of two real ales. three lagers. two stouts. Belhaven Best or the remarkably popular Caffrey's. Alternatively. there is a wide range of designer bottled beers. ice beers and the inevitable Hooch. Pre-clubbers searching fora boost can opt for Red. a fruit juice based alcoholic drink that contains guarana and other natural stimulants. One suspects that the ristretto. an extra strong variation on the espresso, will have more effect. Both will keep you jumping until the bar closes at lam.

The Southside Steamie. 72 Newington Road. Edinburgh. 667 90/9.

Praia”? 56¢ he!

334 7165

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“The List 29 Nov-12 Dec 1996'