As summer begins to fade and autumn picks up pace, many people look for hobbies to fill the long evenings.

Happily, a couple of Edinburgh restaurants have some smart ideas.

First up, The Printing Press Bar & Kitchen has developed a new Bespoke Bubbles package.

The idea is that you can share a bottle of fizz with friends and enjoy a selection of seasonal fruit, passion fruit purée, peach purée, crème de cassis and Aperol to jazz up your drink.

Customers can choose from a bottle of Vaporetto Prosecco for £27 or indulge with a bottle of Besserat de Bellefon Grande Tradition Brut Champagne for £55.

The package is available every day at The Printing Press and sounds just the sort of hobby that the 5pm Dining blog could fall for.

More cheese, Gromit?

On a more educational note, the chefs at Galvin Brasserie de Luxe have started a new programme of monthly master classes pairing cheese with different drinks.

Over the next few months, scholars can explore which cheeses match well with Bordeaux, whisky, port, Madeira and… well, you get the idea.

Anyone booking a master class will also receive 10% off food for dinner the same evening.

You can browse the full list here but the action kicks off next Thursday (15 September) with a class dedicated to aromatic wines and cheese.

Students will taste a range of aromatic wines including Gewürztraminer, Viognier, and Pinot Gris matched with a selection of washed-rind cheeses.

Classes begin at 6pm and cost £29 per person.

Buck up

Finally, the West End will shortly have a new bar on William Street.

The Voyage of Buck is the latest venture from Big Red Teapot, the team behind Hamilton’s, The Blackbird and Treacle.

Pencilled in to open in October, it promises all day dining, cocktails and a decor inspired by the Edwardian era.

As to the curious name, we will explain all in a later blog.

For now, we will just say that Badger and Co with its Wind in the Willows theme seems to have inspired a fashion for bars with a back story.

And the back story for The Voyage of Buck wouldn’t need too much padding to turn it into a novel.