][1]It’s all go as Scotland’s restaurateurs and bar owners launch new ventures and refresh existing ones in the run-up to Christmas.
Salsa and tequila
In Glasgow, last weekend saw the grand opening of El Barrio. The Latin-themed bar has long been a staple of Edinburgh’s Hanover Street. A new branch in Merchant Square means that Glasgow’s salsa fans now have the chance to shake their tail feathers in El Barrio.
Tequila, Cuban Mojitos and free salsa and bachata lessons are the draw.
Sticking with flavours from the south side of the Rio Grande, Edinburgh’s Basement has just relaunched after a comprehensive facelift.
It could be argued that The Basement spearheaded the revival of Broughton Street when it first opened way back in, er, the mid-Nineties? Before becoming The Basement, the bar was called The Joug and Broughton Street was rather staid.
The Basement’s original Mad Max-style furniture and the staff’s Hawaiian shirts seemed to brighten the entire street up and funky new businesses soon followed.
Basement re-born
If The Basement’s star had begun to fade a little over the last few years then this recent revamp is designed to inject a new lease of life.
New Day of the Dead artwork keeps the Mexican theme going in the decor while the menu digs deep into Mexican cuisine with dishes like chilli negra and cochinita pilbil. Another new initiative is that the staff will whip up guacamole at the table to each customer’s specification.
More tequila
Naturally, they have a lot of tequila on sale. At The Basement, you can accompany each tequila with sangritas which are traditionally served as a palate cleanser in between sips of tequila.
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