Chef Stuart Ralston opens Vivien cocktail bar in Edinburgh
Chef and restaurateur Stuart Ralston will open Vivien on the former site of Fhior in Edinburgh on 5 November.
Named after poet Renée Vivien, who lived during La Belle Époque in Paris, the ‘intimate’ cocktail bar will be located underneath Ralston’s new restaurant Vinette.
The bar aims to ‘embody her rebellious and inquisitive spirit, as well as aesthetic principles of decadence’.
Rebekah George will head up the bar programme, which will include both classic cocktails and signature serves.
The latter includes The Strawberry Thief, made with white rum, Campari, strawberry, tropical rooibos, lime and soda.
Meanwhile, the bar’s house Freezer Martini features gin, artichoke, basil and rosemary brine, and dry vermouth.
Bar snacks will also be available, including potato mille-feuille beurre blanc and Ortiz anchovies with lemon butter.
“After closing [Edinburgh restaurant] Aizle, it felt important to mark a new chapter,” said Ralston, who also operates Michelin-starred restaurant Lyla in the city. “Vinette and Vivien are about creating spaces that feel warm, social, and a little indulgent.
“I’m especially proud that I’m opening them with people who’ve been on this journey with me – Jade [Johnston, co-owner], who has been integral for more than a decade, and my brothers Scott and Calum, who are stepping into leadership roles.
“This feels like the group’s natural next project, but with the same commitment to quality we’ve always had. I will be doubling down on my efforts with Lyla and hope to improve tenfold, but this allows people around us to continue to grow, which is very important to me.”
Edinburgh’s Bar Prince recently revealed its Connected Icons menu.
Related news
UK distillery openings hit new highs in 2019
