The Basement Bar & Restaurant Review

As a general rule, my internal seismometer is turned to dread instead of ground motion. I guess this classifies me as a ‘glass half empty’ kind of girl.

My innate scepticism meant that on discovering my review for the night was at a location called ‘The Basement’, all manner of fallacious impressions flooded my mind. To me, a basement is synonymous with dungeons, horror films and Josef Fritzl; not with places I want to eat dinner.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Preconceptions of wall-cuffed skeletons proved inaccurate; The Basement was not at all dingy. Yes, there was a lack of natural light, but the spread of candles created a pleasant glow and the roughly plastered, sand coloured walls reminded me of a sun soaked Mexican casa - not an underground Scottish dive. The sunny smiles from the Hawaiian shirted staff also helped to brighten the room, moving about both sides of the central bar that divides the restaurant and pub sections, selflessly sharing their luminosity around.

It was a Tuesday night and the place was full – you’d be advised to book – with the crowd spilling out onto the small outside terrace area. I happily scanned the drinks list which proved to be more packed than the restaurant itself; wines, beers, cocktails, spirits and liqueurs, some familiar and some not. One called ‘Sangsom’ caught my eye, billing itself as ‘the original Thai loony juice’. Uh, I think I’ll take a ‘Miranda’ please: a Sex and the City themed cocktail (there’s also the Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Mr Big) consisting of gin, kina lillet, sweet vermouth, lemon juice, strawberries and pomegranate syrup. Miranda tasted good. For all you Samanthas out there, that was not a dirty comment.

Everything about The Basement is fun, from the staff uniform (apparently there is no logically reason as to why they wear Hawaiian print shirts in a Mexican themed restaurant, the owner just likes them), to the quirky wall decorations and the humorous quotes splashed across anything paper-based. One such quote, perfectly atoned to the atmosphere of The Basement, cited Henny Youngman: “When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.”

Profound as Henny’s words may be, I opted to continue reading; after all, I wanted to see what food was on offer.

A spicy Moroccan vegetable soup with couscous and bread was tasty, if not perhaps too filling for a starter. My companions Mexican fishcakes served with salsa were classified as so because they were – in the immortal words of that Subway sandwich jalapeño - hothot. Not because (as I had hoped) they came wearing sombreros.

A fillet of halibut with a Spanish bean cassoulet and baby roasters was my choice of main course, and while I usually eye up my comrade’s meal in an enviable manner, convinced the grass is always greener (grass, salad leaves, whatever), this time – although his lamb rump steak with puy lentils and braised balsamic beetroot did look pretty damn tasty – I was satisfied I had ordered correctly.

I was too full for dessert, too full to move even. Yet surprise surprise, the man opposite me wasn’t (seriously, how they never swell up like Veruca Salt and burst will puzzle me for eternity). So he promptly ordered a banoffee pie. Oh well, I guess that could count towards one of his five a day.

Reorganising my prejudices to basements on my way home, I decided that if I were ever forced into a place of dungeon-like imprisonment, it would be The Basement. I would be willingly locked up. Throw away the key please. If the scene of horror was to unfold at The Basement, I would beckon to the psycho killer, “Come, prey on me”. Try going underground for an evening; you may never want to see the light of day again.
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The Basement Bar & Restaurant Description

Don't be fooled by the hawaiian shirts and offhand sarcastic attitudes, our food is fantastic! Responsibly sample our endless range of carefully chosen artisanal drinks. Protect yourself from the harmful rays of the sun in our underground beer garden. Experience all that is the basement.

Customer Reviews for The Basement Bar & Restaurant

Average (based on 2 votes): 2 Atmosphere: Value: Quality:

The following customer reviews are not endorsed by Fluid Edinburgh and are simply those of users who wish to publish their independent experiences of The Basement Bar & Restaurant.

“I was taken to The Basement by a mate the other day as he was in the mood for Mexican food. I was not. I was in the mood to be left alone. This being said, going down into a basement actually made me feel more up. The Basement is definitely a cool place to hang out and with the welcoming staff (who were wearing Hawaiian shirts), upbeat music and some of the best Mexican grub around a bad mood is going to dissipate after a trip to The Basement as quickly as natural light. I think I’ve found my new favourite place and a replacement to prescription anti-depressant drugs. Trust me, I’m a doctor!”
Atmosphere: Value: Quality:
Hoyt, Leith (1 years 10 months 20 days ago)

“I was quite surprised by this place. I had imagined, incorrectly, that it would be a bit of a dive (being an easy-to-miss basement) but it’s actually a lively, exciting and cosy little bar/restaurant. The staff all look like they’re having fun, which helps to add an atmosphere, and their Hawaiian shirt uniform provides some welcome colour. The portions are large and the drinks list is quite random (the 7.2% Dunbar cider is fab!). We also enjoyed the playlist (Muse, Florence, Kasabian, Mumford & Sons) and the small outside seating is handy. Definitely in keeping with the trendy Broughton set.”
Atmosphere: Value: Quality:
Leigh, Edinburgh (1 years 11 months 2 days ago)

Additional Information

• Cuisine Type: Mexican
• Dress Code: Not Specified
• Group: (Independent/Freehouse)