Bond No 9

Where to start… My friend had recommended this place having been there previously, we agreed to meet there for 8pm on a Friday. As usual, I am there first and through the window, it looked like a nice place to dine. I walked in and was nearly blasted back out by the volume of music more befitting a raucous bar. I checked to see if any of my friends had arrived and there at the back were what looked like Friday half mangled regulars dancing in a small space of clear floor. I moved back to the seated dining area and hovered for what seemed like an eternity. After a long 5 – 10 minutes someone finally asked if I needed help. The dining area lighting is too dark and has odd decorations of candles on upside down wine glasses just begging to be knocked over. One person managed to achieve this when he pushed his chair out to stand up. It took a good half hour to get entrees to our table, so the waitress had our mains queued up as it was now nearly 9pm. Two of my companions ordered chicken, another had risotto (vege) and the last had a burger while I stuck to safe fish and chips. On arrival my dish was disappointing, the «chips» a chunky steak cut pan fried style didn’t look particularly golden in the somber lighting and in fact there were pieces that were well under cooked. The fish was enrobed in a hugely voluminous slightly greasy batter and tasted average as far as fish goes. Had to ask for salt and pepper which is curious as most places usually have it on the table. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their mains without criticism, however the two that had chicken had suspiciously dodgy tummy later that night and the following day. Needless to say I was glad I didn’t go with chicken.

When you visit a place often, you get used to it. That is the curse of familiarity and over exposure. The place still holds the relaxed and comfortable feel.
I will concentrate solely on the last dinner experience I had which I found to be a little lacking.
In the same line as getting used to surroundings, you get used to certain kind of service and food. In that regard Bond No9 is about ³⁄₅.
There wasn’t anything wrong with the food, no mishaps. It was just a little bland and uneventful.
The starter was a vergetarian tart with cheese and walnuts on a bed of salad. Quite tasty, nothing too special. The main course of Sirloin Steak (Med/​Rare) with a mustard mash, skewered tomatoes, a mushroom and a horseradish sauce.
Steak was cooked just right, the mash was flavourless, I really liked the subtle ‘heat’ from the horseradish sauce. Which worked well with the steak and tomatoes. The dish’s flavours were well combined, but there was no real coherency. I don’t think I have used that word in a review about food before, but it is the one that befits the most. some parts worked nicely while a combination of other parts were just *squint eyes, raise shoulders to my neck & wiggle with hands* .nnngghah
So yes I can’t really put my finger on it, but it has not really pleased nor displeased me.
Still a solid 3 out of 5 is not bad, there are just other places out there that supply something extra, things that I missed here on this occasion.

This was not the first time I had visited Bond No. 9, and it won’t be the last as I was again so impressed by everything.
The Chicken & Bacon pie forced me to wrack my brain for decent enough superlatives, unfortunately I didn’t succeed. The pie had the lightest flakier pastry top. Inside were treasures more rich than Aladdin’s cave itself. Whole, huge chunks of the most succulent breast of Chicken with juicy pieces of back bacon, chopped scallions (spring onions) in a sauce so thick, rich and enchanting I felt utterly spellbound. Gigantic wedges of potato and parsnips complimented this Gastro taste bud tingly dish that was washed down by a pint of locally brewed Barney’s Volcano IPA (4.6%), a great pairing indeed.
For dessert I chose the White Chocolate Cheese Cake (technically there is no such thing as White Chocolate as it’s just cocoa butter, vanilla (or vanillin) and an emulsifying agent such as Lecithin, oops, but, I digress). The White Chocolate Cheesecake was velvety smooth, light, yet, full of creamy flavor, a nice and quite indulgent way to finish a stunningly good meal.
Service (by Claire) was just perfect, outstanding in fact.
Highly recommended indeed.
P.S.
They have the über amazing, «Barney’s Beet Red» Ale (3.9%) in bottles. Yes! an ale flavoured with Beetroot! And it sure works!

Visited for an early evening meal during the week. Excellent food, good service and very reasonable prices.

A typical wine bar. Local workers in shirts and ties. I walked in with jeans and tshirt on and felt underdressed. The bar staff attitude stunk towards me. No branded largers on draft. Won’t be going back.

Set in a cool location at the shore! The cocktails here are wonderful, a great amibience at night and a cool establishment during the day for lunch and maybe a wine? Swish interior and nice large moet champagne pillows, which i would love to have! :)

I’ve been dying to try Bond No 9 for ages, and being out with the sisters last night and each of us merry winos, it just felt right to go there. Now, to be fair, having never been in there before, I had a totally different idea of what Bond No. 9 would be like, and walking into the joint, there was a super loud band playing Guns N Roses. I had a moment to myself, have I just dragged us all to the middle of Leith for a semi mediocre bar?
I could feel 4 eyes boring into me as conversation died a death around us.
Nonetheless, we were here already, and it was time to order. A cheeky white wine, a cocktail and a somewhat more cheeky red. Holy moly I nearly cried when I got the bill for a robust £23 for 3 drinks. After that round, it was bottles of wine all the way.
Now, cost aside and noisy band aside, Bond No 9 is a rather nice bar, and during the summer, when it isn’t thunderstorms (as it was when we visited), looks like the outdoor seating area would be great. The cocktail (Pin the Tail) that my sister chose was rather violently and enthusiastically shaken up — I don’t think I’ve ever seen a mixologist throw so much repressed anger into a glass before. But she was more than happy with the results.
Would I rush back to Bond No 9? Possibly, it’s a pleasant enough place, but I don’t think I am ready to rave about it yet.

I live across the road from Bond No. 9 which has always been a dangerous thing for my liver and my purse but of late the arrival of a new addition to the family has meant a serious cutback on going out! Apparently I needn’t have as you can bring your wee ones in with you… and your mutt to if needs be. Two things I never knew about the place until I happened to be walking by and spotted a couple in with a dog and a baby. I can understand the reason why as the last thing you’d want your super cool trendy cocktail bar to turn into is a crèche and doggy day care centre. So for those few of us now in the know, hush hush please.
I love nothing more than chilling out at this place. Be it for an all day drink session or popping in after a meal out. The bar staff are über knowledgable on all things drink with the added bonus of having personalities :)
As for the food I’ve only ever had the tapas selection at this place which has always been tasty and good value for money.
I never fail to be surprised by this place. Anywhere I can go and say that I’m in the mood for something particular and it gets made no matter whether it’s on the menu or not is a bar for me!

monday night is probably not the night most people wander out for a few cocktails while catching up with a friend. but i like to bend the rules a bit, so i headed to Bond No 9 this past monday to enjoy some alcoholic beverages and a good chat with a good friend.
what i love about Bond No 9 is the variety of cocktails they have on offer. they’ve recently redone their menu to give it a good update, but also have a note that they will still make any of the cocktails off their old menu if you ask. additionally if you ask for a cocktail that isn’t on any menu or just fancy something different they’re happy to mix something up that suits your tastes. the bartenders are excellent and i’ve never had a bad drink here. on monday i partook in a rural gimlet which was a lovely mixture of gin and grapefruit aand nettle (or was it thistle) syrup and other citrus fruits. i also had a violetta resereva that featured a mixture of rums, violet syrup, and some other things to make it taste lovely. clearly i had a few too many cocktails as their descriptions are a bit fuzzy now…
i also ordered a burger from their newly updated menu. i was a bit disappointed that their new menu didn’t have any salads on it or any of the sandwiches or lighter dishes feature on their old menu. but the burger was very tasty as were the fries so i can’t complain too much.
this place is great when it’s warm and sunny as they have a really big outdoor seating area along the commercial wharf but it’s also good when it’s not warm and sunny as it has a large indoor space with loads of comfy seating. there is also a dedicated area for the restaurant if you’re only in to eat food.
definitely a great bar to go to and it doesn’t usually get too crowded as most people don’t tend to go to the shore for a night out. their loss really, but my gain as i can always get a seat and served quickly :)

Friday evening: working week over — what to do now? Well, head over to Bond No 9 for some food and drinks and then see what happens!
This was the plan. Bond No sure delivered. Another voucher to be used — this time the deal was for gourmet pies, roasted veg, fries and a bottle of wine. Started off with haggis bon bons, which sounds very playful :) They were delightful and came with grainy mustard. Nice start for a meal. The wine was lovely, the pies were truly scrumptious and so were the fries and the veg as well.
What I also loved about Bond No 9 is the service. The waitress was so friendly and everything was brought to our table with not too much waiting. In some places, when you ask for condiments e.g. mayonnaise, it is often forgotten or they mayo is brought over when the chips are already finished. Fear not for this happening here — you are in safe hands :)
You must also try the wonderful cocktails this place serves — you won’t be disappointed!

Holy Mancini the cocktails here are the bomb.
I first encountered Bond no9 thanks to my sister. She and her other half hid in the place hiding from the snow on the way to pick up a christmas tree in 2009 and now make it a tradition to go there every christmas for a hot toddy before getting their christmas tree.
I tagged along on their second year of this tradition and was recommended a Blazer by the staff there are a good warming drink. THEY SET FIRE TO IT!
Seriously it’s called a blazer for a reason, go ask for one! Mega tasty and a hell of a pouring spectacle! They do a range of unique cocktails crafted by their own mixology crew, as well as your tradition cocktails.
They also do super tasty food here. I’d particularly recommend their lite bites and their thai curry things. mmm mmm good.
This place is hoaching at weekends and has DJ’s throwing down good tunes. Definitely worth a visit!

They make mulled wine on demand. Just ask. Yes, even after Christmas is over!
That sums up how great the service is, and the atmosphere or menu won’t leave you disappointed either.

I felt it wouldn’t be fair to review Bond No.9 based on just one visit, so naturally I had to go back again, and again. Just to be sure you understand?
The windows don’t cast a great deal natural light in here, but that’s okay, the gloom is comforting, especially if you’re hiding from the temperamental Edinburgh weather.
There are plenty of tables, but I prefer to sit at the bar, particularly when it’s quiet so I can pick the encyclopaedic cocktail brains of the friendly staff who are insanely enthusiastic about their art; that’s what it is, art.
More importantly, they love what they do (at least, if they don’t it’s well hidden), and there’s an intrinsic talent for ingredients — booze geek paradise.
These guys really know their stuff, and every time I order they prove it — I’ve never had a bad concoction yet.
On my last visit I started with a Whisky Sour, one of my favourite drinks, and it was an eye opener when the whisky used was Auchentoshan Three Wood. A rich and slightly sweet single malt.
It was damn near perfect. Sharp and creamy, with the richness of the whisky happily lounging in the foreground.
I wasn’t sure what to have next so I simply asked for something similar.
What I got was a Maple Old Fashioned. This could possibly be my new favourite cocktail.
Buffalo Trace bourbon, maple syrup, orange bitters, a spot of cherry juice, and just to be different, apple juice.
Weighty sweet apple, rich spice and rich orange stab from the bitters. It really works.
When you get to the bottom of the glass the syrup has settled slightly giving you a lovely texture to the last mouthful, kind of like a prize. A seriously tremendawsome cocktail. Yes, I had to make up a word, so sue me.
«Something similar please…»
Blood & Sand — this will put an instant smile on your face especially with the perfect use of Auchentoshan Three Wood and Lagavulin 16 year old.
Sweet cherry at first followed by acidic orange juice and a sweetening but not overpowering hug from the peaty whisky.
You can smell the Lagavulin at the start but it’s beautifully mellow and a stunning after taste like the earth of a freshly watered flowerbed with a slight sour touch throughout.
Another excellent cocktail.
I’d highly recommend any of these, or in fact all three.
Love this bar.

I’ve heard a lot of people talking about Bond No. 9 recently so I thought I’d check it out for myself. I hate to say but I was disappointed.
I went on a Tuesday night and it was fairly busy with 5 tables eating food but that’s the maximum they have in their restaurant section. The food was OK — I had Thai fish stew for starter which was a meal within itself and the chunks of fish were swimming over the sides of the bowl so I’d definitely recommend this! That’s about the only recommendation I have for this place I’m afraid.
I’d heard great things about the chicken and chorizo kebab but it was just chicken and choizo, nothing more special than that. The steaks were delicious — huge, tender with very little fat. I didn’t think much of the chips though, not sure how you get chips wrong but the person that I was dining with enjoyed them so perhaps that’s down to individual tastes. I had chocolate mouse for desert which was a spoonful of moose so for £4.50 I thought was a bit stingey.
Even though the bar was full of 20 – 30 something young professionals I just didn’t think that there was any atmosphere at all. I wasn’t able to fully relax, partly because when I was shown to my seat the waiter explained that I shouldn’t lean back on my chair as the back was broken and I’d fall backwards onto the floor!!! Next to me was another chair just sitting in the middle of the restaurant which was blatantly falling apart too so I reckon they need to invest in more furniture! The whole place could do with a spruce up to be honest as the paint was cracking off the walls and in the toilets there were no toilet paper dispenser, just paper scattered all over the floor.
I wish I had something better to say but I’m afraid that’s it.

I’m downgrading Bond no 9 because they made the mistake of selling a Groupon inviting people to go there and eat steak… and they don’t appear to properly know *how* to cook steak.
If they hadn’t told me to order steak, I wouldn’t have. But they did, and I assumed that it was their specialty.
Let me backtrack…
The Man and I came here a couple of weeks ago for our three course meal with a malbec cocktail.
We were seated at a great quiet table, and were served by one lovely waitress and one kind of young, inexperienced and somewhat indifferent waitress (wearing, by the way, a see-​through shirt… what’s with these young people and their fashion?!).
Our starters were nice — The Man’s haggis balls were great and my onion pancake with fennel and pomegranite was ok, but wasn’t awesome like the haggis. We both ordered the chocolate mousse with some kind of crispy thing in it, and that was lovely. Equally so was the malbec cocktail which came with the meal.
The biggest let down was the steak. It was a ribeye, I think? This meant it was quite fatty but had a really good flavour. I believe it was meant to be served with some kind of peppercorn sauce, which was left off, but most importantly our medium rare steak was grey. By that I mean that it was cooked completely through. There was no medium, no rare, just well done. There is really really really no excuse for a kitchen to put out food that is so shockingly overdone, especially when the dining room wasn’t even full.
I don’t understand why they would invite people to come and try their food, opening the doors to leagues of new customers, and mess up such an important and easy aspect of the meal. We both felt that they had really let themselves down, because as previously stated, everything else would have made for a great night. Unfortunately, such a poorly cooked main really left a bad taste in our mouths.
That being said, we would come back for nibbles and drinks, but we won’t be returning for a full meal.

«What about Bond No. 9?» Jason said. And as the majority of the group began to voice their enthusiasm, the fear of the unknown shuddered through me. Fair enough, Bond No. 9 was local. Fair enough, my suggestions were all a taxi ride into town. Fair enough, there were a good dozen of us in transit.
But I didn’t know Bond No. 9. I didn’t TRUST Bond No 9.
Halfway along Commercial Street and I realised JD and Tavis had disappeared. They’d only been twenty yards ahead, the road was long and straight and I could see all the way down to the Granary. Yet vanish they had, and all that I could see were the distant lights of the Shore, closed shops to our left, lamps and furniture I think; and a couple of overly occupied bus stops (get the finger oot, LRT!).
Impatiently I heard myself ask «Where did they go?», to which Jason replied «Why, Bond No. 9 of course,» and pointed to the closed lamp shop.
Only on closer inspection did I realise said lamp shop was not closed. And not in fact a lamp shop.
So as I stepped into Bond No. 9, greeted by the pretty waitress, and took a look around, I felt the cold grip of doubt release me… this was my type of place.
From the cocktails, to the noise level, to the clientele, to the ambience, Bond No. 9 is about 3 chavs shy of being exactly what I look for in a bar. If this place were in town it would surely be rammed with sozzled posers and wannabe WAGs. Style oozes in abundance, whether it be the dim-​but-​not-​too-​dark lighting, the knowledgeable and confident barstaff or the piano-​cum-​DJ box. A fine and expansive array of cocktails and wines are on offer and the out-​of-​the-​way location means that the place is busy but not so busy you’ll be waiting 20 minutes on a drink.
The DJ knew how to keep a chilled yet funky vibe. And there are areas individually dedicated to eating, drinking, smoking and chilling respectively.
How had this place avoided my radar?
Of the cocktails, I was swung by the Red Fairy, combining Absinthe, Crème de Fraise, lemon juice and soda. Smelled like liquorice yet tasted like strawberries. And so impressive I had 3.
The food menu looked promising and I look forward to having another go at this place, perhaps on a slightly busier Friday night and perhaps grabbing a bite.
Regardless of location, Bond No 9 could easily become my new favourite bar in Edinburgh.

What better way to start a Monday morning that remember the best parts of the weekend just past. And Bond No 9 was certainly one of, if not the, highlight of my weekend. I can’t believe that when a group of Unilocalers were debating whether to stay in Leith post Roseleaf dinner, and head to Bond No 9, or head to George Street, I was dismissing Bond No 9 before giving it a look or sip. Just as well Jason, Gillian and Jurgen are so stubborn!
It was a pitch-​black, cold, rainy Saturday night and I don’t know Leith well, so was just following the crowd along Constitution Street when suddenly everyone had disappeared. What? Into that very innocuous looking door in a bare stone wall? No flashiness, no big sign, no group of smokers or drunken punters standing outside. Nothing to distinguish it from the furniture shops and closed doors around it. Understated, nice.
So, what did I find inside? A hugely expansive bar that kept the dark, intimate atmosphere. A bar full of beautiful bartenders serving beautiful cocktails (old favourites as well as house specials), another room full of couches out the back, all candlelit, a DJ playing from a piano-​converted-​into-​decks, and a lot of happy but not overly drunken people.
There was no problem finding a space on a Saturday night, we just bunched a few tables together for our larger party. There weren’t many crowds at the bar, waiting time for cocktails was just the right length: long enough you know they’re crafted with care, but made as promptly as possible.
I won’t keep waxing lyrical about the bar itself: all you need to know is it’s beautiful, dark, intimate, sexy, plays the best music I’ve heard a bar play in a long while (why was no one dancing? My only regret.) the bar tenders are beautiful, attentive, good fun, the toilets are clean, the clientelle are good company, and I can’t find fault. It’d be perfect for a date night, a group of friends, early evening drinks.
Now, to the cocktails. The menu isn’t overly large but I’m sure they’ll mix up whatever you want, even if it’s not listed. But to the ones you maybe haven’t heard of. A whole page for absinthe-​cocktails alone. Joe A and Kerrin R went back and ordered 3 Red Fairies each. I have witnessed them try a few cocktails before, but normally only one before moving on to JD and cokes. Also, Unilocalers like to try as many different flavours and options as possible. Ordering three cocktails in a row, all of the same cocktail, was a first. And testament to, I imagine, how delicious they found it. Also, it led to some pretty crackin’ banter.
I tried Shake Your Boudoir, which turned out to be my bartenders signature. I watched him hand squeeze the orange juice, use a grapefruit liqueor of whom he knew the supplier, and it was quite lovely. But oh, my daiquiri (just plain daquiri, not fruity) was potentailly the strongest I’ve ever had. It tasted like pure rum, with a hint of lemon. Perfect but oh my.
I think I have found my new favourite bar in Edinburgh. I have other wee favourites in Leith but not ones that are so great I’d make the trek down to Leith *just* for them. Bond No 9 is different. I would go that extra mile for that daiquiri again.
If I’ve ever gone AWOL, before you send out the search party, just head to Bond No 9 — it’s where you’re likely to find me in a daiquiri-​loved-​up haze.

A proper bar!
Staff that know how to make cocktails, music that fits the venue and some nice seated areas.
A real jewel in the Leith bar scene it really offers something a little bit different to the area.
Yet to try the food btu i will be back their soon for sure.

Dropped in here for a drink on a Friday after work! A nice lively bunch of people of all ages just doing the same! Expect many of whom were from the Scottish executive.
We had a bowl of Peppered cashew nuts which set off our drinks admirably! We sat at the bar & watched the cocktails being mixed. Fascinating! Only stayed for one drink as we had rthe car but it was a pleasant change and would recommend! As previously stated not totally obvious from Commercial Street as the main entrance is from the other side of the building!
Close to Ocean Terminal!

A very fancy bar, Bond No. 9 is somewhere perfect for dates, girly nights out or just if you feel like getting dressed up and sipping on some cocktails of an evening.
Their drinks menu is extensive and they have a great selection of cocktails, it took me a good while to choose what I wanted. All the cocktails here are quite a good bit more imaginative that your average cocktail bar and you won’t see boring old Cosmopolitans or French Martinis on the menu here.
It is also worth mentioning that all day from Sunday to Wednesday they offer a few discounted cocktails including «Sunshine on Nine» for a mere £4.50. This cocktail is a nice fresh, gin infused summertime drink and it tastes even better when you’re getting it so cheap.

Very nice location, friendly service and tasty food.