A nice little speak easy, which is not that well-hidden: Joao’s Place @ W Hotel Edinburgh (27. April 2024)
I was recommended Joao’s Place and since it was conveniently located in the hotel I was staying at, I decided to give it a try. Joao’s Place is a little speak easy, which isn’t hidden that well, but has a rather limited number of seats, hence, you should absolutely book in advance.
They have their very own cocktail menu (and of course, they can also do standard cocktails), so, I decided to ask the bar tender, which was his cocktail of recommendation, and he told me the “Not a whiskey Coke (Umeshu Sake, Highland Park 12, Lemon, cinnamon, soda)” (GBP 14.00) would be nice. The concept of the drinks is that you have different layers of juices and alcohols, and before you stir everything, you can take a sip of each layer by itself (which isn’t exactly easy when it comes to ‘aiming the straw’). The single ingredients are nice, but when you stir it, then it becomes a much better and much tastier drink.
Somehow the bar tender wanted to let us try a few drinks, so we got served a small version of the “Welcome to Liberdade (Toki whiskey, honeycomb cordial, espresso)” (GBP 14.00) and despite the fact that I wasn’t a huge fan of drinking espresso close to midnight, I must say, the drink was absolutely amazing! So, if you come here a little earlier than midnight, I would highly recommend you to try this drink.
The second one we got to try was the “Nitro Agave (Altos Plata Tequila, Mezcal de Maguey VIDA, grapefruit, lime, salt)” (GBP 14.00) and while I liked the base combination, there is a smokey after note, which – personally – I didn’t entirely enjoy too much.
Last but not least, I went for the “Clarified Capeta (Leblon Cachaca, Condensed milk, cinnamon, oney, citrus, guarana)” (GBP 14.00), which was smooth, sweet, and right down my alley. Definitely quite a sweet drink, but worth trying.
The place is rather small (the thing on the right of the picture is the entrance door), so, without a reservation it will be tricky to find a place to sit down, hence, make sure to book in advance.
The bar tender was friendly and had the perfect combination between jovial and professional and was superbly friendly. And Anna, the responsible waitress that evening, did a marvellous job and is really just so friendly you want to come back any day. To sum it up, Joao’s Place is a nice place with great drinks, in a lovely atmosphere. If you are early enough, you also have the luck to enjoy a marvellous view over the city of Edinburgh – plus, if it’s summer, you are free to sit on the terrace, which looks quite comfortable too. Definitely recommended!
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Contact Details:
Joao’s Place @ W Hotel Edinburgh
1 St James Square
EH1 3AX Edinburgh (UK)
Tel.: +44 131 287 1470
Homepage: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ediwh-w-edinburgh/dining/
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
