Missoni have already made a colourful name for themselves in the upper echelons of fashion and design. Bar Missoni (situated in the ultra-hip, shiny and new Hotel Missoni in central Edinburgh) is their first foray into the world of cocktail couture, and if nothing else, they have certainly put their signature vivacious energy into it.

The Venue
Missoni has managed to nab a prime spot, smack-bang in the centre of Old Town activity, at the intersection of the Royal Mile and George IV Bridge. While conspicuously brand-new in a neighbourhood jam-packed with ancient architecture, the bevelled corners and discreet sandstone exteriors of the building do help it to settle into the curved cobbled streets.

In the interior however, these gentle nods to Edinburgh’s historic architecture are blasted aside by walls and furnishings drenched in rambunctiously bold colour schemes and almost seizure-inducing patterns. For those who love the Missoni style, this may just be a taste of heaven, a posh drinking-dining playground done up as the ultimate Missoni showroom. The space is dominated by the bar of the future (if we can assume the future is one of sleek glass and steel curves), with colour-crazy enclaves (complete with child-sized furniture for adults) arranged around the sides. Funky Missoni touches – clever lamps shaped like light bulbs, chairs in the form of bubbles, massively oversized bright spools of thread which double as tables – grab greedily for attention. However, for all the fun-o-rama of Missoni’s concept, it seems that enthusiasm for eye-catching design may have steamrolled concerns about customer comfort. Bubble chairs, it turns out, are not particularly great for sitting on, and nor spool tables the ideal height for resting drinks on.

The People
Despite its brazen assertion of personality, Bar Missoni does not entirely escape having a generic hotel-lobby-esque feel (perhaps because it is located in one). Its spaces are very unstructured and open to the rest of the hotel, and the clientele has a transient feel. Nonetheless, the service, like the decor, is cheerful, and if you happen to land a proper chair rather than a more experimental seating, it is possible to settle in for a conversation or a serious bout of people watching.

The Food
Bar Missoni’s brief food menu – a short list of about 10 items - makes it clear that the drinks are the speciality of the house. Nonetheless, the menu is admirably wide-ranging for such a tiny set of offerings, encompassing burgers, snacks, salads desserts and even breakfast. The meatiest (in all senses of the term) offering is the Scottish beef burger (£8), which gets top marks for quality, thanks to the lovely layer of salsa spread inside the bun and for the Missoni presentation touch of stacking the chips in a beautiful potato pyramid. On the lighter side, the zucchine fritte (£3) is an excellent Italian-inspired bar snack, which is especially great for sharing. Spaghetti-thin strips of courgette are battered and deep-fried to make a green, stringy twist on the chip. The sweeter side of the menu is unfortunately not such a success. The tiramisu (£6), while clearly freshly and carefully made, lacks layered textures, instead floating away on an overly light cream base. The bombolini (£1.50), basically baby-sized custard donuts, fall flattest, being somewhat dry, incredibly stingy on custard filling, and not quite appropriate for snacking in such sophisticated surroundings.

The Drink
Cocktails are the backbone of the extensive Bar Missoni drinks list, and the Missoni team make it clear that they intend to inject every ounce of their signature design into these beverages. For practically every safe classic on the menu - such as Cosmomopolitans (£6.95), Manhattans (£7.95) - there is a matching made-for-Missoni version with a twist. Among the most eye-catching is the Basilito (£7.95), an Italian spin on the Mojito. The classic mint base of the drink is replaced with white grapes and sweet basil, which does indeed give a pleasing new vibe to an old favourite, replacing the sharp mint edge with mellower, sweeter basil tones. Perhaps not a cutting-edge experiment in mixology, but a pleasant choice nonetheless.

Another Missoni house special, the Biennale (£6.75), which is billed as a homage to modern Venice, is a bubbly, Prosecco-based vanilla and fig concoction. The connection to modern Venice is not overtly obvious, and with its restrained amber tones, the drink is not quite as energetic as the menu promises, although it does go down quite smoothly. For those not in the market for a cocktail, Missoni’s encyclopaedia of drinks is padded out with other choices. Beers include draught Peroni (£4/pint) and various bottled options (£3.45 - £4.95).

For wine, the full range of white, red, rose and sweet is covered. The Arpeggio Bianco (starting from £3.95 per glass) is impressively good quality for such a reasonably priced glass. The cheapest bubbly by the bottle is Prosecco at £35; the most expensive is Krug at £140. Premium spirits round out the list. Non-alcoholic options such as soft drinks (from £1.50), coffee and hot chocolate (from £1.95) are also available.

The Last Word
Missoni clearly intend to let their dazzlingly audacious design ethos inform their new venue. Whilst the decor unmistakably expounds their core philosophy, their food and drink - at least in these early days - do not have the explosive impact you might expect. It remains warmly recommended if you hanker after an evening in ultra-stylish surroundings.

venue information venue map view edinburgh review add a review image gallery (4)