Did you now there’s a pop-up Game of Thrones themed pub in Edinburgh? Well, you know nothing, Jon Snow. As soon as I learned the news (which was very recently, because I’m Jon Snow too), I set out with my friend, Chris, to check the place. Located downstairs the Daylight Robbery pub on Dublin Street, Blood & Wine is a pop-up bar, which was supposed to close down several times but it’s insane popularity keeps it open. So what’s it like?
Down the narrow, stone staircase there opens a little space devoted to the one of the patron deities of the modern fantasy genre, G. R. R. Martin. The bar staff in medievalesque dresses slaloms between wooden tavern-style tables, that blend quite seamlessly with a bit of industrial elements and ever present masonry. The walls are covered in banners, furs and maps. GOT is screened on the monitors.
Among many clever props, we can find replicas of the swords; the Starks’ Ice, Jon Snow’s Longclaw, the sword of Jaime Lannister and the Starks guard shield. You can get your hands on all of the above and take a picture or two.
Now, as for drinks there’s no blood, I checked. There’s, however, plenty of wine, each from the different parts of Westeros and beyond. And so we have The Imps Delight from the Lannisport vineyards, Lys the Lovely from Essos, White Silence from Quiet Isle and many more. Also, their mead deserves an honourable mention. If you’ve never tried mead before, this is the one to start with!
I’ve learned from the staff that Blood & Wine will now keep open until the end of March, so there’s still time to visit if you’ve missed out on it so far. A word of warning though – the pub is quite small and, thanks to its popularity, very crowded. It may be a good idea to reserve a table beforehand. Also, watch out for the flying swords!
Lena Manka
A geek and gamer with a background in Cultural Anthropology, Lena loves all things that go bump in the night; apprentice of vampire lore, fan of cyberpunk, enthusiast of dark fantasy. Lena is blending in with the mortals working for an interior designer.
