Hyde Out

I like the look/​décor of this bar, it looks like it could be really cool. It’s hidden away so people generally don’t know about it. It’s close to Cargo which more people would know of as it faces onto a main road. It has the potential to be a great bar but it’s lacking something, which I can’t quite put my finger on. I’ve been there twice now and it has been fairly empty each time. I ordered wine and it seemed extremely expensive though I’m not sure what the prices of other drinks were. There’s plenty of bars with better atmospheres around this area that I would prefer to go to.
Myself and a friend were going to book the upstairs bar for our birthdays before, but it was going to be very expensive and they wouldn’t accept card upstairs so people would have had to go downstairs unless they had cash. I don’t know why bars do this.

hmm this is a rather interesting place. tucked away behind cargo overlooking the canal basin and office buildings, it’s probably not the most popular venue for a night out. in fact being hidden away i’m not sure that people are totally aware that this place exists which may be a bit of a shame. the bar is all decked out in dark velvet colours and dark wood tables with stylish wallpaper accents so it’s clear that this is trying to mimic the posh bars on george street but somehow it misses the mark. the space is all modern with windows floor to ceiling on both sides which somehow makes it lack atmosphere when there are so few people having drinks.
i can’t say overly much for the service either. i was at a private party in the upstairs bar and while there was a good number of people i would hardly say that the one girl behind the bar was over run. that said when i went to order a lime and soda she acted like she was sooooooo busy and this was a waste of her time although i was the only person stood at the bar ordering. also when my boyfriend tried to pay for a bottle of champange by card he was told he’d have to go downstairs to do this but the girl didn’t seem to want to print out the receipt so he could actually pay for the bubbles. additionally when we had been downstairs earlier in the night (probably around 8pm) to try to order some food we were told that the kitchen was closed and we couldn’t. um what??? we could clearly see into the kitchen and there was a cook there who appeared to be making food… not sure why we were turned down but it was their loss as zizzi got our custom instead.
so overall i wasn’t overly impressed with the bar. it’s trying hard but at the same time the staff aren’t trying hard at all. the posh décor should make it a nice place to drink, but it just totally lacked any atmosphere and didn’t leave any impression that would make me want to return again. bit of a shame as with some many financial businesses having their offices nearby this would be an ideal place for an after work drink, but i think with less than friendly bar staff and a cold environment most people will opt for the bars on george street instead.

This place is all suits and short skirts, so if that’s what you’re after it’s an alright choice.
Meeting the OH here the other night I was a bit apprehensive as I had always pegged it for a student bar. I was surprised to find a bit of an older crowd (older than undergrads anyway) and the place wasn’t too jammed for a Friday night.
A well stocked bar, a decent cocktail menu and a pool table make me think I should make more use of the place but the swirly decals and wacky colour scheme make me think otherwise.
It’s basically a brighter Cargo with less sports on the telly.

Finally reviewing this place, as after a 4 month wait, following a disastrous afternoon tea experience, the management still haven’t had the decency to make good on their offer of a replacement.
The tea was bought as an internet deal, promosing a ‘luxury afternoon tea’. It was anything but & prompted complaints from a couple sat next to us.
The waitress was very friendly (the only good thing about the place), but the manager seemed extremely put out by the fact that someone had challenged what they were offering.
In fact it was the worst meal out, afternoon tea or not, that I’ve ever had. There was so little of it & even then the quality was poor.
Upon making an email complaint, I was sent an apologetic (though I see now that it was just sarcastic, as I’ve tried another 2 times, with another ‘manager’ there) email offering me a replacement meal, with cocktails. This has never materialised, nor have I been contacted again.
I could not recommend this place, for food or drinks, as the service is absloutely dreadful. Avoid at all costs.

Had great drinks here the other night. Best thing, it seems, is to ask the staff to make a new drink– they know their stuff, plus they’ve got a pretty big selection to choose from. Heard someone say it was expensive, but at £6.50 for a decent cocktail on a friday night in a George St-​esq place, I can’t complain. Such a better alternative to Cargo.

Initially Hyde Out seems pretty promising — the décor is pretty spectacular, and the cocktail menu is interesting and extensive. The food menu also seems a bit more upmarket than most else on offer in the area.
However, I’ve been a few times now and it doesn’t seem to quite live up to it’s initial impression. Each time I’ve ordered a cocktail only to be told that they can’t make it as they have run out of a crucial ingredient. Similarly, my second choice drinks have been made with poor substitutes — Zubrowka with cheap apple juice is not the same as with cloudy pressed apple juice. For a bar that is trying to promote itself as a notch above the competition this seems a bit shoddy.
The food is similarly hit and miss — the chunky chips were actually shoestring fries. Not bad in itself but it’s annoying to order one thing and receive another. Bread and dips contains a huge loaf of bread, but about 2tbsp of pesto and balsamic to dip it in. We asked for more dips and received another incredibly stingy portion that disappeared in 2 or 3 dunks. The bread had been toasted on the outside, but was still a bit frozen on the inside.
Hyde Out has only been open a few weeks, so I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt for now and put it down to teething problems. It’s certainlymy favourite bar in that area at the moment, but then given the competition that’s not saying much. Fountainbridge isn’t a top spot for passing traffic, so they’ll need to improve their act if they want to become a destination bar and survive.
Plus their website is awful — again, lots of room for improvement!