17 High Street
South Queensferry
Edinburgh
EH30 9PP
0131 331 1298
When I heard there was a new bar in South Queensferry called Orocco Pier, I instantly wondered when the rest of the Wombles were going to muscle in on the act.
Surely it was only a matter of time before the Great Uncle Bulgaria Bar and Tobermory Tavern opened up too.
Then a friend with a better memory than me for old kids' TV programmes pointed out that while there was a Womble called Orinoco, there was never one called Orocco.
Still, that is what too many bar reviews do for you.
However, I do remember the Wombles of Wimbledon Common were famous for recycling long before it became fashionable, which is exactly what's happened at Orocco Pier.
Orocco used to be the Queensferry Arms Hotel, a 17th-century coaching inn slap bang on the cobbled High Street of the little town.
Having never been in the place in its old incarnation, I don't know how often it had been modernised since King James VII days. But it seems fair to guess it wasn't exactly a cutting-edge style bar.
After extensive renovations last year, the inn has been transformed into the kind of funky bar-restaurant that could easily give city centre bars in Edinburgh or Glasgow a good run for their money.
It is managed by a team who used to work for the Montpelier Partnership in Edinburgh.
Having managed the crowds at the likes of Rick's and Opal Lounge, they decided to strike out on their own in South Queensferry.
What they didn't want to do was clone a George Street-style bar and transport it from Edinburgh city centre to South Queensferry. At the same time, they did want to turn The Queensferry Arms into something that has a contemporary feel it's a bit of balancing act, but they have pulled it off.
The outside of Orocco Pier looks fairly traditional, but walk through the doors and it's like stepping into another world or at least another century.
The bar area in Orocco is divided into two. To the left of the entrance, is a semi-separate smoking room where fag addicts can puff away in peace.
Running down beside the bar, is a row of cosy little booths decked out in sultry dark wood. These lead down to a kind of lounge area with sofas ranged around a gas fire. Big vases of fresh flowers and a rather expensive-looking lighting system wrestle for attention with the views into the open-plan kitchen.
It looks as though they have spent a lot of cash getting Orocco to look and feel like a sophisticated hang-out. And they have done a good job of it too. But even if they had made the bar out of platinum, the lights out of diamonds and the bar staff out of Kylie, it still couldn't compete with the panoramic views over the Forth.
Situated between the rail and road bridges, Orocco Pier is in the perfect position to make the most of the view. Watching the lights of the six o'clock Aberdeen train reflected in the water as it moseys over the rail bridge gets my vote.
Add a spot of Nina Simone, Goldfrapp or Frank singing Fly Me To The Moon and even Fife looks romantic as it twinkles in the distance.
With the exception of the £5.50 tapas plate that wouldn't stop a hummingbird's stomach from rumbling, Orocco Pier is as easy on the wallet as it is on the eye.
With £8 cocktails not unheard of in Edinburgh, it's good to find somewhere stylish that still does a margarita for under £4 and a pint for less than three quid.
If only it was located in the city centre.
Opening: Sun-Thu, 10am-midnight; Fri-Sat, 10am-1am
Prices: Glass of wine from £2.60; shooters from £2.50; cocktails from £3.25, pint of Tennents £2.50, Bombay Sapphire and tonic £2.50.
Rating: Four out of five
Details
0131 331 1298
Orocco used to be the Queensferry Arms Hotel, a 17th-century coaching inn slap bang on the cobbled High Street of the little town.
Having never been in the place in its old incarnation, I don't know how often it had been modernised since King James VII days. But it seems fair to guess it wasn't exactly a cutting-edge style bar.
After extensive renovations last year, the inn has been transformed into the kind of funky bar-restaurant that could easily give city centre bars in Edinburgh or Glasgow a good run for their money.
It is managed by a team who used to work for the Montpelier Partnership in Edinburgh.
Having managed the crowds at the likes of Rick's and Opal Lounge, they decided to strike out on their own in South Queensferry.
What they didn't want to do was clone a George Street-style bar and transport it from Edinburgh city centre to South Queensferry. At the same time, they did want to turn The Queensferry Arms into something that has a contemporary feel it's a bit of balancing act, but they have pulled it off.
The outside of Orocco Pier looks fairly traditional, but walk through the doors and it's like stepping into another world or at least another century.
The bar area in Orocco is divided into two. To the left of the entrance, is a semi-separate smoking room where fag addicts can puff away in peace.
Running down beside the bar, is a row of cosy little booths decked out in sultry dark wood. These lead down to a kind of lounge area with sofas ranged around a gas fire. Big vases of fresh flowers and a rather expensive-looking lighting system wrestle for attention with the views into the open-plan kitchen.
It looks as though they have spent a lot of cash getting Orocco to look and feel like a sophisticated hang-out. And they have done a good job of it too. But even if they had made the bar out of platinum, the lights out of diamonds and the bar staff out of Kylie, it still couldn't compete with the panoramic views over the Forth.
Situated between the rail and road bridges, Orocco Pier is in the perfect position to make the most of the view. Watching the lights of the six o'clock Aberdeen train reflected in the water as it moseys over the rail bridge gets my vote.
Add a spot of Nina Simone, Goldfrapp or Frank singing Fly Me To The Moon and even Fife looks romantic as it twinkles in the distance.
With the exception of the £5.50 tapas plate that wouldn't stop a hummingbird's stomach from rumbling, Orocco Pier is as easy on the wallet as it is on the eye.
With £8 cocktails not unheard of in Edinburgh, it's good to find somewhere stylish that still does a margarita for under £4 and a pint for less than three quid.
If only it was located in the city centre.
Opening: Sun-Thu, 10am-midnight; Fri-Sat, 10am-1am 
