Anyone else under the imp-ression that gin is the most foul drink known to man probably won't be looking to head out of their way for a place called the Gin House.
It's not so bad once you get inside. In fact, it's very much like every other style bar. And, God knows, St Andrews could do with a wee bit of style.
Don't get me wrong, it's a nice town, especially if you're into fine beaches, golf and Royal- stalking. Otherwise, it's probably a good idea to head off early on your night out, because the only thing approaching a nightclub is the students-only union.
Pubs like the Gin House, for better or worse, are the town's main nightlife.
In this bar, it's more a case of better than worse. All the usual moody accompaniments are present and correct. In fact, it's an oasis of glamour and cool among the picture postcard surroundings of the old university town.
The connection with gin isn't at all apparent until you take a look at the drinks menu, which features a special section devoted to gin classics.
You can choose, for example, from the Classic Gin Martini (three shots of Tanqueray and a splash of dry Vermouth, garnished with a twist of lemon and priced at £4.95), all the way through to the rather more exotic Bramble (gin and sugar syrup over crushed ice with a layer of chambourd and a fresh raspberry garnish, more economically taxed at £2.95).
All of which I'd rather chew my own right arm off than drink, I'm sorry to say, but if your granny's drinks cabinet holds no fear and you have a taste for the stuff ... by all means, bash on.
Despite the large projector screen behind the bar, which is used for showing big sporting events (judging by the Saturday night we were in, this means golf), the Gin House's function seems to be as a prime posers' paradise.
All the trendy looking people in the streets seemed to be heading there. While every good-looking girl in St Andrew's seems to have a taste for gin - they were still healthily outnumbered by groups of suited lads on the prowl.
That said, there was no threatening atmosphere, and even the menacing-looking bouncers were polite. Which is healthy, the Gin House attracts a wide cross- section of locals and students.
That ain't surprising, really, because it's a fine place to hang out and be seen, with plenty of floorspace down by the bar, a more secluded balcony level upstairs and a quiet seating room through the glass doors at the back.
Trendy house music adds to the vibe at weekends, and - if the time-honoured maxim that you can judge a bar by its bogs is true - the toilets are among the cleanest I've seen.
Would I go back? Yeah, just make mine a vodka.
Open: Mon-Wed, 10am-midnight; Thu-Sat, 10am-1am; Sun, noon-midnight.
Food: Mon-Sat, 10am-9pm; Sun, noon-9pm.
Drinks: Cocktails, £2.95
Rating: three out of five
Details
01334 473473
You can choose, for example, from the Classic Gin Martini (three shots of Tanqueray and a splash of dry Vermouth, garnished with a twist of lemon and priced at £4.95), all the way through to the rather more exotic Bramble (gin and sugar syrup over crushed ice with a layer of chambourd and a fresh raspberry garnish, more economically taxed at £2.95).
All of which I'd rather chew my own right arm off than drink, I'm sorry to say, but if your granny's drinks cabinet holds no fear and you have a taste for the stuff ... by all means, bash on.
Despite the large projector screen behind the bar, which is used for showing big sporting events (judging by the Saturday night we were in, this means golf), the Gin House's function seems to be as a prime posers' paradise.
All the trendy looking people in the streets seemed to be heading there. While every good-looking girl in St Andrew's seems to have a taste for gin - they were still healthily outnumbered by groups of suited lads on the prowl.
That said, there was no threatening atmosphere, and even the menacing-looking bouncers were polite. Which is healthy, the Gin House attracts a wide cross- section of locals and students.
That ain't surprising, really, because it's a fine place to hang out and be seen, with plenty of floorspace down by the bar, a more secluded balcony level upstairs and a quiet seating room through the glass doors at the back.
Trendy house music adds to the vibe at weekends, and - if the time-honoured maxim that you can judge a bar by its bogs is true - the toilets are among the cleanest I've seen.
Would I go back? Yeah, just make mine a vodka.
Open: Mon-Wed, 10am-midnight; Thu-Sat, 10am-1am; Sun, noon-midnight.
