Spry

Spry is a wine bar and shop with a basement cafe, located on the east side of town and a short walk from hip Leith. The spacious, modern room has the wine selection displayed on shelves for you to easily peruse, with natural wines being the main focus. Quality, however, is always to the fore, and Spry offers a classy selection from small independent producers made with care for both people and planet.

Matt Jackson, who owns Spry with his wife Marzena, does his utmost to only buy from good people, “something that has become somewhat of an unexpected factor while building the wine list,” he says. “Sometimes even the modern breed of winemakers can be stuck in the past."

There are around 15 wines by the glass which rotate frequently, and approximately 300 bottles plus more in the basement. All well-known regions are represented, with a mix of famous names and newcomers. And if you want to take a bottle home, you just deduct the very reasonable drink-in corkage fee.

Spry provides a menu of tasty snacks and inventive small plates, all made in house, as well as a five -course set menu with the opportunity to add pairing wines.

"Our goal is to create a positive environmental and social impact with our food and drinks offer promoting naturally made products over mass-produced, climate-negative alternatives. In my opinion, wine is the best vehicle for the conversation around climate change," says Jackson.

It’s an ambitious but genuine approach and one that runs throughout Spry, from the interior to hospitality, food and, of course, the wine.