St Andrews has a new bar from the team behind local favourite, The Adamson, which promises to bring London and New York style to South Street.
The Physician, which launched on St Valentine’s Day, is owned by Julie Wijkstrom who brings her experience from cocktail bars in London and New York, as well as award-winning fine dining in the form of The Adamson, to St Andrews.
Wijkstrom said, “The world is a melting pot. The people making the freshest cocktails or doing something exciting with design might be in Edinburgh, London, Scandinavia or New York. I glean elements from the best of the best and set that as my bar. I wanted to make this the place to be in St Andrews.”
The theatre begins with the evocatively lit entrance to the interior, in ink blue with accents of paprika. Once in The Lab, the cocktails from the award-winning mixologists take centre stage. Elements such as smoke, changing colours, bubbles and dry ice add to the theatrical experience. Flavours are fresh, with their signature cocktail, The Physician, infused with Scottish Raspberry and Mint to cut the rounded fruit notes.
Mixologist Joe Cassidy describes his art. “Our handmade infusions are about balancing the finest, locally sourced ingredients and botanicals with just the right spirits to tease out the attributes of each in exciting and inventive ways.”
The menu, by award-winning Head chef Rory MacCrimmon, offers a selection of large plates and bijou bites taking inspiration from the phrase, ‘a little of what you like is good for you’.
Wijkstrom vision is that thriving establishments can boost Scotland, both reputationally and economically. “The wave of world class establishments moving beyond capital cities is something to be celebrated. The demand for this quality makes me optimistic about Scotland’s hospitality industry.”
The name The Physician is a nod to the eminent Scottish Physician from St Andrews, John Adamson, who was also a world traveller ahead of his time and a photographic pioneer. This, says the Wijkstrom’s, fits with her vision of bringing global influences, science and spectacle into hospitality in inventive ways.
