Soul Bar says:

With a contemporary look and a relaxed atmosphere, Soul Bar is filled with all ages of all professions and is definitely one of Aberdeen’s funkiest bars. With an extensive and high quality food menu, it’s great for coffee, lunch or dinner, and features a large cocktail list. Soul also holds Mixology lessons hosted by their expert in-house Mixologists who use a state of the art Bose Sound system and premium spirits to ensure that everyone gets the most out of the lesson. All packages include a complimentary custom made round of cocktail shooters, and all cocktails mixed during the lesson can be selected from our current cocktail menu.

Social and Cocktail says:

Located in the very heart of Aberdeen, Soul Bar is  housed in an old church. It features an impressive exterior, as well as a delightful interior. The bar is one of the main focal points in the bar, draped in red light with a glorious polished black marble surface, alongside the pulpit, which has been converted into a DJ box.

Upon arrival we fought our way through the bustling cosmopolitan crowds to the bar. Grabbed one of the menus propped on the bar, we noticed that although it was smaller than your average cocktail bar, it featured a smorgasbord of spirits! After a 5-10 minute wait, we caught the bartenders attention and ordered a Manhattan (made with Makers Mark). Served in a somewhat unorthodox manner (with a flamed orange peel) it was particularly dry – naturally – with the oils resting on the surface of the drink adding to the aroma and, of course, the taste.

Next up, featuring the somewhat Holy-Hand-Grenade-like bottle of Chambord, we ordered a French Martini. Shaken up alongside Smirnoff Black Label, the smooth, distinctive tastes of black raspberries, blackberries, vanilla, citrus, honey and cognac really bring this drink to life.

The next cocktail we ordered was the Garden Martini. With ingredients sourced from the four corners of Scotland (Pincer Vodka, Hendricks Gin, Elderflower Cordial, Rosemary and Basil) this was a quintessentially Scottish drink. Finding the perfect balance of dry and sweet isn’t easy, but this drink really hit the nail on the head. Although it wasn’t particularly boozy in taste, it certainly was a thirst quenching drink, with a distinctive herbal aftertaste.

Finally, we sampled one of their Christmas drinks, the Gingerbread Martini. Chock full of sugar, spice, and all things nice, it was presented in a nutmeg laden martini glass. Stoli Vanil, Frangelico and Gingerbread Sirop were cast into the tin, alongside milk and cream, shaken roughly over ice and decanted into our glass. The taste was amazing, with the nutmeg and ginger tantalising the senses.

Soul is a great place, whether you want to kick-start your night out, or go out on a bang. With brash, loud music and bongo drummers, this place really is the venue to be on a Saturday night.  It’s impressively tall ceiling, amazing acoustics and gothic church exterior wows the eyes. However, don’t let the religious iconography inside fool you; the only service conducted here is at the bar!