Every few years, I make a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, specifically to attend the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. You might recall a couple of years ago when I blogged about some of the cigar venues I visited during one of those trips:
Smoking cigars in Edinburgh, Scotland
Part 1 – The Cigar Box
Part 2 – Hotel Du Vin
Part 3 – Jeffrey St
Well, I did it again this year—in fact, just two weeks ago. I returned to the Fringe, and this time, I had a particular spot in mind that I’d been wanting to check out in between shows: the Puffin Rooms – Edinburgh.
Background
The Puffin Rooms, originally established in Liverpool in 2017, expanded to Edinburgh with a new venue that opened last September 2023. I posted about it at the time.
Source: La Casa del Habano website
While I’m not fully familiar with the brand’s complete history, I do know that Mitchell Orchant, founder of C.Gars Ltd and commercial director of Dominique London, along with his original business partner Ron Morrison, former CEO of Robert Graham Ltd, were instrumental in bringing it to Edinburgh.
Located in the stylish Quartermile development near Lister Square, the Edinburgh venue includes a La Casa del Habano (LCDH), which is the fifth LCDH in the UK, the third associated with C.Gars Ltd, and the first in Scotland. LCDH is part of a global network of franchised cigar retailers managed by Habanos S.A., with over 140 locations worldwide. These stores offer a wide range of Havana cigars, including exclusive sizes not found elsewhere, all meticulously stored.
As well as the LCDH walk-in cigar humidor, the Puffin Rooms in Edinburgh offers live jazz, classic cocktails, small plate dining, a whisky shop, a cocktail bar, and a heated cigar terrace.
The establishment is managed by Yeni Momblan, originally from Cuba, and hosts regular cigar events.
Source: CGars Twitter
Now that it’s operational, Mitchell and Ron are expanding their empire by planning to open a new Puffin Rooms in Gstaad, Switzerland, in 2024, in collaboration with Dominique London.
My experience
I timed my visit to coincide with one of Puffin Rooms’ cigar and whisky sampling events.
It only cost £35, which was great value for money. It included the Quai D’Orsay No 52 cigar, paired with Isle of Raasay whisky.
I also discovered that Andy G, a fellow cigar enthusiast whom I recently met in person at the CSWC (Cigar Smoking World Chanoionships – UK Finals) at Canary Wharf, would be there, which made me even more keen to attend.
I quickly booked my ticket through the CGars website, and when I found some free time during the Fringe, I went straight to the Puffin Rooms – Edinburgh – for a 5pm start!
The venue is located in Lister Square, not far from the center of Edinburgh, nestled in the Quartermile district near the former hospital now known as the Edinburgh Futures Institute, which is part of The University of Edinburgh. It is situated in a quieter area of town, away from the bustling Royal Mile, and is about a 15-20 minute walk from Edinburgh Waverley train station.
As I approached the venue, I noticed the terrace umbrellas outside alongside the classic Edinburgh architectural style building which was easily recognisable from the photos I had seen online.
The outdoor seating area is covered by a shelter and a heated terrace, creating a very cozy atmosphere that makes you feel as if you were inside. It can accommodate approximately 30 people (from what I could tell). It’s the perfect spot to relax with a cigar.
I immediately spotted Andy G upon arrival and of course cigars were lit!
As you walk through the cigar terrace to enter the building, you will be welcomed by a bar.
On the left, there are additional seating areas where you can order food – obviously you can’t smoke inside this bit.
The other guests were friendly, and it was clear they appreciated having such a venue. Unfortunately, Scotland has even stricter regulations than the UK, so sampling lounges aren’t allowed. This set up is by far the next best thing.” and the punters appear happy!
There was live music playing at the venue, which added a nice touch to the atmosphere.
Towards the rear of the venue is the LCDH, featuring a walk-in cigar humidor filled with Cuban cigars. You won’t find any cigars from the New World at this establishment.
It’s here where you get that feeling of being a kid in a candy store when you walk in.
I’ve been to a couple of Mitchell’s cigar venues now and I must say this is by far his best yet in terms of interior design aesthetics.
It was great to see some of the Trinidad cigars on display, even though the price was eye-watering at £8,999 😅.
Of course, I had to buy a cigar, so I chose the new La Gloria Cubana Turquinos, which I believe is a recent release and quite reasonably price for a Cuban cigar.
(Note: I recently smoked this at home and can confirm it’s a belter!)
It was here that I met Yeni, the store manager. She is amazing with a wealth of knowledge about cigars. I have been following her on Instagram for a few years and was chuffed to finally meet her in person. She was also our host for the cigar event.
Once the event began, we were introduced to whisky samples of Raasay and were given our cigars – the Quai D Orsay No.52. We were also served some food nibbles to enjoy alongside the whisky and cigars.
My rating: 8.5 out of 10
All in all, it was a fantastic night. I had to leave early to catch another show at the Fringe Festival, but the venue is definitely worth visiting and somewhere I would return too.
The cigar terrace, with its umbrellas and outdoor heaters, makes you feel like you are indoors. They offer an excellent selection of Cuban cigars. Yeni was an top notch host, ensuring we had everything we needed throughout the night.
It was also nice to run into some of the folks from the Edinburgh Pipe & Cigar Club. If you’re local to Edinburgh, you should definitely consider joining them—check out their Instagram page.
The cigar I sampled had a bit of a hard draw, reminiscent of the Quai D’Orsay No52 I sampled before at JJ Fox. Despite this, I’m a big fan of the No54 and will remain loyal to the brand.
I now need to visit the Puffin Rooms in Liverpool – and eagerly await the upcoming release of Mitchell’s exciting new mid-market, accessible Honduran cigar blend – Puffin Cigars!
Interested in visiting?
11 Lister Square, QuarterMile, Edinburgh, Eh3 9GL, UK
+44 (0) 131 285 8082
edinburgh@puffinrooms.co.uk
If you enjoyed reading this blog post check out my other reviews at Cigar bars, terraces, sampling lounges in Scotland.
Leave a Reply