FAQ

Do you have to book at The Alchemist?

No you don’t have to book! We’re always good for walk ins. If we’re fully booked you can always step into the bar, but we do advise you book in advance for larger parties.

Do you offer bottomless brunch?

Yes, called THE ICONS brunch

We offer this brunch deal at every venue, but bottomless drinks are not available in Scotland.
Enjoy a brunch dish with three cocktails from £35, or upgrade to bottomless cocktails for an additional £10 (90-minute duration). Priced £40 in London.

What are the bottomless brunch hours?

Available Saturdays from approximately 10 am to 3 pm, and Sundays from about 11 am to 4 pm. Check ICONS brunch page within our happenings section of the website for more info

Which cocktails are included in the brunch?

You can choose from a spritz selection including; Aperol, Campari, Hugo, Limoncello and Sarti. Or choose from 7 Alchemist specials including Breakfast Paloma, Rhubarb & Custard Fizz, Colour Changing One, Dead Red Zombie, Lime Light, Solero and Bloody Mary. We also have prosecco and IPA lager. All cocktails can be made with no alcohol.  

Are there vegan or vegetarian options for brunch?

Yes, our brunch menu has plenty of vegetarian and plant-based choices:

• Yoghurt & Granola (V) – Greek yoghurt, granola, candied pecans, strawberries, blueberries

• Beans & Parmesan on Toast (V) – Baked beans with fresh parmesan on buttered sourdough toast

• French Toast (V) – Maple butter, vanilla brioche, candied pecans, vanilla ice cream, strawberries

• Smashed Potatoes & Sunny Eggs (V or Plant-Based) – Crispy smashed potatoes, fried eggs (or plant-based alternative), cherry tomatoes, spinach, green sauce, pickled red onions

• The Full Fleximist (V) – Spinach, 2 eggs, halloumi, crispy hash browns, tomato, baked beans, mushroom, sourdough toast

• The Full Alchemist (Plant-Based option available) – Swap maple glazed fried chicken or sausage patty for plant-based goujons or patty

You can also add extras like avocado, halloumi, or hash browns to make your brunch exactly how you like it.

Does The Alchemist charge entry fees?

No. Entry is free. However, there may be a wait if we’re experiencing a busy period. Otherwise, we’re all yours!

Do you offer late-night bookings or drinks tables?

Yes, on Thursday through Saturday, you can book a drinks table from around 9pm. Venues remain open until approximately 1 am on Thursdays and 2 am on Fridays and Saturdays, with DJs setting the vibe. Please check individual venue pages for opening times

Will I have to pay a deposit?

For bookings of 7–10 guests, we simply take a £10 per person card pre-authorisation (no money is taken unless there’s a no-show). For groups of 10 or more, we require a £10 per person deposit to secure the booking.

You can find our Deposit Terms and Conditions here.

Is there a dress code for the alchemist?

We celebrate all styles but our dress code is Smart Casual. Please note that we don’t accept fancy dress. We leave that for our bartenders (ask them to wear the goggles).

Do I need to provide ID on entry?

If you are lucky enough to look under 25 you will be asked to prove that you are aged 18 or over when you are buying alcohol. On peak days, ID might also be required on entry.

The following ID will be accepted:

Photographic driving licences, passports, HM Forces cards, or a form of identification with the pass hologram.

Are children allowed in the evening?

Guests under the age of 18 are welcome into the bar area until 8.00pm accompanied by an adult

Guests under the age of 18 are allowed into the restaurant up until 8.00pm – if accompanied by an adult they will be welcome for the evening. Please note a physical form of ID may be required.

At The Alchemist St James Quarter, Edinburgh, guests under the age of 18 are welcome into the restaurant and bar area until 11.00pm when accompanied by an adult.

Do you have a children’s menu?

Yes, we have delicious bento boxes to satisfy their growing appetites.

What happens if I’m running late for my booking?

We’re sticklers for being fashionably late. If you’re running later than 5-10 minutes, please give us a call and we’ll do our best to hold the table for you.

Where can I find The Alchemist menu prices?

We do have some price variations across regions, so menu prices can be found by clicking your city name on our food and drink pages

What time do you serve food from?

Please refer to your venue page for food service times.

Are dogs allowed?

Dogs are allowed in all our outdoor and bar areas. As with people, anyone well behaved and pleasant will be welcomed with open paws, anyone giving dog a bad name may be in the dog’s shed! Service dogs welcomed throughout the venue into our restaurants.

Does the alchemist have a happy hour?

We do not have happy hour, we’re afraid!. But, look out for our temporary menus and specials on our happenings page

Do you have a cloakroom?

This does vary across venues, so please check directly. Each venue does have an allocated area for coat storage. This is not manned, so left at your own risk! Any larger items i.e. suitcases we are happy to store in our offices. Just speak to your manager (and we hope you had a nice trip).

Do you play music?

We play music throughout the day, every day. On weekends most of our venues have DJ’s playing during the evenings. Please enquire with the venue of your choice for more details.

What type of music do you play?

During the week our music provides a lounge soundtrack for the restaurant. Into the weekend it focuses on the bar, creating a devilishly vibrant atmosphere.

Our resident DJs play music that includes –

Soulful House, Disco House, Jazzy House, Deep House, Nu Disco, Re-Edits/Remixes and Dance Classics.

I have allergies, can you cater for me?

Gladly. Our online menus have an allergen selector so you can view what items are not for you. We also have QR codes for mobiles on our printed menus which direct you to allergen information if you’re already in the venue. Our staff are primed and ready to help with any questions also. You’ll be asked at the start of your meal.

Do you serve halal?

Unfortunately, we do not serve Halal but we have several vegetarian and fish options available as an alternative.

Can you book a table for drinks?

Yes, when using the booking form, please select ‘drinks & experiences’ when booking. ‘Drinks table’ will be an option available to book.
Otherwise, just head on down and grab a space in the bar area of your venue.

Does The Alchemist serve wine & beer?

Yes, we sure do. We have a range of bottled beers, ask us for what’s on draught. As for wine, what a selection! Head to the back of our drinks menu (has a cute little fold out).

Can I book a specific area?

Yes, head to the experiences section of your venue webpage to enquire.

Do you allow hen/stag parties?

Of course, we offer group experiences which are great for hen/stag parties. However, we do not accept any hen/stag do paraphernalia, table decoration, balloons or fancy dress in our venues.

Does The Alchemist have disabled access?

We do.  Our staff are happy to assist if needed. Please contact us ahead of your visit for any questions. We’re also accredited by AccessAble if you need more info.

Does The Alchemist use bio-degradable straws?

We have stopped serving straws as standard, but straws on request are bio-degradable, made from seashells and not plastic!

Does The Alchemist have a policy on wastage?

Yes. We have waged war on waste with an average food output of only 1.75% per month (then recycled into oil!). From our biodegradable straws in our bars to our sustainable packaging in our kitchens, we take waste seriously.

How do I get in touch with feedback?

If you wish to contact us with a complaint, or to credit a member of our team – we’d love to hear from you.
Please email: [email protected] and a member of our team will be in touch ASAP.

What procedures are in place for guest safety?

We have introduced the nationally recognised ‘Ask For Angela’ scheme in all our venues. Notices can be found in our lavatories offering you instruction on what to do if you feel unsafe or are in an uncomfortable situation. By going to the bar and asking for Angela, our team will know you need some help and will call you a taxi or help you out discreetly. They will:

Offer to take you to a part of the venue not in sight of potential threat.

We’ll offer to call a taxi, friend or family member to ensure you do not leave alone.

Request will be made for the person causing distress to leave the venue.

Ask what you want to do next, whether stay out of sight and/or belongings collected.

Police action will be taken if person causing distress becomes angry with the request to leave the premises.

Guest safety is paramount to us, and our teams are trained to deal with said situation to the best of their ability.

For more information search ‘Ask for Angela’

Do you have a dry ice policy?

All our cocktails are served with theatre, and some are also served with dry ice. Dry ice is fun and safe when handled correctly, so if your drink is served with a straw, please use it. The dry ice in our bubblebath cocktail can be found at the bottom of the glass and if there’s no straw, please allow time for the dry ice to disappear and enjoy the show. Please don’t handle the dry ice with your hands, instead sit back, enjoy its theatre and the aroma of the cocktail.

Where can I access The Alchemist gender pay gap report?

You can find our gender pay gap report here

Gift Card FAQs

Where can I buy a gift card?

You can grab yourself a gift card in any of our Alchemist and Aether venues, or head online where we also offer physical and digital gift cards for those in a hurry!

giftcard.thealchemistbars.com

Why is my gift card payment not going through?

Our gift card platform is supported by the latest web browsers listed below, but if you’re using an older version this could be the reason why we’re not compatible. We’d suggest updating your software or trying a different device to make your purchase.

Browsers Supported: Mac (Safari/Chrome/Firefox) Windows (Chrome/Firefox/Edge/IE) Android (Chrome) and iOS (Safari/Chrome).

We take all our guests safety very seriously, and this also covers online activity. For security reasons, we can only accept cards for online payments that are enrolled with 3D Secure. This helps reduce fraudulent activity. If your card isn’t enrolled with 3D Secure then unfortunately your payment won’t be accepted but you might be able to activate this with your bank directly. Please note we do not accept payments via an American Express credit card.

Other reasons for online payment failures can include your personal details being entered incorrectly and payments coming from outside the UK. If you’re attempting to pay from outside the UK, that’s amazing! But unfortunately we’re just not ready yet to accept oversea payments, so you might get rejected. However, sometimes these attempts do go into a pending stage, so you never know? Give it a try, call us and we’ll check!

What should I do if I haven’t received my gift card?

We send all physical gift cards with Royal Mail, and these usually turn up within 5 working day (allow 10 for busy periods). All orders are sent tracked, and your tracking number will be included within your dispatch email. You can check your delivery progress directly on the Royal Mail website and have a nosey at what’s going on: www.royalmail.com/track-your-item.

If you’ve ordered a digital gift card please check your junk folders, we might not be friends yet with your email provider and they might think we’re spam.

Still having no luck with the above? Contact us on: [email protected] or 01625 322488.

How long is my gift card valid for, and how do I check my balance?

Don’t delay spending your gift cards, these will expire 12 months from the date of purchase with any remaining balances being deducted at that time.

You can check your gift card balance at any time using the links below:

thealchemistbars.com/balance

Do I need to register my gift card, and how do I do this?

No, you don’t need to register your gift card. However, if you’re a stickler for losing things then we recommend it! If lost, stolen or damaged we might be able to find your gift card on our system and send a replacement.

To register you’ll just need your unique gift card number and pin, which are located on the back of physical gift cards and within digital emails.

thealchemistbars.com/register

What should I do if I’ve lost my gift card?

Contact us as soon as possible at [email protected] and one of the team will get back to you within 48hrs.

Unfortunately, if you haven’t registered your gift card then we might struggle to find it, but do still contact us as we’ll try our hardest to located it. We tackle each request on a case by case basis and would hate for your gift card to go to waste!

What can my gift card be redeemed against?

Gift cards can be spent on absolutely anything within our venues, they are the gift that keeps on giving.

Some gift cards are pre-assigned to certain experiences, but if you’d rather take part in a different experience, or purchase a round of drinks or food instead this is fine. Just speak to one of our team members on your visit and they’ll sort this out for you.

How do I redeem my gift card?

Just present your gift card to your server when you’re ready to pay. We either need the physical card, or a digital version on your smart phone or as a print out. We’re looking for that long gift card number.

If you’ve got an experience, just mention this to us on arrival.

Are there any gift card restrictions?

Some packages and experiences have restrictions during the festive period. Our venues during this time are full of friends, families and co-workers celebrating the holiday season which makes some of our experiences a little difficult to offer with the full alchemy theatre.

Full details can be found here: thealchemistbars.com/terms

Our masterclasses have set times and minimum numbers, so we recommend checking details with individual venues before visiting and booking in advance. More details can be found here: thealchemistbars.com/experiences/

It’s also important to note that Alchemist gift cards are only redeemable in Alchemist venues, and Aether by The Alchemist gift cards are only redeemable in Aether venues. Unfortunately, they can’t share the magic.

What should I do if I have a gift card question not listed above?

Drop us an email on [email protected] or call us 01625 322488. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm for support.

Terms & Conditions

Alchemy is complex. View our full T&Cs apply here: thealchemistbars.com/terms