A very honest review of the Bristo Square Scandi Bar

What seems like many moons ago now, a shadow grew over Bristo Square in the shape of a so called “Student Scandi Bar”. Much to the dismay of students and skaters alike, the shipping container-esque space was proclaimed as the newest socially distanced hotspot for students to study, chat and apparently drink, complete with Student Union pricing. Most students just thought it was a huge “eyesore”. After many roadblocks, both quarantine related and not, the Scandi Bar is finally open to students.

Here is a comprehensive review of what it’s really like inside the brand new university Scandi Study lodge.

What’s it like on the inside?

On first glance, the so called Student Village really does look like a bit of a mistake. While it has a prime location smack bang in the middle of Bristo, it sits in-between two of the most beautiful buildings on campus (Teviot and McEwan hall) and is still, for some reason, surrounded by scaffolding. It really does seem to say “do not enter”.

Once we had fought our way through the literal roadblocks and made it inside, we were greeted by a surprisingly warm and fairy-light lit space. Initially, it did appear that the bar was closed due to the resounding lack of students inside, but after a helpful chat with some of the University workers, we were informed that the space is in fact up and running and given the insider tip that the upstairs section is warmer.

Once we’d taken our pick of the many seats available (all socially distanced of course) we were able to get to work studying. One of the uni’s main selling points of the Lodge is the extreme amount of plug sockets. In this department the lodge did NOT disappoint, and there was a weird excess of plug sockets available. That being said, it does appear the money spent on plugs was taken away from the heating budget. We recommend you bring a coat.

Also, in the middle of our stay, it started to rain very heavily. Considering the roof appears to be made of plastic, this was quite loud and the fear of being rained on directly was significant. Major camping vibes.

Scandi snacks?

Captivating views 😍

In terms of food and drinks, there is a EUSA stall within the lodge that serves hot drinks and snacks. We missed out on the food as it closes surprisingly early at four. But, my oat milk hot chocolate was delicious and certainly added to the Scandi vibe of our experience.

However, there were no alcoholic drinks nor Teviot nachos as the rumour mill had suggested so any hopes of getting smashed while watching a lecture have been crushed for us all.

Overall, what to expect?

All in all, studying in the lodge was not a bad time. If you are looking for a quiet and central location to get some work done and can’t be bothered with the hassle (or possible confrontation) of booking a desk in the library, then maybe the lodge is for you.

While the promised views left much to be desired, and the cold did seem to hinder how fast we could type, the vague IKEA feeling that seems to fill the white-washed walls of the space brought a sense of calm that is somewhat unfamiliar in this day and age.

Our advice, splash out on a hot drink and bring a pair of gloves. Definitely not worth the couple million Edi Uni spent on it though.

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• Covid has brought out a new breed of library dickheads and I’m over it