Cocktails, wine bars and dives: drinking in Edinburgh for grown-ups.
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Edinburgh for grown-ups.
The Bow Bar on West Bow in Edinburgh Old Town, opened in the 1860s and refurbished in the 1990s as a classic Scottish pub, with 250 single malt whiskies.
DrinkA dram of Highland Park 12 and a pint of cask Belhaven
FoodBar snacks (pies, crisps)
TipNo cocktails, no music, no kids. Cask ale list rotates daily; ask the bar what is on tonight.
Iain McPherson's Panda and Sons on Queen Street in Edinburgh New Town, opened 2013, a speakeasy cocktail bar in a basement disguised as a barber-shop.
DrinkBourbon and Earl Grey Old Fashioned
FoodBar snacks and small plates
TipEnter through the barber-shop door at street level. Bookings open 30 days ahead; cocktail menu changes seasonally.
The Devil's Advocate in Advocate's Close off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, opened 2013 in a former Victorian pump house, a stone-walled whisky and cocktail.
DrinkSmoke and Mirrors (peated whisky cocktail)
FoodModern Scottish small plates
TipFind the bar by going down the steep close from the High Street; the street-level entrance is unmarked.
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in The Vaults on Giles Street in Leith, opened 1983, the world reference for single-cask whisky with a members bar and tasting.
DrinkSingle-cask whisky by the dram
FoodScottish small plates
TipNon-members can buy a day pass for £15 and bring a guest; ask at the door. The Queen Street branch is the New Town sibling.
Never Really Here on Rose Street North Lane in Edinburgh New Town, a tucked-away speakeasy behind a graffiti-covered black door with seven tables.
DrinkBespoke cocktail crafted to the guest's flavour brief, no fixed menu
FoodNo food
TipCash-only, walk-ins only by knock on the door; arrive before 9pm for a chance of a table on Fridays.
The Last Word Saloon on St Stephen Street in Stockbridge Edinburgh, opened 2014, a wood-panelled cocktail bar named after the Prohibition-era drink.
DrinkThe Last Word (gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino, lime)
FoodBar snacks
TipSister bars on the same street include The Bon Vivant's Companion; the basement seats fill from 21:00 on Friday.
Amber whisky bar and restaurant inside The Scotch Whisky Experience on Castlehill in Edinburgh, opened in 1988, a tasting bar pouring 470-plus single malts.
DrinkWhisky flight by region
FoodScottish full menu and afternoon tea
TipBook the Region Flight; five drams from five Scottish whisky regions with tutored tasting from a brand ambassador.
Bramble on Queen Street in Edinburgh New Town, opened 2006 by Mike Aikman and Jas Scott, a basement cocktail bar credited with launching the city's modern.
DrinkOff-menu bartender's choice built from the day's fresh produce
FoodNo food
TipWalk-ins only and the room fills fast after 9pm; ask the bartender for a dealer's-choice rather than the menu.
The Dome cocktail bar on George Street in Edinburgh New Town, opened 1996 inside the former Commercial Bank building, a glass-domed grand-room space pouring.
DrinkScottish Highball with Highland Park 12
FoodBar snacks and full restaurant menu
TipThe Christmas decoration installation in November to January is famously over-the-top; book a window seat ahead.
Hawksmoor's bar on West Register Street in Edinburgh New Town, opened 2019 inside the former National Bank of Scotland Hall, a 30-seat cocktail bar.
DrinkShaky Pete's Ginger Brew (gin, ginger, lemon, beer)
FoodBar steaks, charcuterie, snacks
TipExpress menu before 18:30 runs three courses at £28 from the bar; the cocktails are the same as the restaurant.
Civerinos pizza counter and bar on Hunter Square in Edinburgh Old Town, opened 2016, an all-Italian cocktail and amaro programme beside the slice counter.
DrinkAmaro spritz
FoodPizza by the slice
TipSlice plus a negroni at the counter is the local move after midnight; the cocktail menu changes monthly.
Fishers Bistro on The Shore in Leith Edinburgh, opened 1991 in a former 1700s signal tower, a seafood bar serving native oysters and Edinburgh Gin.
DrinkG and T with Edinburgh Gin
FoodSeafood small plates
TipBar counter takes walk-ins; the upstairs dining room books out at weekends but the bar is the better seat anyway.
The Witchery bar in Boswell's Court at the top of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, opened 1979, a heritage candlelit room pouring cocktails and an extensive wine.
DrinkWhisky-cream Witchery (house cocktail)
FoodFull Scottish menu
TipAsk for The Secret Garden, the second dining room down the stairs; the candle-lit version of the experience.
The Caley Picture House on Lothian Road in Edinburgh, a JD Wetherspoon pub in the grade-B listed 1923 Caley cinema building, serving budget cask ales.
DrinkCask ales and budget whisky
FoodFull Wetherspoon kitchen including pies and stovies
TipThe listed art-deco interior is worth seeing regardless of the Wetherspoon context; look up at the original plasterwork.
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