Cocktail barTraditional whisky and ale pub£££old-townMon to Sat 12:00-00:00, Sun 12:30-23:30
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.
Signature drink: A dram of Highland Park 12 and a pint of cask Belhaven
Food: Bar snacks (pies, crisps)
Tip: No cocktails, no music, no kids. Cask ale list rotates daily; ask the bar what is on tonight.
Cocktail barSpeakeasy cocktail bar£££new-townSun to Thu 17:00-01:00, Fri to Sat 17:00-02:00
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.
Signature drink: Bourbon and Earl Grey Old Fashioned
Food: Bar snacks and small plates
Tip: Enter through the barber-shop door at street level. Bookings open 30 days ahead; cocktail menu changes seasonally.
Cocktail barWhisky and cocktail bar£££old-townSun to Thu 12:00-00:00, Fri to Sat 12:00-01:00
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.
Signature drink: Smoke and Mirrors (peated whisky cocktail)
Food: Modern Scottish small plates
Tip: Find the bar by going down the steep close from the High Street; the street-level entrance is unmarked.
Cocktail barMembers' whisky bar (day pass available)£££leithMon-Sat 11:00-23:00, closed Sun
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.
Signature drink: Single-cask whisky by the dram
Food: Scottish small plates
Tip: Non-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.
Cocktail barSpeakeasy cocktail bar£££new-townMon, Wed, Thu, Sun 17:00-00:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-01:00, closed Tue
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.
Signature drink: Bespoke cocktail crafted to the guest's flavour brief, no fixed menu
Food: No food
Tip: Cash-only, walk-ins only by knock on the door; arrive before 9pm for a chance of a table on Fridays.
Cocktail barCocktail bar£££stockbridgeTue-Sun 17:00-01:00, closed Mon
The Last Word Saloon on St Stephen Street in Stockbridge Edinburgh, opened 2014, a wood-panelled cocktail bar named after the Prohibition-era drink.
Signature drink: The Last Word (gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino, lime)
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Sister bars on the same street include The Bon Vivant's Companion; the basement seats fill from 21:00 on Friday.