Cocktail barHotel-style cocktail bar£££new-townMon-Sat 12:00-00:00, Sun 12:00-23:00
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.
Signature drink: Shaky Pete's Ginger Brew (gin, ginger, lemon, beer)
Food: Bar steaks, charcuterie, snacks
Tip: Express menu before 18:30 runs three courses at £28 from the bar; the cocktails are the same as the restaurant.
Cocktail barPizza-counter cocktail bar£££old-townDaily 12:00-02:00
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.
Signature drink: Amaro spritz
Food: Pizza by the slice
Tip: Slice plus a negroni at the counter is the local move after midnight; the cocktail menu changes monthly.
Cocktail barSeafood-bar bistro£££leithDaily 12:00-22:00
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.
Signature drink: G and T with Edinburgh Gin
Food: Seafood small plates
Tip: Bar counter takes walk-ins; the upstairs dining room books out at weekends but the bar is the better seat anyway.
Cocktail barHeritage cocktail and wine bar£££old-townDaily 12:00-23:00
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.
Signature drink: Whisky-cream Witchery (house cocktail)
Food: Full Scottish menu
Tip: Ask for The Secret Garden, the second dining room down the stairs; the candle-lit version of the experience.
Cocktail barPub£££tollcross-west-endDaily 08:00-01:00
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.
Signature drink: Cask ales and budget whisky
Food: Full Wetherspoon kitchen including pies and stovies
Tip: The listed art-deco interior is worth seeing regardless of the Wetherspoon context; look up at the original plasterwork.
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.