Open since 1994 next to the Edinburgh Playhouse, CC Blooms is Scotland's longest-running gay bar and club, drag cabaret and dance floor under one roof in the Pink Triangle.
Tip: Pre-theatre cocktails upstairs are quiet, the downstairs dance floor only really fills up after midnight on a Friday or Saturday.
Address: 23-24 Greenside Place, Edinburgh EH1 3AA
Edinburgh's longest-running gay bar sits next door to CC Blooms in the Pink Triangle, reasonably priced drinks, a snooker table, an arcade and nightly drag and DJ sets.
Tip: The Tuesday drag bingo regularly outdraws the Saturday DJ for laughs, arrive by 21:00 to get a booth in the back room.
The glass-fronted independent on the corner of Picardy Place is the daytime cafe end of the Pink Triangle, with outdoor seating, that turns into a busy bar and dance floor.
Tip: Sunday brunch with bottomless mimosas pulls a queue, the downstairs club opens around 22:00 if upstairs feels too bright.
Edinburgh's gay real ale pub at the top of Abbeymount runs a rotating Cask Marque cellar and CAMRA Good Beer Guide listing in a quiet local pub well away from the Pink Triangle.
Tip: The walk up from the Playhouse is steep, the rotating five cask lines and friendly regulars are the reward at the top.
Reopened in November 2025 inside The Caledonian Edinburgh, this Japanese jazz-kissa-inspired bar pairs a high-fidelity vinyl rig with a cocktail menu in plush booths.
Tip: Ask the bartender for the side B requests, the room favours full-album playback rather than interrupting tracks for the next pour.
Edinburgh's longest-running gay bar sits next door to CC Blooms in the Pink Triangle, reasonably priced drinks, a snooker table, an arcade and nightly drag and DJ sets.
Tip: The Tuesday drag bingo regularly outdraws the Saturday DJ for laughs, arrive by 21:00 to get a booth in the back room.
The glass-fronted independent on the corner of Picardy Place is the daytime cafe end of the Pink Triangle, with outdoor seating, that turns into a busy bar and dance floor.
Tip: Sunday brunch with bottomless mimosas pulls a queue, the downstairs club opens around 22:00 if upstairs feels too bright.
Edinburgh's gay real ale pub at the top of Abbeymount runs a rotating Cask Marque cellar and CAMRA Good Beer Guide listing in a quiet local pub well away from the Pink Triangle.
Tip: The walk up from the Playhouse is steep, the rotating five cask lines and friendly regulars are the reward at the top.
The Clerk Street bar in Newington runs a queer-friendly alternative programme with eclectic decor, regular drag nights and a quieter dance floor than the Pink Triangle clubs.
Tip: The Saturday alt-rock DJ is the standout, arrive by 22:00 to grab one of the upholstered booths near the bar.
Reopened in November 2025 inside The Caledonian Edinburgh, this Japanese jazz-kissa-inspired bar pairs a high-fidelity vinyl rig with a cocktail menu in plush booths.
Tip: Ask the bartender for the side B requests, the room favours full-album playback rather than interrupting tracks for the next pour.
The Lothian Street tiki dive with vinyl on the walls runs the in-house Paradise Palms Records label, a diner menu of vegan and vegetarian food and DJ sets every weekend.
Tip: The back booth seats six and is the only place you can hear the records over the bar, ask the DJ to spin a side from the wall.