22 of the best bars in Edinburgh
One of the UK’s prettiest cities, Edinburgh is a bucket list destination for many and home for the lucky few who live within its neighbourhoods. Its appeal for both visitors and locals alike is far reaching thanks to many things – not least its ancient, cobbled streets; world class galleries and museum; and its hospitality scene which is made up of incredible bars and restaurants.
Among the towering Gothic architecture and wonky lanes of Scotland’s capital city, there flourishes an underground scene of basement bars, speakeasies and sophisticated saloons. Some of the best bars in Edinburgh aren’t strictly bars at all. They’re more flexible and less definable. A handful are part restaurant, part bottle shop, part bar. It’s this combination that makes them so formidable, because who really wants to tackle a couple of cocktails without a snack in hand?
With so many things to do in Edinburgh, chances are you’ll have wracked up quite the step count while in town. Rest your legs after a trek up Arthur’s Seat, a shopping spree in the New Town or a stroll through Grassmarket with a wee dram or a cleverly concocted cocktail at one of the best bars in Edinburgh.
The Lucky LiquorThe Lucky Liquor Co
As is typical of most bars, the best seats in the house here are at the high stools which afford you a front row seat to the action. From here you can watch as the mixologists shake and stir unique, complex serves for keen customers who come in their droves to taste some of Edinburgh’s best cocktails. There’s real pride in the work done here, with the team even making some of their own liquors from scratch, which should come as no surprise given it’s a sister bar to Bramble, another purveyor of top-notch drinks in Edinburgh. The checkerboard floor and sweet wooden tables give this a laidback vibe, and to add to things nicely, there’s also a playlist made up of vinyls as well as a pool table for punters to flex their competitive streak over.
Address: 39A Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 3NH
Website: luckyliquorco.com
Never Really HereNever Really Here
Taking its speakeasy status particularly seriously, Never Really Here’s frontage is a locked black door, that you have to take a punt at being allowed behind if you want to sample the bar team’s drinks. When you knock, you’ll be allowed in if there’s room. With just seven tables and thirty seats, it can be tricky to pick the perfect moment. If you strike lucky though, you’ll find a completely unique cocktail experience with no menus (and subsequently no prices, which can be a bone of contention) but instead an intimate and personalised evening of tailor-made drinks. You explain your preferences to the bar team who mix individual recipes to your liking, going off of your favourite flavour profiles. This is a great one for the world-weary looking for something to ignite a little spark of excitement back into their evenings.
Address: 89 Rose Street N Lane, Edinburgh EH2 3DX
Website: instagram.com
HawksmoorHawksmoor bar
Chain restaurant bars aren’t for everyone, but they’re not all made equal and what Hawksmoor might lack in independent spirit, it more than makes up for in expertise. You see, there’s a certain standard to be met here, and the team rarely misses the mark thanks to an eagerness to offer consistency. There are classics and the brand’s own serves, as well as all the usual wine and beer suspects, so it’s perfect for groups with varying libation interests. Add to all that one of the city’s most handsome buildings and you’ve got a pretty perfect recipe for a good time. The gargantuan room is all detailed cornicing and polished wooden panelling that speaks of the pile’s previous life as a bank, with the bar tucked around to one side so that you very much feel like you’re in a dedicated bar, rather than sitting on the fringes of a restaurant.
Address: 23 W Register Street, Edinburgh EH2 2AA
Website: thehawksmoor.com
Tina LeahySotto
Branding itself as an enoteca and trattoria, or Italian wine shop and eatery, Sotto is that magical brand of bar that is so much more than the sum of its parts. It has an easy charm about it, with warm service and a convivial atmosphere which makes you want to linger over your last glass of wine. Speaking of the good stuff, that’s what you’re here for, with over two hundred bottles in the cellar. The passionate team are on hand to guide you should you need assistance choosing from the very accomplished list, but there are a handful of great cocktails to boot too if you find the choice of wine overwhelming. We count Sotto among our selection of the best restaurants in Edinburgh, so you may find it hard to drink here without a little snack or two to get you by (but that’s no bad thing). If you do decide for a glass or two of something lovely, bottles can be viewed in the shop before you make your selection, with a large communal table plonked in the dead centre of the space upstairs to encourage guests to embrace the neighbourhood vibe.
Address: 28 Deanhaugh Street, Edinburgh EH4 1LY
Website: sottoedinburgh.com
AwAyeMediaHey Palu
Some mixologists take their jobs more seriously than others, and the staff at Hey Palu aren't messing around when it comes to drinks. While they mean business with their cocktails, the bartenders are approachable and have a deep interest in their craft, meaning you’re able to discuss drinks ‘til the cows come home, if that’s your thing. With its Italian lean, the classic Negronis are some of the best in the city, with a flight available for the curious. If you know what you like and want to dictate a drink, requests are happily taken, and there’s a cool buzz about the place on any night of the week, so it’s great outside of the weekend rush, too.
Address: 49 Bread Street, Edinburgh EH3 9AH
Website: heypalu.com
Skua
Skua managed to position itself as one of Edinburgh’s best cocktail bars not long after opening, thanks to a team of whizz-kids both behind the bar and in the kitchen. Drinks are made with a low-waste approach, using house ferments and spirits, and syrups made using foraged finds and ingredients from Scotland’s bountiful larder. It’s a place for food and drink lovers, where great cocktails are served alongside fried chicken and smoked cheese doughnuts, among other plates. The drinks take a similar approach to the food: most additions to the alcohol are created from scratch with minimal waste and clever elements made out of things like skins, pips and leaves for unusual flavours. Pairings include things like rum with bee pollen or mezcal with kimchi. Found in Stockbridge, this basement bar is painted black and candlelit for a cosy, cool vibe that attracts a well-heeled but creative crowd.
Address: 49 St Stephen Street, Edinburgh EH3 5AH
Website: skua.scotArdfern
Ardfern is one of those gems to have in your armoury, that will flex to whatever you want it to be. From a casual pint with a pal through to sharing a bottle of something special from a small-scale supplier, the sweet team members simply want you to enjoy yourself – whatever that looks like. There are a few stools if you prefer to prop yourself up at the bar. Otherwise, it’s tables and chairs within the stripped-back, modern dining room. The concept is courtesy of Roberta Hall McCarron – who also owns The Little Chart Room and Eleanore – and the food reflects the egalitarian approach at the bar, coming in a sharing format with plates at various price points. Crowd favourites include her now signature topped hash brown bites and fluffy flatbreads cooked over coals. This is a great one for non-alcoholic cocktails, too, so it's ideal if you’re headed out in a mixed group.
Address: 10-12 Bonnington Road, Edinburgh EH6 5JD
Website: ardfern.uk
The Spence at Gleneagles Townhouse
Gloriously luxurious, the Gleneagles Townhouse in Edinburgh is the hotel’s slick city outpost in contrast to the big country pile that made the brand famous. Here, you’ll find all the hallmarks of the original grande dame Gleneagles, including striking, plush interiors held within the walls of an old banking hall, carefully finessed service, and a list packed with top-tier wines and classic cocktails. The best seats in the house are clustered around the central bar, where you can chat with the warm team or soak up your surroundings while people watch from your perch. If you happen to stumble in after midday, you’ll be able to lighten the load of the roaming Champagne cart.
Address: 39 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2AD
Website: gleneagles.com
AwAyeMediaChancho
There’s something irresistible about people who are perfectionists within their trade. Here at Chancho, Mexican spirits are the obsession, and the delightful results are margaritas in their many beautiful forms. Small and independently run by the same team who own Hey Palu, you’ll be just one of a handful of guests at any one time. Soak up the contemporary interiors over drinks like a rhubarb Paloma made with rhubarb soda, gentian, lime, tequila and mezcal. If you’re yet to get your head around agave drinks, there’s a mezcal and tequila flight that acts as a very nice introduction to the world of Mexican liquor.
Address: 7 Bernard Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6SL
Website: chancho.co.uk
Montrose
Avoid the tourist drag and head up the hill a little to Montrose Terrace, where your ascent will be well rewarded via this trendy, pared-back wine bar complete with bright, airy decor, well-dressed staff and a far-reaching menu. This one’s from the same stable as Timberyard – one of Edinburgh’s best Michelin-starred restaurants, so you know sourcing has been taken seriously. There’s a sort of lopsided lean to the drinks list that removes it from being predictable, instead delighting guests with affordable canned options that sit cheek-to-cheek with triple-figure Champagnes. The atmosphere lends itself to long lunches, so indulge yourself in what feels right – some of the bar food that ranges from plates of charcuterie to a Saddleback pork ragu with polenta and agretti.
Address: 1-7 Montrose Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5DJ
Website: montroserestaurant.co
Joao's Place
Joao’s Place one has something most other locations can’t compete with: a ten-out-of-ten view of Edinburgh’s impressive skyline. You’ll find it on the 11th floor of W Edinburgh, which is slap-bang in the middle of town for easy access. The menu has an interesting Brazilian-Japanese theme, but that doesn’t mean it’s all whisky highballs and caipirinhas (although both of those are good options). Instead, expect complex and unique serves like a Brazilian Bambo with Abelha Cachaca, Umeshu Sake and orange bitters or a Fogcutter made with Bumbu Rum, Nadar Gin, Leith Sherry, and homemade orgeat, lemon and orange.
Address: 1 St James Square, Edinburgh EH1 3AX
Website: joaosplace.com
The Last Word Cocktail Saloon
Often referred to as the perfect date spot, The Last Word Cocktail Saloon, lit by an open fire and lined with sheepskin rugs, has a chilled-out atmosphere, ideal for long evenings of cosy chat. Here, you can order from the exceptionally inventive menu of libations in a far more relaxed dwelling than the glam of central Edinburgh’s cocktail bars. Bites and cheese boards from neighbouring I.J. Mellis are available for pairing with your artfully presented cocktails. If the latter aren’t your thing, there are plenty of wines and rotating craft beers available to try too.
Address: 44 St Stephen Street, Edinburgh EH3 5AL
Website: lastwordsaloon.com
AwAyeMediaNauticus
Somewhere between a cocktail bar and one of Edinburgh’s best pubs, Nauticus might have an old-world vibe to its interiors, but the drinks offering is distinctly à la mode. Settle into a squishy corner and let the bar staff charm you into one too many cocktails. If you happen to wander in on a Sunday, the Bloody Marys are an extremely effective hangover cure – the tomato juice is homemade and customisable to your preferred spice level. This is much more a bar than a restaurant, but there is a hatch that opens out onto the street and if you’re lucky they might just be serving toasties or some such snack to soak up your drinks with.
Address: 142 Duke Street, Edinburgh EH6 8HR
Website: nauticusbar.co.uk
Salt Horse
As purveyors of high-quality craft beer of what feels like every variety imaginable, Salt Horse is both a homely, contemporary bar and a fine, well-stocked bottle shop. In both the bar and shop, you’ll find 14 keg lines of beer, both local and international, around 350 beers by the bottle or can and a small selection of wines and spirits, should pints or schooners not be your thing. Despite being known for beer, Salt Horse have also started to build up a bit of a reputation for their food, with stacked burgers, fries and wings served up by the kitchen all week.
Address: 57-61 Blackfriars Street, Edinburgh EH1 1NB
Website: salthorse.beer
Under The Stairs
This basement bar and restaurant underneath George IV Bridge can be found by descending twisting stone stairs from Merchant Street. Pass by twinkling fairy lights to enter the dimly lit venue, where there’s local artwork on exposed-stone walls and a well-stocked bar beckons in eager swill seekers. Sip on seasonal wines or, if you’ve a penchant for the peculiar, go for one of the quirky cocktails – the 40 Thieves pairs black pepper-infused vodka with limoncello, saki and bay syrup, while the Nod to Rob is a combination of Ocho tequila, lychee liqueur and an absinth rinse.
Address: 3a Merchant Street, Edinburgh EH1 2QD
Website: underthestairs.orgBramble
This basement bar in the New Town is a favourite date spot among locals. Hidden below a functioning clothes-alteration shop on Queen Street, it has understated interiors that allow for well-deserved attention to be given to the bartenders’ innovative drinks. On the menu, classic cocktails are interspersed with creative and complex additions – go for the bar’s namesake for a traditional blackberry-infused gin hit, or opt for one of the nouveau spice-infused whisky mixes that often appear on the list.
Address: Bramble, 16a Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JE
Website: bramblebar.co.uk
Panda & Sons
While speakeasies can seem a little overdone on the UK’s bar scene, Panda & Sons pulls off its Prohibition theme in style. Beyond the barbershop façade, wander down a staircase and pull open the secret entrance (behind a bookcase) to find the bar. Cosy up in candlelit corners and browse the inventive cocktail menu – opt for something like the Sability made with gin, sherry, extra dry vermouth, maraschino and Sable grapes. It’s the result of ‘The Brain Melting Society: Panda & Sons’ research and development kitchen that specialises in geeky mixology sub-zero techniques.
Address: Panda & Sons, 79 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 4NF
Website: pandaandsons.comThe Devil's Advocate
Hidden down an alley just off the Royal Mile, this whisky bar is a coveted spot for an evening tipple. It’s set inside a disused Victorian pump house and exposed brick walls and rough wooden beams hint at the bar’s past life, while dangling light fixtures and concrete floors add an industrial vibe. If you’re looking to line your stomach, feast on seasonal Scottish produce in the mezzanine restaurant, but it’s the Advocate’s whisky menu that steals the show. Behind the bar, more than 400 bottles of the amber stuff can be served straight or wrangled into a cocktail by the bar’s expert mixologists.
Address: The Devil’s Advocate, 9 Advocate's Close, Edinburgh EH1 1ND
Website: devilsadvocateedinburgh.co.uk
The Bon Vivant
From the same group as The Devil’s Advocate, this wood-accented venue is a sophisticated choice for an evening drink. Eye up the vast collection of whisky, liqueurs and spirits behind the marble-topped bar, or nab a nook to examine the impressive Champagne list. If you’re feeling peckish, ask for the charcuterie board – a good spread of cured meats, pâté, sourdough bread, homemade pickles and chutney.
Address: The Bon Vivant, 55 Thistle Street, Edinburgh EH2 1DY
Website: bonvivantedinburgh.co.uk
The Whiski Rooms
This is the place for a real Scottish experience. Located on The Mound with views across Princes Street Gardens and Edinburgh’s New Town, this bar and restaurant serves local produce and more than 300 different malts and blended whiskies. Novices can sign up for the Introduction to Whisky Tasting evening to become discerning drinkers of regional Scottish varieties, while connoisseurs can try the Whisky and Cheese course. Alternatively, simply pull up a pew by the window and order a wee dram to enjoy as you soak up the city’s best views.
Address: Whiski Rooms, 4-7 North Bank Street, Edinburgh EH1 2LP
Website: whiskirooms.co.uk
Le Di-Vin
Delve among Edinburgh's fashionable restaurants and basement bars to find this converted chapel in Edinburgh’s West End. It’s a sophisticated, laid-back choice for a glass of wine and a few bar snacks – settle down beneath the wooden-beamed high ceilings and chandeliers for platters of cheese and charcuterie matched with a bottle recommended by the knowledgeable staff.
Address: Le Di-Vin, 9 Randolph Place, Edinburgh EH3 7TE
Website: ledivin.co.uk
Dragonfly
One of the first on the Edinburgh cocktail scene back in the early 2000s, this bar in the shadow of the castle maintains its buzzy reputation, its rooms packed with loyal locals and cocktail enthusiasts. Park yourself by the bar to order pun-heavy concoctions such as Put Your Honey Where Your Mouth Is (whisky, honey, ginger, thyme, lemon and soy yoghurt) or Fennelope Cruz (gin, vermouth, akavit, fennel and sumac).
Address: Dragonfly, 52 West Port, Edinburgh EH1 2LD
Website: dragonflycocktailbar.com