Bar entertainment in Edinburgh
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A
Brauhaus
The bar itself is fairly small – half a dozen bar stools, a couple of sofas and a scattering of seats – but the ambition is sizeable, with a vast menu of bottled beers from all over the world, ranging from the usual suspects from Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic, to more unusual brews such as Paradox Smokehead (a 10% ABV stout aged for six months in a whisky cask).
reviewed
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B
Basement
The Basement is a laid-back and pleasantly grungy bar – check out the weird, welded furniture made from tank-tracks, camshafts and motorcycle chains – with staff decked out in Hawaiian shirts that are almost as loud as the decor. Background tunes are upbeat but not intrusive and, if you get peckish, excellent Mediterranean and Mexican munchies are available.
reviewed
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C
Assembly Bar
Assembly originally opened in 1996 (as Iguana), making it positively prehistoric for a style bar, but a combination of timeless decor, cool sounds, big sofas and good-value food has kept it popular. There’s a relaxed crowd of mostly students topping up on coffee during the day, but the atmosphere heats up as pre-clubbers pour in during the evening.
reviewed
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D
Villager
A cross between a traditional pub and a pre-club bar, Villager has a comfortable, laid-back vibe. It can be standing-room only in the main bar in the evenings (the cocktails are excellent), but the side room, with its brown leather sofas and subtropical pot plants comes into its own for a lazy Sunday afternoon with the papers.
reviewed
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E
The Tun
Set among the glass-and-steel architecture of the redeveloped Holyrood district, the Tun is a funky fish-tank of a place, with chunky leather sofas and steel bar stools. It’s popular with political types and media people from the neighbouring BBC studios and the Scotsman newspaper offices just across the road.
reviewed
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F
Indigo Yard
Set around an airy, stone-floored and glass-roofed courtyard, Indigo Yard is a fashionable West End watering hole that has been patronised by the likes of Liam Gallagher, Pierce Brosnan and Kylie Minogue. Good food – including open-air barbecues during the summer months – just adds to the attraction.
reviewed
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G
Standing Order
One of several converted banks on George St, Standing Order is a cavernous beer hall with a fantastic vaulted ceiling and some cosy rooms off to the right – look for the one with the original 27-tonne safe. Despite its size, it can be standing-room only at weekends.
reviewed
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H
Elbow
An attractive mix of modern and retro style makes Elbow one of the New Town’s most appealing neighbourhood bars, with staff who make you feel welcome, a tempting menu of wines and cocktails, and regular pub quizzes and live music nights.
reviewed
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I
Pivo Caffé
Aiming to add a little taste of Bohemia to Edinburgh’s bar scene, Pivo (the Czech word for beer) serves bottled Czech beers, Budvar-Budweiser on draught and two-pint cocktails, and has DJs on the decks from 10pm on.
reviewed
