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Old Chain Pier
The Old Chain Pier is an award-winning real ale pub, full of polished wood, brass and nautical paraphernalia and with a brilliant location overlooking the sea. The building was once the 19th-century booking office for steamers across the Firth of Forth (the pier from which it takes its name was washed away in a storm in 1898).
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Old Dock Bar
Although it has been through several incarnations since it opened in 1813, the Old Dock Bar has returned to its original role of a convivial, traditional Leith pub, with cosy wood-partitioned booths and outdoor tables overlooking the water in summer. It serves good old-fashioned pub grub as well as a good range of real ales and quality wines.
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Oloroso Lounge Bar
The roof-top lounge at the Oloroso restaurant would be at home in New York, Paris or London. Sleek leather sofas and floor-to-ceiling windows allow comfortable views across the city to Arthur's Seat, and the drinks menu includes gourmet offerings such as a Berry Balsamic Champagne Cocktail (Pommery rosé blended with strawberries, black pepper and balsamic vinegar).
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Opal Lounge
One of Edinburgh's trendiest bars, the Opal is jammed at weekends with affluent 20-somethings who've spent two hours in front of the mirror achieving that artlessly scruffy look. During the week, when the air-kissing, cocktail-sipping crowds thin out, it's a good place to relax with a fruit smoothie (or one of those expensive but excellent cocktails) and sample the tasty Asian food on offer.
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Opium
This traditionally grungy venue in the tunnel-like trench of central Cowgate houses the dark and stylish Opium, the city's top rock club. Friday and Saturday nights are a thrash-fest of alternative rock and indie, while the popular Apocalypse on Wednesdays is a mix of goth, punk and metal.
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Oxford Bar
The Oxford is that rarest of things these days, a real pub for real people, with no theme, no music, no frills and no pretensions. 'The Ox' has been immortalised by Ian Rankin, author of the Inspector Rebus novels, who is a regular here, as is his fictional detective.
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Pear Tree House
The Pear Tree is another student favourite, with comfy sofas and board games inside, plus the city centre's biggest beer garden outside. There's a Monday night quiz and live music in the garden on Sunday afternoons in summer.
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Pleasance Cabaret Bar
The Pleasance is home to the Edinburgh Folk Club (www.edinburghfolkclub.org.uk), which runs a programme of visiting bands and singers at on Wednesdays; there's no advance booking, so buy your ticket at the door. The bar is a major Fringe venue, so there are no concerts here during the Festival period.
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Port O'Leith
Open from early morning to serve local dock workers, this is a good, old-fashioned, friendly local boozer with an anchor above the door and a cosy interior swathed with flags and cap bands left behind by visiting sailors (the harbour is just down the road). Pop in for a pint and you'll end up staying till closing time.
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Queen's Hall
The Queen's Hall is home to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, but it also hosts jazz concerts, tribute bands and a whole range of other events.
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Red Vodka Club
Red is a stylish, dimly lit, cellar-like venue with a bar that specialises in flavoured and frozen vodkas. Pretty much every night is a club night, with drinks promos during the week; Fridays focus on house music, Saturdays are for R'n'B.
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Regent
This is a pleasant, gay local with a relaxed atmosphere (no loud music), serving coffee and croissants plus excellent real ales, including Deuchars IPA and Caledonian 80/-. Meeting place for the Lesbian and Gay Real Ale Drinkers club ( first Monday of month).
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Robertsons 37
No 37 is to malt whisky connoisseurs what the Diggers once was to real-ale fans. Its long gantry sports a choice of more than 100 single malts, and the bar provides a quiet and elegant environment in which to sample them.
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Royal Mile Tavern
An elegant, traditional Edinburgh bar lined with polished wood, brass and mirrors, the Royal Mile serves real ale, good wines and fine food - moules marinières and crusty bread is a lunch-time speciality. Live music Thursday and Friday nights.
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Royal Oak
The ever-popular Royal Oak rivals Sandy Bell's as Edinburgh's most popular folk venue, with music every night in both the public bar and lounge. Admission to the tiny downstairs lounge is free but by ticket only, so get there early if you want to be sure of a place. Sunday night gigs ( ), organised by the Wee Folk Club, cost around £3 .
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Sandy Bell's
This unassuming, wood-panelled pub has been a stalwart of the traditional music scene in Edinburgh since The Corrs were in nappies. There's folk music almost every evening at , and at and on Sunday.
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Sheep Heid
Possibly the oldest licensed premises in Edinburgh - dating back to 1360 - the Sheep Heid is more like a country pub than a city bar. Set in the semi-rural shadow of Arthur's Seat, it's famous for its 19th-century skittles alley and lovely beer garden. The name comes from an ornamental snuff box in the form of a sheep's head that was presented to the inn by James VI in 1580, and is commemorated in a carving which sits above the bar.
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Southsider
Always busy with students and regulars, the Southsider is a big, old-fashioned, slightly rough-around-the-edges pub that pulls in people from further afield with a good selection of real ales, table football, Wednesday night pub quizzes, and live music on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
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Stand Comedy Club
The Stand, founded in 1995, is Edinburgh's main comedy venue. It's a cabaret bar - you can eat and drink as well as laugh - with shows every night (doors open ), plenty of big-name appearances, and a free improv show at Sunday lunch time.
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Starbank Inn
Along with the Old Chain Pier, the Starbank is an oasis of fine ales and good homemade food on Edinburgh's windswept waterfront. There's a conservatory and beer garden at the back and, in winter, a blazing fire to toast your toes by.
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Studio 24
Studio 24 is the dark heart of Edinburgh's underground music scene, with a programme that covers all bases from house to nu-metal via punk, ska, reggae, crossover, tribal, electro, techno and dance. Retribution (Saturday from ) is the city's classic rock, metal and alt night; Sanctuary is an alcohol-free club for 14- to 18-year-olds, running to the same evening.
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Sygn
The plush aubergine sofas in this dark and opulent bar are just the place to pose with a passionfruit bellini or a glass of Pol Roger. Languid and laid-back through the week, with piano music for a backing track, the atmosphere hots up at the weekend when DJs man the decks.
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Tigerlily
Swirling textured wallpapers, glittering chain-mail curtains, crystal chandeliers and plush pink and gold sofas have won a cluster of design awards for this boutique hotel bar. Sharp suits and stiletto heels line the banquettes sipping on expertly mixed cocktails, and there's Czech Krušovice beer on draught and Erdinger wheat beer in bottles.
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Tonic
As cool and classy as a perfectly mixed martini, Tonic prides itself on the quality and authenticity of its cocktails, of which there are more than a hundred to choose from. The bar's cream and burgundy decor includes polished wood and limestone, and the clientele ranges from local office workers on work-a-day lunch breaks to celebrities visiting the Edinburgh International Festival.
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Traverse Theatre
The Traverse Theatre is the main focus for new Scottish writing and stages an adventurous programme of contemporary drama and dance. The box office is open on Sunday only if there is a performance that evening.
