Edinburgh
This bar is fairly small – half a dozen bar stools, a couple of sofas and a scattering of seats – but its ambition is huge, with a vast menu of bottled…
Must-see nightlife in Edinburgh
Old Town
Tucked off the Royal Mile, this independent hybrid combines great beer, food, and a shop next door selling around 400 beers to drink in or take away. Work…
Old Town
This tiny espresso bar is perhaps the smallest coffee shop in the city, all exposed stone and brickwork with only half a dozen bar stools and a window…
Edinburgh
With its mosaic floors, polished gantry, cosy fireplace and efficient bar staff, the Blue Blazer is a down-to-earth antidote to the designer excess of…
Leith
Sofi's brings a little bit of Swedish sophistication to this former Leith pub, feeling more like a bohemian cafe with its mismatched furniture, candlelit…
New Town
A gorgeous Edwardian drinking palace complete with original fittings – tile floors, mahogany circle bar and gantry, ornate mirrors and gas lamps – the…
Edinburgh
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…
Edinburgh
The Sample Room is a big, lively, convivial pub serving a wide range of wines and excellent real ales, and some of the best pub grub in the city (brunch…
Leith
With a low wooden ceiling, stone walls and a fine old fireplace, the Carriers has all the historic atmosphere that its 18th-century origins would imply…
New Town
This traditional Victorian pub has been remodelled and given a new lease of life by the Swedish owners. It's a real hub of the local community, with good…
New Town
Located in a side alley off the east end of Princes St, the Guildford is a classic Victorian pub full of polished mahogany, brass and ornate cornices. The…
Edinburgh
The plush banquettes and sleek, polished tables in this sharply styled bar are just the place to pose with a passionfruit bellini or a glass of Pol Roger…
Holyrood & Arthur’s Seat
This is a pleasant gay local with a relaxed atmosphere (no loud music), serving coffee and croissants as well as excellent real ales, including Deuchars…
Edinburgh
This cosy bar has more of a lounge atmosphere (sofas at the back) than a traditional Edinburgh pub, but the counter reveals that it is dedicated to real…
Old Town
Candlelight flickering off hectares of polished wood creates an atmospheric setting for this superb real-ale bar, with more than 20 taps pouring craft…
New Town
At the foot of Broughton St, the spit-and-sawdust–style Cask & Barrel is a beer drinker’s delight, with a selection of up to 10 real ales, as well as…
New Town
The Oxford is that rarest of things: a real pub for real people, with no 'theme', no frills and no pretensions. 'The Ox' has been immortalised by Ian…
Edinburgh
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…
Old Town
Set in a subterranean vault deep beneath Victoria St, the Liquid Room is a superb club venue with a thundering sound system. There are regular club nights…
Old Town
A snug little howff tucked away down a close, the Judge exudes a cosy 17th-century atmosphere (low, timber-beamed painted ceilings) and has the added…
Old Town
With outdoor tables on sunny afternoons and cosy candlelit intimacy in the evenings, this comfortably cramped Tuscan-style wine bar offers a tempting…
Edinburgh
Tucked in a basement, the Bailie is a Stockbridge stalwart – a dimly lit, warm and welcoming nook with a large circular island bar, a roaring fire in…
Old Town
An elegant traditional bar lined with gleaming wood, mirrors and polished brass, the Royal Mile serves real ale (Deuchars IPA and Edinburgh Castle ale),…
Leith
A cosy warren of timber-lined nooks and crannies housed in a single-storey red-brick building (once a waiting room for ferries across the Firth of Forth),…
Edinburgh
This spectacular bar, with its huge, chunky beer-hall tables, leather-sofa booths and polished black-and-white tile floor, makes a grand setting for the…
Old Town
A traditional-looking pub with dark wood and subdued tartanry, the Malt Shovel offers a good range of real ales and more than 40 malt whiskies, and serves…
Edinburgh
A dark, downstairs den of traditional beersmanship, with bare wooden floorboards and dark wood tables and chairs, the long-established Antiquary has…
Edinburgh
Housed in a former wine merchant's office, tiny Kay's is a cosy haven with a coal fire and a fine range of real ales. Good food is served in the back room…
Old Town
The historic Beehive, a former coaching inn, is a big, buzzing party pub with a range of real ales, but the main attraction is sitting out the back in the…
Edinburgh
Set in an 18th-century house with a cobbled courtyard, the Pear Tree is a student favourite with an open fire in winter, bright modern decor inside, and…
Leith
If you’re serious about spirits, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society has branches all around the world. Membership of the society costs from £65 a year and…
Leith
The Starbank is an oasis of fine ales and good, homemade food on Edinburgh's windswept waterfront. In summer there's a sunny conservatory and in winter a…
