Must-see nightlife in Old Town

  • Cabaret Voltaire

    Old Town

    An atmospheric warren of stone-lined vaults houses this self-consciously 'alternative' club, which eschews huge dance floors and egotistical DJ worship in…

  • Bow Bar

    Old Town

    One of the city's best traditional-style pubs (it's not as old as it looks), serving a range of excellent real ales, Scottish craft gins and a vast…

  • Bongo Club

    Old Town

    Owned by a local arts charity, the weird and wonderful Bongo Club has a long history of hosting everything from wild club nights and local bands to…

  • The utilitarian interior of Checkpoint

    Checkpoint

    Old Town

    A friendly cafe, bar and restaurant with a comprehensive menu including breakfasts, bar bites and substantial mains, Checkpoint is gaining a reputation as…

  • The distressed facade of Paradise Palms

    Paradise Palms

    Old Town

    If you like your student bars grungy and unpretentious, with affordable left-field cocktails (Buckfast Daiquiri, anyone?), delicious vegetarian soul food…

  • Wee Red Bar

    Old Town

    The art college's Wee Red Bar has been around so long there’s a danger the authorities will slap a blue plaque on it and declare it a national monument…

  • White Hart Inn

    Old Town

    A brass plaque outside this pub proclaims: ‘In the White Hart Inn Robert Burns stayed during his last visit to Edinburgh, 1791'. Claiming to be the city’s…

  • Edinburgh Press Club

    Old Town

    Housed in the former advertising offices of the Scotsman newspaper, attractively refurbished with red brick, artistically arranged timber offcuts and a…

  • BrewDog

    Old Town

    The Edinburgh outpost of Scotland's self-styled 'punk brewery', BrewDog stands out among the sticky-floored dives that line the Cowgate with its polished…

  • Dragonfly

    Old Town

    A superstylish lounge bar with a Raffles of Singapore vibe – it’s all crystal chandeliers, polished wood and oriental art – Dragonfly has won rave reviews…

  • Villager

    Old Town

    A cross between a traditional pub and a pre-club bar, Villager has a shabby-chic, laid-back vibe. It can be standing room only in the main bar in the…

  • Salt Horse Beer Shop & Bar

    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…

  • Milkman

    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…

  • Holyrood 9A

    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…

  • Liquid Room

    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…

  • Jolly Judge

    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…

  • Ecco Vino

    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…

  • Royal Mile Tavern

    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),…

  • Malt Shovel

    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…

  • Beehive Inn

    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…

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