Bars in Edinburgh

Heads & Tales is Edinburgh's clearest case for gin as a specialty. The focused selection and informed staff make it a stronger choice for a date or celebration than a general cocktail bar — particularly if you want guidance rather than just a drinks list. Walk-ins work, but booking ahead is easy and worth doing for groups.

Hoot The Redeemer on Hanover Street draws a locals-first crowd and works best for pairs or threes arriving early on a weekday. Walk-ins are generally easy, and the compact room rewards those who time it right. If you want a bar that feels embedded in Edinburgh rather than pitched at visitors, this is a reasonable call — though Bramble sets a higher benchmark for documented cocktail quality.

Lucky Liquor Co on Queen Street is Edinburgh's most accessible walk-in cocktail bar — no reservations needed, no ceremony, and a deliberately casual aesthetic that sets it apart from the city's polished speakeasy circuit. It's the right call when Bramble has a queue or you want a confident drink without the fuss. Not a wine bar, but a solid mid-tier cocktail stop in the New Town.

Sandy Bell's is Edinburgh's go-to pub for live folk music sessions in an unpretentious, no-reservation setting on Forrest Rd. The draw is the atmosphere and the pints, not the food. First-timers should arrive early in the evening, expect a compact and loud room when sessions peak, and eat elsewhere — this is a music pub, not a food destination.

Sheep Heid Inn in Duddingston village makes a strong case for date nights on atmosphere alone — multiple intimate rooms, aged stone walls, and a tucked-away village setting that city-centre bars cannot replicate. Best booked early evening before it fills. Walk-in availability is decent outside summer and festival weekends, but a table reservation is the safer call.

Six Degrees North on Howe Street is Edinburgh's go-to for Belgian and craft beer, in a low-key New Town room that's easier to get into than most of the city's cocktail bars. Walk-ins work well mid-week, the by-the-glass range outpaces any restaurant list in the neighbourhood, and it suits a relaxed drinks-focused evening over a structured night out.

Summerhall is a former veterinary school turned arts complex and drinking destination in Edinburgh's Newington area, home to the Pickering's Gin distillery. It rewards visitors who want atmosphere and scale over precision cocktail craft. Book easily for the bar; check ahead if a specific event is drawing you in.

Teuchters on William Street is Edinburgh's West End whisky pub done right: a serious malt selection, an atmosphere that stays conversational rather than cavernous, and pricing that undercuts the cocktail bar tier without cutting corners. Walk-ins work most of the week. If you've been once and ordered a pint, go back and ask the bar staff for a whisky recommendation instead.

The Bon Vivant on Thistle Street is Edinburgh's New Town answer to the cocktail-bar-plus-food format: quieter than the George Street strip, easy to book, and well-suited to dates or low-key celebrations. It is not a destination cocktail bar in the Bramble or Panda and Sons sense, but for a relaxed evening that moves from drinks to small plates without friction, it is a practical and reliable choice.

The Devil's Advocate, set inside a converted Victorian pump house on Advocate's Close off the Royal Mile, is the Old Town's most practical answer for group bookings. The space handles parties of four or more better than most nearby competitors, with a cocktail-led bar programme and a full food menu. Booking is easy outside of August's Festival crush.

The False Widow is a neighbourhood bar on Leith's Constitution Street with easy walk-in access — one of Edinburgh's lower-friction evening options. It suits relaxed drinks and conversation over destination-bar ambition. If you're already in Leith, it's a sound call; if you're travelling from the city centre specifically, make sure the trip is part of a broader Leith evening.

The Jazz Bar on Chambers Street is Edinburgh's go-to basement jazz venue — live music most nights, easy walk-ins outside Festival season, and an intimate room that works well for a music-focused date or a late-night out. Food is minimal, so eat beforehand. Arrive early for a quieter experience; come after 10pm if you want the full energy of the room.

The Lioness of Leith is a neighbourhood bar on Duke Street, Leith, with a reputation for taking its food more seriously than the room implies. Booking is easy and walk-ins are realistic most nights. Worth visiting if you want a pub that cooks properly — not if you're after cocktail-bar precision or a destination dining setting.

The Pear Tree is a Southside Edinburgh pub best suited to groups who want a low-fuss, walk-in experience with one of the city's larger beer garden courtyards. The format is casual pub rather than cocktail bar, with easy access near the University of Edinburgh. Book-ahead complexity is minimal, making it the practical answer when you are coordinating four or more people.