Hoot The Redeemer

Worth a Second Visit? Yes — If You Know When to Go

If you've been to Hoot The Redeemer once and found yourself wondering whether it's worth returning, the honest answer is yes — but timing matters. On a second visit, you're not discovering the space; you're learning how to use it well. The room on Hanover Street has a particular character that rewards those who know to arrive early in the evening rather than late, and who understand that the crowd shifts noticeably between weekday and weekend.

The physical space is the first thing that tells you who this place is for. The layout reads as compact and deliberate rather than cavernous, the kind of bar where seating choices are real decisions and where the room feels alive at 60% capacity but pressured when full. If conversation matters to you, earlier in the evening on a weekday gives you the room at its finest. Weekend nights after 9pm bring a different crowd and a louder register. Neither is wrong, but they are different experiences.

The crowd at Hoot The Redeemer skews toward locals who know Edinburgh's drinking culture well; you'll find fewer tourists here than at bars closer to the Royal Mile. That's a meaningful signal. It suggests the bar has earned repeat custom from people with options, which is a reasonable proxy for quality. If you're visiting Edinburgh and want to drink somewhere that feels genuinely embedded in the city rather than pitched at visitors, Hanover Street is the right part of town to be in.

For groups, the compact footprint means parties of more than four should think carefully about timing and whether to call ahead, even without a formal reservation system, showing up as a large group on a busy Friday is a gamble. Pairs and threes will find it easier to slot in. For a second visit specifically, the counter or bar seats are worth requesting if you want to engage with whatever the drinks program is doing rather than settling into a corner table.

Edinburgh has no shortage of well-run bars in this part of the New Town. Bramble and Panda & Sons operate in the same orbit and both have stronger public profiles. Hoot The Redeemer earns its place by feeling less performed, it's not trying to be the bar that wins lists. Whether that's a reason to book or a reason to go elsewhere depends entirely on what you're after. If you want atmosphere without theatre, it's a reasonable call. If you want a benchmark cocktail program with a more established public reputation, start with Bramble and work from there.

For more options across the city, see our full Edinburgh bars guide, our full Edinburgh restaurants guide, and our full Edinburgh hotels guide. If you're benchmarking against bars elsewhere, 69 Colebrooke Row in London and Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu set a useful international reference point for what a serious cocktail bar looks like at its finest.

Know Before You Go

• Address: 7 Hanover St, Edinburgh EH2 2DL
• Booking difficulty: Easy, walk-ins generally fine, but groups of 4+ should call ahead on weekends
• Ideal time to visit: Early evening on a weekday for the most comfortable room and easiest conversation
• Good for: Pairs and threes; locals-leaning crowd; second-visit drinkers who know what they want
• Less suited to: Large groups on busy nights; visitors wanting a high-profile cocktail program
• Nearby alternatives: Aurora, 24 Royal Terrace Hotel bar