Six Degrees North

Should You Book Six Degrees North?

If you've been once and enjoyed it, a return visit to Six Degrees North on Howe Street is worth planning rather than leaving to chance. The New Town address puts it in a quieter residential stretch of Edinburgh, which means the feel on a Tuesday evening is meaningfully different from a Friday; calmer, easier to get a seat, more suited to actually talking through what's in your glass. If your first visit was a weekend drop-in, coming back mid-week is the version of this place worth experiencing.

What to Know Before You Go

Six Degrees North is known in Edinburgh for its focus on Belgian and craft beer, with a drinks list that leans harder into that territory than most bars in the city. For guests who found that angle interesting the first time, the by-the-glass selection is the reason to return rather than the food or the room. Compared to a restaurant wine list; where by-the-glass options are typically three to five bottles opened to support the kitchen, a specialist bar format like this gives more rotation, more range in style and origin, more willingness to put unusual things on tap or in bottle without needing them to pair with a menu. That's the practical advantage of drinking here over ordering a glass at, say, a brasserie or bistro down the road.

The room itself is direct: exposed brick, low lighting, a functional bar setup without the theatrical design layering you'd find at Bramble or the basement-speakeasy framing of Panda & Sons. What you see when you walk in is what you get, a pub-adjacent space that takes its drinks list more seriously than its interior. That's not a criticism; it sets honest expectations.

Timing matters here. Weekday evenings from around 5pm to 8pm give you the most relaxed version of this bar. If you're visiting Edinburgh during the August Festival, expect the whole New Town to run hotter and louder, Howe Street won't be immune. Outside festival season, this is an easy booking with no particular urgency required.

For a broader look at where to drink in the city, see our full Edinburgh bars guide. If you're planning the whole trip, our Edinburgh restaurants guide, hotels guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide cover the rest.

Practical Details

FAQ

Does Six Degrees North have outdoor seating?

• No outdoor seating is confirmed in current venue data for the Howe Street location.
• Edinburgh's weather makes outdoor seating a variable asset at the top of times, if an al fresco option is a priority, check Aurora or 24 Royal Terrace Hotel as alternatives with more confirmed outdoor or terrace options.

Is Six Degrees North good for groups?

• It works for small groups of three to five who are there for the drinks list rather than a structured dining occasion.
• The format, bar-style, walk-in-friendly, no complex booking process, suits informal gatherings more than a sit-down celebration.
• For larger groups wanting a more managed experience, Panda & Sons or Bramble may be better equipped to handle bookings with intent.

What's the crowd like at Six Degrees North?

• Drinks-literate locals who know what they're ordering rather than a tourist-heavy room.
• The New Town residential setting draws a neighbourhood crowd on weeknights; weekends pull a broader mix given the proximity to the city centre.
• It's a quieter, more conversation-friendly room than the louder cocktail bars in Edinburgh's Old Town, comparable in register to what you'd find at well-regarded neighbourhood bars like Bar Kismet in Halifax or 69 Colebrooke Row in London, serious about drinks without being precious about it.