Whether you’re searching for a traditional drink or the newest creation from a master mixologist, Edinburgh’s numerous specialty bars will have you spoiled for choice. Do you want to try a conventional Italian negroni? Or how about a drink that comes in the form of a big cloud of smoke? Just like the city’s pubs, you can anticipate anything from the tiny and intimate to the strange and unique, whether you’re looking for an after-dinner drink, a mid-day treat, or a full-fledged night out.
Cocktail Bars Edinburgh – Top 10 Bars
If you’re ready to go exploring, here are our picks for the best cocktail bars in Edinburgh.
1. The Bon Vivant
The Bon Vivant tucked away on Thistle Street in New Town has the outside appearance of an informal restaurant and an interior décor characterized by warm, softwood, and candlelight: ersatz trad where no one cares about the ersatz aspect.
It has a homey vibe to it, the bistro-style cuisine is a big part of the experience, and the venue lacks the aesthetic stridency that other 21st-century cocktail sellers have.
2. Perilous Potions
Perilous Potions, the name of this Edinburgh pop-up, brings up ideas of Snape’s potions courses. This Harry Potter-themed bar is for wizards worldwide who want to learn how to make unique beverages.
Consider Confuddling Concoctions and Glacio Ardetiums served in cauldrons and test tubes with flames and smoke. Although it is now on hiatus from the Edinburgh scene, it is expected to return shortly.
3. Paradise Palms
It’s tempting to dismiss Paradise Palms as another weird student bar. Still, the vegetarian soul food menu, unique events calendar, and entertaining cocktail bar list make it a considerably more appealing option.
That cocktail menu, in particular, is worth a look, beginning with shots at £3.60 and progressing through popular classics and more intricate drinks at £8. For something unique, try the Buckfast Daiquiri.
4. Voodoo Rooms
You’ll need to dress up for this posh pub just off Princes Street. Your Converse isn’t going to cut it with cabaret rooms, vintage décor, and gilded furniture.
Most evenings, live music performers perform, and although this establishment is famed for its rums and tequilas, you’ll also discover an innovative cocktail menu as lengthy as your tartan scarf. There are interesting cocktail club titles: Release the Voodoo, The Sips Don’t Lie, Miracle Batch, and so on. At this Edinburgh cocktail bar, see how many you can get through.
5. Panda & Sons
You’d be excused if you didn’t see this cracker of a bar masquerading as an old-fashioned barbershop while strolling along Queen Street. As with many Speakeasies, not everything is as it seems.
Don’t be dismayed if you don’t see your friends enjoying gin and juice when you first go in. Instead, maintain your calm and make your way down the carpeted steps to a bookcase—good luck locating the handle! When you do, you will be whisked back to 1930s Chicago. You’ll be thirsty after the task to get inside, so bring anything from their extensive menu.
Driving? They also offer a fantastic mocktail menu nearly as imaginative as their drinks! Panda & Sons, a one-of-a-kind pub, has brought new life to what might have been a dreary basement site. A fantastic setting with tasty brews.
6. Hoot the Redeemer
Next on the most OK Edinburgh martini bars list is Hoot the Redeemer. As if a one-time travel bar wasn’t enough, the creators of Panda and Sons are now stirring things up in the Edinburgh pub scene with Hoot the Redeemer.
It’s a 1950s New Orleans funfair buried under the cobblestones just off Hanover Street. It’s a unique interactive experience with retro games, cinema seats, and an ice cream parlor finished off with fantastic cocktails like Professor Funk, Bounty Castle, and Long Tack Sam.
7. The Bramble Bar & Lounge
Cocktails were formerly thought to be terrible blue things with umbrellas and sparkles, appropriate for immature palates and the weekend disco-mating crowd – or something that only appeared in old movies.
On the other hand, Bramble sprang on the scene in this New Town basement in 2006: discrete, competent, trendy, and staffed by fanatics. It was a slow-burning success because of its nooks, shabby aesthetic, tea lights, and calm speakeasy vibe.
8. Bon Vivant
Keeping things fresh by updating their cocktail menu regularly, you can always come back to Bon Vivant and be astonished no matter how many times you visit the city.
Dark and edgy and not far from Waverley Station, you may easily enjoy a Scotch Colada or a Peachy Blinder before being whisked off down south. You may stop by this lovely spot at any time since it is a bit more on the informal side.
9. 56 North
56 North is recognized for specializing in all things gin, with a long list of the spirit, a parking park turned hidden gin garden, and gin seminars for all the experts there.
You may also add over a dozen tonics, softs, and mixers to your spirit of choice, creating cocktails ranging from bubbly to slushy or alcohol-free gin if you want.
10. 99 Hanover Street
Who knew that going to the bank could be so much fun? 99 Hanover Street is easy to find and offers a wide range of beverages suitable for sharing or drinking alone. It takes your money but gives you pleasure in return.
It’s a terrific chill-out location with fancy ceilings, thick draperies, and low lighting that even David Beckham and pals have been known to love.
Conclusion
Our wonderful home of Edinburgh is brimming with bars; the city practically bursts at the seams with them, so getting a drink on an evening is simple, but choosing a nice glass is where our helpful ‘best cocktails in Edinburgh’ list comes in handy. We traversed the streets of this gorgeous city in search of the most fantastic drinks — keep reading to find out who cut our current list of must-visit cocktail bars in Edinburgh. Take your time and visit the bars mentioned above. You’ll have some memorable experiences.
