The 20 best cocktail bars in Edinburgh

Tucked away on Thistle Street in the New Town, The Bon Vivant has the external look of an informal restaurant, and an internal decor dominated by warm, soft wood and candlelight: ersatz trad where no one really cares about the ersatz element. It feels comforting, the bistro-style menu is a major part of the experience and the venue has none of the aesthetic stridency associated with some twenty-first-century cocktail vendors.

It would be easy to write Paradise Palms off as just another wacky student bar, but the vegetarian soul-food menu, eclectic events calendar and fun cocktail list make it a far more attractive proposition. The cocktail menu especially makes for happy browsing, starting with ‘tropical potions’ before moving through popular classics and some impressive mocktails. Try the Strawberry Buckfast Daiquiri for something extra special. 

A venue from the Bon Vivant stable, this arrived in 2013 and occupies one of the most atmospheric sites in the Old Town, on Advocate’s Close – a stepped, narrow thoroughfare that climbs from Cockburn Street to the High Street. It occupies a soaring old Victorian pump station and the interior has no shortage of space; the decor is all bare brick, beams and wood. Like the Bon Vivant mothership, it hardly looks like a cocktail bar at all – mainly because it’s not. Rather, it’s a modern bistro-bar with a decent food menu, a commendable selection of single malt Scotch whiskies – including the award-winning Ardbeg Uigeadail – but also a way with mixology that’s wholly dexterous and certainly worth seeking out. 

Once upon a time the discerning Edinburgh drinker saw cocktails as hideous blue things with umbrellas and sparklers, fit for immature palates and the weekend disco-mating crowd – or something that only popped up in old movies. However, back in 2006, Bramble sneaked onto the scene in this New Town basement: discreet, skilled, hip and staffed by enthusiasts. With its alcoves, distressed look, tea lights and relaxed speakeasy feel, it was a slow-burning hit and continues to impress as one of Edinburgh’s most favoured cocktail bars. 

The main bar of the Voodoo Rooms sits along one wall of a long dining room illuminated by high-arched Victorian windows which overlook its central side-street location. This first-floor bar is adorned in black and gold furnishings, with an elegant and interesting cocktail menu to match. With names like ‘Spice Up Your Life’ (chilli-infused Tapatío blanco, lime, agave, sumac salt) and Beet Sabre (Avallen calvados, Sipello gooseberry aperitif, beet cordial, cloudy apple, lemon zest foam) you’ll spend your evening being wowed by the staff’s intricate creations.

Arriving in late 2013, Panda & Sons is a concept bar for cocktail connoisseurs. At street level, it presents as an American barber’s shop, while down in the basement, the basic makings of a Queen Street bar are all present – wood panelling, an old-fashioned look – with additional props and touches that can be quite a hoot if you’re in the mood: panda imagery, a bookshelf that doubles as a door, eccentric ornaments, plus a plaque that reads, ‘In 1832 on this spot nothing happened’.

Named Best Bar in Scotland in 2023, Hey Palu revolves around the Italian aperitivo style of drinking – chilled out enough to whet your appetite before a big meal. Expect amari, bitters and vermouths scattered throughout the menu, beautifully crafted cocktails like the White Strawberry Negroni and Golden Gimlet and top notch snacks like truffled pecorino, pasta dishes and affogato with your choice of Italian liqueur.

Lucky Liquor is the sister venue to Bramble and the Last Word Saloon and another staple on the cocktail scene, thanks to the talented bunch behind the bar who make many of their own syrups and cordials. If you’re a regular, you’ll notice the cocktail menu changes season by season. The approach is experimental, the decor straightforward and if it wasn’t a permanent enterprise you could say the bar had the stripped-down appeal of a pop-up. 

Founded all the way back in 2011, at this central bar just off George Street, the friendly staff create a real sense of welcome in the contemporary, non-flashy interior – and serve up a commendable cocktail list. There’s logic and creativity here, and the mixology tends to be thoughtful but fun. It doesn’t take many people to fill this place, but if you catch it on some quiet late afternoon just after opening, or a midweek evening, it’s a chilled space for a quality drink.

A long-awaited addition to the capital’s drinks scene (the owners are two industry heavyweights), Ruma is Edinburgh’s new specialist rum bar, which boasts the largest collection in the country. Unsurprisingly, their cocktail list is delightfully rum heavy and on the rare occasion the sun shines on Scotland, an £8 daiquiri is never a bad idea. Wanting a punchier drink? Go for the Pineapple and Fig Old Fashioned – Doorly’s XO, homemade pineapple and fig syrup and, wait for it, black truffle bitters. Trust us, it works. 

The second bar from the owners behind Edinburgh favourite Hey Palu, Chanco (which translates to ‘fat pig’) focuses on all things agave. Cocktails start at a reasonable £10.50 and offer fresh takes on classics – margaritas come with a yuzu twist, palomas feature a hit of rhubarb and a tequila martini is infused with basil oil. Once you’ve drunk your way through the staples, Chancho has three specials on every single week. Brand new to agave? Never fear: there are flights on offer for you to sample a selection of tequila and mezcal, while learning a little more about what makes these spirits so unique. 

A snug and stylish bar on York Place, Nightcap is a great place to pop in for a quick after-dinner drink (or indeed a nightcap). Even more so if you’ve spent an evening laughing until your insides hurt at the Stand Comedy Club down the road. It may be small but you’ll feel right at home. 

If you’ve been running Bramble successfully in Queen Street for six years or so and then the chance comes to open a second basement cocktail bar, but in Stockbridge, you’d give it a go, wouldn’t you? Much more of a neighbourhood venue than its stablemate, The Last Word has less of the twilight mystique of Bramble but feels more accessible, with friendly staff, a wall-mounted squirrel (modest by the standards of most hunting trophies) and no shortage of expertise in the mixology stakes.