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.
Fancy a classic Italian negroni? Or maybe a cocktail that arrives with a massive cloud of smoke? Whatever your taste or disposition, Edinburgh’s many specialist bars will have you spoilt for choice. And with new spots opening all the time, you’ll never tire of the wondrous recipes that the city’s finest mixologists concoct next. From small, hidden speakeasies to popular themed-bars kitted out with decadent furnishings, here are our favourite bars in the city for that perfect cocktail.
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