Holidays in Scotland

Useful general information for the Edinburgh Visitor including financial, police, banks etc.

West Edinburgh Bars & Pubs

• Best Edinburgh Bars
• Best Edinburgh Pubs
• Bars & Pubs in Old Town
• New Town Bars & Pubs
• Bars in West Edinburgh
• South Edinburgh's Bars
• Bars in Leith & New Haven

Bert's Bar, 29-31 William St, Tel: 2255748. A better class of rugby bar which attracts the more refined aficionado as well as the occasional Charlotte Street mafioso. A pie and a pint doesn't get much better than this. Open Mon-Wed till 2300, Thu-Sat till 2400.

The Caley Sample Room, 58 Angle Park Terr, Tel: 3371006. Sells the full range of ales from the nearby Caledonian Brewery. It is popular with rugby and footie fans enjoying a pre- or post-match pint with their pie and chips (both Murrayfield rugby stadium and Tynecastle football ground are close by) but has recently been refurbished and we have been told that that the atmosphere is friendly and the beers well served.

Filmhouse Café Bar, 88 Lothian Rd, Tel: 2295932. Comfortable place to relax whether or not you're catching a movie. Busy at lunchtimes and evenings with a wide mix of people who come for coffee and chat or to enjoy the excellent-value vegetarian food. A good place for star-spotting during the film festival. Open Sun-Thu till 2330, Fri/Sat till 0030.

Mather's, 1 Queensferry St Good real ale pub with a gorgeous interior. Open Mon-Thu till 2400, Fri/Sat till 0100.

Mondobbo, 34 Bread St, Tel: 2215555. Part of the supremely stylish Point Hotel, and don't it show. Popular with local office workers for a sophisticated light lunch or after work for happy-hour cocktails. Open Mon-Thu and Sun till 2400, Fri/Sat till 0100.

Traverse Bar Café, Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge St, Tel: 2285383. Very stylish bar that's popular with luvvies, suits and students. Excellent and affordable food served at all times and regular special drinks offers. Open Mon till 2300, Tue-Thu and Sun till 2400, Fri/Sat till 0100.

Athletic Arms 1-3 Angle Park Terrace, Tel:337 3822. Athletic Arm was famous for serving the best pint of McEwan's 80/- in town. Till date this pint is being served here, which is one of the favourites in Athletic Arms. Open Mon-Thur noon-midnight, Fri-Sat 1100-midnight, Sun 1230-2300.

Caledonian Ale House 1-3 Haymarket Terrace, Tel: 337 1006. If you have some time to catch your train from the Haymarket station next door. Then do enjoy a great time relshing variety of cask ales and whiskies. Open- Mon-Sat 1100-0030, Sun 1230-2330. Food served Mon-Thur noon-2100, Fri-Sat noon-2130, Sun 1230-1700.

Caley Sample Room 58 Angle Park Terrace, Tel: 337 7204. This red brick beauty is the right place to enjoy cask ales and other drinks. The interiors are decent and simple complementing to the place. Open DAILY- noon-midnight, Food served- daily 1800-2100.

Golden Bar 28-30 Yeaman Place, Tel: 622 7112. This old fashioned bar offers a wide selection of cask ales with a contemporary lounge bar downstairs. Also is known for its brilliant jukebox. Always remains busy with a decent crowd. Open Mon-Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-2300.

Bars & Pubs in the Edinburgh Old Town

• Best Edinburgh Bars
• Best Edinburgh Pubs
• Bars & Pubs in Old Town
• New Town Bars & Pubs
• Bars in West Edinburgh
• South Edinburgh's Bars
• Bars in Leith & New Haven

Bannerman's, 212 Cowgate, Tel: 5563254. Huge, cavernous cellar-type pub that was once a real ale favourite but has now been taken over by young trendies. Still a good place to relax by the fire or have a big Sun fry-up. Open till 0100 daily.

Bar Kohl, 54 George IV Bridge, Tel: 2256936. Small but very busy bar which trades on the divergent themes of flavoured Vodka and Gangsta Rap. The bar has over 50 different flavoured Vodkas and a mixed clientele of clubbers, drinkers and Ali-G types (due to the constant Hip-Hop played on the Stereo). Trendy bar with 250 types of vodka on offer. Open Mon-Sat till 0100.

Biddy Mulligan's, 96 The Grassmarket, Tel: 2201246. One of the most popular bars on the Grassmarket drinking strip, and that's saying something. Packed with students during term time and huge groups of lads and lassies at weekends, when it tends to get raucous. Open daily till 0100.

Medina 45-47, Lothian Street (225 6313) This place is a lively basement with a North African theme, Medina gives you a mix of club-bar. The DJs, drinks, ambinace, music, vibrant atmosphere anyone would love to spend a long time here. Open daily 1000-1500.

Sandy Bell's 25 Forrest Road (225 2751) Perfect place for folkies, every night there is a open session. If you would like to known the perfect feel of the place from the bust of poet Hamish Handerson above the bar. Sandy Bell's is somewhat like Royal Oak, but worth a place. Open Mon-Sat Noon-0100, Sun 1230-2300.

Assembly 41 Lothian Street (220 4288) Assembely is a good place for having a upbeat mood and enjoying a variety of wines in one place. The place also provides a variety with outdoor tables and also Sunday barbecues in summer. Open daily 0900-0100, Food served Mon-Fri Noon-2000, Sat-Sun 1000-2000. Web-http://www.assemblybar.co.uk

Bliss 253 Cowgate. Formerly spit and sawdust bar now revamped and frequented by club goers.

The Bow Bar, 80 West Bow (halfway down Victoria St), Tel: 2267667. No nonsense, no frills pub for real ale enthusiasts and those who long for the days before mobile phones and sun-dried tomatoes. A dependable pint in an ever changing world. Open Mon-Sat till 2330, Sun till 2300.

City Café Blair St, Tel: 2200125. Style bar done out like an American diner with chrome-topped bar and booth seating. Still the busiest and most vibrant pre-club bar. Set on two floors with large bar area with pool tables to rear on top floor and smaller bar where funky House/Garage DJ's play at weekends. Open daily till 0100.

EH1, 197 High St, Tel: 2205277. Attracts workers from the High Street area during week and popular with tourists sitting in the sun. In the vicinity of the main clubs which are situated around the Cowgate/Royal Mile area and is a modern furbished bar with a small area at the back where DJ's play on Fri-Sat nights. Open daily 0930-0100.

Greyfriar's Bobby, 24 Candlemaker Row, Tel: 2258328. Old-style bar named after the brave wee Skye Terrier who died waiting for a taxi to stop on a Sat night. Very popular with tourists and students, who come for the cheap bar meals. Open daily till 0100.

Iguana, 41 Lothian St, Tel: 2204288. Next door to Negociants. Refurbished from old student haunt the Bristo Bar. Smart deco and DJ's Fri/Sat night. Large video screens. Can be too noisy to maintain any form of conversation. Popular with clubbers going to Potterrow which is a Student Venue. The food is excellent and the menu imaginative, but it gets busy at night, so book if you want to be sure of a table. Open daily 0900-0100.

Jolly Judge, 7 James Court, Tel: 2252669. Turn off the High Street just down from the castle, down a narrow close, then down the stairs to reach this cosy, intimate wee place. Live folk music and good-value bar food. Open Mon/Sun till 2300, Tue-Sat till 2400.

The Living Room, 235 Cowgate, Tel: 2254628. Dark and dingy place that attracts the city's hipsters. If you don't like the music then you're probably too old. Open daily till 0100.

Negociants, 45-47 Lothian St, Tel: 2256313. Is it a bar, is it a bistro? Both, actually. Great for a relaxing lunch-time beer or coffee and popular with students and professionals alike. At night it's a fave late-night watering hole with DJs and dancing downstairs. The menu is international in flavour, excellent value and available till 0230. Good place for a relaxing Sun brunch. Open daily 0900-0300.

The Royal Oak, 1 Infirmary St. If it's a late-night session of traditional folk music you're after, then look no further. Every night at around 2200 there's a spontaneous outbreak of singing and fiddle playing, washed down with copious quantities of whisky and beer. Open daily till 0200. The Three Sisters, 139 Cowgate, Tel: 6226800. One of the city's liveliest pubs. Huge cavernous place divided into 3 themed sections. Courtyard out front gets very busy in summer. Dancing nightly upstairs. Open till 0100.

The Canon's Gait, 232 Canongate, Tel: 5564481. Worth a stop, especially around lunchtime for its excellent-value food. Carwash, 1-13 North Bank St, Tel: 2200054. Stepping inside is like reliving the Seventies, except that the prices have gone up. Makes you wish you'd packed the flares and permed wig. Open Mon-Sat 1200-0100, Sun 1800-0100.

Cellar No 1, 1 Chambers St, Tel: 2204298. Basement cellar-bar that attracts a wide variety of people and gets lively at night. Good-value pub food and a good selection of wines. Features DJs Tue-Thu and live jazz Fri and Sat nights. Open Mon-Sat 1200-0100, Sun 1800

New Town Bars & Pubs

• Best Edinburgh Bars
• Best Edinburgh Pubs
• Bars & Pubs in Old Town
• New Town Bars & Pubs
• Bars in West Edinburgh
• South Edinburgh's Bars
• Bars in Leith & New Haven

The Abbotsford, 3 Rose St, Tel: 2255276. Big, old reliable pub in a street that's largely lost its drinking appeal. Good, solid pub lunches and a restaurant upstairs that's open in the evenings. Open Mon-Sat till 2300.

Sala Café - Bar and Restaurant 60 Broughton St, Tel: 0131 556 5758. Comfortable and laid-back spot overlooking the garden behind the Gay and Lesbian Centre. Good all-day breakfasts (also vegetarian) and reasonably priced snacks. Good pre-club meeting place. Open daily 1100-2300 (until 1AM on Friday and Saturday nights). Website at http://www.salacafe.co.uk

The Baillie Bar, 2 St Stephen St, Tel: 2254673. Dark, smoky basement bar in bohemian Stockbridge. Attracts a more mature clientele (the auld yins, in other words). Serves above-average pub food.

Bar 38, 126-128 George St, Tel: 2206180. Large, elaborately decorated and popular with the after-work, young professional crowd. And, yes, those toilets are worth checking out! Open Mon-Sat till 0100, Sun till 2400.

Barony Bar, 81-85 Broughton St, Tel: 5570546. Stylish and lively place where you won't feel like you've gatecrashed your young nephew's party. Very busy at weekends. Good bar food. Open till 2400, weekends till 0030.

Baroque, 39-41 Broughton St, Tel: 5570627. Brightly coloured décor that's not quite as loud as the young party lovers who frequent this popular bar. Usual range of trendy grub and a great selection of juices. Open daily till 0100.

The Basement, 10-12a Broughton St, Tel: 5570097. This Broughton Street original feels like it's been around for ever and is just as hip and happening as ever. Good bistro food with a mainly Mexican flavour. Open daily 1200-2400.

Café Royal Circle Bar, 19 West Register St, Tel: 5564124. You can't help feeling spoiled in these elegant and civilized surroundings. Adjacent to the famous Café Royal Oyster Bar (see 'page ). Treat yourself to the seafood menu while enjoying the sumptuous splendour. Open Mon-Wed 1100-2300, Thu till 2400, Fri/Sat till 0100, Sun till 2300. Next door upstairs is the Café Royal Bistro Bar, a big favourite with the rugger fraternity.

Cask and Barrel, 115 Broughton St, Tel: 5563132. Set in the hip Broughton St part of the New Town, but very different from many of the other, more glamorous places. Real Ale, brass taps and wooden fittings, try the local Deuchar's IPA.

The Cumberland Bar, 1 Cumberland Street, Tel: 5583134. Classic New Town bar that oozes refinement and respectability. Fine selection of real ales, a beer garden and some decent nosh. A good place to kick back and while away an hour or several. Open Mon-Wed till 2330, Thu-Sat till 2400, Sun till 2200. The Guildford Arms, 1 West Register St. Ornate Victorian bar with an excellent selection of good ales. Open Sun-Wed till 2300, Thu-Sat till 2400.

The Kenilworth, 152 Rose St, Tel: 2264385. Beautiful old bar serving good quality pub food. Special children's menu. Open Mon-Thu and Sun till 2300, Fri/Sat till 0100. Mathers, 25 Broughton St, Tel: 5566754. A welcome respite from the unremitting cool of this part of the city. Just a plain and simple bar serving good beer and unpretentious food in relaxed surroundings. Open Mon-Thu till 2400, Fri/Sat till 0030, Sun till 2300.

Amicus Apple 17, Frederick Street Tel: 2266055 The bar was opened in summers 2006,with a new artistic look and attractive ambinace the bar incorporates variety of drinks and snacks. Also located close to Princes Street which makes it easy accessible. Open- Mon-Sat 1000-0100, Sun 1100-0100. Web-http://www.amicusapple.com

Cenzor 1-3 York Place Tel: 0791 230574 The bar caters to the young Polish incomers to the city, the place has taken over the Indian restaurant 9 Cellars which was here once. One can find Polish beer, bigos and pierogi on the wide menu in the bar. Open- Mon-Fri 1700-0100, Sat-Sun 1400-0100. Web-http://www.szkocja.net

The Outhouse, 12a Broughton St La, Tel: 5576668. Under the same management as Ego nightclub, small dark bar which is not very plush but does fill up quickly and has a good atmosphere. Open daily 1200-0100.

Pivo CaffŽ, 2-6 Calton Rd, Tel: 5572925. At the top of Leith Walk opposite the St James Centre. Czech-themed bar offering a thick slice of Prague. Very good czech beer and huge portions of grub. Lively buzz in evenings when it's full of students on their way to The Venue. Open daily till 0100.

Po-Na-Na, 43b Frederick St, Tel: 2262224. Done out like an Arabic souk with many nooks and crannies in which to get up to no good. Transforms into a club later on with much madness and mayhem. And it all goes on till 0300 every night.

Pop Rocket, 2A Picardy Pl. Frequented by clubbers going to Ego and The Venue. Nice decor with 2 floors but is seldom busy after 2300 at weekends. Rose Street Brewery, 55 Rose St, Tel: 2201227. One of the best pubs in this street. Brews its own ales on the premises and these are on tap in the ground-floor bar. Food served upstairs in the restaurant. Open Mon-Thu till 2300, Fri/Sat till 2400.

Grape, 13 St Andrews Square space for drinkers and diners with fast service and big menu

Forth Floor , Harvey Nichols 4th floor, St Andrews Sqare food more expensive than it should be, but sit at the bar with a bottle of white wine and stare out the windows.

the Living Room, 113 George Street Centrotre but with a younger crowd - wider pin stripes if you get my meaning