Old Town Bars
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