Pubs & bars, Hitlisted

Patrons here live it up while the bar’s inspiration Charles Bukowski looks disdainfully down from a portrait on the wall. Mind you, even the hedonistic Buk would have struggled to work his way through the extensive range of quality rums and bourbons.

Meaning ‘home’ in Swedish, Hemma is the latest addition to Mike and Anna Christopherson’s string of Scandinavian style bars. And with its soft furnishings and quirky interiors, it does indeed have a laidback, homely atmosphere, despite the modern feel…

Decidedly far from the beaten track unless you happen to live or work locally or are moving on from a nearby Michelin-starred restaurant, the spacious Bond No.9 – housed within an old whisky bond – is hard to find fault with and easy to celebrate.

Sea bass with crispy skin and a delicate white sauce in a Glasgow pub for under a tenner is a very rare thing – and when done this well it’s certainly worth seeking out from a menu that exceeds what you’d expect from a bar and represents excellent value…

The Black Sparrow attracts sophisticated patrons to its ornate and über cool abode. It has an old-fashioned bourbon bar look, with smoochy jazz/ambient beats mellowing the airwaves. It’s actually quite romantic. Dark burgundy leather studded booths…

Beer and burgers are the main draw at Holyood 9a, and both are worth a trip to this corner of the Old Town. A selection of 11 beers is permanently on draught and, combined with another 10 rotational pumps, constitutes one of Edinburgh’s best selections…

Another Leith bar to make the rest of the city weep, Nobles is quite simply everything you could want from a local. With great drinks (Black Isle supply them with a custom-made Nobles IPA), a pub quiz every Monday, live bands all week and a stunning…

The newest member of the Tony Macaroni family, Assaggini follows the trend of Italian food as tapas, but it is no mere bandwagon jumper. Each small plate leaves the diner wanting more, from veal meatballs in a velvet basil sauce, to focaccia with sticky…

This quirky Victorian-styled West End venue is decked out with vintage tables and chairs, making a visit feel a bit like going round to friend’s for dinner – when your friend is a skilled chef who can knock out blissful burgers. Staff complete the…

There’s always a lively buzz around this ground-level section of the popular restaurant where staff move with a studied air of relaxed professionalism amid babbling West Enders. Although it’s lighter in spirit and intentionally less formal than the room…

Happy birthday to the Traverse Theatre. In 2013 the venue celebrates its Golden Jubilee and to mark the occasion its fondly regarded basement bar/cafe has an updated menu. Fried sea bass with crushed new potatoes, or tagliatelle with mushrooms…

New breweries are springing-up across Scotland amid the craft beer revolution, but the country’s only German-style microbrewery sits apart from that trend, by drawing its inspiration from centuries-old Bavarian traditions. WEST can be found in most good…