Pubs & bars
- Maggie Mays
Outstanding contemporary Scottish restaurant, with a bustling bar and all-year entertainment - El Bar
Edinburgh's only dedicated flamenco Spanish tapas bar! - The Tea Rooms at The Butterfly and the Pig
City centre gem serving Afternoon Tea, High Tea, cakes & delights - Revolution
Revolution offers Vodka cocktails to die for! Open till 1am
The King's Wark
36 The Shore,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6QU
The term ‘gastropub’ does not get a lot of airing north of Hadrian’s Wall, but it is an apt moniker for the King’s Wark. On one hand, this is a solid old Leith pub, all dark wooden nooks and crannies, that serves up ales to a mixed crowd of tourists…
Hyde Out
2 Fountainbridge Square,
Edinburgh,
EH3 9QB
Hyde Out is somewhat less demure than its name suggests. Located by the canal terminus at Edinburgh Quay, it took over from the old Embark with a splash of publicity and a blizzard of blingin’ style in the autumn of 2010, providing a reinvigorating if…
Pivo Pivo
15 Waterloo Street,
Glasgow,
G2 6AY
Pivo Pivo was one of Glasgow's first pubs to serve an extensive range of world beers - from Argentinian Quilmes to Kirin from Japan - and still largely trades on punters' tourism. Located right beside Central Station, its small bar area lies at the…
The Rio Café
27 Hyndland Street,
Glasgow,
G11 5QF
There aren’t many places where you find fashionable students sitting next to an anorak-clad granny who's sitting next to a couple on a date, but that’s what you get at the Rio Café – and it works. Step inside and you enter a 1950s diner – the red…
99 Hanover Street
99 Hanover Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 1DJ
Past a burly bouncer, the high doorway of number 99 Hanover Street opens out into a wide, low-lit space with decadent vintage furniture and tables nestled at the edges. This can make for a somewhat gloomy lunch spot unless you get a window seat, but in…
A Room in the West End
26 William Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 7NH
The 'Room in the…' chain has won considerable popularity in Edinburgh thanks to unpretentious surroundings, fulsome food and that rare beauty, a BYO policy. The West End branch, a snug basement beneath the frequently rowdy Teuchter’s pub on William…
Hillhead Bookclub
17 Vinicombe Street,
Glasgow,
G12 8BE
With a table tennis area, drinks served in gramophones, DJs playing eclectic funk and soul, and a menu littered with puns and witty comments, it is easy to see why Hillhead Bookclub has a burgeoning reputation as the best quirky hang-out in the West…
Babbity Bowster
16–18 Blackfriars Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1PE
This Merchant City institution wears its historical robes lightly. Babbity Bowster, named after a Scottish country dance, is sited in a late 18th-century tobacco merchant’s townhouse – all that remains of an entire street built by renowned architect…
Chinaski's
239 North Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7DL
Even if Charles Bukowski – whose biographical alter-ego Chinaski’s is named after – mostly lived off a liquid diet, this dark, discreet hipster haunt just off the main drag of Sauchiehall Street is as much about its food as it is its drink. A huge…
City Café
19 Blair Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1QR
Things have been a-changing at the City Café in the last year or so. Glittery, red laminated tables, leather booths and a jukebox evoke the kitschy glamour of a classic American diner, and the food at City Café is made to match. Starters big enough to…
The Street
2 Picardy Place,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3JT
Within close proximity to some of Edinburgh’s best LGBT venues, The Street acts as a lively pre-club pit stop. Disco balls reflect off the floor-to-ceiling windows at the front, which allow views of the passing nightlife, and catchy chart tunes are…
Big Slope
36a Kelvingrove Street,
Glasgow,
G3 7SA
It would be interesting to know how many folk come into Big Slope for a drink, but end up having something to eat. That's what makes a good bar food menu: perched on the table, teasing and appetising. Here we have pub favourites with lovely twists…
The Albanach
197 High Street, Royal Mile, Old Town,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1PE
Right on the Royal Mile, the Albanach tempts tourists with a safe Scottish menu. Its bar, stocking 103 whiskies, leads to a wood and stone dining area out back. One may or may not appreciate the 'modern tartan' walls adorned with patriotic statements…
The Bank Café Bar
443 Clarkston Road,
Glasgow,
G44 3LL
Part of the Maclay Inn’s chain, this former bank has been nicely refurbished with solid wood and leather furnishings and a chrome-topped bar. Crane your neck to see the detailed cornicing and dramatic domed rooflight. There’s a good selection of draft…
The Standard
24 Howe Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 6TG
With four large TV screens this is a popular location for watching live sports, especially rugby internationals when free pies are served during half time. The decor has a 1930s American feel with fixed red leather seats, deco-style lights and framed…
The Ale House
18–22 Clerk Street,
Edinburgh,
EH8 9HX
The Ale House Bar is a well known music venue throughout Edinburgh. During the daytime and evening the bar provides excellent meals and a range of cask ales and malt whiskies.
The Cloisters
26 Brougham Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 9JH
Situated in an old church in Tollcross, Cloisters is a dependable, straight down the line pub. Here you will find an open fire, large solid wooden tables and a bunch of friendly locals enjoying a pint of ale from the well stocked bar. There isn’t a…
Cruz Bar and Restaurant
14 The Shore,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6QN
It tries to do lots of things with varying degrees of success, but no one can deny that Cruz is among the most distinctive drinking and dining venues to be found in Edinburgh. A First World War minesweeper boat permanently moored on the Water of Leith…
Mono
12 Kings Court, King Street,
Glasgow,
G1 5RB
Upon entering Mono, tucked down a blustery Trongate street, there is an immediate feeling of warmth and relaxation. A glass cupola floods with light the cafe/bar which houses an independent music store and also acts as a gig venue and mini-art gallery.
Bacchus
80 Glassford Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1UR
Weekends are busy at this Merchant City bar, catering for the post-work and pre-club crowd. The interior is stylish, with comfy low cushioned benches, bar stools and standard tables offering seating options to suit your night. Be careful to arrive…
The Corinthian Club
191 Ingram Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1DA
Never shy of the wow factor, Glasgow's G1 group have recently gone to town refitting and relaunching their flagship venue with five dizzying and dramatic floors of themes, bars and lounges. Tellers Bar and Brasserie occupies the massive central hall…
