Pubs & bars
- The Abbotsford
The Abbotsford and Above Abbotsford restaurant - The capital's finest island bar, est. 1902 - Revolution
Revolution offers Vodka cocktails to die for! Open till 1am - Moskito
Moskito is a laid-back bar with an extensive drinks list as well as great food - The Standard
Fantastic food, an unbeatable atmosphere, staff and big-screen live sport
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…
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…
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…
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…
Barioja
15-19 Jeffrey Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1DR
The older establishment of the burgeoning Edinburgh tapas bar scene, Barioja remains a popular and central destination for diners looking for quick snacks or an evening meal. Its red-hued interior is fresh and modern, and makes a centre-piece of a…
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…
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…
Ma Cameron's
6–8 Little Belmont Street,
Aberdeen,
AB10 1JG
Ma Cameron’s is a friendly, old-school pub with a modern outlook and a small unexpected roof terrace. Serving popular Deuchars, Lia Fail and Belhaven Best ales, Ma's remains loyal to its heritage while also offering a wine selection providing far more…
The Ship on the Shore
24–26 The Shore,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6QN
If you like to know more than which coast your lobster was landed on, set a course for the Ship on the Shore. North Berwick lobster is served simply with chips or more grandly thermidor style, a fact that neatly sums up a restaurant that seamlessly…
El Bar
6–8 Howden Street,
Edinburgh,
EH8 9HL
It’s a tapas diner, it’s a friendly local bar and, in an interesting twist, it’s a dance studio on the side. El Bar might be just one part of Alba Flamenca’s Southside corner premises (at one time a more old-fashioned local bar), but this sleek and…
Home
80 Albion Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1NY
The decoration at this city centre hang-out is indeed a bit like home – if you happen to live somewhere that’s the ‘before’ part of a makeover. The furniture is a random mixture of leather booths (some with ripped seats), squashy sofas and gaudy…
Iglu
2b Jamaica Street,
Edinburgh,
EH3 6HH
The name Iglu suggests a frostiness that couldn’t be further from reality in this warm and welcoming eatery. Iglu’s ethical approach to food and drink is worn large and its daily-changing menu of locally sourced, seasonal and welfare-rich food is…
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…
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…
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…
Brel
39–43 Ashton Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8SG
Namesake Jacques Brel would definitely recognise this informal wood-filled bar as a distinctly European approach to dining and beer. The former stables at the end of Ashton Lane has the air of a Gallic tavern with its oak-lined walls, wooden floors and…
Firebird
1321 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8TL
This well-established neighbourhood bar and bistro makes sense whatever the occasion. The intelligent, free-flowing layout means you can dine more formally at the rear, sip a cool microbrewery pint perched at the curved wooden bar, or snack and watch…
Villager
49–50 George IV Bridge,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1EJ
Villager was the bar which started the trend for pared-down cool with its retro stylings, vintage paraphernalia and stencil-graffiti art adorning the walls. These days other places have followed suit so it feels a little less unique and a little more…
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…
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…
The Living Room
150 St Vincent Street,
Glasgow,
G2 5NE
Stylish moody interiors with dark leather booths and glowing red shades create an urban clubby atmosphere that accommodates plenty of diners but is cleverly zoned to maintain an intimate mood. The busy menu takes its themes from across the globe and…
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…
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…
The Holyrood 9A
9a Holyrood Road,
Edinburgh,
EH8 8AE
The menu at this smart Old Town pub cuts to the chase with its mission statement of ‘Great beers, great burgers’. Six ounces of beef, in a sourdough bun, can be teamed up with toppings including smoky bacon, ‘death sauce’ or rosemary-scented wild…
The Tearoom @ The Butterfly and the Pig
153 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 4SQ
The unique interior of welcoming shabby chic makes this a pleasant gem of a place to catch your busy urban breath over a quick wholesome soup and sandwich lunch, or a leisurely afternoon tea. The food is excellent. Here they do justice to the classic…
Arta
The Old Cheesemarket, 62 Albion Street,
Glasgow,
G1 1PA
Arta does well to bracket itself as the ultimate leisure suite for an aspirational generation weaned on Ready Steady Cook and Grand Designs. A cavernous, opulent venue for eating, drinking, disco dancing and live music, its menu accordingly hedges its…
Baby Grand
3–7 Elmbank Gardens,
Glasgow,
G2 4NQ
Just a few short steps from Charing Cross station, the Baby Grand is by day mainly filled with office workers and commuters who do lunch and coffee in the long thin room, but by night the mood changes to a more leisurely vibe as the pianist takes over.
Candy Kitchen and Bar
113–115 George Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 4JN
This George Street favourite screams class and decadence, with its gleaming wooden floor and tables, smooth leather booths and dinky eggcup-shaped swivel chairs. It also says clearly night-time fun and frolics for the hip and happening. More sedately…
The Living Room
113–115 George Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 4JN
Tucked behind the Living Room’s contemporary piano bar, the restaurant’s dark wood and potted palms create a welcoming, informal ambience, while the vanilla leather booths are ideal for romantic liaisons or conspiratorial office gossip. The lengthy…
Nobles Bar
44a Constitution Street, Leith,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6RS
Nobles is a very real contender for one of the best pubs in Leith. The Victorian building has been revamped just enough so that it feels fresh but mercifully there are no vacuous style-bar trappings to be found here. The large, dark wood bar takes…
The Basement Bar and Restaurant
10–12a Broughton Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3RH
While the bustle of city life proceeds at street level, down below, and largely hidden from view, drinkers in this traditional bar sip beers from around the world, whether it’s the local Innis & Gunn or far-travelled favourites Corona and Tiger.
The Fiddler's Arms
11–13 Grassmarket,
Edinburgh,
EH1 2HY
A vibrant bar on one floor with groovy music and live folk bands every night, plus a traditional Scottish menu. We attract tourists, locals and groups from our hostel, Art Roch, across the road.
A small bar with just two members of staff serving drinks…
The Grosvenor Café
The Grosvenor Theatre, Ashton Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8SJ
With its filmic décor and location above the cinema, the recently rebranded Grosvenor Café offers a great opportunity for a movie and a meal night-out. The striking and cavernous venue, lit by spotlights adorning the walls, has silent movie clips…
Heavenly
185 Hope Street,
Glasgow,
G2 2UL
Glasgow’s vegetarian and vegan dining options are hardly extensive so a new arrival such as this City Centre café-bar is something of a godsend. Heavenly joins the city's small but established vegan/veggie scene, offering a similar philosophy of…
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
272a St Vincent Street,
Glasgow,
G2 5RL
Scotland
Read our Eating & Drinking Guide review of King Tut's.
November
Princes Square, 48 Buchanan Street,
Glasgow,
G1 3JX
Situated right at the top of Princes Square, November is a light, airy cocktail bar and café which offers seating 'outside' on the balcony, looking down to the shops below, or under the interior's cupola. It offers a variety of dishes to tempt wearied…
Sloans
62 Argyll Arcade, City Centre,
Glasgow,
G2 8BG
It claims to be Glasgow’s oldest bar and restaurant and set over three levels this venue has retained some of its original grandeur. Set off Argyle Street in a cute wee lane (or via the Argyle Arcade) the bar is the first place you come across. It is…
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…
Under the Hammer
11 North Silver Street,
Aberdeen,
AB10 1RJ
Scotland
Nowhere in Aberdeen are you are less likely to find a plasma screen or a trayful of Bacardi Breezers than in Under the Hammer. A mellow basement bar whose name refers to the auction rooms upstairs, it is frequented by a slightly older, sophisticated…
All Bar One
62–72 St Vincent Street,
Glasgow,
G2 5TS
With floor-to-ceiling windows on the corner of St Vincent and West Nile streets, All Bar One is well placed to watch the world go by over a drink or a bite. Such is its bustling nature, however, it seems as if few people have time to linger at its…
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…
Bar Ten
10 Mitchell Lane,
Glasgow,
G1 3NU
Bar Ten’s style is trendy but effortless. Fairy lights are dotted about the bar and a high ceiling makes it feel spacious. Metal benches and tiled walls give it an almost industrial feel too. Celebrating its 20th birthday in 2011, the bar remains a…
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…
Coopers
499 Great Western Road, West End,
Glasgow,
G12 8HN
Beneath the ornate ceilings and chandeliers in this rather grand establishment hang four large corner screens that regularly show football. But Coopers caters for a wide spectrum of customers: young beer drinkers and the occasional tea-sipping…
Driftwood
2–4 St Georges Road,
Glasgow,
G3 6UJ
Driftwood has been a fixture of Charing Cross for a few years now, offering cheap and cheerful food to hungry students and weary shoppers. The dining area is decked out in the 'traditional' Mexican terracotta and yellow, though it's actually barely…
The Espy
62–64 Bath Street, Portobello,
Edinburgh,
EH15 1HF
This easy-going bar has become a popular Portobello local since opening in 2008. Now serving breakfasts ranging from ‘Builder’s crack’ tea and toast to ‘Eggs Benny’ it is now possible to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of this unpretentious bar all day…
The Granary
32–34 The Shore, Leith,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6QN
This split-level restaurant and bar is well positioned on the Shore with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and views of the Water of Leith. With its seductive brown leather sofas, dark wood floors, rugs and realistic-looking gas-powered fires, you’ll…
The Horse Shoe Bar
17 Drury Street,
Glasgow,
G2 5AE
Pubs come and go, but the Horse Shoe endures - the literally horseshoe-shaped, longest continuous bar in Britain ensuring its fame, regardless of the gold and platinum discs donated by Travis, drummer Neil having once worked here. Halfway down a…
Ivory Lounge
126–128 George Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 4JN
For an after-work drink and bite to eat the Ivory Lounge is a comfortable option. A flamboyant entrance with patterned mirrors and upholstered seating gives way to a large bar and dining area. Part of a chain of similar bars, the interior is a…
The Regent Bar
2 Montrose Terrace,
Edinburgh,
EH7 5DL
Edinburgh's gay real ale pub. Relaxed and comfortable, The Regent is not the archetypal gay bar. It has been voted Edinburgh Pub Of The Year in both 2008 & 2010 by the Campaign for Real Ale.
Food is available all day until 10pm and dogs are…
The White Horse
266 Canongate,
Edinburgh,
EH8 8AA
This entertaining pub covers a lot of ground for such a small space: part Levantine snuggery, part café, and part, well, pub. (There’s also talk of renovating the courtyard at the back). By day the brighter front room serves up a panini-soup combo, a…
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…
Filmhouse Café Bar
88 Lothian Road,
Edinburgh,
EH3 9BZ
The Filmhouse has been Edinburgh’s home of independent and arthouse cinema for many years, and its café-bar has long been a place to meet fellow cinephiles and chew over the plot with a pint. Just as the cinema itself is like an old friend to many, so…
Guilty Lily
284 Bonnington Road,
Edinburgh,
EH6 5BE
Guilty Lily certainly can’t be faulted for effort. Its selection of good beers, a comprehensive cocktail list and reasonably priced wines ensure a steady flow of drinkers. And a range of entertainment offerings that include quizzes and music nights…
Indigo Yard
7 Charlotte Lane,
Edinburgh,
EH2 4QZ
Tucked away up a cobbled street in the West End, Indigo Yard is a regular haunt for a mixed clientele, whether it’s workers seeking refreshment after a hard day’s graft or diners drawn by its well-earned reputation for a consistently high standard of…
The Kilderkin
67 Canongate,
Edinburgh,
EH8 8BT
The team behind Leith Walk’s Windsor Buffet have, at the time of this guide going to press, been in charge of Jenny Ha’s for a month. It’s not the most inspiring of launches, and little seems to have been revamped décor-wise: it could still benefit…
The Left Bank
33–35 Gibson Street,
Glasgow,
G12 8NU
It is hard to categorise this bistro / bar, mainly because it is so successful in all its guises – as a lazy brunch hangout, for drinks by the window or a relaxed evening meal. The atmosphere is casual but the kitchen works hard, handling flavours…
Maggie May's
60 Trongate,
Glasgow,
G1 5EP
Just through a velvet curtain from the busy bar and gig venue is a quiet corner of Maggie May’s given over to dining. Dark wood and candles manage to create a subdued atmosphere despite the hubbub bubbling through from the bar next door. An extensive…
The Pear Tree House
34 West Nicolson Street,
Edinburgh,
EH8 9DD
As befits something of an Edinburgh institution, the Pear Tree ticks all the old-school pub standards: wood panelling, leather chairs and sofas, dim lighting and worn carpet are all in place. While a few of the punters look like they come with the…
The Secret Garden at the Gate
62 Trongate, Merchant City,
Glasgow,
G1 5EP
This is something different from the team behind both the Dhabba and Dakhin Indian restaurants - a bar with a small dining room to the rear that features Asia Pacific cuisine of an Indo-Chinese inclination. As we go to press, however, keys had just…
The Clutha Vaults
167-169 Stockwell Street,
Glasgow,
G1 4SP
Scotland
Hosting live music five nights a week, predominantly acoustic and folky, but with a smattering of rock'n'roll, the Clutha Vaults is a dark, low-ceilinged, traditional Clydeside boozer that's relaxing of an afternoon but gets densely packed on weekend…
Tigerlily
125 George Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 4JN
From the outside, Tigerlily looks remarkably like a den of iniquity, with pavement to penthouse red-lit windows illuminating the boutique hotel and restaurant’s façade. Inside, things are equally lurid. Among the chandeliers and magnums of champagne…
Treacle
39–41 Broughton Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 3JU
As an alternative to the string of pubs along Broughton Street, Treacle successfully caters to a stylish after-work crowd during the week, and relaxed family brunchers at weekends. Groups of lads will prefer to lean at the bar – which can get crowded…
Bar Budda
8 Cresswell Lane,
Glasgow,
G12 8AA
Although Thai-influenced food has been a characteristic of this high-concept chain for several years, more recently the West End branch has also been focusing on Scottish ingredients while still retaining a flavour of the Far East. Embedded in…
Bar 91
91 Candleriggs,
Glasgow,
G1 1NP
From business suits to groups of students, Bar 91 is as non-pretentious a venue as you get in the Merchant City. Clearly a local for many, its red velvet curtains and dimly lit décor, as well as a smattering of disco balls and a TV fireplace, make it…
Barça Tapas and Cava Bar
Princes Square, 48 Buchanan Street,
Glasgow,
G1 3JN
Eating at Barca Tapas and Cava bar, situated in the upmarket Princes Square mall, is a classy experience. If you can, grab a table on the terrace which overlooks the light and bright shopping centre and browse the impressive menu. The calamari with…
Biblos
1 Chambers Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1HU
With a name that means ‘book’ it is hardly surprising Biblos has gone for the decadent library theme. Leather Chesterfield sofas, wingback chairs and dark wood abound, and, in case the point still hasn’t hit home, they even have small pictures of…
Black Bo's (Restaurant)
57–61 Blackfriars Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1NB
Black Bo’s is another restaurant which has graced the Edinburgh vegetarian scene for over 20 years. If this were to draw you to the conclusion that they must be doing something right you’d be spot on. The shabby chic bistro-style interior is…
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…
Earl of Marchmont
22 Marchmont Crescent,
Edinburgh,
EH9 1HG
A biannual facelift due in April 2011 may see the décor spruced up but otherwise it is business as usual as the Earl continues to serve as both child-friendly café and student watering hole. In its café guise it offers freshly squeezed orange juice…
The Goat & Grill
1287 Argyle Street,
Glasgow,
G3 8TL
Elegant and sophisticated, the Goat & Grill came under new ownership and was subtly rebranded in 2010. Set over two levels, the lower provides a spacious bar furnished with leather sofas and low-lying tables. Overhead, a mezzanine acts as the main…
Joseph Pearce’s
23 Elm Row,
Edinburgh,
EH7 4AA
Joseph Pearce’s provides a glimpse of Scandinavian hospitality in the no-man’s land that exists between Broughton Street and Leith. In its transformation from an old Edinburgh pub, the bar’s split-level layout remained the same, but the atmosphere is…
The Monkey Bar
100 Bath Street,
Glasgow,
G2 2EN
Entered via the basement on Bath Street or threw a sneaky lane behind into the secondary bar, the Monkey Bar opens out into a modern, cool space – minimal but with splashes of colour. Cocktails are a big focus here – from their own versions of classics…
Negociants
45–47 Lothian Street,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1HB
Negociants celebrates its twentieth anniversary this year as one of the most popular bars among Edinburgh’s student population. Year-round the place bustles, particularly at weekends, while the Edinburgh Festival brings a tourist clientele attracted by…
The Salisbury Arms
58 Dalkeith Road,
Edinburgh,
EH16 5AD
Touting itself as a ‘village bar and kitchen’, the Salisbury Arms has a job on its hand getting over the legacy of its dire student fun pub predecessor the Crags. This refurbishment has really gone for it, with the colours resembling a Farrow &…
The Shore Bar & Restaurant
3 The Shore,
Edinburgh,
EH6 6QW
Dark wood panelling, red brocade banquettes and twinkling candles give a timeless feel to this classic Leith bar and restaurant. The closely-spaced tables and dim lighting can feel either wonderfully romantic or perhaps a little too intimate, depending…
Stockbridge Tap
2 Raeburn Place,
Edinburgh,
EH4 1HN
Decked out in light oak with a scattering of brewery paraphernalia on the walls, the Stockbridge Tap is one of the area’s more pleasant drinking establishments. The quiet, traditional atmosphere, well-kept ales and dizzying array of whisky on offer…
