Edinburgh’s drinking scene has come a long way from quiet pubs and single malts and tracking down the best cocktail bars in the city has become one of my favourite ways to explore the city after dark. From the speakeasy charm of Panda and Sons which is hidden behind an unassuming bookshelf underneath what many believe to be a barbershop – to the low-lit, classic atmosphere of Bramble Bar. These are places that take their drinks seriously without losing their sense of fun. Add in the laid-back creativity of Lucky Liquor Co and the homely yet elegant speakeasy feel of João’s Place and you have a cocktail trail that shows off just how confident and inventive Edinburgh’s bar scene has become. Amongst the good speakeasy’s you will also find my go-to – The Last Word – a hidden gem away from the classic tourist routes.
» Last updated in February 2026 👩💻
| Cocktail Bar | Location | Best For | Signature Cocktail | Price |
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Queen Street, New Town | Award-winning cocktails in a hidden speakeasy setting | Cuban Coda (rum, mango, cranberry) | ~£12 |
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Princes Street | Experimental whisky cocktails with panoramic city views | Apricot + Tagine Spice | ~£13 |
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Queen Street, New Town | Adventurous menu with knowledgeable staff | Mr Midnight (whisky, cherry, amaretto) | ~£12 |
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St James Quarter, New Town | Japanese-inspired highballs with stunning views | Tropicalismo (yuzu, coconut gin, guava) | ~£14 |
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Princes Street (The Balmoral) | Polished fine-dining cocktails and elegant service | The 1902 (whisky, blood orange, byrrh) | ~£20 |
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Stockbridge, New Town | Cosy neighbourhood gem — our top pick | Loire Valley (pear, goat’s cheese wash, walnut) | ~£12 |
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Bread Street, Old Town | Negroni flights and lively Italian-inspired atmosphere | The Negroni Flight | ££ |
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Queen Street, New Town | Timeless, dimly-lit cocktail institution | The Bramble (gin, bramble house liqueur) | ££ |
The best cocktail bars in Edinburgh: recommendations from a local
There are many good cocktails bars in Edinburgh so you are bound to find one that suits you. When I’m not writing travel articles for you here, I do a lot of work with whisky photography, spirits judging and content creation about drinks experiences so I’m quite well versed in the bar scene in Edinburgh. So my intention here is to tell you about my top picks in the city and why they make this list. I do in particular have a soft spot for my go-to bar: The Last Word which always feels like one of of the last hidden gems in the city.
If whisky is more your thing, check out my guide to the best whisky tastings in Edinburgh here!
Panda & Sons – the best of the speakeasy cocktail bars in Edinburgh
Panda & Sons is one of Edinburgh’s most iconic speakeasy cocktail bars, and it still feels like a rite of passage for anyone serious about drinks in the city to find this hidden secret. It may look a little strange when you stumble upon this abandoned barbershop and have to enter through a mysterious bookcase, but that’s just the dramatics of a proper Panda and Sons experience. I’ll admit I sometimes struggle to fully decode their menu – it can feel a little advanced if your cocktail knowledge isn’t encyclopaedic – but the serves at Panda and Sons are consistently phenomenal.
- Best time to visit: Earlier in the afternoon/evening on weekends before it gets busy. This bar quickly books up so it’s recommended to book a table in advance.
- Cocktail recommendation: Cuban Coda with rum, mango and cranberry.
- Location: Queen Street in New Town
- Price Range: ££ (around £12 per cocktail)
1820 Rooftop Bar at Johnnie Walker Princes Street – The best of the rooftop bars in Edinburgh
With one of the best views in Edinburgh is found at a bar which isn’t hidden at all but in plain sight, 1820 at Johnnie Walker Princes Street is a bar I find myself returning to again and again. The cocktails here are experimental and playful, with unexpected flavour pairings like dill pickle and raspberry or tomato with tzatziki. It’s a great example of Edinburgh’s willingness to push boundaries while still delivering drinks that feel balanced and thoughtful.
- Best time to visit: Afternoons when it’s not too busy but there is still daylight to admire the view!
- Cocktail recommendation: Apricot + Tagine Spice
- Location: Princes Street
- Price Range: ££ (around £13 per cocktail)
Lucky Liquor Co
Lucky Liquor Co is all about experimentation and fun, with a menu that invites curiosity. If you’re unsure where to start, I’d highly recommend asking the bar team for a recommendation — they’re knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and brilliant at guiding you towards something you’ll genuinely love. It’s the sort of place that rewards an open mind. They also get bonus points for having my favourite grapefruit beer from Schöfferhofer on the menu.
- Best time to visit: On a day with nice weather during the warmer months of the year they also have a couple of tables outside which is perfect for people watching. It’s also a great spot if you are feeling peckish as they have hot dogs on the menu that pair perfectly with a fun cocktail or two.
- Cocktail recommendation: Mr Midnight with whisky, cherry and amaretto
- Location: Queen Street in New Town
- Price Range: ££ (around £12 per cocktail)
Joãos Place
Tucked away like an apartment speakeasy, Joãos Place is a cocktail bar that offers one of the best views in Edinburgh alongside a thoughtful, elegant menu. One standout is the “design your own” highball menu where you choose your spirit, mixer, and flavour – all with Japanese influences. It’s intimate, inventive, and feels like a secret you’re lucky to be in on. Joãos Place is located at the top of the St James Quarter on the same floor as Sushisamba at the Edinburgh W Hotel. The views from Joãos Place look over toward Calton Hill and are absolutely stunning.
- Best time to visit: I personally like to visit Joãos Place on an afternoon with nice weather so it’s possible to really admire the views.
- Cocktail recommendation: Tropicalismo with yuzu, coconut gin and guava
- Location: St James Quarter in the New Town
- Price Range: ££ (around £14 per cocktail)
Bar Prince at The Balmoral
Bar Prince at The Balmoral Hotel is one of the most stylish cocktail spots in the city, and while it’s not the most affordable, it’s absolutely worth it. The drinks are beautifully executed and the food is a real highlight too, making it a fantastic option for lunch that seamlessly turns into cocktails. Polished, confident and a little indulgent in the best way.
- Best time to visit: There always seems to be a good atmosphere at Bar Prince, but particularly so on a Friday afternoon and evening as everyone is excited to head into the weekend.
- Cocktail recommendation: The 1902 with whisky, blood orange and byrrh
- Location: Princes Street
- Price Range: £££ (around £20 per cocktail)
Last Word Cocktail Saloon – my favourite cocktail bar in Edinburgh!
The Last Word is my go-to cocktail bar in the city. It is the kind of place where I already know what I’m going to order before I sit down. I almost always choose my favourite cocktail which has pear and goat’s cheese influences – a combination that sounds surprising but works beautifully. Even though it’s not really hidden, it still feels like one of the secret bars in Edinburgh as the crowd tends to be made up of locals. It’s relaxed, welcoming and quietly brilliant – making it an easy favourite.
- Best time to visit: On a weekday evening, especially in the winter when it feels particularly cosy to escape into the Last Word and sit by the fire.
- Location: Stockbridge in the New Town
- Cocktail recommendation: Loire Valley with pear, goats cheese wash and walnut
- Price Range: ££ (around £12 per cocktail)
Hey Palu – The best of the cocktail bars in Edinburgh for a negroni flight
A visit to Hey Palu almost demands at least one Negroni, and ideally a few more. My personal favourite is the Negroni flight, which lets you explore the drink in all its variations. The small bar menu of plates and snacks is well worth ordering from too. It’s lively, fun, and effortlessly social – the kind of place where one drink easily turns into an evening.
Tip: Don’t miss the negroni flight. You get to try three mini versions of different negronis: white strawberry negroni, coffee negroni and a classic negroni.
- Best time to visit: A weekend evening when it’s not too busy but still has a good atmosphere.
- Location: Bread Street, near Grassmarket in the Old Town
- Cocktail recommendation: The Negroni Flight
- Price Range: ££ (around £13 per cocktail)
Lilith’s Lounge – A decadent speakeasy cocktail bar
Lilith’s Lounge is hidden speakeasy style bar next door to House of Gods in Edinburgh and is a secret usually only revealed to those staying at the hotel. When we visited we got to pull a card from a tarot deck which revealed what concoction we would be served. It’s such a fun concept if you’re happy to leave flavour and serve to your fate!
- Best time to visit: After 17.00 any day of the week.
- Location: Cowgate in the Old Town
- Cocktail recommendation: Sweet Surrender
- Price Range: ££ (around £11 per cocktail)
Never Really Here Liquor Lounge – Can you even find it?
The hardest to find of the speakeasy cocktails bars in Edinburgh is Never Really Here Liquor Lounge. This one takes the price for most stealthy amongst the hidden bars in Edinburgh. You have to find the door, collect some courage and knock on the door and if there is space they will welcome you in. There is no menu so you’ll have to let the bartender know what you’re in the mood for and they will sort you out with something interesting.
I would suggest you start your search at 89 Rose Street – but you didn’t hear that from me!
- Best time to visit: A Wednesday or Thursday evening as it’s sometimes difficult to get in on weekends.
- Location: The Rose Street vicinity
- Cocktail recommendation: I can’t make a recommendation as there is no menu…
- Price Range: ££ (around £14 per cocktail)
Bramble Bar
Bramble Bar will always have a special place in my heart. It’s where I went on my first date with my husband. Over the years, I’ve also found myself here on many late nights after whisky tastings or events. Which feels very fitting for a bar that’s such a cornerstone of the cocktail scene. Dimly lit and timeless, Bramble Bar has a way of drawing you back.
- Best time to visit: For lively evenings with great atmosphere Bramble Bar is fantastic on later evenings. They don’t do bookings, only walk-ins so on weekends you might need a little luck to get a table.
- Cocktail recommendation: The signature Bramble cocktail with gin the the bramble house liqueur.
- Location: Queen Street in the Old Town
- Price Range: ££ (around £10 per cocktail)
Cocktail bar-hopping itinerary Edinburgh
To make the most of your time in Edinburgh, why not spend an evening doing a little bar crawl to discover new places and flavours. Here I have shared some of my route suggestions so that you can find some nearby locations to explore cocktails in.
The big route
I’m not going to recommend you to try seven cocktails in one night, but of course it is each to their own. I’ve put together this route so that you can pick and mix those you want to visit.
- Hey Palu
- 1820 Rooftop Bar
- Never really here
- Panda and Sons
- Lucky Liquor Co
- Bramble Bar
- Joaos Place
- Bar Prince
The little Queen Street cocktail route
For a smaller route which is very straightforward you can just stick to Queen Street as Bramble Bar, Lucky Liquor Co and Panda & Sons are all located alongside this well known city centre street. For an additional hidden gem to your crawl of Edinburgh bars, then Never Really Here is also located nearby.
FAQ – The best cocktail bars in Edinburgh
The best whisky cocktails can be found at 1820 rooftop bar at Johnnie Walker Princes Street as they’re really experimental with their creations. As a whisky enthusiast (and it might also help that I live 15 minutes from here) it’s a go-to spot for me!
The best negronis in Edinburgh can be found at Hey Palu . They do some incredible negronis and also have different versions of this classic in the menu. Don’t miss the negroni flight!
For Edinburgh’s best martini go to Joãos Place who makes a really good martini – and often with a slightly different twist!
If you are looking for cocktail bars in Edibburgh Both with the best view then the 1820 Rooftop Bar at Johnnie Walker and Joãos Place are both top picks!
The most famous speakeasy bar in the city is likely Panda & Sons because of its speakeasy theme and award-winning cocktails.
Panda & Sons, Nauticus, Hey Palu and Bramble Bar are all listed in the Top 50 Bars.
The best hidden bars in Edinburgh are Panda and Sons, Never really here and Last Word Saloon.
Need more inspiration for your Edinburgh trip?
- Edinburgh: A local’s guide and recommendations to things to do and see
- The best hotels in Edinburgh: 19 luxurious recommendations
- Visiting the Edinburgh Christmas Market
- The best time to visit Edinburgh: A seasonal travel guide
- Edinburgh Guide in Spring
- Edinburgh Guide in Summer
- Edinburgh Guide in Autumn
- Edinburgh Guide in Winter
Meet Moa, our multi-talented writer from Sweden who now calls Edinburgh, Scotland home. With over a decade exploring Europe’s hidden corners—from Nordic landscapes to alpine villages—Moa brings a unique perspective shaped by her years as a travel guide in the Swiss and Austrian Alps. As a whisky book author and freelance drinks writer, she has an eye for exceptional food and beverage experiences, while her background as a photographer ensures she never misses a scenic moment. Whether she’s discovering old European cities or chasing golden hour in mountain villages, Moa’s stories blend cultural insight with a dash of adventure and plenty of authenticity.
