What can I say? This is an excellent place to hold a function. I held my wedding reception here and…read morewe had a wonderful time. The outside of the place might not look anything special but the inside of the building is lovely. We hired the large hall and were given a separate room attached to it for our buffet. The hall looked fantastic when it was all decorated and the staff in the club were amazing. The help they gave and advice was very much needed and appreciated since I didn't have a clue what I was doing. They are well versed in what they are doing and they really do know what they are doing. The drinks are very cheap but that is due to the fact that it is a social club. It is also a very busy place so if you want to book this place get in early because it books up months in advance.

The JAM HOUSE is local music house that normally gathers to the local jazz crowd. On select…read moreevenings, however, they present a "Scottish Experience" - an evening devoted to Scottish music and food. We were on a CIE tour of Scotland and Ireland and the Scottish evening was part of our tour package -- along with about 6-8 other tour buses full of tourists. This is something that truly caters to the tour crowds and tour buses. The food was pretty good - nothing exceptional - and included a small taste of haggis (you can;t go to Scotland without at least tasting haggis). I thought the haggis was good and my wife offered that if there's enough seasoning and salt on it -- most anything will taste OK. The room housing this event was large and it was packed. The staff serving the food and wine was stretched pretty thin and it was a challenge to just get another pitcher of water for the table. In short, you don't go here for the food or service -- you go here for the Scottish experience.' After dinner, the Scottish "experience" got rolling. We had a great evening of Scottish music, dancing and bag-pipes. The musicians and the dancers were excellent and the "experience" was quite enjoyable. Again - go for the Scottish "experience" but don't expect great food or service. The food and service are adequate but the "experience" was great.

I was dragged here once by my 57 year old auntie who was looking to pull. I think that sums it up!…read moreJools Holland owns it- which gives it some credit I suppose, and it's nicely decorated inside but it's not my cup of tea. It seemed to be a playground for the over 50s looking to re-live their youth. It reminded me of dad dancing at a wedding - you know the sort. On several occasions, sweaty old men made their move towards me, at which point I hastily circled the room. Food-wise, it wasn't anything special either. I had pan-fried chicken without realizing it doesn't come with anything else, should have ordered sides. Yeah it was ok, and the price wasn't too bad, but nothing worth going out my way for.

Caveat - I didn't eat here, nor am I a member - yet my all-too-brief experience at the Whisky…read moreSociety on Queen Street is a solid 5 stars! Despite having had my first dram right here in Edinburgh eleven years ago I am still rather a whisky novice (I know more about wine than I do whisky) so the Society was a perfect destination for both myself and my traveling companion, who is an enthusiastic whisky aficionado. The Society doesn't serve whiskies under a distillery label, but rather by tasting notes. Their bottles have creative, odd names, and although you're meant to order by the notes I couldn't help but go, "but I wonder what Swallowing a Cashmere Scarf tastes like!" A more fun, more descriptive version of ordering booze based on the label. All whiskies are single-cask, and when they're gone, they're gone. It's a really fun way to try a dram (or several) based on your own palate preferences / the bottle name that strikes your fancy. The folks there were friendly and the bartender, although a bit gruff at first, warmed up to us eventually. A woman at the bar, a regular, poured us a dram from a bottle from her own bag... before long, we were chatting and making friends, united by our love of whisky. And just like that, we seemed to have joined the society.

I stopped by for a final couple of drama on my last evening on Scotland (09/09/25). There were…read moregreat scotch offerings at all price points, the atmosphere felt upscale, but still comfortable, and the staff were all pleasant and very helpful. I'd definitely return.

If you're looking for a spacious pub cool vibes, with live music 7 nights a week and great…read moreperformers, this is your place.

My daughter J and I went to Stramash with a few of her school friends after watching some World Cup…read morematches and then hitting a pub nearby. J exclaimed this was her favorite place to watch live music in Edinburgh. Once we entered (after paying a small cover) I could see why. It was a great space; the band was awesome; and the place was absolutely rocking! I also really liked how it was laid out. Unlike some cave-like pubs we'd visited, Stramash was a roomy, two-story venue with multiple bars. The second floor was loft-like, wrapping around three sides of the large room for maximum stage view-space. We headed to the less-crowded upstairs bar and got served immediately. The band was "The Scoundrels", a group from Glasgow: With fiddle, accordion, keyboard, guitar and drums, they sounded a bit like Mumford & Sons, but with a more Scottish/Irish inclination. Simply fantastic! I do prefer a band that writes and plays their own songs. Despite the roomer upstairs, my daughter and her friends were drawn to the main floor downstairs, which was filled with dancing patrons. We spent much of the remaining time there dancing, wading through humanity, and sometimes pogo-ing to especially raucous songs. I ended my night after that, sometime after midnight.; tired but happy. My daughter and her friends were discussing going elsewhere. (But they are 22 and I am...not).

We visited Boteco with a group of 7 for a friends birthday. We sat in the bar area upstairs for a…read morecouple of hours before the club opened. The bar was well decorated and Brazilian themed. The bar staff were fast serving and the drinks were reasonably priced too. The club area opens at 11pm and by this time the bar area was very busy! We weren't as impressed with the basement club area which was mostly concrete walls which were spray painted with pictures. Because of the concrete, the walls and ceiling were "sweaty" and literally dripping on you. The music and atmosphere were great but we just couldn't get comfortable as it was a long walk through the crowd to the bar. Also to get to the smoking area you need to fight through the crowded club, then all the way through the bar upstairs also, despite there being another staircase leading directly outside (this was only used for people entering the club). Would go here again but we still prefer El Barrio!

Spent a fun night in the basement of Boteco, which is quite a buzzing club at the weekends. £5…read moreentry is steep for entry to a basement, but hey. There's also a £1 cloakroom charge, so that's £6 out of your pocket before any drinks. The place is fun though. It's a nice crowd creating a good atmosphere, and a lot of excellent latin beats to dance to. Boteco also serves as a restaurant and bar during the day, with good lunch specials, and cheaper drinks during the week. Well worth a visit.

I had one of the worst experiences of my life at Sneaky Peaks. I was kicked out of the bar solely…read morebecause of my ethnicity. No disrespectful behavior, no disturbance, nothing--just pure discrimination. The staff made me feel unwelcome from the start, and the way they treated me was humiliating and completely unacceptable. In 2025, it's shocking that a business still thinks it's okay to act this way. If you care about respect, equality, and basic human decency, do not support this place. No one should ever be treated the way I was. There are plenty of better bars that actually value their customers.

My only reason for ever going to Sneaky Pete's is to see a gig, apparently they do club nights too…read morebut I have never been tempted. It's a bit dingy for that. As a venue, it is tiny! Surprisingly small and surprisingly able to fit a lot of people in. It gets very hot, sweaty and loud in here depending on the band. If you have a more metal/rock band playing then you will probably get bashed around a lot and pretty wet with some blokes sweat dripping all over you. Some pretty good up and coming bands play here, as well as the usual drivel which fill up the slots. It's hit or miss whether it will be good or not. It's cheap enough for drinks too, but I think there is better live music venues in and around Edinburgh.

This is a friendly little pub that definitely has an authentic feel…read more Very vibrant and energetic, drop in for a quick sip

Great spot to grab a drink. The Guinness was expertly poured and the music was sound.read more

The Scots Guard Club is a building that looks like a posh b+b in the Haymarket area of Edinbirgh…read more They have a pub area down the stairs, which I have never been in, a long corridor to the toilets, an outdoor smoking area, with benches, a lot better than standing at a front door. And upstairs, where I have been twice now, a function area. Because I have only been to the function hall, I will cover this area. The hall is not large, on an estimate, it would be busy for a crowd of 40 people. It's clean with large tables, a miniscule dance floor, and a small stage where the DJ would set up. There are large bay windows which look out to Haymarket and a small bar. Prices at the bar are standard pub prices, which is unexpected for a club as that is where they make their money. The hall is clean, the staff are helpful and friendly. They even have a doorman in a lovely scottish tartan suit, who will meet and greet all that come in. You have to be a member of the club, although I am unsure how much membership costs. The only downfall is, in the function suite, there is 1 toilet, where anyone can use it. If you want bigger toilets, you have to go downstairs and along a long corridor. Parking isn't too great either but it is still a nice place to go to and would recommend a visit.