It's not a bar. It's not a club. It's a time machine! No, but... this is true. If I'd actually gone to look in a mirror in this place I'd have expected to see a blunt fringe, pink streaks in my daftly long hair and a Hello Kitty shirt. On the ten year anniversary of my entry into college, a period during which I had a love affair with a bar called Aqualenium, I visited Opium with one of those same college friends and weirdly, spookily, crazily enough the jukebox seemed to consist solely of what was playing on MTV2 between 2000 and 2002. Did it know we were coming?!? Like its namesake, this place has the effect of being somewhat addictive. It's loud, it's fun and it doesn't take itself too seriously. Plus there's nothing remotely scary about it (unless you count the sticky floor and the strange black substance which ended up on my shoes - Chris explained to me that this is what happens in Opium) and it's actually rather welcoming. The cheaps as chips prices appeal to everyone, never mind the students, the night we were there the music was more mass appeal than terrifying, and although it's small there are plenty of corners in which to hang out and people-watch. Anytime I need to feel seventeen again, I'll hotfoot it over here. Just remind me not to look in a mirror for the duration - it's one thing feeling ten years younger, but looking it would involve some major life choices and a bank balance of infinity! Or a stint on a Channel 4 reality show. Neither of which I'm quite ready for yet. read more

You get what you pay for, simple as. Free entry and cheap drinks, a funny mixture of interesting people, two areas with different types of music. It is a no frills, cheap and fun venue for a few drinks or dance. read more

I have a very love/hate relationship with opium. Mainly in the way that I try to hate it, but it keeps finding a way of keeping me coming back and when pushed, I cant really deny that I have a big soft spot for the place. Opium is one of those nightclubs, that is really just a bar with a small dance floor and actually functions more as pub most of the time. There's no charge to get in, there's lots of seating (downstairs anyway) so you can go along for a few drinks without needing to make a night of it. But if you want to have a dance, there are dj's every night of the week upstairs til 3am covering the whole of the "rock" spectrum. Its so cheap, i.e. drinks start at £1 and even when the prices go up and the weekend its still cheaper than most places. Its no myth though, the "opium hangover" is very very real. For the uninitiated, this is an above average hangover that focuses mainly on the head and must to down the fact that the quality of the spirits its only a few steps above lighter fluid, but when you are paying £1 for it you really cant expect anything else. I think the reason that I try to hate it is because I have been soooo many times, mainly due to the fact that it's the bar in Edinburgh that most caters to my taste in music and it hasn't changed one bit since it opened. But it works as it is, so why should they? Im sure my issues just come down to the fact that I know it too well, but I think that if I stumbled across it for the first time though, I would love it! Im annoyed the took the jukebox away from downstairs as it was nice to have some control of the tunes on quieter nights but there is usually enough of a mix to keep everyone relatively happy. If its rock/alternative tunes you are after) and are willing to write the next day off in exchange for cheap booze) there really isn't a better option in Edinburgh. read more

Lets not beat around the bush. Opium is a dive bar. It is grotty, smelly, sweaty, a little bit dirty and cheap. But I love it. Opium is not for your average soul. If you want to bop away to Rihanna or Lady Gaga while wearing your finest Topshop to impress the lad across the bar who has his collar popped, then this place is definitely not for you. Opium is ideal for a night out with a big group of friends who are unpretentious and love to rock out with a slightly different crowd. You will generally find an odd mix of goths, indie kids and random foreigners who are in town for the rugby, with each getting along and having a good time without any trouble. The drinks are insanely cheap, which is reflected in the taste. The music is varying degrees of rock, from Metalica to Kings of Leon to Foo Fighters to Jimmy Eat World. There is a juke box, so really it depends on what has been chosen. But you ain't going to get your mainstream dance/pop/electro tracks so don't expect it. This place is best done with a group of friends who love a bit of rock music and want a probably very random night. read more

Opium Nightclub. It's not a place I like to go to overly too much. It's hard rock, metal, Goth image is not something that makes me go 'I have to visit this place!' I used to go in my earlier days in Edinburgh due to its cheap drinks and classic rock nights with karaoke...the looks my mate got when singing Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl were not very supportive! However, in recent years I feel the club has gotten heavier and I just cannot get the attraction of dancing to head banging metal crazed music. The second floor is where you would find this! Also, the place is quite quiet at times, which makes it feel quite eerie to say the least. However, if you like the sort of music and image that this place offers, then most likely Opium is one of the best places to go to in Edinburgh! read more

Opium was one of the regular nightclubs I visited when I first moved to Edinburgh and I was still young and impressionable. For some reason I have fond memories. Let me get a few things straight. I don't regard Opium as some dark or brooding bar where bad ass punks go to rock out. No its a place where teenagers and students would like to be, rock out. I should also say that this place always seemed to smell a bit to me. I know that's not that unusual for a late night drinking spot, and others disagree but I thought I should point it out. Anyway the key to Opium is to not take it too seriously. The bar downstairs plays an impressive range of rock, increasingly more classic rock and pop rock "emo" stuff, the latter of which you will just have to put up with. Upstairs is the small dance floor where you can boogie on down (shake your head a lot). This place is definitely best enjoyed with a large group of friends who can laugh past some of the "dark" facade and get some classics on the juke box going. There are cheap drink deals throughout the week. It can get quite busy on a Friday and Saturday night, considerably less so on week nights. read more

Opium is beautifully dirty, skanky and rocky. It is a small, dark bar right down on Cowgate and is so much fun. Definitely one for the rock kids, the jukebox switches between rock, classic rock, metal, and punk. If you don't like this then Opium's probably not the best place for you, as the music is pretty loud and can be overwhelming to those that don't really like the whole metal scene. Once you walk in you can see straight away it is a rock kid's dream. Most people wear black, or black with something else, and there are an array of piercings, tattoos and excessive eyeliner on offer. There are all the drinks any self-respecting gig rat would want, including the ubiquitous Jaeger and JD at pretty good prices. In fact the whole bar is pretty cheap, with affordable shots and pints leading to a good night. There are not too many seats on offer, but the ones they have are all in quite cool booths. These fill up really quickly though so get there early. Sometimes Opium can be a bit much for a whole night but if you're going there for a few drinks or pre-drinking before somewhere else, it's really good fun read more

Despite the fact that every time I've been here, I've woken up the next day with the most hellish headache of all time, I still keep trooping back Iron Maiden style to pretend mosh (not experienced enough to pretend I can do it properly) on the squashed, but delightful, sweat fest of a dance floor, where everyone dances like no one's watching to a range of mostly rock anthems and the odd rogue Faithless type dance tune. The attitude of the punters here is a mix of laid back and seriously out to party, and I would resoundingly say it's definitely the most fun to be had in a rock bar in Edinburgh. There are no pretensions about the reveller marked seating and swift no nonsense service at the bar, but you can come in here and feel comfortable looking like whatever, because no one really cares, they're too busy imbibing the £1 drinks on offer at specific times/nights, or singing their gothic hearts out to Rockeaoke on a Monday night. Good mish mash of people, and crazy, crazy fun. read more

Love this place!! It is what is....! The people are they to have fun. no intimidation, no who do you think you are....no you dont belong here! And this is from a man there in a suit on a Tuesday night!! Decent prices, great tunes and great fun!! read more

OPIUM - I'M CALLING YOU OUT! You played Barenaked Ladies, Time Warp and John Denver remixes. I loved it, but your ROCKCARD has been revoked for the time being. Just as all of the hipsters that are in your clubs' MANCARDs are being revoked for wearing scarves at an indoor venue. Not that you don't look cool, guys - I could just very obviously beat you up. Opium is now just a nightclub. On to the review: Maybe because it wasn't so hardcore, maybe because I was about 17 when most of the music came out (just around the time that memorizing songs was a valid and coveted skill), maybe because I was the perfect kind of drunk (standing up, not firing on all cylinders... but firing on some), maybe because it was good company paired with clever banter and SexBomb shots from The Globe. But it was a fantastic night. Not good, not great, fantastic. I knew every word to every song and it was one of those times when you're out dancing and you think, "after this one I'll go get a drink/go to the bathroom/have a sit down/go for a cigarette" but the songs you like JUST. KEEP. COMING. In particular I liked that they played a little bit 'o' my hometown Dropkick Murphys (even if it was The Departed song). The music made no attempt at being badass... it just made an attempt at being loud, popular and considered a bad influence by my mother circa 1998 (Green Day, Marilyn Manson). Well done Opium. It looks like a cavernous hard rock emporium. It's smoky and dark and your feet stick to the floor (as they should at a proper rockclub) but I didn't feel nerdy or not-cool enough at all, or dressed like a square, (I do have tattoos, which makes me evermore bad ass than anyone with a collared shirt on) and it seemed like no one felt that way. So I'm complimenting you Opium on being accessibly rock and roll. read more

One of the few places where a dark and grungy interior actually adds to the character of the bar. Not an ideal place to squire a loved one or take your folks, but for small groups of close companion its all good fun. One minor problem - it's not really a night club...I mean would you really want to spend the whole night here?. There's only so much of the musty interior I can take and for this, it has to be classed as a 'have a few and then out' kind of bar. Still, its ridiculously cheap drinks will help you get suitably sloshed for the night ahead. read more

Opium Nightclub - Dance Clubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Not my cup of tea I'm afraid. It's a bit too 'glitzy' for what I think a real rock bar should be. A little too full of 'wannabe cool' metaller types toolittle geeky spotty teenager types who want to change their image. Those who are trying far too hard. As a result, it feels a bit too pretentious for me. The music isn't too great either. And if you do choose a track on the juke box downstairs, and one of the bar staff isn't a fan of itthen they'll just skip onto the next track. Not exactly ideal when you've actually paid for your music selection! And the music's always that little bit too loud so that you can't hear yourself talk. Ensue lots of nodding and head shaking when you really don't know what the other person's talking about. Upstairs? Well, it's sweaty and busy and despite all of thisseems to have zero atmosphere. I have no idea how they manage this. Hehe, maybe I'm just too old for this kind of rock bar. Well, I'm 30, so you wouldn't think that would make me too oldbut I guess it really does appeal more to the young student types and late teens. I do go to Opium occasionally - especially if I'm kicking around the Cowgate area anyway, but it's certainly not one of my favourite haunts. read more

Opium is a Rock-theme bar and is located on the (as previously mentioned) very smelly area of the City's Cowgate. When Opium opening in 2000 it replaced the much loved real rock establishments of Legends & the Attic and has never achieved a positive reputation. Opium tries but with very poor DJ / club choices, pricey drinks and a clientele of pseudo-rocker Emo kids, it REALLY fails to attract the rock crowd! That said Opium can be good for a laugh and many a native will find themselves there when they have run out of suitable alternatives. I recommend you go in a group, keep your tounge firmly in your cheek and don't stay too long!! Ess read more

A club that doesn't charge and entry fee and does their own version of Jager Bombs (Opium Bombs) for just £1.50. Honestly, what more do you want? Edinburgh's club scene seems to be divided between meat markets and posing parlours and this is about the only other option! Absolutely no pretentiousness to the place at all which is the best thing about it. You can be totally who you are and not have to worry. £1 beers will certainly help you to forget your troubles too. This place is really cool but be careful as it is easy to get lost and loose your friends in the maze of cubby holes and areas that they have. Downstairs you can prop up the beautiful blue tiled bar or grab a booth and relax. Upstairs is where it really kicks off on the dance floor to good rock tunes. Good fun any night of the week. Open until 3am, always a good shout. read more

This bar/club is marketed at the alternative and goth scene however you will people from all walks in life in here and it doesnt feel strange. There is a quite studenty feeling about the place and the drinks are priced accordingly. The music is fairly laid back but loud and of alternative tastes on the ground floor and on the top floor, where there is a dance area, the music is a lot heavier and definately to a specific taste so you are either going to love it or hate it up there. I am not into the whole alternative scene at all but this is still a nice place to go, and there isnt the same snobbery you tend to get in other bars which cater for a certain audience. Most of the people are friendly and the bar staff are fast and accommodating. read more

For a land dominated by pop music it is nice to know that there are sweet places like this where you can go get some drinks and listen to some rock with like minded headbangers. I had a great couple nights here. Will never forget their tiny dance floor and singing Sweet Home Alabama with the whole place. read more

Opium is a cheap student friendly establishment which plays rock and alternative music. However, every time I go there I can't help feel that there are so many things that I could improve about that place... 1) Drinks - Drinks are irresistibly cheap at £1 a glass (apart from Friday and Saturday). However, it always sucks that you are given this tiny little glass. This is even worse when it's busy. I wish they would just give us double offerings in the pint glasses if we want a vodka and orange or something. 2) Range of drinks - I really wish they would expand their choice of drinks available. It gets a bit boring ordering the same thing in their annoyingly limited bar. I'd pay a little extra for more drinks. 3) That unpleasant lingering smell - Seriously, who is cleaning that place?! 4) Snazz it up a bit - I feel like this bar needs to make itself a bit more interesting - offer interesting nights e.g. get in acts (maybe burlesque or special DJs, etc). Themed nights would be really cool (e.g. Rocky Horror, etc). I just feel that it's not really a night club. A rather cheap pre-club bar that needs revamped I feel. They have a poor excuse for a dance floor that you'll only tend to find a few drunks headbanging on. They should arrange for more events and fun nights to snazz it up. read more

Opium has steadily built up a large crowd of faithful fans who love nothing more than to get drunk, listen to good music and dance like fools on the tiny dance floor upstairs. Downstairs there are small seating booths which are great for groups. Upstairs there are three open seating areas where it is easy to talk to random acquaintances - if you can hear anything over the booming music. The prices are great (at certain times) and the music is varied, but always of the rock/metal/punk persuasion. Opium is a fantastic pub/club for a night out or a quick drink in a relaxed, but usually crowded, atmosphere. read more

Opium Nightclub - Opium - Dance Clubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This rock./emo bar/club is located in the Edinburgh Cowgate near several other clubs. 'Opium' itself is not for everyone's taste due to the heavy metal and rock music they play. The music is too loud for most people to have conversations without having too scream. The atmosphere in the club is reasonable with it usually being full. There are two floors, with a bar on each floor so it is easy enough to get served drinks. There is a small dance-floor upstairs which fills up pretty quickly. The main attraction for people who are not keen on dancing to metal music are the drinks promotions on Wednesdays and Sundays where many drinks are £1.50 read more

Opium is a rock-metal nightclub in the Cowgate section of the city. It's pretty big, yet there's rarely much room to manouevre as the place tends to be full. It's pretty cheap - especially on Wednesday's and Sunday's - and heavy rock/ metal, music lovers are likely to have a great time here. Worth a look. read more

Everyting's already been said by Opium, but I thought I'd add my 2 cents! I went here recently, during the Festival 2008. It was horrendous. We wandered in to the scent of vomit in the air. One of the revellers had obviously 'decorated' but none of the staff seemed to care! The music was the usual hard rock, which is a good reason to go, but the stuff was so obscure no-one in there looked excited, just bored. Heehaw floor-fillers didn't help the atmosphere. And as usual, the spirits were served in those unsatisfying little glasses which mean they can't put any mixer in. Still, on a good night like a regular Friday/Saturday Opium is a decent place to jump around to some good music without an entry charge. Just don't base your night around it. read more

Smelly, grungey rock bar. For some people, this is exactly what they are looking for. Others might not dig it so much. Expect all the same predictable metal classics to be revived at some point in the evening, and expect any dancing that happens to be mildly aggressive and in no way rhythmical. read more

Opium, located on the Cowgate just before it hits the Grassmarket is one of the few places in Edinburgh to play high quality alternative music. The place has a definitive grungy feel to it, as witnessed by a jukebox, standing just next to the door as you walk in, full of rock classics. Drink Prices are reasonable at £1.50 - £1.75 a pint, and £1 a shot. In the back there is a pool table, table football and a punching machine. Upstairs has another bar, and a small dancefloor. The music downstairs is controlled by the jukebox, while upstairs, a DJ plays tunes, generally from the current array of guitar driven bands, but sometimes, especially on Sundays featuring a motley mix of classical rock and metal. Definitely a good place to go if you don't like dance music. read more

Smells like someone died there but it fits the music if you know what I mean. Used to be a nice venue for some good old metal but recently all emo-suicide-freaks are invading that place which makes it less and less attractive. Not bad for a heavy night out thought. Oh, and the drinks are cheap as water. read more

One of the very few bars in Edinburgh which I return to over and over again, Opium is a rock club/bar in Edinburgh's Cowgate. Despite appearances, and the smell of sweaty rockers - Opium is a little slice of rock and roll heaven among the indie and dance music scene that dominates Edinburgh. Drinks are cheap, the rock/metal/classic rock music is loud and Opium is always full giving it a vibe that I going back for - fun, uninhibited and relaxed. Split across two floors, Opium is a bar of two personalities - the ground floor has tables and booths, with the main bar and a pool table / games area. Upstairs is a dark dance floor, hidden alcoves with a smaller bar and a DJ booth - which is always happy to take requests, as long as it isn't Cliff Richard! Opium is great for a night out with a group of friends who don't mind dressing in black and having an excellent time. read more

I came here while absolutely hammered so I'm not sure if this review will be entirely accurate about reality. We got bored iHive so we went along the Cowgate for an exploration. As a lover of rock music I was singing along to Marilyn Manson when we went to the dancefloor upstairs. However my friend didn't like the music very much, so she didn't particularly like it, but we both enjoyed the bar area. Again, I was wasted so I have no idea how much my vodka and coke cost, and I was also absolutely hypnotised by how much the barman looked like Gerard Way. He probably didn't really look like him considering the fact there was over a litre of vodka in my bloodstream, but I was pretty captivated by him. The only memory of the toilets I have is writing my name and date of birth on the wall, like many others had done to leave their mark. This place was so much fun! read more

Oh Opium.. I spent many a night in here when I first moved to Edinburgh. It is described as a rock club and that a pretty accurate description. Upstairs you will regularly find sweaty long haired men "dancing" around. If you are looking for a cheap drink for a night out, it is, to be fair, a decent place to go. I normally tend to stick to the downstairs bar as it tends to be quieter and less chance of someone bashing into you and spilling your drink everywhere! read more

Opium is still a great place, however change is afoot up the stairs. There is a new bar (where the dance floor once was) and what will likely become an actual stage area, now with plenty of open space in front of it. What does this mean, well Opium is becoming a "real" live music venue and in a city surprisingly short on them this can only be a good thing! read more

They really need to sort out the rancid smell that hits you as soon as you walk through the doors. It is vile. And they also need more bar staff. You have to wait an age to get served and I often buy two rounds when I go to the bar. Apart from that, the music is ok, the kids in there can look quite scary (in a nice way, haha) and you'll be sure to fit in if you're wearing black. read more

This place is grungy, dirty, smelly and plays the sort of music you probably listened to in the late 90s (think Nirvana, Chili Peppers, Hole et al). For me it wasn't a 'rock' pub but more of a cheesy emo venue with a mix of underage-looking girls in mini-skirts and sweaty baggy-jean-wearing guys. If you like to mosh on a sticky dancefloor then this might be your cup of tea, however it just wasn't for me. read more

Only reason this place is busy is because its open late and its free to get in. Weird mix of even weirder people. Its really a pub with a small dancefloor. You can hardly classify it as a nightclub. read more

No matter how sticky the floor, or how mixed the crowd, if I'm ever in the need to unleash the number of the beast in the wee hours and it's too far a stagger to the Citrus Club, Opium usually draws me in. A combo of free entry (yes please!) and cheap house shots is hard to beat and let's face it at stupid o'clock your taste buds are hardly gonna know the difference. They've improved the layout upstairs so no more bottleneck round the bar as you're trying to push your way past. Tunes aren't always the heaviest for me but if you are of a certain age and want to show those whippersnappers how to really throw some hair around then get yersel in. read more

Leave your Prada's at home for this is no dancing around your handbag club. Serving lashings of rock, punk, indie and metal straight up, the dance floor upstairs is known to turn into a sweaty mosh pit reminiscent of the nineties Smells Like Teen Spirit era. Staff look a little daunting but are nevertheless harmless individualsdon't be fooled by their bark! Quality little spot! read more

A fun night club set over two floors with a bar on each floor. They normally play quite punk and rock type music but everyone who goes there seems to have a good time. It is mostly students who frequent here and the prices are quite reasonable, though shots can be quite expensive. The dance floor is quite small so it can be hard to find a space to dance, but there are also tables to sit at. A really fun nightclub which has a good atmosphere which is for great night out. read more

I remember when I were a lad going here when it was called Legends. Twas a great pub back then with a cracking jukebox. These days it's got more of a nightclub vibe thing going with the upstairs area blasting noisy metal to either a completely empty room or a sweaty, packed, hall; depending. Downstairs though and cheap beer and jukebox music as selected by someone who was at the jukebox about 5 hours ago can be yours! read more

if good music,good vibes and good service are your thing. top 5 in edinburgh,easily. open from 8 till 3am.during the festival open till 5 am. special drinks promos.a wide selection of other drinks. and if you need a time out.a glass of chilled waterfree. read more

A Victorian-sounding den in the great underworld of the Underbelly, a scene of easy drinking, dancing and more, the bar Opium proudly entices its punters from the nightworld of Edinburgh. Drinks are as little as £1 on certain nights, when it boasts all the bustle and noise of one of the coolest parties in town. Dark and mysterious inside, (perhaps owing slightly to my state whilst visiting it) Opium has an upstairs dancefloor providing a blurry destination for your enhanced confidence and an output for all that vodka-and-coke energy. read more

Another place I visited because it was but yards from my hostel, Opium surpassed expectations. With a two-floored, never amazingly busy bar serving cheap drinks and playing music from Britpop to Heavy Metal, it appeared as if I'd happened upon a wee (oooh, aren't I Scottish) treasure of Edinburgh. Not a particularly easy place to happen upon unless you've a hobby in potholing, Opium was the middle bar of three on the downwards stretch of Cowgate, under a bridge. Yet I happened to somehow always end up there. Obviously I blame the accomplished downward momentum necessary to reach it and not in any way the alcohol I'd imbibed. Either way it quickly became a favourite, partly because it was the only bar that actually let me in for three mornings of my four day stay. Serving very cheap drinks, including £1.50 a shot and £2 a Jagerbomb, the place had incredibly pleasant doormen and always a table available yet was let down by the fact the the (better) first floor closes early and an mightily miserable get of a barman who managed to range his expression from unhappy to mildly not unhappy, and then all the way back to unhappy again. You may think you're being emo, any one with any sense thinks you're being a rude gobshite. Fact. read more

I actually quite like opium even though I wouldn't say I am their usual type customer! Its a rock/metal bar but the people there are v. friendly & very accepting so you tend to find all sorts in there, students, people dressed up in heels, casual trendy guys etc etc. To be honest as this is free to get in I find this much better to just use the bar downstairs & then head to another club. Going upstairs is like going back to being 15, which is sometimes fun with a large group of friends dancing to the tunes of a few years ago, but most of the time I want to listen to something else. The drinks here are super cheap & bouncers are friendly. Worth a stop on a bar-crawl! read more

Very cheap drinks and great for a good laugh with the girls. But... The people are generally 25+ and some guys just don't know when to stop!! Unless you have your own squad, Don't bother going as you will get hit on by "not so pleasant" guys, regardless of your age. My friend(19) had a 30 year old guy, with massive pupils (God knows what he took) follow her all night... And even to Mcdonalds after. Other than that it is a great club for some cheap, quality fun. read more