I love this place so much. It's hidden down stairs with a vintage barber shop upstairs and you enter through the bookcase. The cocktail menu is great and it always takes me ages to decide what to order. The specials are always great and I wish that some of them were added to the regular menu. It's a really nice atmosphere with a DJ at the weekends and there is table service with friendly staff who are able to make recommendations. You get popcorn and water upon being seated and considering how busy it can be at weekends all the drinks came quickly. read more

I was going to meet a friend and he'd suggested to meet at Panda and Son's. His text message said "meet me downstairs" and I was wondering what he meant. I arrived at the door and it gave the impression to be a barber shop but THAT is only its disguise. What followed made feel a little like Alice... I had to follow a stairway downstairs and arrived in front of a bookshelf. Which hides a door. THrough the hidden bookshelf door and there I was standing in a very nice bar. The staff were very friendly and the cocktail menu is big and quite extravagant. I wasn't drinking alcohol that night and the waitress helped me find my own delicious non-alcoholic cocktail which arrived shortly later and which I enjoyed. It was a quiet night but it was a Tuesday so fair enough... I am going to go back down there again for sure. On a Friday or Saturday and check out the vibe for now I can only say: Go! read more

Wow, what a great little Speakeasy! The entrance from the outside is a simple Barber Shop with an old fashion hair dryer hood and everything. When you walk down some stairs, there is a double book shelf before you turn down the cooridor and you'll see two books sticking out a bit further than the rest ... pull these two books and the book shelf opens to a secret passage and the underground, prohibition bar. The drink menu is wonderfully diverse and offers a number of unique libations which are sure to please anyone looking for a new flavor. The most unique of these delicious offerings is "The Bird Cage", so I strongly recommend you trying this one for yourself. They have a really impressive whiskey menu (Bourbon is certainly available, but Scotch has the most options ... it is Scotland after all). My friends and I tried a few different whiskeys and were really impressed with the quality of more than a few. Those who didn't fancy Scotch chose other unique options from the menu and everyone was very happy with the experience. It's a great little stop during your Scotland holiday adventure and I strongly recommend a visit! read more

Creative venue with delicious craft cocktail cocktails. Great ambience and music. The menu is a terrific read as it is interwoven with a story. Ask for the birdcage! read more

If you didn't know that Panda & Sons was a bar, you would never know it was a bar. If that makes sense. We had just finished lunch at Mark G 'round the corner and were wondering where to get a drink when we passed P&S. I stopped and declared "you know, this place is a bar, we could go here?" and The Man responded with "no .... really? Are you sure?" We arrived right at opening so there were only a small handful of people hanging about. We walked up to the bar and were ready to order when we were told to take a seat and that someone would be with us. Ok that's cool, but I knew what I wanted right then, so why did I need to wait for someone to come over and take my order? When the waitress did come, she was friendly and smiley, and remained attentive throught our time there, despite the fact that we were tucked away in an easily forgetable corner. Our drinks were definitely fantastic, though I wasn't hyper-keen on the paper straw that turned to mush by the end, and we were both amused by the tin can that served as The Man's "glass". We both definitely enjoyed P&S with staff and libations absolutely faultless, but we thought it was just trying a bit too hard to be hip. Vintage barbershop is the image of the moment, but I can't help but expect that the glass display cases lining the walls will eventually become a dusty and neglected reminder of a fad. I'm not sure I would return, though the only real reason I have behind that is that I can get equally good drinks at places that have natural light. A bizarre reason, especially for the kind of place you only visit in the evening, but hey ho. read more

I won't lie, having 'panda' in the name is part of what drew us to this place, especially whilst we were getting excited about the zoo. We'd told my Edinburgh based friend where we were heading, and he was entirely approving, agreeing to meet us there. Don't be confused by the frontage, head down the stairs and through the cute bookcase, (that sticky out book is the handle!) into a low-lit speakeasy barbers, when it's busy, you can wait longer to be sat in the proper barber shop chairs, or just take up a table. It will take you a while to read the menu, partly because it's long, with a real list of more obscure cocktails served in bell jars ( the birdcage) and all sorts. So many people are quick to say that the Scots are grumpy, (other than the early morning drunk chasing me around dumfries for being a tourist, i'm yet to find one myself) but for someone to clear a business plan of a quirky bar, themed around a tweed wearing panda family family running a barber shop definitely must be a giggle. The drinks are excellent, a good dollop of them generously splashed with whisky or gin, which can obviously alter the taste of the cocktail if the whisky is peated for example, so watch out for that if you aren't a fan of smokey flavours. Table service is excellent, with tasty free popcorn (this was the first thing my friend pointed out before we'd even got there), and the staff's banter is on point. An evening all made better by the Scotsman paying for it! Highly recommended, I've already sent visiting friends here too, and they've all approved of my stamp of approval so far! read more

Panda & Sons - There's a panda portrait behind us! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This place is definitely cool inside! The drinks were delicious too! The only thing I didn't like about it was that there's only table seating, so there's no socializing or mingling with other patrons. So more of a date spot or a place to go with a group. read more

Was in Edinburgh for business for a few days and decided to check out this bar on a spare evening - and was thrilled I made the effort! It's hidden behind a fake barber shop, and is actually surprisingly large and spacious downstairs. The staff were brilliant, bringing me tap water, free popcorn and giving me time to look at the menu. I ended up sitting here with a book for several hours relaxing, which is a nice change to the usual coffee shop or loud/pretentious cocktail bar! A great venue that makes some seriously delicious and tasty cocktails, for generally under £8/9. Well worth it! read more

Another top cocktail bar in the capital city of Edinburgh. The outside looks like a barbershop, once you descend down the stairs you run into a bookshelf, pull on the books that are sticking out and the door opens to a beautiful cocktail lounge. Good service, top notch cocktails to order, friendly bartenders and a good vibe. read more

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Yes. The real deal in cocktails. There is not much foreign for me in the land of tipple. Leave it up to Panda & Sons to make me feel like the cherubic nube who just had her first drink. Belle Epoque Flip, what in glory are you. Finished off with clever touches like fresh ground nutmeg & whole whisked egg, it actually made me 'ooh' after my first sip. The chemistry at work with its distinct elements meld together in forming a powerful drink, in every sense. With mixologists who know their stuff concocting with connoisseur spirits & liqueur, this joint is another level to cocktails. Fair selection of whiskies and indiscriminate towards other delicious intoxicants. Yes, another. Please and thank you! read more

Amazing cocktails in this gorgeous and cozy New Town Edinburgh basement. These kids know what they are doing. We came in for a sit and a couple rounds and had an absolutely fabulous time. Free popcorn for nibbles. read more

Very cool speakeasy, fun cocktails. Popcorn with hot sauce is surprisingly good! Tried many cocktails, would highly recommend this place for relaxed drinks with friends. read more

So the point of a speak easy is to get a bit boozy, amiright! Panda and Sons is challenging that concept by having a huge nonalcoholic drink menu and it's NOT a bad thing. This seemingly hipster joint is hidden behind a a barbershop facade and boasts some pretty decent drinks, food, and kibbles. The vibe is the tits (as the hipsters would say), but I do wish I could chop off some of these 'staches just for shites and giggles. read more

Intelligently adventurous cocktails, narratively creative atmostphere, and a knowledgable/friendly staff. I'd walked by Panda & Sons 3 times in a week before learning it was a cocktail bar, being tricked into believing its storefront identity as a barber shop, but once I figured out its true, secret identity, I was more than pleased with the experience. The cocktails lean towards the bold/tangy/gung-ho variety as opposed to delicate. Think ryes, rums, whole eggs, and jerk syrups and not so much herbally, citrusy, gin-based concoctions. But the panda-sized creativity of these drinks is well worth the risk (thyme & sorrel foam, hello), and there's open invitation to ask for off-the-menu classic cocktails if the ingrediants are in stock. Seems like its smart to arrive early- pre-9pm, if you want to have time to linger and not be part of the in-crowd. But the speakeasy vibe, panda barber meta-narrative, and helpful and attentive wait staff (and generously skilled bartenders) make this a must-visit for anyone longing for quality adventures in mixology. read more

This hidden gem is a must go to for cocktails if your feet need a break from roaming around the city. What looks like a barber shop is really a cocktail bar where the menu of drinks feels like it could be out of Alice and Wonderland. Servers are quite knowledgeable and willing to suggest drinks off of the extensive menu. read more

Our favorite place in Edinburgh! Fun drinks! Fabulous staff! Great place!! Can't wait to return!

Great cocktails but they have beer and wine too. The whole barber shop feel creates an upbeat vibe and the 80s American pop music had us all bopping in our seats. Attentive service. And I won't spoil it for you but let's just say the entrance is interesting! read more

Amazing place. The drinks are fantastic, the atmosphere is incredible. We started here for a couple hours and just sat and drank with some small bites. Awesome place that you have to visit when coming to Edinburgh. We're from the US and this place is an incredible place to go to fro all tourists visiting, great atmosphere and drinks read more

Amazing. Worth a stop after visiting the art gallery. Unique location and worth a visit. Super friendly staff who are willing to help you find the right drink. Highly recommend the Birdcage cocktail. It's one of the best drinks I've ever had and the presentation is fantastic. read more

Incredible drinks, nice atmosphere, but not the greatest seating arrangements. The fun drink menu along with the hidden entrance make this a worthy spot to stop in for cocktails. read more

LOVE THOSE COCKTAILS. This is a fun place to visit. You walk downstairs at the barber shop, open up that bookcase and you're in a nice little speakeasy. The drinks are pretty unique and it's got a great ambiance. Make sure you eat before you get there though, they just have little bar snacks like popcorn, but their cheese and meat boards are nice. read more

Review to come soon! Just got say those cocktails were rather good indeedy!

Great hidden gem. Lovely staff, attentive, always at the ready with new cocktail suggestions. Great atmosphere and chill vibe.

Awesome awesome cocktail bar. Can be hard to get a seat though. Amazing cocktail choices and cool chill vibe

I loved our time at Panda & Sons! The atmosphere is intimate and warm even though it's a decent sized space. The staff was extremely helpful in helping us navigate their cocktail menu, and they were even nice enough to give us additional recommendations for our stay. If you're looking for the best cocktails in Edinburgh, go here! read more

The best place to drink in Edinburgh. The people behind the bar know what they're doing and have a passion for "mixology" as well as good service. I've never had a bad cocktail in Panda and Sons. Make sure to order a birdcage if you like smokey drinks served with a flair, but honestly, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. The atmosphere is laid back and intriguing with pictures of old timey pandas on the menu, and old fashioned barber chairs to sit on while you enjoy your libations. I'll make sure to be back next time I'm in town. read more

Fun bar with excellent cocktails and a great atmosphere!

Situated within an innocuous looking barbershop, Panda & Sons is an old time speakeasy. Their incredible aesthetic is only bested by their amazing drinks. Personal fave... Milky Bar Heroes! They can serve six but I prefer to think of it as serving one, six times. read more

Went here last night with some friends on this places first night open to the general public. Nice entrance when you walk down the stairs and then have to go through a bookcase to get into the bar itself. Nice new interior (still smelling slightly of paint). The theme for this place is 'barber shop' so lots of barber shop memorabilia that also finds it's way into the menu. Large main area in front of the bar but with lots of cosy sitting areas in 'side rooms'. Lovely cocktail list with lots of twists on classics. They have some cocktails for sharing and we started with the milkyway hero that was server in little milk bottles and a straw. Each further cocktail we tried was served in a unique way. They also have a nice selection of sherries, wines, champagnes and beer. Only point of critique is that the music was to load in my opinion. When I go somewhere to drink nice cocktails I want to able to talk to my friends without having to shout. Will definitely be going back to see if they deserve the fifth star. read more

A must-visit cocktail bar in Edinburgh. Panda and Sons pretends to be a barbershop from the outside, hides its entrance behind a bookshelf, claims to be operated by a panda family, and offers some goddamn delicious cocktails. read more

How did two cocktail snobs from the US in town for one day even find a place like this in a country of bartenders that generally seems to think a martini is vermouth on the rocks? Through word of mouth from a bartender at Tonic, down the street, which we only found by recommendation from a bartender at Bar One in Inverness. Yes. Always take recommendations from mixologists to find the best places. This place looks like a small barbershop from the street. Then you go down some stairs and enter another world, a world of complex mixology, fresh ingredients, inventive menus, and throwback prohibition era decor. Perfect everything. Nice service, good people watching, no douchery, and management even stopped by to talk. Our server gave us a souvenir - a copy of the original drink menu, which they had to discontinue due to people stealing them all the time (bc they are so cute!). Thanks for giving us Yanks a warm welcome! We were there earlier than the usual nightcrawling crowd, so this review is based on about 6-8pm. Not sure how it is later when things really get cracking. read more

i was lucky enough to receive an invite to the pre-opening night of Panda & Sons, which i gleefully accepted as i've never been one to turn down a night that would included a brand new bar with a brand new cocktail list!! on trying to find the place Jenny L, Richard C, Georgina R and I had a wee bit of a struggle. we wandered up Queen Street watching the numbers but not actually seeing 79... had we come the wrong way? gone too far? but then on the corner there appeared a well light door with stairs going down and friendly bouncers to let us know that we'd found the right location. and what a location it was! we entered the bar through a well lit stairwell that ended at doors which appeared to be bookshelves but once opened let us into a well light rather busy bar. it all fed into the whole speakeasy feel. the bar was done up with a barbershop them, including barbershop chairs, retro hair product adverts on the walls, cool hair dos on the mirrors in the bathroom, and empty tins of hair gel used as candle holders. it was all very cool and i definitely loved how this place just had slightly different vibe than what i'd seen before! on arrival and throughout the night we were offered prosecco and gin & tonic and also given little cups of popcorn for munching. sadly, their cocktail menu although ready had not yet been printed so we couldn't have a browse of what they had to offer. they do have a speciality called the bamboo that the bartender recommended so we got a round of those to try. i quite enjoyed the bamboo, it had a sweet sherry taste with a very strong alcohol kick at the end! not for the faint hearted, but a very enjoyable drink to savour. so overall a very enjoyable evening at what appears to be a very awesome new bar in edinburgh! four stars for now as i need to go back to try out their cocktail menu before i can decide if they deserve the full five :) however with what they had to offer on their pre opening night i'm sure that i won't be disappointed! read more

Thought this place was gonna be all ponce and perfume when I heard about a new take on the style bar (yawn) but this is a much more subtle smoke and mirrors affair, with a real hard grafting bar at it's core. Yes you can have a little adventure finding this speakeasy with the faux shop front and prohibition bookcase entry but this is a true gem. Great for chilling in the quiet of a late afternoon munching on their spicy complimentary popcorn sipping an old fashioned or having a bigger get together. Be warned this is no longer the new kid in the block but a popular regular go to so always busy. In fact sometimes a little too busy and can feel a bit claustrophobic for those less frequent drinkers due to the low ceilings. Staff are great, table service is provided as standard which really helps when it's rammed, and the cocktail list is really out there - fancy a smoke filled cloche delivered to your table? So why not 5 stars? Well I'd say it's 5 stars if you plan ahead and book a table or swing by early doors and get the place to yourself otherwise 4 stars when it's heaving just cause it's enevitable that getting served will take longer, but still worth the wait. read more

The worst cocktail service I've ever had anywhere. We came in around 10 and made our way to the bar, we got a couple of interesting drinks pretty quickly and went in search of a table. A cocktail server came to us and said there was a wait based on the order each guest had arrived, that's fine, that's normal, but they had no list, it was all done visually. We sipped on our drinks by the bar for about 10 minutes and kept our eyes on the tables, two parties were seated so we had just one more ahead of us. But, a late arriving couple sneakily grabbed an open table and were served right away so we got antsy and headed towards 2 tables that had guests getting ready to leave. The couple that was ahead of us in the imaginary line got one and we snagged the other. We sat there for 20 minutes without being greeted or acknowledged while the couple next to us was served a round of drinks, water and snacks. Meanwhile the couple that cut in we're finishing their round and closing out by the time we flagged down the first cocktail server that glanced in our direction for more than a millisecond. Our table had 4 empty glasses 2 from us and 2 from the previous guests and an empty basket of popcorn kernels that we'd neatly stacked at the end of the table to be cleared. She dropped off cocktail menus and left the mess and didn't return for another 10 minutes. We watched as tables put in drink orders around us and got served multiple times before we got so much as a pass by these incompetent kids. It felt like punishment for taking the reigns and seating ourselves after their system had failed us. We asked for the check around 12 and waited and watched as the cocktail waitress we requested it from flipped her hair and flirted with the Dj directly behind us, I turned and passed her our cards and she went away and handed the job off to another server. I was in the industry for 10 years and I've never seen anyone get away with such shite service read more

Loved the atmosphere of this cool bar. Will certainly return to try one of their smoky cocktails - very soon but with friends - not on a first date. read more