I was there on 30 October 2025 with a few travel friends, and it turned out to be one of the best…read moresurprises of our trip. The minute we found the door off the little lane on Rose Street, there was an air of mystery... exactly what you hope for from a "detective agency" style speakeasy. Once inside, the vibe was perfect for a chilly Edinburgh evening. Like, moody lighting, vintage-style furnishings, and that cozy, clandestine feel that makes you glad you made the effort to find it. The service was absolutely welcoming. The bartenders were friendly and attentive, and even at 9p, mid week (when you might expect things to be winding down), the place was comfortably busy but not packed, but full enough to feel alive. Drinks menus came in little "confidential" envelopes, which instantly added to the fun. We ordered several cocktails that evening, and every drink was carefully crafted and flavorful, smooth and topped off with warm hospitality. I honestly did not have one bad cocktail. If I were to highlight a few things from our night - I came away loving the atmosphere, the attention to detail, and the general ease at which we were treated which is exactly what I wanted out of a night out in Edinburgh. If you're visiting Newcastle, upon, Tyne, Edinburgh, or just wandering through Rose Street and looking for something a little different... don't walk past this place. Bryant & Mack Private Detectives is a fun little secret with classic cocktails, cozy speakeasy vibes, and service that makes you feel like part of the case, lol. It's a fully immersive experience.

Awesome speakeasy in New Town…read more It really is on the hidden side, it took me a few minutes longer than I thought it would to find the door (look at the posted pictures, it helps). Once inside (you'll have to knock to get in), you'll find a cool little lounge with great cocktails, chill music, and amiable bartenders. We were surprisingly the only ones in there around 9 pm on a Friday night, which we thought was odd (as did the bartenders), but it meant we got to hang out with them and shoot the shit (meeting bartenders from all over the world is one of my favorite hobbies). Besides the fact that both were into motorcycles (and one came to Edinburgh once and immediately backed up his bags and moved over from Italy - props), we found out that they could make a mean cocktail. We, of course, started on menu, but wanted to see if they could do any variations, which they not only did, but nailed: "do you like bitter or sweet" - bitter "Floral or not so much" - surprise me "base?" - gin Dunno what it was called, but it was one of the nicest gin drinks I had in a town that is crazy for gin at the moment. I highly recommend this place if you're looking for a good cocktail place, the ambiance is on point and the drinks are superb.

Just an awesome, rockin' final meal in Edinburgh - fantastic food, good service and energized local…read morevibe! Absolute must to get reservations! We tried on our first week in Edinburgh and failed, but were able to make reservations 3 weeks out for our last night in Scotland, and we are glad we did. Pork cracklins were a bit hard and crunchy, but everything else was perfect. We had fresh bread and langostinis for starters, along with a smokey whiskey cocktail, the Smoked Indiscretion! For mains we enjoyed the poached Cod, and the Pork with Barley. Service was very good, and wine selection was extensive. Atmosphere was loud with music and locals' chatter in the bar below, but dark tables and heavy wood panels made it a perfect place for a couple celebrating 3 weeks of travel. Highly recommend a visit to the Devil's Advocate, if you can book a table in advance.

The Devil's Advocate is undoubtedly a treasure to find in Old Town Edinburgh, especially if you…read moreaccidentally take the News Steps to get there, only to realize you should have simply taken the steps up Advocate's Close from Cockburn Street. But they call these lessons, "character building," apparently. No matter, the Devil's Advocate is worth the search. Located in an old Victorian pump house halfway up (or down) Advocate's Close, the Devil's Advocate is known for a killer whisky shelf of more than 300 different bottles from various distilleries across the Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, Campbelltown, the Islands, and Islay. I finally sipped on a 15-year Tamdu that has convinced me to keep a bottle at home. Then there's the Clydeside 2024 Limited Edition Cask Strength that was wicked impressive. The bartenders are class at making and serving seasonal and regular cocktails that have their spin and character. My wife enjoyed gin-based cocktails such as the Clean Slate (with St-Germain, citrus, and sugar), Rose Garden (with Yellow Chartreuse, Cocchi Rosa, apple, lemon, and mint), and Bee's Knees (honey and lemon). I went full speed ahead with the scotch cocktails, which are essentially classics with a scotch-substituted twist. The Double Shot is an Espresso Martini with Dalmore 12 in addition to Kahlua, espresso, and demerara -- quite smooth without being too sweet. The Scotzia is a Negroni with Fettercairn 12, while the Boxcar is a Sidecar only with Aberfeldy 12. We enjoyed the bar for a few hours, watching the bartenders make magic while sipping on cocktails, while listening to 80s pop tunes. A great evening indeed.

If you blink, you might miss The Bramble--but you'd be making a huge mistake. Tucked away down a…read morenondescript staircase off Queen Street, this speakeasy-style cocktail bar is exactly the kind of spot you hope to stumble into in Edinburgh. My family and I came here on a whim and ended up getting far more than great drinks. One of the bartenders, a local with the friendliness of a lifelong pub regular and the insight of a Michelin concierge offered up genuinely helpful food recommendations. He had a perfect mix of laid back charm, genuine enthusiasm, and a sharp wit. That kind of service is rare, and it stuck with us. Now, the drinks. Phenomenal. Not just "good for Scotland" or "pretty decent for a bar that doesn't scream look at me" these cocktails were creative, expertly made, and well presented. You can tell these folks care about their craft. Each drink was layered and complex without being fussy. If you're into spirits, this is your place. Yes, the bathrooms are a bit of a squeeze. Definitely built for function, not luxury, but they were absolutely spotless. Like, hospital-pristine. Whoever maintains them deserves a raise and maybe a trophy. Bottom line: Bramble nails it. Great atmosphere, unforgettable drinks, and service that actually makes you feel like you're in the right place at the right time. Skip the tourist traps and find your way down those stairs.

Excellent cocktails, very quaint and comfortable atmosphere. Outgoing and personable staff. We had…read morea little bit of a hard time finding it, *** look for the green astroturfing just underneath the dry cleaners** there is a stairwell leading you down to their entrance.

What an amazing place! Loved the vibe, the drinks, and the music! We made dinner out of the limited…read morefood menu. YUM! Everything is so brilliantly thought out and curated. Visit at once. Cheers!

We had to stop by the No. 5 Cocktail bar in the UK featuring handcrafted modern classic cocktails!…read moreKnown for their Negronis and shenanigans, they are also starting off this week's Edinburgh Bar Show with the award winning Satans Whiskers! Make sure to order a Paper Plane! They give you a piece of paper to make your own paper plane to fly at the rows of bottles, and if you are lucky enough to hit one you get a free shot of the bottle hit! Pro tip aim for the top row! They were completely full when we walked in but they quickly found us a table! We had excellent and attentive service! White Strawberry Negroni Paper Plane Penicillin Negroni Flight

Off the beaten path you'll find this fun eccentric pub. Each room with its own unique personality…read more This bar takes you to a different world. A world where you can loud and proud fly your freak flag high. As mentioned The Royal Dick isn't near the hustle and bustle of Old Town. It gives off a punky locals hangout kinda vibe. Absolutely worth the trek to get there.

It's 530PM and this bar is packed. We were very early for a tour so we decided to have our drink…read moreand wait in this lively establishment. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to sit! Luckily, a group left the bar stools and barrel table next to the bar and we were able to sit for a bit and do some people watching. The veterinarian school vibe was interesting and I liked all the weird artifacts "left behind" from the school. Each room to sit in had it's own personality and vibe. Very cool. The bartenders were quick and efficient and shockingly nice. In a place like this, I expect a bit of abruptness but here it was all care and concern. They make a mean gin and tonic too. It was delicious. It may have been one of the best G&T's I've ever had as a matter of fact. I only wish the gin they used in it was sold in the States. Yum yum!!!

(See pictures of our food, too!) Service friendly and accommodating (with limited English, but very…read moresweet, and checked to make sure everything was right & we were happy). Sophisticated presentation of food with a flavor profile to match the artfully crafted dish. Excellent music selection (old jazz and mo town, but not the cheezy stuff). Will return. And will recommend.

Wow - nearly 100 different types of vodka including straight, flavored, and direct from Poland…read more Dinner menu that includes appetizers, main dishes, and desserts. Got "haggis balls". Had great fish and chips. Up a flight of stairs and not really advertised.... Well worth it. Only about 7-8 tables and a few bar seats though.

Panda & Sons is one of the top speakeasy around the UK and I see why. The aesthetics and delicate…read morecocktails make it worth a visit. The service was great. I ordered the bird cage and it was nicely smoked and had a great smooth taste. I don't think I would've liked this drink anywhere else but I liked it here. It wasn't all about the presentation but the drink was actually good. I must say you have to make a reservation well in advance. Many people come here in groups. Overall I definitely recommend this speakeasy in Edinburgh.

I want a redo. Being…read moresomeone who makes cocktails at home as a hobby, I'm always someone that's looking for cool bars to try when I travel. When I visited Edinburgh recently Panda & Sons was one of the places I was looking to the most. However my experience was left feeling very mid. It's one of those things when you research a bar where I live and see also this fun and fancy decor and think to yourself, "Looks cool but are the drinks actually good?" I didn't want to think this though. I spent a little time reading the Switching method in their menu and thought that was a cool preparation method. But when I tasted my Birdcage for example, all I really tasted was Whiskey. I barely tasted any Aperol or anything else. The reason why Im still giving this place a higher review than I normally would is because of the service and ambience. If you've never been, getting down to the actual bar for the first time is a treat in itself. I feel like this was just an off night. It definitely was a full house the night me and my friends went so it's understandable that maybe things just slipped this particular night. I know from personal experience that when the ratios are a bit off, sometimes the flavors just kinda fall flat like an old soda and that's kinda what I tasted in my drinks that night...at the same time I still at least tasted alcohol. A good amount. Now you may laugh and say, "What do you mean? Why wouldn't there be?" Well...where I come from in the states theres places have cool decor and service but serve you drinks with barely any booze and charge you and arm and leg. Thankfully I was stumbling home a bit that night so no harm and no foul. I shall return for the runback the next time I come to Scotland!

We ended up at Southpour by happy accident, after the place we were planning on eating down the…read morestreet could not accommodate us due to a large party. It worked out though! The decor and vibe was beautiful, the drinks were good, and the food was outstanding. We tried the Aubergine Schnitzel, Fried Burrata, and Sourdough appetizer and all of it was delicious. I would definitely go back if lucky enough to return to Edinburgh.

We have been quite a few times to Southpour, but were quite disappointed this time. The atmosphere…read morewas still fine, the issue was the brunch. The menu is much less exciting than it used to be, the amount quite small for the price and the execution relatively poor. We hope that it recovers, but, otherwise, we'll give it a miss.

Walked in here by chance in search of some food and although I was feeling a bit under-dressed for…read moreit (it has a classy vibe), the server quickly seated me at a wee table tucked between the door and a wall. Maybe he thought I was a bit under-dressed too! :) These pub-bistro combos are becoming more common these days, as the "traditional" pub declines in favour, and they've clearly made a big effort here to make it look upscale and welcoming, with the food area at the front and the bar a bit farther back. It feels surprisingly light and airy at the front and has something of the vibe of a hotel lobby for some reason (but not in a bad way). I didn't have a lot of time and my first choice of the salmon was "off", so I quickly switched to the old pub standard fish and chips with mushy peas. Wow - what a huge piece of fish! I was actually surprised to discover the chips underneath it, as it almost completely covered them. Jolly nice it was too. OK, I could have gone to the nearest chippy and had almost the same meal for half the price, but it wouldn't have been anywhere near as good as this one. Excellent grub.

Henrick's was one of the best meals I had during my stay in Scotland. I had the salmon appetizer…read moreand fish and chips as my main course. Both were delicious! Best fish and chips I've had in a while. I also ordered the Sauvignon Blanc and it was good. The ambiance was nice and service was friendly.

Our second time here while visiting Edinburgh and the drinks are always great. The waitress…read moreremembered us from our visit months before. The vibes are great.

Cute little cocktail spot in Edinburgh. The staff was so nice. They have a cocktail menu and also…read moremake cocktails according to your preference as well. Totally worth a drop in.