Went as a solo female and had a blast great edm music everyone was polite no creeps a few friendly…read moremen but nothing uncomfortable or weird dance floor opens at 11z

Cab Vol is great if you're into less mainstream music than you'll hear in a 'normal' club. And if…read moreyou don't mind sweat dripping off the low ceilings onto you at least once a minute, or drinking out of plastic cups. I have to honest, it's not my thing. I've been dragged along on a handful of occasions by friends, and each time I go i'm determined that this will be the time I have a great night there and leave at 3am completely converted. It's been four years, and it hasn't happened yet. That has a lot to do with the people that go though, as opposed to the club itself. On tuesdays this place pulls in a lot of "rahs" from Edinburgh Uni, thinking that wearing weird coloured skinny jeans suddenly makes them alternative. It doesn't, and their huge back-combed blonde hair dos look even more ridiculous than normal.

It's not a bar. It's not a club. It's a time machine!…read more 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.

You get what you pay for, simple as…read more 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.

I've been to the Liquid Rooms more times than I could count, for all sorts of gigs over the years…read more And I still love it. Sure, your feet will always stick to the floor, but that's just part of the charm of this place. It's quite an intimate space, great for smaller acoustic gigs, but also works really well for electronica etc. There's also a balcony, with its own bar, if you fancy a higher view. For anyone from Glasgow, it's like a cross between Oran Mor and the Fruitmarket. And gets just as hot and sweaty as they do!

Here to see the mighty Brendon Burns during the Fringe, so review based on that, may not be the set…read moreup all year round, buyer beware, etc. etc. Head down Victoria Street, before you get to The Bow Bar (I navigate by pubs, btw) and turn left down an alley, into a courtyard. There's the Liquid Rooms Annexe experience for you! The courtyard part is quite nice, all covered and open air so you can feel continental and drink outside, even with Edinburgh weather attempting to drop every bit of water in the country on you in one go. The bar? I've had way better to be honest. Just cans, bottles and spirits - again, I'm not sure if that's just part of the Fringe set up or not, so it may just be a temporary thing. In any case, at least it's not a shockingly high price to be handed a can, but it is a bit more than you would maybe expect. Venue wise, I liked the Annexe for atmosphere. For a smaller show, this would be ideal - close to the stage (perhaps a little too close to Brendon in some case for the poor folk in the front and second row!) and great sound. It is warm down there though, really warm, so be careful with your hydration in case you take a turn, but other than that, it's fine. It doesn't blow me away, but it does have a little bit of something that not every place does - and that's soul.

This is a great music venue, it's small, it's dark and it's kind of hidden away on Guthrie street,…read moreI wasn't even sure if I was at the correct entrance when I showed up because it looked more like a side door with nothing making it stand out apart from a small sign and we waited outside queuing on some steps waiting for entry so this was confusing to me but it's great for small intimate gigs like the one I seen last night of PG Ciarletta, Racheal white and the main man himself Cameron Barnes. the music was pounding and a great night was had by all.

Had a great night last night seeing Stephen Kellogg and The Humour play. Such a beautiful set, and…read moregreat musicians. The venue was small, but perfect for a really intimate gig. We danced our socks off and even learnt a wee tune or two!

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.

Lulu's reminds me of the type of club you see on shows like The Hills with its stylish interior and…read morefine drinks. The decor is so swish and fancy that you almost feel like its wasted on the hoards of drunk students, but luckily it doesn't ever feel like its full of students. The clientele are always finely dressed and it has a real upmarket feel to it. My sole attraction to Lulu's was the light up dance floor. It was a novelty that kept us entertained for an hour or two and is quite a fun gimmick. Plus on student nights the drinks are reasonable priced and it doesn't get too crowded like normal student bars. They do a good cocktail range and the bar staff are trained well. Even though its popular with students you do get the young professional George Street types who are oh so smartly dressed and sophisticated looking. Each night is different so its worth checking the website to see which one tickles your fancy and perhaps get yourself on the guest list. I think Lulu's is one of the better, nicer clubs in George Street as it just reeks of fabulosity.

"Comfortably exclusive, yet ever so slightly saucy..." is what this club claims to be, and in my…read moreopinion it's a perfectly fitting description. By far one of the nicest venues that George Street has to offer, Lulu is the nightclub attached to Tigerlily bar. Although the venue itself is small, it has a lot to offer. The bar staff are highly trained and can make virtually any cocktail you can think of, although its popularity means you do sometimes have to wait at the bar. It's definitely worth it though, especially during the week when drinks are surprisingly cheap for George Street - on a thursday night there are several drinks under £2.50, and even on a friday Sea Breeze cocktails are only £1.50 each. The club is open every night of the week, and each night is slightly different - Sunday is R&B and Wednesday is Old Skool Classics night. The best night has to be friday, not only are there good drinks deals available but this place is always reassuringly busy and the pink carpet rolled out on George Street adds that extra touch of glamour. The multi-coloured light-up dancefloor adds a touch of unique quirkiness to the venue, and for a special ocasion the club were more than accomodating when we contacted them about VIP packages - which were actually a lot more reasonably priced than you'd expect. Expect to see a variety of ages here; monday and thursday are definitely more student nights, but most other nights of the week there is a good blend of twenty-somethings upwards. I have two criteria for judging bars/clubs... the house wine and the toilets. The house wine is certainly better than a lot of other George Street venues, and more importantly the white wine is always cold. As for the toilets, scented candles, lots of mirrors and more than enough cubicles means Lulu certainly beats lots of other places in Edinburgh I can think of. One thing I would say... hunt on facebook as each night of the week has it's own group, and through these it's very easy to get yourself on the guestlist otherwise entry can be quite expensive at weekends.

Was there to watch a friend preform 7pm till 10 for a rap night (that's what I call it) was a great…read morenight good to see some faces and meet new ones

I much prefer this place to Cab Vol. Hands down. You can't help but automatically compare the two…read moreclubs, what with the low ceilings and slightly more alternative crowd. But The Hive hasn't been overrun with annoying rahs who think that going to dub step or drum & bass nights all of a sudden makes them cool and 'scene'. Last time I was here was for their 90s Chav Night - it was when 'Rythmn is a Dancer' was being re-released and the producers wanted footage of it being played in clubs for the video. So, an entire bottle of fake tan and Lambrini (when in rome, and all that) later, my friends and I donned are tracksuit bottoms - tucked into our sports socks, obviously - scraped our hair up into Croydon Facelift ponytail and headed out the front door. And then realised how ridiculous we looked. Then we all had that horrible panic that we were going to be the only ones there who'd dressed up. But it actually turned out to be a really fun night. Yes, it's a little bit on the scummy side, and yes, the drinks are served in plastic cups, but the drinks impossibly cheap (£1 on weekdays, £1.50 at weekends). And after a few of those, the décor isn't really that important.

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.

Departure Lounge is a clubnight based at the gorgeous Caves venue, and not a venue itself…read more I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend!!

THE best club night in Edinburgh. Firstly, it's in The Caves, the very best venue in Edinburgh as…read morethey're amazing c.17 vaults! A UNESCO world heritage site, The Caves have to been seen to be believed. One of the ladies toilet cubicles even has a giant fireplace. What a breath-taking place! Secondly, there's the music: it's this amazing mix of global beats, world music, funk, soul, jazz, house, drum n' bass, latin... You just can't help dancing! Thirdly, there's the crowd it draws, who may or may not usually be drugged up to the eyeballs, but incredibly friendly with it, and you don't feel at all out of place if you're not into that sort of thing. The bouncers are a good, friendly lot, too. There are only two difficulties with this night: for one thing, it's pretty expensive. This is most likely because of the second problem: it's only on a maximum of once a month, if not less, and you have to check the website or the posters all around Edinburgh to find out when. Once you're over those hurdles, however, there is no better fun to be had!

This could be the next great night out for fans of dubstep and D n B. So why aren't we going? What…read moreelse is there to do of a Thursday evening? Come on people, the weekend starts here! Free before 12, three pounds sterling thereafter. Why not?