Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
enough off the beaten track to remain off the radar to the
weekend's pub-crawling masses. Its other great assets are
its willow-shaded beer garden and fantastic assortment of
cask ales.
Mon-Fri 11am-1am, Fri & Sat 10am-1pm.
Oxford Bar
8 Young St
T
0131 539 7119; map pp.60-
61.
This is an unpretentious, unspoilt, no-nonsense city
bar - which is why local crime writer Ian Rankin and his
Inspector Rebus like it so much. Fans duly make the
pilgrimage, but fortunately not all the regulars have been
scared off.
Mon-Thurs 11am-midnight, Fri & Sat
11am-1am, Sun 12.30-11pm.
Tigerlily
125 George St
T
0131 225 5005; map pp.60-
61.
The daddy of all George Street's decadent destination
bars, where the locals come to see and be seen. Can be tons
of fun - but only if you're wearing the right clothes.
Daily
8am-1am.
The Voodoo Rooms
19a West Register St
T
0131 225
5005,
W
thevoodoorooms.com; map pp.60-61.
Glamorous gilt and plush booths attract a dressed-up
crowd, especially at the weekend. Frequent live music,
performance and club nights,
ceilings give an ambience that's little changed since the
days of the old sea dogs telling tales at the bar.
Mon-Thurs
noon-11pm,
1
Fri
&
Sat
noon-midnight,
Sun
11am-11pm.
Ì
The Last Word Saloon
44 St Stephen St,
Stockbridge
T
0131 225 9009,
W
lastwordsaloon.com;
map pp.60-61.
A shadowy, candlelit bar with open fires
and table service where an abundance of unconventional
home-made cocktails form the backbone of the drinks
menu. Try the liver-splitting “Mum's the Word” shake for
£6.50, combining gin, absinthe and chartreuse - a spice
and herb distillation made by French monks.
Daily
4pm-1am.
Ì
Pear Tree House
36 West Nicolson St, Southside
T
0131 667 7533,
W
pear-tree-house.co.uk; map
pp.60-61.
Fine bar in an eighteenth-century house with
two beautiful old pear trees trained on its west wall. Its
greatest asset, however, is its large courtyard - one of
central Edinburgh's very few beer gardens. In summer
there are live bands and barbecues outside, weather
permitting.
Mon-Thurs 11am-11.45pm, Fri & Sat
11am-12.45am, Sun 12.30-11.45pm.
The Roseleaf
23-24 Sandport Place, Leith
T
0131
476 5268; map pp.56-57.
Chintzy-cool local that's a
little off the beaten track but worth the trip for the pot-
tails alone - funky cocktails served in vintage teapots at
£5-7.
Daily 10am-1am.
Ì
Sheep Heid Inn
43 The Causeway, Duddingston
T
0131 661 7974,
W
thesheepheidedinburgh.co.uk;
map pp.56-57.
Laying claim to be the city's oldest
licensed premise and one-time rural watering hole to
Bonnie Prince Charlie, this pub retains many of its historical
charms including an antique skittle alley (rentable for
£20) through the back. In winter there are open fires and
comfy chairs while in summer, punters gravitate to the
courtyard garden.
Mon-Thurs 11am-11pm, Fri & Sat
11am-midnight, Sun 12.30-11pm.
including Edinburgh's
legendary Vegas!
Mon-Thurs 4pm-1am, Fri-Sun
noon-1am.
GAY BAR
Planet Out
6 Baxter's Place, New Town
T
0131 556
5551; map pp.60-61.
Loud and outrageous bar beside
the Playhouse Theatre, with DJs at weekends and regular
drinks promotions making it a popular meeting point.
Mon-Thurs & Sun 11am-midnight, Fri & Sat
11am-1am.
OUTSIDE THE CITY CENTRE
Kings Wark
36 Shore, Leith
T
0131 554 9260; map
pp.56-57.
Real ale in a restored fifteenth-century pub
with attached restaurant right in the heart of Leith's old
port. Its picturesque interior of stone walls and corniced
NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT
Inevitably, Edinburgh's
nightlife
is at its best during the Festival (see p.101), which can make the other 48 weeks of the
year seem like an anticlimax. However, while it lacks Glasgow's clout, Edinburgh's
club scene
can be enormously
enjoyable, with a mix of mainstream discos offering pop and dance music and left-field clubs with a dressed-down vibe
and a wide range of themed nights, usually rotating on a monthly or fortnightly basis. Most of the city centre clubs stay
open till around 3am. Meanwhile, you can normally hear
live jazz
,
folk
and
rock
every evening in one or other of the
city's pubs. For the really big rock events, ad hoc places - such as the Castle Esplanade or Murrayfield Stadium - are pressed
into service. Other forms of entertainment are well represented, too: the city has permanent venues large enough to host
touring
orchestras
and
ballet
companies, while elsewhere you can uncover a lively
comedy
club and a couple of
excellent art-house
cinemas
.
Skinny
(
W
theskinny.co.uk), a free culture magazine with
frequent arts, music and events listings found in trendy bars
and cafés around town. Information on nightclubs can also
be found on posters and the flyers distributed to most of the
pre-club bars around town.
LISTINGS INFO
The best way to find out about clubs, music, cinema and
anything else that's going on is to pick up a copy of
The List
(
W
list.co.uk), a fortnightly magazine covering both
Edinburgh and Glasgow. Alternatively, get hold of
The
