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.

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.

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.

Great drinks and a killer location. We got a cheeseboard that was actually quite nice and large,…read morewhich we were very pleased with. The one weird thing -- we were unsure when we arrived how hungry we would be, and the menu is a bit limited. We decided to order just the cheese board and see where we were after that. We were told that once we placed an order, we would not be permitted to put in any more food due to a "small kitchen." I have never heard this rule worded in quite this way. I have been to places that prefer you place everything at once, but not that you would absolutely not be allowed to order more food if you found yourself hungry. We witnessed another table leave because of this rule. The server communicated this rule quite gruffly. The restaurant was also not very busy at all, so couldn't have been crowding concerns. I would definetly recommend for drinks and apps, but, for dinner, perhaps elsewhere.

Such a fun and atmospheric place. They lean into their speakeasy conceit from the moment you enter…read morefrom the street (when you are not sure until you are in the right place) until you are seated at your table. It's a cozy, loud (but not too loud), spot. The drinks are great, very professional, lots of interesting choices. Fast and professional service. Good for a drink before dinner or to settle in for a special couple of hours.

Apparently this is the bar to visit while in Edinburgh. We easily made reservations a few days…read morebefore checking it out and I did see them turning away walk in's on a Monday night. Customer service was excellent and my drink the Daydreamer was good but there was nothing spectacular about it. I like that it wasn't sweet. Free still or sparkling water. Total cost was a little over $20 per drink.

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

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!

A family owned Gin Bar in Edinburgh's West End! We loved their creative menu, extensive gin…read moreselection and gorgeous atmosphere! So many different spots to enjoy your dinner and drinks at from cute private nooks, high top tables, or comfy booths. Excellent service with good recommendations. So happy to find this spot just around the corner from our hotel! Jolly Negroni Pink Wink

What a great 1st night in Edinburgh! Reservation at The Jolly Botanist was perfect for oir Sunday…read moreRoast dinner! What an amazing feast. We started off with a few of their specialty gin drinks. My fav was the Pink Wink. Damn, I'm not a gin girl but this tasted like I didn't want it to end! So scrumptious! The Sunday Roast was spot on. Everything on the plate was exceptional. But the best was the Scottish egg! Best we ever had!! I could have eaten 3 plates of just those eggs and been fine with it! Even with how much I loved my Sunday Roast! The pub was warm and inviting and the servers were just the best in town! Highly recommended!

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.

Outgoing, friendly, knowledgeable staff Outstanding beer…read moreselection (& spirits are robust too) Quiet, but vivacious crowd What a find. Such a pity to have so few reviews EXCEPT it seems the good people know it, and that's enough. Good music wafts through the space like a hint, convivial conversation permeates but doesn't distract, and the space is warm and comfortable upstairs and down. The wall of spirits here is robust, gorgeous, and functional for your favorite cocktails - but by God if it doesn't feel like a front. Craft beer is paramount here, spoken so capably, enthusiastically, and voluminously. If you're an Untappd person, find Monty's - then listen, don't talk. For all friends, bring your friend here. Sample good things, and enjoy the company. #MeetAtMontys - this is the place. Highest recommendation.

Good little pub. A group of us gathered here before heading off in search of a meal. Service was…read morequick, even though I didn't see any open seats in the place. Very good selection of brews. The commercial stuff, of course, as well as tasty, malty goodness. Would definitely go back to this one.

Heads & Tales is a great bar in Edinburgh. The drinks, service, and atmosphere are great. I got a…read moreHugo Spritz and it was delicious. Next time I'm in Edinburgh, I'll definitely be back!

WOW!!! Great service. The bartender from Bulgaria was one of the best we have had in the world…read more Unreal. He loved his job and did an amazing job on educating us on Gin and Scotland. A caddy in St. Andrews told me about this place and it did not disappoint. Had a Gin old fashioned made up by bartender and it was unreal. Wife had a gin flight and it was awesome. Creative and could. The vibe was awesome. Wish my old friend Cabo was there with us. He would down 3 old fashioned and had 2 flights of gin all while going over the electrical system of his Gulstream...I digress. It was simply amazing. What was the best part was the enthusiasm and the love of their job that made this place so cool. Loved the Gunpowder Gin too. If we did not have a Military tattoo to attend later, we might have closed this place down. Do your self and go here (hard to fin=d the door). Lots of cool rooms and caves etc. to chill out in. Thanks so much for the greatest bar experience on our 10 day trip!!

Great new bar in the basement of Steak at Picardy place, a huge refurb has resulted in an…read moreamazeballs bar to enjoy a few drinks! I'd even be tempted to come and watch the sport here. They do beer cocktails yay. We tried a tequila based sangria style one and a beery take on a Moscow mule. Both were really tasty. They have a huge range of draft and craft beers and do bottles with chaser shots a personal fav was the Aussie bundy rum with my beer! Bar snacks are on to keep you going but not full meals yet, though you could always head up to Steak if you're peckish.

Interesting sports bar under Steak on Picardy Place. I was a bit unsure as a previous reviewer said…read moreit was a bit of a lads' place. Anyhow the OH persuaded me to give it a shot for a quick drink to shelter from the rain whilst we deliberated on a venue for dinner. I'm glad he did. In addition to a decent selection of craft beers, there's a hefty cocktail menu. I tried the Ginger Tom Collins & it hit the spot. Just the right amount of ginger to pack a punch but not enough to be overpowering. The OH had a pint of draft beer & seemed happy enough. The low ceiling means it gets noisy even if it's not packed. There was a stag do, 2 birthday parties and hen group as well as some other folks. It was only just possible to hold a convo at normal volume & be heard. There's a decent sized courtyard out the back too but it was too wet & cold to try it out. I'd definitely visit again but maybe on a week night when it might be a little less noisy.