|
Edinburgh has more pubs and bars per square mile than any other European city. That may just be the drink talking, but the city does boast an inordinate amount of watering holes, from centuries-old pubs to the latest in contemporary urban chic. There's a bar for everyone in this town and, if that weren't enough, the city is blessed with the most liberal licensing laws in the UK. It is not a problem finding bars open till past midnight any night of the week and many are open till 0100 at weekends, and till 0300 during the Festival and the Christmas/New Year period. There are also bars on Leith Walk that open at 0500, in time for post clubbers still up for a good time. Festival Edinburgh is a place where you can party for 24 hours – as the saying goes: “You can sleep in September”. The city's clubs, mean- while, are no longer simply places to get a late drink. The club scene has undergone a dramatic transformation and any self-respecting raver will be well sorted for the latest dancefloor tunes spun by some of the UK's top DJs.
Edinburgh's most famous drinking street is Rose Street, a narrow pedestrianized lane between Princes Street and George Street, but it has seen better days and only one or two of its many hostelries are worthy of note. The prime drinking venue now is George Street and the streets running north and south of it. Here you’ll find most of the city’s hip and happening places. Another good destination is the area at the top of Leith Walk known as the "Pink Triangle", where there are many gay or gay-friendly cafés, bars and restaurants. The dark, narrow streets between the Chambers Street and the Royal Mile hide some good bars, especially the Cowgate, which joins the wide expanse of the Grassmarket, a big drinking street that gets very lively at weekends and is particularly popular with students and visiting hen and stag parties. An area with a diverse mix of drinking holes is Leith. Here you'll find everything from the roughest spit-and-sawdust joints to the trendiest waterside warehouse conversions. The city's club scene has now pretty much recovered from the effects of the fire that destroyed several venues at the end of 2002, with most nights finding new permanent homes.
Opening hours Note that in Scotland people tend to speak of bars rather than pubs and many of them listed here are open from 1100-0100 Monday-Saturday and 1230-2400 on Sunday. All of clubs venues listed open from between 2200-2230 to 0300 (Festival and Christmas/New Year also applies allowing opening to 0500). Standard charges are from £8-£10 for members and £10-£13 for non members.
|
