Folk session M. Live bands play most Th. Spirits £2-2.60. Pints £2.60-3.45. Open M-F 11am-1am, Sa-Su 10am-1am.
THE BANSHEE LABYRINTH
29-35 Niddry St.
CLUB
0131 558 8209 www.thebansheelabyrinth.com
Built into the side of a hill and just above Edinburgh’s famous “haunted vaults” (the Auld Reekie tours actually end here), the Banshee Labyrinth is a maze of stairs and tunnels, low-ceilinged cave-like rooms and Addams Family inspired bars. There are three bars and seven rooms, a pool hall and a cinema, plus a pole-dancing area. Note the sign that absolves the bar from any injuries you may sustain from your “sexy dancing.”
Spirits with mixer £2.50. Pints £2.70-3.40. Open daily 12:30pm-3am.
SIN
207 Cowgate
CLUB
0131 220 6176 www.club-sin.com
A recently-remade club and one of the Cowgate’s newest nightlife options, Sin lives up to its name, getting crazy during the week, on the weekends, whenever. With more fog and spinning lights than that alien spaceship in Men In Black and a massive downstairs dance floor, you can head up to the mezzanine level if you—ahem—have just one sip too many and need to find your friends again.
Cowgate. Bottles £2. Pints £2.49. Open daily 10pm-3am. During fesitval open daily 1pm-5am.
WHISTLE BINKIES
46 Southbridge
BAR, LIVE MUSIC
0131 557 5114 www.whistlebinkies.com
A popular place to see smaller live acts, Whistle Binkies has a sort of “pre-ripped jeans” feel—there are lots of old barrels and comfortable ratty stools, but the holes in the wall with brick underneath are definitely stylized. Framed photos of famous musicians are carefully hung and illuminated, though notably not behind the stage, where things might get messy.
Live music every night except Sa, when DJs come on. Pints £3.40-3.60. Spirits £1.60-3. 30. Open M-Th 5pm-3am, F-Su 1pm-3am.
New Town
CITIZEN SMITH
168 Rose St.
BAR
0131 225 5979
The only independently owned and run bar on Rose Street, Citizen Smith is a haven for all things folk, blues, rock, alt rock, and indie. There’s live music every night on the somewhat improvised stage, but try to show up in August for their own, private “Woodstock,” where 50 bands play over the span of three days. Come in, sit down, and admire the giant cardboard arachnid on the ceiling.
Pints £3.30. Open daily in summer 4pm-1am, in winter 2pm-1am. During festival, open daily 1pm-3am.
ROSE AND CROWN
170 Rose St.
PUB
0131 225 4039
In this decent bar with molded ceilings live music is on three nights a week. Other than that and the occasional DJ, however, it’s a pretty chill place, simply a nice place to get a cider and sit out in the sun.
Pints £3-3.30. Spirits £3.15-4. Open daily 11am-1am.
JEYKLL AND HYDE BAR
112 Hanover St.
BAR
0131 224 2002 www.eeriepubs.co.uk
A dark and foreboding—who are we kidding, this place is meant to look creepy on purpose. It’s called the Jeykll and Hyde Bar! Still, with iron chandeliers and high-backed “creeeeepy” chairs, they do an okay job. Dracula could have lived here, but he would have been drunk on Bloody Marys the whole time.
Bring your passportp; the license isn’t going to work here. Pints £1.50-3. Mixed drinks £5, 2 £6. Open M-Sa noon-1am, Su 12:30pm-10pm.
QUEEN’S ARMS
49 Frederick St.
PUB
0131 225 1045
Having recently undergone a massive refurbishment, the Queen’s Arms is classier than ever. It’s still got that traditional feel, with a padded bar, bookshelf full of classics and wiry chandeliers, but it’s all got that new-pub smell. Take it all in over one of their hand-pulled ales. Can we say anymore about its classy classic-ness?
The Queen’s Arms is the 1st pub in Scotland to have Blue Moon on draft. Pints £3-3.50. Spirits £2.75 and up. Open M-Sa 11am-1am, Su 12:30pm-1am.
BLACK ROSE TAVERN
49 Rose St.
BAR
0131 220 0414 www.blackrosetavern.com
If you’ve ever grown a beard to impress the guys in Pantera or ever bought a guitar with more sharp ends than your Swiss Army knife, you’ll enjoy the Black Rose. With “rock karaoke” on Wednesdays and a major skeleton obsession and various tattoos among the staff, the Black Rose is great for rockers of all types. Jagermeister is the self-proclaimed house wine. What more do you want?
Open mic night on T. Quiz on W just before the karaoke. Pints £2.80-3.65. Spirits from £1.20-1.60. Open M-Sa 11am-1am, Su 12:30pm-1am.
EL BARRIO
47 Hanover St.
BAR, CLUB
0131 220 6818 www.elbarrio.co.uk
New Town’s only club is rowdy enough on its own. Open until 3am everyday, this basement of brightly colored walls and Latin music becomes packed with people on the weekends, as the photos on the walls will attest. Laugh at the most intoxicated people you see on the walls and then come back next week to make sure you haven’t joined their ranks.
Spirits and mixer £3-3.80. Pints £3.50. Open daily noon-3am.
ROSE STREET BREWERY
55-57 Rose St.
PUB
0131 220 1227
A local’s pub, the Rose Street Brewery did actually used to be a brewery, but has since been promoted to a place where you can drink it rather than make it. The restaurant upstairs is a popular spot for tourists and serves a mean steak. A plain but comfortable interior, a wooden entry space will take you down a pair of step onto a strangely kilt-like carpet.
4 ales available, 2 constant, 2 rotating. Pints £2.70-3.40. Spirits £2.55. Bar open M-Th 11am-11pm, F-Sa 11am-1am, Su 11am-11pm. Restaurant open daily noon-10pm.
LORD BODO’S BAR
3 Dublin St.
BAR
0131 477 2563
You could walk by Lord Bodo’s bar and say to yourself, “Why, that doesn’t look like much of a bar.” The exterior’s not much to look at, it’s true, but the inside is seriously classy, with brown suede chairs and stained wood all around. Grab a martini and get out the tux Bond fans.
Pints £2.70-3. Mixed drinks £3.50-4. Open M-Th 11am-11:30pm, F-Sa 11am-1:30am, Su 11am-11:30pm.
DIRTY DICK’S
159 Rose St.
PUB
0131 260 9920 [email protected]
I spy, among the bric-a-brac housed in Dirty Dick’s: a sea of upside-down golf clubs, a picture of Alfred Hitchcock, somewhat creepy teddy bears, a full pint of beer stuck upside down on the ceiling, and an accordion.
Pints £3.30. Spirits £2.60. Open M-Sa 11am-1am, Su noon-1am.
Stockbridge
THE ANTIQUARIAN
68-72 St. Stephens St.
PUB
0131 225 2858 www.theantiquarybar.co.uk
Its entrance may be hidden at the bottom of a small stairwell in Stockbridge, but this bar let’s its people and atmosphere do the talking. A great local crowd with a jovial attitude hang out here, and if you come by on Tuesday night around 8pm you can get in on one hell of a poker game. You probably won’t win (some of these guys are legit), but you will have a lot of fun at this bar.
Spirits £2.10-3.50. Pints £3-3.55. Open M noon-11pm, Tu-W noon-midnight, Th-Sa noon-1am, Su noon-12:30am.
AVOCA BAR
4-6 Dean St.
BAR
0131 315 3311 www.avocabarandgrill.co.uk
A regulars’ watering hole, Avoca is your typical food and booze stop. The building is quite nice, with more of those Victorian moldings we’ve seen so much of, but the bar itself is fairly spare on decoration. A nice place to come in and have a private chat.
Pints £3-4.15. Spirits £2.70. Open M-Th 11am-midnight, F-Sa 11am-1am, Su 11am-midnight.
HAMILTON’S
16-18 Hamilton Pl.
BAR
; 0131 225 8513 www.hamiltonsedinburgh.co.uk
With lots of posh, leather couches and very “in” 60s pop art on the back wall, it’s no surprise to see that everyone in Hamilton’s is well-dressed, mild-mannered and sipping on glasses of wine. Should you like to go and join them, you’d be wise, though it’s certainly not necessary, to spiff yourself up a bit. Look at you, you need to wash behind those ears before you go out drinking!
Pints £3.30-4.50. Spirits £3.10. Open daily 9am-1am. In Aug and Dec open daily 9am-3am.
ST.VINCENT BAR
11 St. Vincent St.
BAR
0131 225 7447 www.stvincentbar.com
From the outside the St. Vincent Bar looks like a normal pub...and actually, it looks pretty normal from the inside as well. However, it’s a Let’s Go favorite in terms of pub quirks: St. Vincent’s allows you to purchase two pints of your favorite ale “to go.” That’s right. Tell ‘em you feel like drinking at home, and they’ll give you a lovely carton of beer. Now that’s brilliant.
Pints £3.04-3.85. Open M-Sa 11am-1am, Su 12:30pm-1am. During festival open until 3am.
HECTOR’S
47-49 Deanhaugh St.
BAR
0131 343 1735 www.hectorsstockbridge.co.uk
A hip, trendy bar in the heart of Stockbridge, Hector’s burns the candles all night long, until the wax falls on the tables. It’s got a classy yet laid-back feel, thanks to wraparound couches complete with funky pillows and a dark purple interior that enhance the aura. A heavily local patronage keeps things from getting too fancy-schmancy. Hector’s stocks a wide selection of wines, ales, and beers as well as an organic cider.
Pints £3-3.50. Organic cider £3.10. Open M-W noon-midnight, Th-F noon-1am, Sa 11am-1am, Su 11am-midnight.
THE STOCKBRIDGE TAP
2-6 Raeburn Pl.
PUB
0131 343 3000
A great local place right next to Hector’s, the Stockbridge Tap sees everyone from old men to young girls come in to enjoy the hefty ale selection. If you’ve got the time and the liver for it, try to drink the spectrum.
Spirits £2.40. Pints £3-3.30. Open M-Th noon-midnight, F-Sa noon-1am, Su 12:30pm-midnight.
Haymarket and Dalry
CARTER’S
185 Morrison St.
BAR
0131 228 9149
Unlike the concept pubs of Haymarket and Dalry, Carter’s has an artsy feel accentuated by the candle wax dripping down the stairs and the mismatched couches and chairs in the loft. A place for live music, they set up small shows in the downstairs space. Come on Wednesday for Bluegrass. As the sign painted on the wall says, “Are you gonna piss about all day?—Or are you coming in?” Do the latter.
Music begins 9-9:30pm. Spirits £2.30-3.30. Pints £2.90-3.20. Open M-Sa noon-1am, Su 12:30pm-1am.
THE MERCAT BAR
28 West Maitland St.
PUB
0131 225 8716 www.mercatbar.com
A pub that’s renowned locally for it’s grub, the Mercat Bar has owners that’ll swear it’s a bar before a restaurant. Still, with classy tables illuminated under an orange glow and only the lights from the taps to signal out the bar, that’ll be up to you to decide.
Be on the lookout for daily specials. Spirits from £2.20. Pints £3.20-3.70. Entrees £9-12. Open daily 9am-1am, during the festival 7:30am-1am.
DIANE’S POOL HALL
242 Morrison St.
PUB, POOL HALL
0131 228 1156
“Diane’s” is a bit of a strange name for this pub, considering it’s mostly men that frequent it. However, Haymarket could just be lacking in female pool sharks. With nine tables all for £.20 a game, it’s a good place to get snookered.
Pints £2.10-2.60. Spirits around £1.55. Cash only. Open daily 8am-midnight.
Tollcross and West End
THE LINKS BAR
2-4 Alvanley Terr.
SPORTS BAR
0131 229 3854
A sports bar with all the typical trimmings—pool tables (£1 per game), pictures of sports greats, cases full of old sporting memorabilia such as ancient golf clubs and stinky old shoes (thank God they’re in a case), and a name like The Links Bar (what more do you need?). For those who really don’t care what Jack Nicklaus’s handicap was during the 1982 British Open, the other half of the bar is an ultra-modern, wooden tube with blue lighting.
Pints £2.95-3.75. Spirits £2-2.50. Open daily 9am-1am.
HENDRICKS
1a Barclay Pl.
BAR
0131 229 2442
A classy young-professionals bar with a decor that could be put up in an interior design catalogue. Thistle wallpaper and little black lamps above the bar illuminate the LBDs that show up on the weekends. No live music or quiz over here though guys. This place is fancy.
Pints £3.15-4.50. Mixed drinks 2-for-1 M-Th £5.49. Open M-Th 11am-11pm, F-Sa 11am-1am, Su 11am-11pm.
CUCKOO’S NEST
69 Home St.
BAR
0131 228 1078
A smaller, student bar with a tiki feel, the booths are lined by a row of bamboo pieces and the mirrors on the walls are framed by what looks to be a bird’s nest gatherings. Unless you’re really going nuts here though, it looks like the only thing making the name pertinent is the empty bird cage at the back of the bar. There’s quiz on Mondays, musical bingo on Thursday and an open mic night the second Wednesday of every month.
Pints £2.50-3.50. Mixed drinks from £3.50. Open daily noon-midnight or 1am.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Edinburgh becomes the world capital for arts and culture every August during the city’s Fringe Festival. The Fringe publishes its own program of activities, available in hard copy from the Fringe office and online. A world-famous orgy of the performing arts, the Fringe Festival encompasses shows in theater, dance, comedy, opera, and more. The festival was begun in 1947 when eight rebellious theater groups not invited to perform at the International Festival decided that “the show must go on.” The organization was formalized, and thus the world’s largest arts festival was born. (180 High Street. 131 226 0026 www.edfringe.com.) For all listings and local events during the rest of the year, check out The List (£2.25. www.list.co.uk) available at newsstands.
Museums and Galleries
SURGEON’S HALL MUSEUM
Surgeon’s Hall, Nicholson St.
OLD TOWN
0131 527 1649 www.rcact.ac.uk
Full of some of the nastiest body parts perfectly preserved in formaldhyde and the wickedest-looking tools you’ve ever seen, this museum showcases every little bit of the history of surgery, and some stuff that must just be there to shock. The exhibit detailing the greusome story of Burke and Hare, who murdered innocent citizens in order to receive the cash for supplying early doctors with bodies, actually has a pocketbook made from Burke’s very human skin. Before we had photography we had painting, and there are several technically beautiful oils of festering wounds. What can we say? It’s great. Just don’t come on a full stomach.
Disabled visitors will want to call in advance to arrange a visit. £5, concession £3, family (2 adults, 3 children) £15. Open M-F noon-4pm. Aug open M-F 10am-4pm, Sa-Su noon-4pm.
HENDERSON GALLERY
4 Thistle St. Ln.
NEW TOWN
0131 225 7464 www.hendersongallery.com
With around nine full rotating exhibitions a year, this isn’t just some gallery set up by a sandwich shop, come check out the attractive loft space where paintings from all sorts of artists, from graffitti to fine art.
Out the back door of Henderson’s. Ask a member of the staff. Open Sept-July M-Sa 11am-6pm, Aug Tu-Sa 11am-6pm.
ALPHA ART
52 Hamilton Pl.
NEW TOWN
0131 226 3066 www.alpha-art.co.uk
With a collection of original and limited-edition prints from artists that are local, UK-based and international, Alpha Art has a huge range of stuff. Great oils, silk-screens, and
sculptures abound.
Open T-F 10am-6pm, Sa 10am-5pm, Su noon-5pm.
Music
HMV PICTURE HOUSE
31 Lothian Road
WEST END
Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 30