11 Best Nightlife in Edinburgh and the Lothians, Scotland

This warm, wood-paneled hipster hangout has a fine array of craft beers on tap, as well as an impressive whisky collection. It also serves some of Edinburgh's best gourmet burgers.

This basement music venue delivers exactly what the name promises: jazz, in all its many weird and wonderful forms. Blues, funk, acoustic, electric—there's something new to discover every night of the week. There's usually a small cover charge (cash only), but this all goes to musicians, not the venue.

This venerable establishment offers one of Old Town's most enjoyable whisky tastings: an informative and interactive experience with an expert guide. The 90-minute Premium Whisky Tasting features five unusual drams you’ll almost certainly not have tasted before. When you’re finished, either browse the shop stacked high with tempting bottles or head into the bar for another dram.

The vaulted ceilings of this subterranean club reverberate with dance music most nights, with an ever-changing lineup of cutting-edge DJs on the decks. The club also hosts regular live gigs and, during the Fringe, stand-up comedy shows.

In addition to a fine selection of local real ales and malts, The Canons' Gait has live jazz and blues performances, as well as edgy comedy shows in the cellar bar.

There's plenty of atmosphere (and plenty of tourists) amid the nooks and crannies at The Last Drop. The name has a grim double meaning, as it was once the site of public hangings.

Top indie bands and an eclectic mix of club nights (techno, hip-hop, and alternative, to name a few) have made the Liquid Room a favorite after-dark venue since 1997.

With a piano in the corner, this cozy, friendly pub presents excellent live blues and folk music most nights—usually with no cover charge.

This pub is a hive of activity during festival season, when the courtyard transforms into a beer garden with food stalls, and is packed wall-to-wall with revelers until the wee hours. Outside of the summer months, it remains a lively local favorite and the best place to watch live sports in Edinburgh.

As the name suggests, this shabby-chic cocktail bar-cum-bistro is tucked away below street level. A cozy, low-ceilinged place, full of quirky furniture and hip art exhibits, Under the Stairs serves specialty, seasonal cocktails—as well as superb bar food—to a mostly young crowd.

This atmospheric North Bridge bar, with its main entrance on Niddry Street (as it's in the bridge), presents rock, blues, and folk music every night of the week, with as many as six or seven acts on Saturday nights.