Edinburgh's most photographed drinks aren't on any menu — they're in the rooms with the right windows. The bars with a view on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — the central districts all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.

What unites the ten? The bartenders care. The rooms feel right at the time of night they are designed for. The drinks list reads clearly without showing off. We rate sunset cocktails and skyline-side wine and the small things that turn a one-and-done visit into a regular's habit: an unhurried welcome, a warm room temperature in winter, a cool one in summer, and a bartender who remembers your name on the second visit.

Use this guide either as a single curated route through Edinburgh or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten bars with a view that any serious drinker in Edinburgh would tell you to put on the list.

The list

01

The Roof at the Radisson

OLD TOWN · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

The Roof at the Radisson draws a steady local crowd in Old Town. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Full review →
02

The Glasshouse Rooftop Bar

NEW TOWN · $$$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

The Glasshouse Rooftop Bar draws a steady local crowd in New Town. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

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03

The Roof at Cheval

NEW TOWN · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS

The Roof at Cheval draws a steady local crowd in New Town. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

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04

Cold Town House Rooftop

OLD TOWN · $$ · ROOFTOP BARS

Cold Town House Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in Old Town. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

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05

Badabing Edinburgh

THE CENTRE · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Badabing is Edinburgh's most respected Italian-influenced cocktail bar — Sopranos-themed, with a heavy Italian aperitivo and Negroni focus. The 28-seat room is . Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

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06

Bar 50

COWGATE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Bar 50 draws a steady local crowd in Cowgate. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

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07

Bar Soba

NEW TOWN · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Bar Soba draws a steady local crowd in New Town. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.

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08

Bon Vivant Edinburgh

THE CENTRE · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Bon Vivant has been on Thistle Street since 2008 and remains the rare Edinburgh bar that takes both wine and cocktails seriously. The wine list runs to around 8. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.

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09

Bramble Edinburgh

THE CENTRE · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Bramble opened in 2006 in a New Town basement and effectively kickstarted the modern Edinburgh cocktail scene. Before Bramble, Edinburgh cocktail culture was th. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.

Full review →
10

Bramble Bar

NEW TOWN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS

Bramble Bar draws a steady local crowd in New Town. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.

Full review →

By neighbourhood at a glance

Centre: Badabing Edinburgh, Bon Vivant Edinburgh, Bramble Edinburgh. Cowgate: Bar 50. New Town: The Glasshouse Rooftop Bar, The Roof at Cheval, Bar Soba, Bramble Bar. Old Town: The Roof at the Radisson, Cold Town House Rooftop. Most of these bars sit walking distance from each other within their districts. Edinburgh's drinking neighbourhoods are compact — plan two or three bars in a single evening rather than racing across town.

Before you go

Reservations are recommended on Friday and Saturday evenings at any of the higher-priced rooms above. Mid-week before 8pm, walk-ins are usually fine. Tipping in Edinburgh is appreciated; check our city guide for local norms. Cards are accepted everywhere on this list except where the bar specifies cash only — usually the older heritage rooms. Edinburgh's last-call laws vary by district; plan your route from the strictest to the most relaxed.

"You'll know which of these ten bars with a view matches your night within the first sip."

Want more Edinburgh? Our full Edinburgh bar guide covers every neighbourhood and every category. For the broader category index, see all bars with a view worldwide. And if you have a recommendation we missed, tell us — our editors review every reader submission.