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Home - City Guide - Edinburgh - Nightlife | ||
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Nightlife Edinburgh is a great place to spend an evening. The city's pubs range from traditional taverns with hundreds of years of history to slinky style-bars. After pub closing time, Edinburgh's club scene offers everything from easy listening to the latest noise, via 1970s and 1980s revival evenings. Live music can be heard in intimate pubs or in the huge Murrayfield Stadium. Alcohol can normally be purchased until 2300. Certain pubs and bars may stay open until 0100, café-bars and restaurants until 0300 and clubs until 0300 (until 0500 during the Festival). Some clubs may require smart dress. Bars: For good traditional pubs try Bow Bar, 80 West Bow, Ensign Ewart, 521 Lawnmarket, close to Edinburgh Castle, or Café Royal Circle Bar, 17 West Register Street. There are plenty of pubs lining Rose Street, a pedestrianised road behind Princes Street and several worth exploring around Broughton Street and in Leith. More stylish places to hang out include the Magnum, 1 Albany Street, Monboddos in the Point Hotel, the Malmaison Hotel Bar in Leith, and Indigo Yard, Charlotte Lane. Depending on your favourite tipple, go to the Malt Shovel, Cockburn Street, to sample whisky, the Queen's Arms, 49 Frederick Street, for real ale, or Bar Kohl, 54 George IV Bridge, to work your way through the many vodkas on offer. A popular meeting place is All Bar One, George Street. Finally, for late-night, or rather early-morning drinking, stagger into the Boundary Bar, 379 Leith Walk, which opens at 0500. Clubs: Edinburgh's club scene is lively and clubs quickly fall in and out of fashion. The Vaults, 15 Middry Street, has a capacity of up to 1000 people. The Citrus, 40-42 Grindlay Street, tends to focus on 1980s music, along with funk and disco. The Cavendish, 3 West Tollcross, specialises in roots and reggae with dedicated African and Latin nights. Po Na Na, 43B Frederick Street, Why Not? at The Dome, George Street and Peppermint Lounge, Blair Street are also popular. Live music: The Royal Oak, 1 Infirmary Street, is an unpretentious folk bar. The Cellar Bar, 1a Chambers Street, has various live bands throughout the week, but specialises in jazz on Friday and Saturday nights. One of the city's oldest rock pubs is the Cas Rock Café, 104 West Port, which features up-and-coming bands, as well as old-timers. The Tap O'Lauriston, 80 Lauriston Place, attracts a good mix of punk and goth bands. |