Best & Cool Bars in Gartmorn Dam

"Set in the heart of Edinburgh, The Whisky Collection provides a novel setting for events. Guests will be treated to dining among 3,384 bottles of whisky and a five course tasting menu with courses focusing on food from the field, rivers and seas of Scotland. Each course, as you might expect, is also matched with a whisky."

"On top of my personal list of vegan eateries in Edinburgh is Harmonium in Broughton. The restaurant is the little sibling of Glasgow’s vegan icons Mono, Stereo and co. and offers top-notch vegan cuisine in the casual environment of a cosy pub. The menu is very diverse and includes comfort food classics, like pizzas, burgers and mac & cheese, but also more creative options like scallops made from King Oyster mushroom (I order these every time) or beer-battered nori banana blossoms with chips."

"This bar and restaurant from the Stereo team doesn't even need to flag vegan options on its menu because the whole damn thing is free from any animal products. Offering all your favourite comfort eats, from burgers and macaroni cheese, to laverbread cakes with streaky bacon, they're easily one of the best vegan restaurants in Edinburgh."

"The name Brew Lab alone evokes images of an experimental coffee house, run by an eccentric but genius barista on the hunt to achieve world coffee domination with his signature blend. Although there are no evil geniuses in sight, these guys do take coffee mega seriously and the tweaking and precision that goes into their brew methods are worthy of the laboratory name. The coffees they serve change week to week, so are ever seasonal and offer a rich and new experience every time."

"Specializing in single-origin specialty-grade coffee, Brew Lab serves up beans from Union Hand-Roasted, featuring two different espressos and filters each day so there is always something fresh to try. But for non coffee drinkers, craft beers and local wines along with salads, soups and sandwiches from local suppliers around Edinburgh are also up for grabs in this modern coffee house with a science lab vibe. 6-8 S College St, Edinburgh EH8 9AA, UK"

"While the decor highlights the venue's love of all things Scottish, the highlight of the restaurant is the menu. Serving a handful of traditional recipes - all made using local ingredients and cuts of meat - each dish has been purposely paired with a particular whisky to highlight certain flavours."

"4-7 North Bank Street, Edinburgh EH1 2LP (Tel: 0131 225 7224). With over 280 whiskies to choose from, Whiski Rooms is an absolute must for any whisky fanatic. Explore their collection and choose your favourite from one of the biggest malt selections in the city."

"What: Roseleaf may be best known for its ‘pot-tails’ (cocktails served in teapots), but we’d also recommend stopping by here in the morning. To kick start your day, tuck into one of Roseleaf’s range of eggs Benedicts, which can be paired with everything from black pudding to spinach. Roseleaf is also good for anyone looking to enjoy breakfast in a venue with a difference, thanks to its Instagram-friendly interiors which include a collection of vintage furniture and lots of other random knick-knacks."

"This unusual pub is off the beaten track just beyond The Shore in Leith. It's a little bit quirky, offering an imaginative range of food and booze which extends to some great breakfast options. It's very friendly, the furniture is mismatched and you can get cocktails served in teapots for your very own Madhatter's Tea Party."

"I skipped this since I’m a veg and went with the Roseleafer, which consists of vegetarian haggis, beans, tomatoes, mushroom, egg, spinach, and toast. Talk about major deliciousness!"

"This is the other venue I haven’t yet been to on this list apart from popping my head in – Dirty Dick’s sits along Rose Street amongst plain bars and pubs, looking much like a plain pub itself. And indeed it probably is as close as you’ll get to a plain pub on this list. Except it’s got stuff everywhere."

"A post shared by Makars Gourmet Mash Bar Co. (@makarsmashbar) on Nov 19, 2019 at 9:49am PST. Quick bit of advice: don't come here if you don't like potatoes. But if you do, then welcome to heaven."

"Discreetly located inside an old church, Ghillie-Dhu hosts wild nights with a distinctly Scottish flavour. During the week, live Scottish folk music rocks the main bar from 10pm. The real fun starts on Friday and Saturday when people come to dance through one of Edinburgh’s largest public ceilidhs."

"However despite the Reddit bashing these late night haunts got, one user rightly pointed out that many of the places mentioned are "the busiest and most popular places to go at night in the city"...so at the end of the day, we'll leave it up to you."

"Zen Lifestyle began with a small salon in Bruntsfield, and now operates from three locations in the city including the flagship salon in Hanover Street. Twice awarded the UK Salon of the Year at the British Beauty and Spa Awards this prodigious salon offers over one hundred treatments for men and women. Zen Lifestyle is one of Scotland's most advanced cosmetic medical clinics and has a full range of beauty treatments such as waxing, manicures and pedicures."

"Perhaps a controversial choice as an essential Edinburgh craft beer, given that Paolozzi, the Edinburgh Beer Factory's flagship brew, only launched on October 18 - but in that short time, the crisp, sparkling lager has gained enviable comparisons (in our local bottle shop, anyway) to Munich's much-revered Augustiner Hell. Perhaps such a success straight off the mark is due to the wealth of experience behind it - the EBF is headed up by John Dunsmore, former boss of both Tennent’s owner C&C Group and macro brewing plc Scottish & Newcastle. Of course, the beautifully-labelled bottle (sporting designs by Leith-born Pop Art figurehead Eduardo Paolozzi) makes it a lovely drink to be seen holding as well."

"If you’re planning a road trip of Scotland we suggest celebrating your arrival into Edinburgh Airport by immediately sipping suds at Edinburgh Beer Factory. The brewery is located a short 8 minute drive from Edinburgh Airport, making it the perfect first or last stop on a Scottish beer tour. Edinburgh Beer Factory first opened in November 2015."

"Combining old and new ideas and techniques, Edinburgh Beer Factory create beer inspired by the Edinburgh-born ‘Godfather of Pop Art’, Eduardo Paolozzi. Their brewery tours include a walkthrough of their lager-making process, from blank canvas to final product. You’ll even get the chance to taste the raw ingredients and the unfiltered brew!"

"When it comes to humble beginnings, Paul Gibson certainly takes a top spot. His home-grown brewing project began in his garage out of a green VW called Olive. After heading out on the road across the UK and creating beers on a shoestring budget, Paul set up a permanent (and much larger) home for his microbrewery in Leith."

"Situated in Leith, on the Edinburgh coast, thisbrewery started life on the road as a “mobile brewery” in a 1973 VW campervan (hence thename). Today, having opened a permanent location in 2017, it’s still going strong. Their spacious taproom is laid-back and unpretentious."