Top, Best & Fun Rooftop Bars in Cockenzie and Port Seton

"At the Scotch Whisky Experience, learn about the distilling of scotch whisky. Your tour starts with a barrel ride through the virtual distillery and ends with a whisky tasting. We did the Gold Tour, which included a tasting of four whiskies from different regions of Scotland."

"Casual but stylish vegan restaurant Harmonium opened its doors in Leith in 2017, and has gone from strength to strength ever since. The airy ex-pub is friendly and has a great menu that changes regularly, but at various times of year you can expect to see their take on a surf n'turf: a large seitan steak served with creamy potato puree, garlic butter, seared vegan scallops, steamed kale and green beans with smoked paprika. Other popular menu items include their battered "to-fish" supper, and their spicy jackfruit curry."

"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."

"A must-visit for every coffee connoisseur, Union Brew Lab is located in the heart of the city's Old Town. They take their brew very seriously here, with a range of coffees specially selected from producers in the UK and Europe which changes with seasonality. For the authentic Brew Lab experience, you should order one of their exceptional filtered pour-overs, however they do an amazing flat white here too."

"This family-run café is renowned for their Pot-Tails – cocktails in teapots. Open from 10am to 10pm every day, they offer everything from brunch to dinner and Sunday roasts. A visual delight, the café is decorated with antique furniture and the walls are covered with artworks from aspiring artists trying to sell their wares."

"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."

"The Roseleaf serves top-notch grub|Courtesy of Roseleaf / © AdamJBellPhotography. There’s a real buzz in Leith just now, with the diversity of its restaurants, from gastropub to Michelin-star restaurants, unrivalled elsewhere in Edinburgh. One of its most beloved pubs serving top-notch grub is the Roseleaf."

"The Oxford is a small pub down an old side street in Edinburgh's new town. It derives its name from the Edinburgh offices of Oxford University Press, which in the early years of the twentieth century were based opposite. The Oxford is just two rooms, a slim bar where customers can stand two-deep facing the counter, and a slightly larger back room heated with a coal fire."

"Well, if you’re in need of sustenance to quell your rumbling tummy, then check out Hotel du Vin and Bistro. They serve a fabulous Sunday Brunch between 12:30 pm – 4:00 pm, where you can partake in some amazing soup, as well as a saliva-inducing, fresh market table where you can help yourself to an assortment of delectable brunch items (if you’re not here on a Sunday, they serve lunch between 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm. I ordered the French style pizza with roasted Mediterranean vegetables. Yum)."

"Tuck into all the American classics, including burgers, steaks, indulgent desserts and classic cocktails in this rock n roll themed resultant. Outdoor seating is unreserved and available on a first-come-first-served basis. Hard Rock Cafe20 George Street, Edinburgh."

"Launched in London over 40 years ago, the Hard Rock has since exported its rather cookie cutter approach all over the world, but should you go in expecting generous portions of decent, if rather…"

"Located in the heart of Edinburgh’s old town, this bar is anything but old-fashioned. The styling is industrial featuring exposed brick and stainless steel but fret not, the atmosphere is warm and lively as residents and visitors flock to sample the now world renowned, headline grabbing beer. Perhaps unsurprisingly the beer offering is vast and not just from the brand itself, which can be sampled in a range of measures."

"In 2007, founders James and Martin started BrewDog with a mission to make other people as passionate about great craft beer as they were. BrewDog’s HQ can be found in Ellon, Aberdeenshire. The state of the art Scottish eco-brewery is also home to Overworks Brewery, BrewDog’s testing lab for sour beer."

"Brewdog is a popular anti-mainstream Scottish brewery, established in 2007. Its Edinburgh HQ is a former karaoke bar, renovated with stainless steel fixtures, reclaimed furniture and lots of exposed brickwork. Basically, it’s one of the coolest stag party bars in the Old Town."

"Situated in the Old Town close to Waverley Station, this friendly little takeout has been around since the 1980s and has an old-world feel. It offers lots of vegetarian, vegan and allergy-friendly options, with a multitude of cold and hot toppings from which to choose, as well as salads and snacks. A large potato (or tattie, as they’re known in Scotland) with one filling is £6.50 and will set you up for a day of sightseeing."

"Baked potatoes may be a simple choice, but with such a large variety of filings, this is a great BFF spot where both can be satisfied food wise; but also great for a bit of BFF catch up time. Additionally, everything on the menu is vegetarian so it is great if either of you are a fussy eater or both want to try something different; it’s all about the taste and adventure."

"Fluffy baked-to-perfection tatties, generously filled with almost anything you fancy: baked beans and cheese, egg mayo, veggie chilli, haggis… As an equal opportunities potato shop, whole fridge sections are dedicated to dairy-free and vegan toppings too. 56 Cockburn Street, EH1 1PB"