Edinburgh has quietly become one of the top British cities for a pint. A cluster of independent producers in Leith, a run of serious craft bars along Lothian Road and the Old Town, and a growing set of bottle shops and tours mean you can spend a whole trip drinking well without ever repeating yourself. This guide sorts the scene into three parts: the bars and pubs to drink in, the tours and experiences that add some context, and the bottle shops for taking drinks home.
Updated September 2026
Every venue below has its own page with location, what to expect and practical tips. Use the cards to jump straight to a spot, or the comparison table to weigh them up by area, format and price.
| Venue | Type | Area | Postcode | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hanging Bat | Craft bar | Lothian Road | EH3 9AB | ££-£££ |
| The Bow Bar | Cask ale bar | Old Town | EH1 1LN | ££ |
| Salt Horse | Bar & bottle shop | Old Town | EH1 1JU | ££ |
| Fierce Bar | Bar | Rose Street | EH2 4LS | ££ |
| Brauhaus | Belgian specialist | Tollcross | EH8 9NF | ££ |
| Cloisters Bar | Real ale bar | Tollcross | EH8 9LD | ££ |
| BrewDog Lothian Road | Chain craft bar | Lothian Road | EH3 9AZ | ££ |
| Campervan Brewery | Taproom | Leith (Jane St) | EH6 5HG | ££ |
| Newbarns Brewery | Taproom | Leith (Jane St) | EH6 5HE | ££ |
| Moonwake Beer Co | Taproom | Leith Shore | EH6 7BY | ££ |
| Bellfield Brewery | Gluten-free taproom | Leith Walk | EH7 5TB | ££ |
| The Wee Vault | Sour bar | Haymarket | EH12 5DS | ££ |
| Scot Beer Tours | Guided tour | Central | — | £££ |
| Pilot Beer Tours | Guided tour | Leith | EH6 5RQ | £25pp |
| Innis & Gunn Taproom | Taproom | Lothian Road | EH3 8HA | £££ |
| Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival | Annual festival | Leith | — | £££ |
| Beer Cave | Bottle shop | Comely Bank | EH4 1BN | ££ |
| Beer Hive | Bottle shop | Leith Walk | EH6 8BQ | ££ |
| The Great Grog Bottle Shop | Bottle shop | Abbeyhill | EH1 3BB | ££ |
| Jolly Judge | Traditional pub | Old Town | EH1 2PB | ££ |
| Bottle Barn | Bottle shop | Corstorphine | EH12 6HH | ££ |
Bars, Tours & Shops in Edinburgh
The Hanging Bat
Top Pick
Benchmark craft bar with 20+ rotating taps and a barbecue smokehouse.
The Bow Bar
Top Pick
Classic Victoria Street ale house: 8 cask lines plus 300+ whiskies.
Salt Horse
Central
Bar and bottle shop in one, just off the Royal Mile.
Fierce Bar
Central
Rose Street bar built for tasting flights of bold flavours.
Cloisters Bar
Everyday
Relaxed former manse pouring cask ale and craft keg near the Meadows.
BrewDog Lothian Road
Central
Spacious, reliable BrewDog bar for core IPAs and guest taps.
Campervan Brewery
Everyday
Leith taproom pouring drinks where they are made.
Scot Beer Tours
Top Pick
Small-group guided walking tour of the city’s best venues.
Innis & Gunn Taproom
Specialist
Taproom with a hands-on Brew School experience.
Annual summer festival gathering 40+ producers in Leith. Also look out for the Gravity Beer Festival (September, Summerhall) and the Grassmarket Craft Beer Festival (October, Cold Town House).
The Great Grog Bottle Shop
Everyday
Wine merchant with a curated craft range and tastings.
Newbarns Brewery & Taproom
Top Pick
Modern saison and lager producer sharing Jane Street with Campervan. Taproom only, no food menu.
Bellfield Brewery
Top Pick
100% gluten-free taproom with garden. Every drink brewed gluten-free from the start.
Moonwake Beer Co
Central
Multi-award-winning taproom on the Shore. Dog-friendly, card-only, colourful yard.
The Wee Vault
Specialist
Vault City’s 24-tap bar in Haymarket. Sour and fruited specialists with rare guest taps.
Leith Brewery Trail: Four Taprooms in 500 Metres
The Bonnington and Jane Street blocks in Leith pack four producers within a five-minute walk, making it the densest craft cluster in Scotland. Start at Campervan Brewery (open Wednesday to Sunday), pop next door to Newbarns (Wednesday to Sunday, from 5pm midweek), then walk 200 metres to Pilot Beer’s industrial-estate taproom (Friday and Saturday afternoons, or book their £25 Saturday tour for a 90-minute tasting of six-plus drinks). Round it off at Moonwake Beer Co on the Shore (Thursday to Sunday), where the outdoor yard fills first on a sunny afternoon. Bellfield Brewery on Stanley Place is a short bus ride away and opens every day — the only all-gluten-free producer in the city, with a garden.
None of them serve full meals, so eat in Leith beforehand — the Shore has plenty of restaurants — or treat it as a drinks-only crawl. Most taprooms are card-only and dog-friendly. Check opening hours before visiting; several shut Monday and Tuesday.
Two smaller spots are worth knowing without a full page of their own: the Jolly Judge, a tiny historic pub tucked down James Court off the Royal Mile with a short but well-kept list, and Bottle Barn in Corstorphine, a neighbourhood bottle shop handy if you are staying out west.
Must-Try Edinburgh & Scottish Drinks
Wherever you drink, keep an eye out for a few that sum up the local scene:
- Mochaccino Stout by Pilot — a smooth coffee milk stout from the Leith producer, and a good introduction to Edinburgh dark stout.
- Cranachan Killer by Fierce — a fruited sour built around the flavours of the classic Scottish raspberry-and-cream dessert.
- Irn-Bru Sour by Vault City — a bright, tongue-in-cheek sour nodding to Scotland other national drink.
- Punk IPA by BrewDog — the drink that kick-started the modern Scottish craft boom, still on taps across the city.
- Vienna Lager by Pilot — a clean, biscuity lager from the Leith producer, best tasted on their Saturday tour (£25pp, 90 minutes, six-plus drinks, book online).
How Much Does a Pint Cost in Edinburgh?
Expect to pay roughly £5.50 to £7 for a pint in most Edinburgh bars, with stronger or more experimental drinks priced higher and often served in smaller measures. Craft costs more than mass-market lager because independent producers work in smaller batches, use more expensive hops and malt, and price for quality over volume. If a drink is above about 6% ABV, many bars will pour it as a two-thirds schooner or a half rather than a full pint.
Two measures worth knowing: a schooner is a two-thirds pint, a useful size for stronger drinks, and a taster is a small sample most craft bars will happily pour so you can try before committing to a full glass.
How to Choose Where to Drink
If you want traditional cask ale, head for the Bow Bar or Cloisters. For modern draught craft that changes constantly, The Hanging Bat and the BrewDog and Fierce bars are the reliable picks, with Fierce the best for tasting flights. To drink at the source, make the trip out to Campervan in Leith. If you would rather learn as you go, book Scot Beer Tours or the Innis & Gunn Brew School, and if you are travelling in summer, the Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival packs dozens of producers into one weekend. To take drinks home, the bottle shops — Beer Cave, Beer Hive, Salt Horse and The Great Grog — cover everything from mixed cases to growler fills.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to find the best craft drinks in Edinburgh?
For draught craft, The Hanging Bat on Lothian Road is the benchmark, while the Bow Bar is the pick for traditional cask ale and whisky. Fierce Bar is best for tasting flights, and Campervan in Leith lets you drink at the source.
How much is a pint in Edinburgh?
Most craft pints run about £5.50 to £7, with stronger or experimental options priced higher and often served in two-thirds schooners or halves rather than full pints.
Can you do a drinks tour in Edinburgh?
Yes. Scot Beer Tours runs small-group guided walks between the city best venues with tastings included, and Innis & Gunn hosts a hands-on Brew School. In summer, the Edinburgh Craft Beer Festival gathers dozens of producers in Leith.
Where can I buy drinks to take home in Edinburgh?
Beer Cave, Beer Hive, Salt Horse and The Great Grog all stock takeaway craft. Beer Hive fills growlers with fresh draught, while Salt Horse lets you drink in or take bottles away.
What Scottish drinks should I try?
Look for Pilot Mochaccino Stout, Fierce Cranachan Killer, Vault City Irn-Bru Sour and BrewDog Punk IPA — four that capture the range and humour of the Scottish craft scene.
Is there a gluten-free option in Edinburgh?
Yes. Bellfield Brewery on Stanley Place (EH7 5TB) brews 100% gluten-free drinks and has a taproom with garden open daily from 2:30pm. Every drink on the menu is safe for coeliacs.
What is the Leith taproom trail?
Four taprooms sit within 500 metres on Jane Street and Bonnington Industrial Estate in Leith: Campervan, Newbarns, Pilot and Moonwake. Bellfield is a short bus ride away. Most open Thursday to Sunday only, so plan your crawl for a weekend afternoon.