The Top 10 Student Bars In Edinburgh

By Student Cribs | July 3, 2023 | Reading Time: 7 minutes

Top 10 Student Bars in Edinburgh

Edinburgh is an incredible city with so many hidden gems… most of which are fabulous bars! The perfect place to meet up with friends and treat yourself to a fancy cocktail after a long day on campus…
We’ve compiled a list of our top 10 student bars in Edinburgh, so make sure you try them out before you leave!

1.     The Devil’s Advocate

Definitely a must-go in Edinburgh, and everybody will agree with us. This bar is rather recent but its atmosphere is unique with its large wooden doors in the entrance and a huge terrace outside. The choice of whisky here is ridiculous and their cocktails are on point. In addition to this, the food is fresh from the garden. What more could you ask for?

Visit their website here: http://devilsadvocateedinburgh.co.uk/

2.     Panda and Sons

We already talked about this bar in one of our last post about Edinburgh which you can find here, so that’s to say how much we like this place. The ground floor looks like a real barbershop but if you go down in the basement, you’ll find out that it’s an actual bar that you just stepped in! Apart from the Prohibition atmosphere, the drinks are really good and the menu well provided.

You can have a look at what they do here: http://pandaandsons.com/

3.     Bramble

For your personal culture and to make you want to have a try, Bramble has been ranked in the Top 20 bars across the world by the Australian Bartender’s Magazine and the top 50 two years in a row. Do we even need to say more? If so, music is a real big deal for these guys. So as you walk in, you can be sure that you’ll only hear quality tunes of as many genres as possible, played by their many DJ’s.

Check out their website here: http://www.bramblebar.co.uk/

4.     Wee Red Bar

This one will match a student budget better. The Wee Red Bar is a student bar hosted by Edinburgh College of Art. You can walk in, have a drink at a cheap price, and see an exhibition or listen to some live music. Their Facebook page is well stuffed with all their events, so if you’re interested it would be worth having a look! Definitely a way to get to know people if you’re a new kid in town too.

Website: http://www.weeredbar.co.uk/

5.     Bar Soba

At Soba, you can order a drink of their enormous cocktail menu, but you can also get delicious Asian street food with student discounts. From Monday to Friday you can get 2 main meals for the price of one which is actually a great deal.

Link to their website: http://www.barsoba.co.uk/

6.     The Bon Vivant

In French, Bon Vivant means a person who likes to enjoy life without paying attention to excesses with food and alcohol for example. That’s how this bar wants to make you feel. Don’t worry about how many drinks you got or what you ate, just enjoy! The atmosphere is warm there, you can order some delicious tapas if you’re hungry and elaborated cocktails if you’re thirsty.

If you want to sip a delicious cocktail like the one above, click here: http://bonvivantedinburgh.co.uk/

7.     The Cumberland Bar

This one is not a cocktail bar, but you’ll be able to taste their ales, ciders or wines on their stunning terrace. It is covered by trees so it is way more enjoyable during summer with a bright sun enjoying a beer or traditional English pub food on a shady terrace.

Click the link to find out more: http://www.cumberlandbar.co.uk/

8.     The Bow Bar

The Bow looks more like a pub than the other bars in the list. It’s also probably less trendy but if you look for the real Scottish pub deal, you found it! If you want to have a look on their website, they won a ridiculous number of awards over the last years mainly for its amazing range of whiskies.

Link to their website: https://www.thebowbar.co.uk/

9.     Boteco do Brasil

If you want to put some sun and hear in your Edinburgh life, go there! This bar/restaurant is serving drinks and food inspired by Brazilian culture. It’s definitely more a rum place than a whisky one so be bold for change. If you like to dance or eager to learn, they offer dance lessons for beginners or confirmed as well!

Click here to see their website (for the right reasons): http://www.botecodobrasil.com/

10.  The Refinery St Andrew Square

This bar located in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town has a quirky decoration, with an open kitchen for you to look at your meals being prepared. It’s the ideal place if you want to relax after your day enjoying a cocktail from their drinks menu, then slip through a romantic dinner. They even offer cocktail masterclasses if you want to better your bartending skills. 

So there you have it the best bars in Edinburgh. 

11. The Earl of Marchmont 

A bonus addition to our list of the best student bars in Edinburgh goes to the Earl of Marchmont, not least due to this friendly local’s welcoming policy to pooches. For post-exam drink while straddling a dog in a blanket (yes, puppy blankets are provided at the Earl), then look no further than this p-awesome pub. Who doesn’t love a dog-friendly pub? 

Still looking for a student flat in Edinburgh? Click here to check out what we have left.