Scotland Guide
Edinburgh
The New Town and the West End
1 Café Royal Circle Bar 17 W Register St As notable as the Oyster Bar restaurant next door, the Café Royal is worth a visit for its Victorian decor alone, notably the huge elliptical island bar and the tiled portraits of renowned inventors. More than that, the beer and food are good, too.
2 Cumberland Bar 1 Cumberland St One of the few pubs in this part of the New Town, this mellow, cultured, old-fashioned place full of wood panelling and cosy nooks is a delightful find, and serves excellent cask-conditioned ales.
3 The Dome 14 George St Opulent conversion of a massive New Town bank, thronging with well-dressed locals. Probably the most impressive bar interior in Edinburgh, though the ultra-chic atmosphere can be a bit intense. Opening time: Sun– Thurs open till 11.30pm, Fri & Sat till 1am
4 Opal Lounge 51 George St A much-talked about, intimate bar with a faintly oriental theme, loud music and a long cocktail list. Over-dressed twentysomethings flock here for a glimpse of local celebrities, but usually have to stand in a queue and squeeze past the bouncers to get in.
5 Oxford Bar 8 Young St An unpretentious, unspoilt, no-nonsense city bar – which is why local crime writer Ian Rankin and his Inspector Rebus like it so much. Fans duly make the pilgrimage, but fortunately not all the regulars have been scared off. Opening time: Open till 1am.
6 Whighams Wine Cellars 13 Hope St, Charlotte Square One of the more sophisticated venues in the city centre, with an impressive wine list and some gloomy subterranean cubby holes. There's good seafood available, too.
7 The Barony Bar 81–85 Broughton St A fine old-fashioned bar which manages to be big and lively without being spoilt. Chainification has blunted a bit of its appeal, but there's still real ale and a blazing fire.
8 The Outhouse 12a Broughton St Lane Busy pre-club bar tucked away down a cobbled lane off Broughton St, with a lively beer garden and funky music. Opening time: Open till 1am
9 Bert's Bar 2–4 Raeburn Place (also 29 William St, West End) Popular locals' pubs with a lived-in feel, despite their relatively recent arrival. Both serve excellent beer, tasty pies and strive to be authentic, non-theme-oriented venues, though the telly rarely misses any sporting action.
10 Blue Blazer 2 Spittal St This traditional Edinburgh howff with an oak-clad bar and church pews serves as good a selection of real ales as you'll find anywhere in the city. Opening time: Open till 1am
11 Traverse Bar Café Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge St Much more than just a theatre bar, attracting a lively, sophisticated crowd who dispel any notion of a quiet interval drink. Good food available. One of the places to be during the Festival.
12 Ego 14 Picardy Place 
0131/478 7434 
www.clubego.co.uk A former casino, this big venue is the monthly home for acclaimed Glasgow club Optimo and the epic party night Vegas. The smaller Cocteau Lounge downstairs is occasionally in use for more intimate alternative and retro club nights.
13 Lulu's 125b George St 0131/225 5005 www.luluedinburgh.co.uk Sultry subterranean nightspot beneath OTT bar and restaurant Tigerlily. A place to see and be seen, with its fair share of Travolta-wannabes striding to the sound-responsive disco lightfloor.
14 CC Bloom's 23–24 Greenside Place 0131/556 9331 Edinburgh's only uniquely gay club, with a big dance floor, stonking rhythms and a young, friendly crowd.
15 Corn Exchange 11 Newmarket Rd, Slateford 0131/477 3500 www.ece.uk.com Once a slaughterhouse, now it's a 3000-capacity venue for big-name contemporary pop and rock acts, though the location, three miles west of the centre, is a bit off-putting.
16 Usher Hall cnr Lothian Rd and Grindlay St 0131/228 1155 www.usherhall.co.uk Edinburgh's main civic concert hall, seating over 2500. Excellent for choral and symphony concerts, but less suitable for solo vocalists. The upper circle seats are cheapest and have the best acoustics.
17 Playhouse Theatre 18–22 Greenside Place 0870/606 3424 www.edinburgh-playhouse.co.uk The most capacious theatre in Britain, formerly a cinema. Used largely for extended runs of popular musicals and occasional rock concerts.
18 Royal Lyceum Theatre 30 Grindlay St 0131/248 4848 www.lyceum.org.uk Fine Victorian civic theatre with a compact auditorium. The leading year-round venue for mainstream drama.
19 Traverse Theatre 10 Cambridge St 0131/228 1404 www.traverse.co.uk Unquestionably one of Britain's premier venues for new plays and avant-garde drama from around the world. Going from strength to strength in its custom-built home beside the Usher Hall.
20 Cameo 38 Home St, Tollcross 0131/228 2800 www.picturehouses.co.uk 0131/228 4141 A treasure of an art-house cinema screening more challenging mainstream releases and cult late-nighters. Tarantino's been here and thinks it's great.
21 Filmhouse 88 Lothian Rd 0131/228 2688 www.filmhousecinema.com Three screens showing an eclectic programme of independent, art-house and classic films.