In this article for bars with music in Edinburgh, we are looking at the city’s dynamic and diverse music scene detailing our top 5 picks for the best bars to go to for the live music experience.
Edinburgh, a city steeped in history and culture, offers a range of bars where music isn’t just background noise but the soul of the establishment. From Scottish favourites echoing through the ancient streets to the modern beats that energise the nightlife vibes of the city, our blog dives into the heart of Edinburgh’s music bars.
Whether you’re a local looking for a new haunt or a visitor seeking an authentic Edinburgh experience, join us as we tour the best spots in the city where the drinks flow as smoothly as the melodies. Stay tuned as we uncover each unique venue, its ambiance, and the musical journey it offers. Let’s embark on this melodious adventure through Edinburgh’s best bars with music!
Freddy’s Edin
Adding to the vibrant scene of bars with music in Edinburgh is Freddy’s Edin, a live music party parlour promising an unpretentious, fun-filled experience with a capital ‘F’. Open seven nights a week, Freddy’s offers a cheerful mix of specialty cocktails and an eclectic mix of music you “legally have to dance to.”
An inviting place for birthdays, nights out, or stag events, Freddy’s Edin offers a community vibe where strangers quickly turn into pals. At Freddy’s, one can truly experience the fun-loving, friendly, and accommodating community aspect found among the folks living in the Scottish capital.
Freddys Edin is all about providing the locals with good times without any gimmicks, just pure enjoyment.
Operating hours are generous, catering to night owls and early birds alike, with varying opening times throughout the week.
Whiski Bar
At Whiski Bar, one of Edinburgh’s most famous music bars, visitors can relax and enjoy whisky in an inviting setting adorned with open brick walls, wooden furnishings, and the occasional stag’s head. Tourists and whisky-loving locals alike frequent this bar; its welcoming staff will help find you your ideal whisky, while the food menu features some special touches like steak pie, haggis stack, and smoked pork belly, all paired with their recommended whiskies—not forgetting its distinct Ardbeg area at its back, which acts like its very own mini Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for whisky lovers alike!
Whiski Rooms’ multi-award-winning whisky bar and restaurant sits halfway along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and boasts an unparalleled atmosphere that draws whisky enthusiasts from near and far. Decor is inspired by Scotland’s heritage, with antiques and tartan patterns on display, while over 300 whiskies, wine, cocktails, and local beers can be found behind its walls—not forgetting traditional Scottish fare that pairs perfectly with single malts to enhance the particular flavour profiles of each dish served from its menu.
The bar offers an impressive selection of whiskies to select from and offers flight tastings so that you can try various styles before selecting your favorite. Prices are very reasonable and it makes a perfect spot for socialising and evening out with friends. Although service was slow at times, drinks were delicious, and food options may have a limited vegetarian selection.
Location: Just off Royal Mile, this bar offers the ideal retreat from city life. The music here features traditional Scottish folk with various instruments and voices, while the whisky selection is vast. In addition, food includes classic dishes like fish and chips, burgers, and chicken sandwiches; it is even dog-friendly so that your four-legged companion can accompany you!
Jam House
For an unforgettable dining and musical experience, the Jam House is the place to go. Offering live music and exquisite international cuisine in one memorable spot just a short distance from Waverley station, this is an excellent spot to combine culinary treats with soulful tunes for an unforgettable night out.
The Jam House provides both an a la carte menu and buffet dining for larger parties. Their a la carte selections include dishes like roasted Borders pork fillet and belly, harissa-soaked Shetland salmon, and an international selection. Plus, they serve a selection of drinks, including cocktails and wines!
At one time the BBC’s Edinburgh quarters, this cavernous jazz club owned by legendary boogie-woogie pianist Jools Holland provided an unrivalled musical experience that featured rhythm and blues, soul, jazz, and creative international cuisine each night at The Jam House.
At the Jam House, you will have an unforgettable musical experience. The Jam House stage area was created to foster audience-performer interactions, while the lighting is kept simple to allow maximum appreciation from audiences.
In addition to live music performances, the Jam House also hosts wrestling shows for Discovery Wrestling. Over its history, Ricochet, Candice LeRae, and Sugar Dunkerton have graced its stage and been involved in some of its most thrilling bouts at this iconic venue.
This building, once constructed by the BBC in 1963, has since been utilized for multiple purposes. Since its creation, it has hosted various musical acts ranging from rock bands to classical musicians, as well as being home to Ronnie Corbett and Jimmy White’s first snooker tournaments at this location. Furthermore, several wrestling events took place here, most notably Joe Hendry’s first Y Division championship win!
The Captain’s Bar
The Captain’s Bar is a small pub serving food and drinks located in the historic Old Town district. This classic pub with dado panelling hosts live acoustic Scottish folk music on several nights each week, making for an enjoyable visit.
Friendly place with lots of character and charm, located on a cobbled lane close to the original university quad, built over 250 years ago, the pub remains steeped in history and popular with musicians who take advantage of its intimate atmosphere, unamplified sound system, great acoustics, and unamplified performances by local performers who interact directly with their audiences. William McGonagall lived above for twenty years, while Robert Burns’ lover, Nancy Michelhose, lived just around the corner in Potter Row.
The bar offers an excellent selection of whiskies and beers at great value prices and is a popular spot for people to come and unwind with their friends while having a drink together. Google awarded it a 4.6 rating, while staff is friendly and service is top-notch—this bar has become an institution after work and during weekends alike!
For over half a century, Captain’s has been the go-to post-work drinking den for Edinburgh bankers, lawyers, and dealmakers. Its cosy yet elegant interior oozes tradition, while its bartenders specialise in mixing martinis to perfection. Enjoy various cocktails or sip on whisky while listening to classic tunes at this charming institution.
Edinburgh offers a selection of bars with music to satisfy any taste. For an energetic atmosphere, visit Bannermans, where its walls are covered with gold-leafed portraits of legendary Scots and you can hear everything from traditional folk to hard metal music. Or visit Stramash, a converted church that hosts some of the top jazz artists from around Scotland, for soothing acoustics and up-and-coming jazz acts from across Scotland.
Biddy Mulligans in Grassmarket offers an unforgettable mellow experience: unwind to the soothing sounds of Irish folk music while sipping your pint of black stuff in its welcoming interior filled with old mirrors and wood panelling. Visitors from tourists as well as locals flock here, making for an enjoyable night of performances by both artists as well as live entertainment!
The Black Cat
The Black Cat Bar offers live music every Thursday through Sunday evening in Edinburgh’s heart, making it easily accessible from almost anywhere within the city. Offering plenty of room to sit back and enjoy the show while sipping whisky or other spirits from their extensive selection, The Black Cat is an excellent place for anyone seeking great musical performances in Edinburgh.
The Black Cat’ is an unsettling and complex tale, often compared to Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart and often read with gendered bias. While it contains questions of sanity and guilt, its key characteristic is perversity; its protagonist is depicted as inebriated and delusional, and he refers to his drinking place as “a den of infamy.”
Although he is not a murderer, the narrator commits acts of cruelty. After ripping Pluto’s eye out and hanging him from a tree, the narrator realises his actions are wrong but cannot stop himself. In an effort to restore himself to sanity, he goes to a tavern, where he befriends another black cat similar to Pluto with a white patch on its chest, reminding him of his mistreatment of Pluto. At first, he tries to kill this cat but his wife intervenes before finally realising his actions were inevitable and irrevocable.
The narrator’s struggle with masculinity can be seen in how he treats both his wife and cat. He feels responsible for protecting them both from outside danger, with an obsession that the cats are shape-shifting witches causing trouble in his home life and an admission that death awaits him on the gallows, exacerbating his guilt feelings further.