Brass Monkey
14 Drummond Street
A relaxed student-friendly pub with a good beer list including real ales, The Brass Monkey hosts regular pub quizzes, events and has a cosy lounging back-room for daily film screenings. During the festival, films are swapped for stand-up as part of the Free Fringe; just drop in and see what’s on. No food.

The Dagda Bar
93–95 Buccleuch Street
Real ales that need a bit of muscle to pour and a shimmering collection of single malts mean this stalwart on Buccleuch Street still feels like a proper pub. Dark wood features and big Dickensian-vibe windows set the tone. It’s a spot for an atmospheric pre-show drink (they don’t do food).

Paradise Palms
41 Lothian Street
A lively bar that doesn’t take itself too seriously, Paradise Palms is quite simply great fun. Food (by Lucky Pig) is all veggie/mostly vegan, and they do a mean French Martini too (an underrated skill). Laid-back and LGBTQ friendly, it’s one of those places where you can pop in for lunch and find yourself still there at last orders (true story).

The Royal Dick
1 Summerhall
Summerhall is a mighty arts venue, but don’t forget the charms of The Royal Dick, its very own courtyard bar. Completely traffic-free, with ample seating, naturally Pickering’s Gin and Barney’s Beer (both produced on-site) feature heavily on the drinks list. Keep an eye out for food trucks and pop-ups during Fringe season.

The Southern
22–26 South Clerk Street
Hard to believe, but this place was once a gloomy watering hole favoured by the hard rock/heavy metal crowd. In its modern incarnation, The Southern gives local breweries strong representation on their taps: Moonwake, Campervan, Pilot and Barney’s all feature, plus Dundee’s 71 Brewing and Borders-based Tempest. Stacked burgers and a fine steak pie head a menu of pub classics.

Zero/Zero
18 South Clerk Street 
Tunes via the record player and lights turned down low give this little wine bar on South Clerk Street an intimate feel. The list is all natural, with a big selection of orange wines, and charcuterie boards of oozing brie and cured meats come courtesy of local heroes IJ Mellis and East Coast Cured.

Also try... The Pear Tree for its cobbled courtyard and sport on the big screen, burgers and beers at Holyrood 9A or Sandy Bells for that whisky and trad music mood.

This TipList is taken from Eat & Drink 365, our sister mag recommending the best in restaurants, bars, cafés and more across Edinburgh. Want a copy? It’s available online or across all good stockists in Scotland’s capital.