3am is the latest bars can open. All these bars are open 'til 3. Even if you know where to look there are none open 24 hours.
Henry’s Cellar Bar 8 Morrison St
One of the city’s few low-hire-cost venues, Henry’s attracts ‘rough around the edges’ **** you wouldn’t see in more conventional haunts. The stage is a small square wedged into the back corner with two pillars dividing the floor. One pillar stands on the outside corner of the stage, obstructing the view of at least one person in any band with more than three members. Strangely, that’s what’s good about Henry’s. Not only does it have diverse gigs and clubs, a modest door charge and decent drink prices, it’s got that community vibe where you can talk to strangers without feeling creepy or getting your head kicked in.
Cameo Cinema 38 Home Street
With many Edinburgh cinemas forced out of business by endless chains of Cineworlds, the Cameo has been proudly independent since 1914. It promotes alternative and foreign cinema. You can bring your reasonably priced drinks into the theatre, filter coffee is only £1.40 and they will quite willingly put both sweet and salty popcorn into a tub for you. The Cameo also boasts themed music nights, Sunday hangover double bills and late night screenings of classic horror movies. Nestled in the crook of Tollcross, this cinema provides much-needed character in the face of beige cookie cutter conglomerates.
Cabaret Voltaire 36 Blair Street
‘Total pandemonium. The people around us are shouting, laughing, and gesticulating’ - though artist Jean Arp was referring to the original Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich which fostered Dadaism, the same could be said about Edinburgh’s home-grown version. It may not have nurtured a cultural movement (yet), but it has resurrected the club scene since Honeycomb’s closure in 2006. Usurping clubs Optimo, Tokyoblu and Trouble from the now defunct Ego, it has emerged as top dog of the club scene. And if you’re sick of weekends on call - NHS staff get in for a quid on Mondays.
Voodoo Rooms 19a West Register St
From old man pub Café Royale to the recently opened swanky Voodoo Rooms, this classy joint has magically transformed into a good place to take your date. An award-winning bar, a decent restaurant and a venue for gigs, magic shows and burlesque cabaret, Voodoo Rooms offers an eclectic mix of attractions that beats any other trendy George Street bore. There are five rooms with three bars, so you don’t have to wait till the cows come home to buy a drink - but you better be cashed-up 'cause once you get into the cocktail range there ain’t no turning back…
Bar Salsa 3 Cowgatehead
This bar lies in the gateway between the stag and hen do infested Irish Pubs of the Grassmarket and the dingier haunts of the Cowgate. And the result? A transitional bar full of all sorts of creatures of the night, and it’s on the way to just about anywhere. Columns made to look like ship masts (??) are strategically placed right in front of the bar, whilst the dodgy Tex-Mex décor seems to deplete any sense of conscience or social protocol - the perfect stepping-stone for a disgraceful night out on the piss. But Salsa gets away with it all by having one of the best jukeboxes in Edinburgh and heaps of drinks promotions on just about everything.
The Caves 12 Niddry Street South
Lost and forgotten, the Caves were rediscovered after 100 years. As the name suggests, this venue lies in cavernous depths of the hollow arches under South Bridge. The assorted bridegrooms and vaults date back to the 18th century, and for the most part have been left as raw stonewalls. The impressive main vault and main stage area is overlooked by a decent sized balcony, whilst the smaller vaults are used to host Fringe Festival events. Other than resident club nights Departure Lounge and Kapital, the Caves hosts assorted events, gigs and clubs, including regular bands-night The Mill. Drinks prices and cover charge can be hefty but a club experience in the Caves is unmatched by anywhere else in Edinburgh.
Bannerman's 212 Cowgate
Decent music, heaps of gigs, a double shot for an extra quid and a pool table. Point taken. Bannermans is a pillar of the local independent music scene, with the sweaty vault-room the Underworld hosting bands every night till midnight and each show costing no more than a fiver. A regular haunt for punks and metallers alike, this pub is also a pit stop for pub-crawls and is student friendly with three for the price of two pints with a student card. Beer prices have gone up but hey, so has everything else - it’s the recession after all so just get pissed and enjoy it.
The Bongo Club 37 Holyrood Road
Owned by an Arts Charity, the Bongo Club hosts a bunch of regular club nights, an upstairs bar / café and an accompanying exhibition space. From breaks and electro night Bass Syndicate to hip hop enthused Headspin, and even a monthly punk-disco-dance party, Bongo caters for all you guys and gals who wanna shake your arses till sunrise (or 3am as the case may be). The slightly ambiguously titled Scottish Hobo Society might be a bit hit and miss, but Friday and Saturday nights are usually rammed full of punters so put your beer goggles on and go mad.
Whistlebinkies 4 – 6 South Bridge
Whistle Binkies is touted as Edinburgh’s number one live music venue with one of the only pubs to offer live music right until 3am, 7 days a week. Monday is the resident open mic night, where aspiring musicians and solo artists can bring along their kit and go for it, and Tuesdays cater for bands just starting out. Sporting original stone walls, a laid back atmosphere, friendly staff and an exceptional vending machine in the toilets where you can buy inflatable sheep complete with rear entry point – the perfect place to do your eary Christmas shopping.
Wee Red Bar Edinburgh College of Art, Lauriston Place
It’s wee and it’s red. Nuff said. Huddled in a corner of the Edinburgh College of Art, this bar/club is guaranteed to have cheap drinks regardless of the night. Don’t be fooled by the mirrors on the walls of the dance floor… there is only one room and that person you think is staring is actually your reflection. Stop by on Saturdays for indie stalwart The Egg – don’t break it, just shake it. The Wee Red also routinely hosts Big Toe’s HiFi. The clue’s in the name: if the shuddering bass emanating from the biggest hifi you’ve ever seen doesn’t knock you off your feet, all those Jack and Cokes will.