Bar Zero Zero
18 S Clerk St, Edinburgh EH8 9PR, UK
Best Wine Bars in Edinburgh
Edinburgh’s wine scene blends historic charm with contemporary tasting rooms. Explore 18 wine bars across Old Town, New Town, Leith and Stockbridge offering natural wines, Scottish sparklings and classic Burgundies. Whether you want a guided tasting or a cosy pour, there’s a spot for every palate.
18 venues
4.7 avg
Wine Cellar
Wine Unearthed - Edinburgh Wine Tastings
Apex Grassmarket Hotel 31-35, Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2HS, UK
A Wee Taste
36 Leven St, Edinburgh EH3 9LJ, UK
Caru by Candlelight
Arch 2, The Arches, E Market St, Edinburgh EH8 8FS, UK
PIGGS
276 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8AA, UK
Pickles
60 Broughton St, Edinburgh EH1 3SA, UK
One20 Wine Cafe
120 Dundas St, Edinburgh EH3 5DQ, UK
Nott
13 Crighton Pl, Edinburgh EH7 4NY, UK
24 Royal Terrace Bar
24 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh EH7 5AH, UK
Veeno Edinburgh
76 Rose St, Edinburgh EH2 2NN, UK
The Black Grape
240 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8AB, UK
Smith & Gertrude Stockbridge
26 Hamilton Pl, Edinburgh EH3 5AU, UK
Le Di-Vin
9 Randolph Pl, Edinburgh EH3 7TE, UK
Bacco Wine
136 Dundas St, Edinburgh EH3 5DQ, UK
The Devil's Advocate
9 Advocate's Cl, Edinburgh EH1 1ND, UK
Good Brothers Wine Cellars
34 Northumberland St, Edinburgh EH3 6LS, UK
The Green Room Wine Bar
The Green Room, 19-25 William St, Edinburgh EH3 7NG, UK
Whighams Wine Cellars
13 Hope St, Edinburgh EH2 4EL, UK
Wine Culture in Edinburgh
Edinburgh has long been a hub for imported wines — its merchant history and Georgian terraces in the New Town made the city an ideal gateway for European and New World bottles. Today that legacy lives on in wine bars that pair old-world formality with a modern taste for natural and low-intervention wines. You’ll find sommeliers who adore Burgundy and Barolo sitting alongside small-business owners championing organic Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and adventurous orange wines.
While Scotland’s own vineyard scene is still small, a growing number of producers make cool-climate sparkling and still wines using Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and hybrid varieties. Edinburgh venues often showcase these local efforts alongside classic regions: expect Scottish fizz as a curiosity on tasting lists and flights that juxtapose a local sparkling with Champagne, Cava or English sparkling wines. Events and pop-ups are common — from intimate tutored tastings to larger wine-week events timed around the Festival season.
Where to drink wine in Edinburgh
The best wine bars are spread across distinctive neighbourhoods. In the Old Town and Grassmarket you’ll find cosy cellars and candlelit bars perfect for evening pours; these narrow lanes suit small groups and late-night sharing boards. New Town around George Street and Stockbridge favours elegant tasting rooms and restrained, Georgian-style bars where you can linger over flight lists and classic glassware.
Leith’s waterfront brings a livelier, more experimental offering — tapas-style plates, seafood-friendly whites and natural wines are common there. For quieter, neighbourhood-focused sipping try Stockbridge or Bruntsfield, where wine bars double as deli-cafés with strong cheese and charcuterie. Notable local spots include Bar Zero Zero, Wine Unearthed - Edinburgh Wine Tastings for tutored pours, Caru by Candlelight, A Wee Taste, Pickles, Nott, PIGGS and 24 Royal Terrace Bar — each representing a different side of Edinburgh’s wine culture, from tastingrooms to relaxed neighbourhood haunts.
What to Look For
A great Edinburgh wine bar balances bottle breadth with local character. Look for bars that offer small pours or flights so you can sample Pinot Noir, Gamay, Chardonnay or Riesling without committing to a whole bottle. Staff who can recommend pairings with regional Scottish cheeses, smoked salmon or tapas-style plates improve the experience—knowledgeable service matters more here than flashy lists. Many top spots also mark natural, organic and biodynamic wines clearly on menus.
Practical signs of quality include a rotating by-the-glass list (to try different regions), tasting events or masterclasses (especially useful if you’re visiting during the Festival), and a sensible food menu that complements wine rather than overpowers it. During busy months — August’s festivals and Hogmanay — book ahead. In cooler months seek bars with a warm, intimate feel: thick stone walls and candlelight are part of the city's wine-bar charm.
When do wine bars in Edinburgh open and close?
18 of the 18 wine bars listed in Edinburgh publish their opening hours. The median one opens at 12 pm and closes at 11 pm on a typical trading day.
Sunday is the day that catches visitors out: 15 venues in Edinburgh (83% of those with published hours) trade on Sunday, against 14 on Monday. 12 open seven days a week.
17 addresses stay open past 10 pm, which matters if you are buying after dinner rather than before it. 24 Royal Terrace Bar closes latest, at 12 am.
At the other end of the day, Wine Unearthed - Edinburgh Wine Tastings opens earliest, at 9 am.
These hours come from each venue's own Google Business Profile as read in March 2026. They are regular hours: public holidays, August closures and harvest-season changes are not reflected, so call ahead for a specific date.
What the ratings in Edinburgh actually say
The 18 rated wine bars in Edinburgh carry 11,143 reviews between them. The mean rating is 4.72 out of 5 and the median is 4.8, and 17 venues hold 4.5 or better — 94% of the list.
Bar Zero Zero carries the highest rating with a review base large enough to mean something: 5.0 from 106 reviews. The Devil's Advocate is the most reviewed address in Edinburgh, at 4,843.
A five-star average is worth less than it looks on a venue with a dozen reviews, which is why the ranking above is sorted by rating and review volume together rather than by rating alone. The rating also measures the visit, not the cellar: service, queueing and the state of the room all land in the same number as the wine selection. It is a starting filter, not a verdict on what is on the shelf.
How much do wine bars in Edinburgh cost?
Price level is published for 10 of the 18 wine bars in Edinburgh, and it splits as follows: 9 moderate (90%), 1 upmarket (10%). Google's price level is a four-step band reported by the venue and by visitors, not a price list, so it says where an address sits relative to its neighbours rather than what a bottle costs.
The specialisations that recur most often in Edinburgh are Wine Cellar (2), Tasting Events (1). Filtering the list above by one of those is usually a faster route to the right shop than sorting by rating.
Edinburgh compared with the rest of United Kingdom
Edinburgh accounts for 18 of the 136 wine bars we list across United Kingdom, spread over 10 cities.
Sunday trading is the clearest local difference: 83% of venues in Edinburgh open on Sunday against 76% nationally, 7 points higher.
Both columns are computed from the same rows that build these pages, so the national figure moves whenever a city's listing does.
| Measure | Edinburgh | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Venues listed | 18 | 136 |
| Mean rating | 4.72 | 4.64 |
| Open on Sunday | 83% | 76% |
| Median closing time | 11 pm | 11 pm |
Where to look next from Edinburgh
Other wine venues in Edinburgh: 9 wine restaurants, 19 wine shops, 3 wineries and tasting rooms. In a city with a thin specialist trade, the restaurant list is often where the interesting bottles actually are.
The nearest larger listings in United Kingdom are Bradford (17), Sheffield (17), London (17), Bristol (15), Leeds (15). Each is a separate page with its own hours, ratings and map.
Bottom line
Edinburgh has 18 wine bars on this list, averaging 4.72 out of 5 across 11,143 reviews. The median address opens at 12 pm and closes at 11 pm; 15 of the 18 with published hours open on Sunday.
If you only have time for one stop, Bar Zero Zero is the highest-rated address with a real review base (5.0 from 106).
Ratings, hours and price bands here come from public venue profiles read in March 2026; they describe how an address is reviewed, not how good its wine list is. Confirm hours before travelling for a specific bottle.
Buying wine in United Kingdom: age, tax and trading rules
Selling alcohol to anyone under 18 is an offence under the Licensing Act 2003 in England and Wales, and retailers operate Challenge 25 on top of it, so expect to be asked for ID well past 18.
The United Kingdom taxes wine harder than anywhere else in this directory, and it taxes it by strength. HMRC's rate from 1 February 2026 is £30.64 per litre of pure alcohol for wine between 8.5% and 22% ABV, which is £2.87 of duty on a 75 cl bottle at 12.5% ABV, before 20% VAT is added on top of the duty-inclusive price. On a £7 bottle that leaves very little for the wine.
The Sunday Trading Act 1994 caps shops over 280 m² in England and Wales at six continuous hours of Sunday trading between 10 am and 6 pm. Smaller independents are exempt and may open all day, which is why a specialist wine shop is often the only thing open on a Sunday evening. Scotland is outside the Act entirely.
Sources: HMRC — Alcohol Duty rates (GOV.UK) · Sunday Trading Act 1994 (legislation.gov.uk) · Licensing Act 2003 (legislation.gov.uk)
Local Tips
01
Book ahead during August and Hogmanay
Edinburgh gets extremely busy during the Festival in August and Hogmanay. Reserve tables at popular wine bars in advance to secure tasting slots and avoid long waits.
02
Try a flight to sample Scottish fizz
Ask for a tasting flight that includes a Scottish sparkling alongside Champagne or English fizz—it's the best way to compare cool-climate styles and learn what you prefer.
03
Pair wine with local flavours
Match wines with Scottish produce like smoked salmon, Isle of Mull cheddar or a haggis-inspired small plate. Staff at neighbourhood bars often recommend ideal local pairings.
04
Walk between neighbourhoods
Edinburgh’s streets are compact and walkable. Stroll between Old Town, New Town and Stockbridge to experience a variety of bars and atmospheres without needing a car.
FAQ
Edinburgh has 18 wine bars featured in this directory, ranging from intimate tasting rooms and cellar bars in the Old Town to contemporary venues and natural wine-focused bars in Leith and Stockbridge.
Yes. Many venues host regular tutored tastings, masterclasses and pop-up events. Wine Unearthed - Edinburgh Wine Tastings runs guided sessions, and several bars organise themed evenings—check venue calendars, especially during the Edinburgh Festival when events increase.
You can. While Scotland’s wine industry is small, top Edinburgh wine bars often feature local sparkling and still wines alongside imports. Look for cool-climate Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and hybrid-variety offerings from Scottish producers on tasting lists.
Old Town and Grassmarket are great for cosy, atmospheric bars; New Town and Stockbridge offer elegant tasting rooms; Leith leans more experimental with seafood-friendly whites and natural wines. Bruntsfield and Morningside provide relaxed, neighbourhood options.
Most do. Expect cheese and charcuterie boards, small plates and often seasonal Scottish produce—smoked fish, local cheeses and simple sharing plates designed to pair with wine. Some venues serve full meals, while others focus on snacks and tapas-style dishes.
Yes—Edinburgh’s compact centre makes bar-hopping easy on foot between Old Town, New Town and Stockbridge. For Leith or further afield, short bus or tram rides are convenient. During festival season, plan ahead and book places to avoid queues.
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