Every Scottish cocktail bar listed in the UK Top 50 for 2026 - including ‘iconic’ hotel bar
The Top 50 cocktail bars in the UK have been announced - and five are in Scotland.
The Top 50 UK cocktail bars list for 2025 have been revealed, with five Scottish bars within the top 50 slots.
While London dominated, five Scottish bars - mainly Edinburgh businesses - made the coveted list, down three from last year.
Panda & Sons in Edinburgh took the top spot for Scotland at number nine, down from number two. Panda & Sons was opened in 2013 by Iain McPherson and was one of the first secret, speakeasy style bars in the city.
Panda & Sons is known for its experimental cocktail menu ‘Transcend’, which features sixteen cocktails arranged in four chapters exploring and highlighting a different ultra-low freezing technique known as switching.
Next was Edinburgh’s Hey Palu, which is at number 17 this year. The guide said: “Serving modern Italian drinks in the heart of Edinburgh, Hey Palu on Bread Street is a quaint venue offering an all-round cocktail bar experience.”
At number 22 was the only Glasgow bar on this year’s list, Daddy Marmalades. Notable absences from The Gate and Absent Ear, which were on the 2025 Top 50 list.
At number 27 is Nauticus in Leith and at number 50 is the ‘iconic’ American Bar at Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder.
The annual list is compiled by over 200 industry experts who make up the voting academy. These include bartenders, owners, writers and influencers, who help curate the list.
Find out more and see the full list at the Top 50 website.
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