Panda & Sons Edinburgh
Of all the gin joints...
If you're wandering the streets of Edinburgh looking for a bar, you won't find Panda & Sons. However, if you come across a barbershop offering 25¢ haircuts and shaves you're in for a treat!
At the west end of Queen Street Panda & Sons doesn't look like a barbershop or a bar when you step in the front door. There's just a very dull looking set of stairs leading down to dead-end at a bookcase. However, if you know the right book to pull from the shelf (I'm sure you'll work it out) you'll discover a whole other world!
The basement location, low ceiling and nooks and crannies in the bar add to the secretive atmosphere. The barber stools and old adverts remind of the speakeasy theme. I also love the barbershop quartet music playing in the toilets.
The real reason to visit though is the cocktail menu - it's incredible! I spend every evening there asking what others were drinking and making a mental list of the cocktails I'll try next time. Top of my list currently is the Super Tonic - a new take on the classic G&T.
Panda & Sons can seem a little gimmicky but, if you're looking for a good cocktail and a different kind of night out this is the place to go.
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