Panda & Sons

Another top cocktail bar in the capital city of Edinburgh. The outside looks like a barbershop, once you descend down the stairs you run into a bookshelf, pull on the books that are sticking out and the door opens to a beautiful cocktail lounge. Good service, top notch cocktails to order, friendly bartenders and a good vibe.

Off the bat you need to get an espresso martini here. They do amazing ones here.
I first heard of Panda & Sons at a cocktails in the city event (read more about that here
) and I remember at the time thinking I’d heard a lot about them, and that I wanted to try it out.
Well it has finally happened! I was in here on Good Friday for cocktails and I think this place has their deal down. The staff are firing out the cocktails in super smart time. Despite the bar always been ²⁄₃ deep I never felt like I had to wait ages for my drinks. I feel this is what really makes this place 5 star because I hate feeling like I have to spin my drinks out because ordering them takes bloody ages (I’m looking at you here lebowskis)
They give out complimentary popcorn but all the stuff I had was stale, but hey it’s free.
Cool bar, cool setting, amazing cocktails.

I love this place!
Do I need to write more? Oh well let’s see.
The name was the first thing to catch my attention. I love Pandas and Panda is even the name of my dog so this seemed like an excellent choice for me and my boyfriends vacation. When we found the place though we got slightly confused. Outside it say «Panda barber shop»…and that’s it. Oh and some prices for a shave and stuff… We still went inside and downstairs. There we were met by a dead end of a book shelf, only it was a door looking like a book shelf. So awesome. When I get my own house I am definitely having a secret doorway somewhere!
The staff was really nice and we were served directly at the table. The bar looks really relaxed and homey but you still get the classy vibe from it.
I started with a Robinson Crusoe. It consisted of a class of whiskey and a bottle of poison (or some kind of juice). The meaning was that you could blend the drink yourself to have it as strong or sweet as you’d like. It looked awesome and was a great idea. In the end a little too strong for me but then again i’m not good at drinking whiskey.
The second drink was a shared one: Monet Talks.
This one was so creative and really made our day!
We were served a bottle of prosecco, two empty glasses, a painyt palet and three tubes of «paint». Here we also had the chance of making our own little masterpiece. So much fun!
The menus are a little hard to read, but that was the only «negative» thing I could think of. My new favorite place!

Was in Edinburgh for business for a few days and decided to check out this bar on a spare evening — and was thrilled I made the effort! It’s hidden behind a fake barber shop, and is actually surprisingly large and spacious downstairs.
The staff were brilliant, bringing me tap water, free popcorn and giving me time to look at the menu. I ended up sitting here with a book for several hours relaxing, which is a nice change to the usual coffee shop or loud/​pretentious cocktail bar!
A great venue that makes some seriously delicious and tasty cocktails, for generally under £8/​9. Well worth it!

Drinks are good but the bartender was a proper wanker. I’d much rather spend my money at Lucky Liquor; better bartenders and better drinks.

Great atmosphere and good cocktails! Very friendly staff and very helpful on the selection of the drinks. The décor reminds me of a 20′ scene (the hidden library entrance and wallpapered walls).

Awesome awesome cocktail bar. Can be hard to get a seat though. Amazing cocktail choices and cool chill vibe

I love this place so much. It’s hidden down stairs with a vintage barber shop upstairs and you enter through the bookcase. The cocktail menu is great and it always takes me ages to decide what to order. The specials are always great and I wish that some of them were added to the regular menu.
It’s a really nice atmosphere with a DJ at the weekends and there is table service with friendly staff who are able to make recommendations. You get popcorn and water upon being seated and considering how busy it can be at weekends all the drinks came quickly.

I didn’t think I’d like this spot because I didn’t think lounge/​cocktail bars were big over here.
I was wrong, again.
It definitely is a dope cocktail bar.
If you are into a speakeasy vibe, come here.
Aye, mate.

Man oh man. Was Panda & Sons a delightful treat!
First of all, let’s discuss the marketing behind Panda & Sons… or rather, the lack of it! I love the idea that Panda & Sons is a «secret» in Edinburgh, although slightly less secret if you have access to Unilocal or Tripadvisor. :) Still, a business that doesn’t put out any ads or the like, and relies on word of mouth alone? COOL!
Secondly, of course, comes the nature of Panda & Sons itself. A barber shop entrance disguising a hidden passage into a dark and secret cocktail bar? Sign me up! I love the idea of a speakeasy-​themed bar, which although I didn’t get much of a good look around, too distracted by good company, excellent drinks, and the dimly lit interior as I was, I still found charming with its old-​fashioned relics.
Third: the drinks! Man, talk about knocking my socks right off. Let me preface my glowing review with a warning. Be ready to leave this place with your wallet significantly lighter than it was upon entry. But trust me when I say that it’s absolutely worth it. The expansive list of delicious cocktails is not to be missed out on! From birdcage-​encased beverages revealed with a whoosh of smoke, to smaller drinks served in quaint tin cans full of slush, yeah. Not only is the presentation excellent, but the drinks themselves are five-​stars all around. I didn’t have a drink I didn’t like – and considering I was also sampling my friends’ and they mine, that’s not a bad shout! (The «one wheel on my wagon» was a particular favorite of mine that night, if you fancy whiskey!)
Fourthly, our waitress for the night was chipper and prompt, which seals the deal in my book. An excellent place to go for a night out with friends or, for me, to plot revealing to your American friends when they arrive for a visit!

This could so easily be an overwhelmingly ‘hip’ place where one is made to feel uncomfortable for being 5 minutes behind the newest fad. Thankfully it’s not!
Easy to find despite its concealed ‘speakeasy’ entrance, we were instantly given a warm welcome by the staff, and the promise to find us a seat ASAP. While we waited we watched the barmen doing their thing, and tried in vain to stop my sister playing the ‘touch the fruit game’, as explained by a plaque on the bar (impossible to photograph though, so you’ll have to check it out to see what the game involves)
We had just selected our drinks when we were seated, and they were soon brought over to our table — one of our party ordered the Birdcage and it was presented with all the pomp and circumstance you would expect!
Plenty of cocktails to chose from, and some jchuzzed-​up takes on standard ‘spirit-​and-​mixer’ drinks too (I really enjoyed my inquisitive G&T). Not cheap but I was expecting more expense tbh. And there’s a really great relaxed speakeasy feel inside. I’ll definitely be coming back. See you there!

One thing for sure is that the barstaff at panda and sons are highly skilkful cocktail ninjas. Working with subtly tones and flavours in every expertly made drink.
The problem I have is not with the place (secret basement bar– perfect), or with the slight wait on the drinks (skill takes time) but actually with the menu. They’ve taken the old fashioned pokey cocktails (rightly so to match the barbershop décor) but they’ve not made them accessible to the crowds. When trying several drinks I could appreciate the expertise in making them but the truth of the matter is that after sampling at least 4 cocktails (a few of my boyfriend’s as well) I found them all to contain at least one ingredient that I didn’t like and I’m not as fussy as most people.
If you like bold, hard spirits with a kick behind your drinks, you’ll love it.
If you’re more of a delicate sweet tooth then stick to the pandas at the zoo.

Yes.
The real deal in cocktails. There is not much foreign for me in the land of tipple. Leave it up to Panda & Sons to make me feel like the cherubic nube who just had her first drink.
Belle Epoque Flip, what in glory are you. Finished off with clever touches like fresh ground nutmeg & whole whisked egg, it actually made me ‘ooh’ after my first sip. The chemistry at work with its distinct elements meld together in forming a powerful drink, in every sense.
With mixologists who know their stuff concocting with connoisseur spirits & liqueur, this joint is another level to cocktails.
Fair selection of whiskies and indiscriminate towards other delicious intoxicants.
Yes, another.
Please and thank you!

I’ve found it. MY BAR. After leaving Glasgow and the wonders of Blue Dog behind, I needed a go to bar for my cocktail drinking needs. A place with a menu for the adventurous and experienced, something a little bit different. This place is one of a kind.
It’s the definition of cool — you enter through a bookcase, you’re served popcorn as a snack, all the bartenders seem to have beards… definitely my sort of place. With my standards high, my friend and I eagerly pounced on the menu and got to ordering. One of their famous cocktails, the Emperors New Clothes, was my choice — a twist on the classic mojito, served in a can with plenty of ice. Easy sipping, sweet and delicious! They also have a good selection of ‘liquor and mixer’ that is far from standard, such as a vodka cola beverage featuring edible flowers (!) among others.
I can pretty much guaruntee that every occasion i get, i’ll be popping in here to sample a different whisky or cocktail… P+S, you have my loyalty!

These are the best American prohibition style cocktails in Edinburgh. If you’re a whiskey man/​woman. Go for the boulevardier or the Robinson Caruso.
They serve a delicious and fair sized cheese plate, as well as a few other items like complementary spicy house made popcorn.
Great atmosphere, hip music (no club music) and great service. (Especially from our favorite for the trip, Nikki)
Stayed in Edinburgh 4 nights and we went here 3 nights.

I am unashamed in how much love I have for this place.
Londoners are spoilt for choice by themed speakeasy bars these days, with pricey cocktail menus and not-​so-​secret-​anymore entrances (‘you go through the FRIDGE!!!’). But I hadn’t seen anything in Edinburgh quite like this before.
Secret entrance? Check.
Look for a barbershop, take the stairs down to the basement, and enter through the bookshelf at the bottom. This stuff tends to overexcite me, so I had to stifle the urge to squeal as I pulled on a book sticking out from the rest, which doubles as a secret door handle to get inside.
Quirky theme? Check.
It’s based around a family of pandas who run a barbershop and wear very smart tartan tweed suits. It’s playful without being gimmicky, from the panda family portraits on the walls to the candles in old hair wax tins on the tables. Other vintage props like gramophones and old lamps and books complete the look.
Awesome drinks? Check.
I spotted a smoke-​filled bell-​jar being carried past as we sat down so, although the cocktail menu here is a thing of beauty (with more panda pics!), I decided to go for the shameless novelty factor and order that. It’s called The Birdcage, and whisky-​based too which swung my decision. The waitress lifted the bell-​jar in front of us for the cinnamon-​infused smoke to escape to reveal the glass. This was much to my two colleagues’ amusement, as they attempted to distance themselves from their overexcited visiting London workmate and ordered beers: P
All of this combined with attentive table service and knowledgeable barmen with bow ties, flat caps and creatively styled facial hair (it looks like a waxed moustache is a requirement to work here). Not too busy on a Wednesday eve, and it’s quite reasonably priced for the whole package with cocktails starting around £7.
Well played Edinburgh — I was well and truly charmed :)

First visit to this new establishiment and it won’t be the last!
The cocktail list is vast but I choose the «theatrical» Birdcage from the menu after Cressida F mentioned it to me. Wow! That’s all I’m gonna say — I don’t wanna spoil your moment if you order this cocktail! It’s tasted amazing too!
The space is small but somewhat well laid and fresh. It was quite busy, but that’s a friday night in town. I guess i would come back to experience it all again hopefully on a quieter night as i could barely hear what other folks were saying in conversation as it was super noisy!
Defo worth a trip though!

All the talk among Unilocalers these days, we were happy to finally try Panda & Sons out last night. I am not sure what to make of the elaborate panda barbershop speakeasy theme yet, but at least it is amusing.
The cocktail menu is a novella of drink descriptions. You basically need to order something to drink while you read through the menu to decide what you want to drink. My Shanghai Paloma came in a plastic lemon with a big bendy straw — clever presentation in theory, but in practice the strong smell of the plastic took away from my enjoyment of the drink (which was otherwise very good). My second cocktail, whose name I have forgotten, came in a regular old glass and was delicious. There were some good beers available as well, for those not delighted by cocktails.

In sumary… I like this place a lot!!!
From the quirky Barber shop entrance reminicent of China White to the bookcase doorway its sets a great scene.
The drinks menu is perhaps a little wordy… there are a lot of words!!! But the drinks well… the drinks are beautifully crafted and well presented sparks of genuis.
The waitress said they are going to have a bar snack menu soon but in the meantime the piri-​piri popcorn will do just fine.
Knowledgeable staff… nice setting… good drinks… Happy!
Panda & Sons comes highly JD Recommended!!!

First I heard of this place was when visiting the «Wine with a view event» in Ghillie Dhu not so long ago. The 15^th November 2013 was their opening night to the general public and I could not resist trying it out.
We walked along Queens Street and arrived at a barber shop. «Is this it?» Some really intelligent questions crossed my mind. Luckily, one was enough. The bouncer let us in — old enough, no doubt :-) And down the stairs we went, standing infront of a book shelve. «Where is the entrance? Where are the handles? Eh?»
Ahhhh, and that’s for you to find out :-)
You enter the main room, bar on the right and other rooms spread around the centre. We found our place and settled comfortable into a cozy corner. The interior is chic and classy. I so love the PANDA bear picture hanging from the wall. There are more Pandas in the cocktail menu. Oh yes, the AWESOME cocktail menu. So many choices, you won’t believe. Each cocktail tells a story. Yes, you can have a Gin Tonic or a Bloody Mary, but what is so exciting is that all these come with a twist.
We started off with MILKY BAR HERO cocktails that serve 6 people. It came served in little pots with pink and white striped paper straws. My personal favourite was the Red Panda (Bloody Mary with a kick), followed by the Emperor New Clothes (Mojito) and Super Tonic (G&T).
The personell was lovely. Nikki really knew the cocktails by heart and recommended a few. Apparently the cocktail making bar man is able to make you any cocktail you like. Next time my dear, I might just take him up on the option.
I will definitely be back for more tasting and a midnight cup.