Paradise Palms

If one is ‘never again!’ and five is ‘just say when!’ then Paradise Palms could well be a six.
PP is camp, electric, bright. It takes me far, far away. — On visit one, Pina Colada in hand, I feel like I’m on holiday. The interior is ballsy and cool; Hawaiian shirts, holiday post cards and soft toys stuck lovingly to the ceiling. The lights are dim; the neon is on; the atmosphere is just right. I’m not a loud bar kind of gal but on Friday evening, Paradise Palms made for the perfect stop before home; lively, with a DJ, but not too loud to talk comfortably. — Just the right amount of party.
I love the energy and soul of this place. And they make a mean cocktail!
I’ve found my safe house. — Make mine a Pina Colada!

2 fun facts about me: I love Hawaii… And I LOVE dive bars! I’m summery, Paradise Palms is my favourite bar in the whole of Edinburgh… And I like me some bars!
The bar is busting full of awesome décor and Hawaiian shirts, the staff are ludicrously friendly and a lot of fun, plus the food is incredible and really affordable. And don’t even get me started on their boozy selection. Five of your finest Scottish pounds will get you the best cocktail in the country: A Buckfast Daiquiri. Seriously, this is so many levels of ‘so wrong it’s right’ I don’t even know where to start. Don’t judge em till you try em!
I’ve been to a lot of birthdays and leaving dos here and we’ve always had a total blast. When I was looking for somewhere to throw an Etsy Craft Party, Paradise Palms was on the top of my wish list. They were super helpful and let us rearrange the furniture to fit over 20 people in for a big olé craft-​a-​thon. I’m really pleased to share it was a total hit!
They even let me in behind the bar when I was doing a shoot for my blog. That’s a lot of trust and support right there, and the photos turned out beautifully ;)
Top Tips: They have a mini record shop inside and even sell vintage Hawaiian shirts! They also have loads of fun events on (including Drag nights!) and even host a monthly Bar Boothsale, which is like a Car Bootsale only with cool stuff and … A BAR ;) be sure to check out their Facebook page so you don’t miss out on anything, or you’ll regret it!

Even the name of this place is intriguing isn’t it? I went there last night with a couple colleagues after work. The restaurant is pretty dark and has numerous random tropical decorations on walls and ceilings.
The plus was the menu offered a good range if vegetarian and vegan options, ideal for my friend. We didn’t have to book a table and food was served pretty quickly.
Personally I wasn’t too sure about my fried halloumi served with Buckfast bbq sauce and cashew mayo, it was OK but part of me expected a bit more from the halloumi. That aside my pals had both nachos and were happy with theirs.
I would definitely come back to try the rest of their menu, it was reasonably priced and it is in a handy location next to the meadows and south clerk Street so if you are around there is no harm trying it out.

They have Milk of the Poppy cocktails! All you GoT fans need to head over there and try it out. Grab a taste of Westeros medicine and btw it is sweet! Super milky deliciousness with a spice of nutmeg and sweet dreams.
The bar is a really cool place with funky décor. Also it’s a venue during the fringe so a nice place for a show. Not to mention the Ninja Buns! Delicious! A must try there must try.
So overall a great place that perhaps it’s downfall is how popular it can get.

Sad news for all, Ninja Buns have left Paradise. I was devastated as the garlic spicy fries and a ninja bun were a Friday treat. Good news is that Paradise is doing an all veggie/​vegan menu, however, now they are just testing it with a bean burger. They were very open about feedback as it was testing, but the quality of the food was just not there. The burger was dry and overcooked and the fries were not crispy nor tasty. I am so sad for this place and know its food will evolve, but a fair warning to all, it is now mainly a bar and not the home of Ninja buns.

Funky interior (think multicoloured fairy lights), friendly but slightly quirky staff. Let down by the portion sizes of the food — the buns are tiny so don’t make my mistake and order the sides so you don’t leave hungry!

Quirky bar near Bristo Square. My friend reserved an area for her 21^st on a Saturday night. The place was heaving so it’s a good job she did. The walls are full of random bits and bobs, think a hipster Club Tropicana. Fun and sunshine, there’s enough for everyone!
Interesting and tasty cocktails but I couldn’t quite bring myself to try the Buckfast Daiquiri! Friendly bar staff too. The live DJs were throwing down some awesome old school tunes that got us all dancing.
A very fun but blurry evening was had by all.
Cheers!

We only stumbled in here for a drink — it was blowing a hoolie outside and the neon lights called us like a beacon. I would definitely stumble in here again (enough of their cocktails and I probably would be stumbling).
It’s cozy, camp and kitsch inside — which is pretty much everything I’m looking for in a dive bar. They’ve got a very good and rather unique cocktail list (I didn’t dare try the Buckfast Daiquiri). The Lady Garden is like a jazzed up G&T (my go-​to choice) and was as delicious as the name was amusing — there was lots of immature giggling at our table. Prices for drinks didn’t seem too bad, and I really fancied the idea of the ninja buns, but we ate before we came. Having seen the reviews about their miniscule size, this might have been a lucky break?
They were setting up for a science lecture as we left, and if I hadn’t had plans I would definitely stayed for that. Looking at their schedule of events already has me filling up my diary to next year. I hope to return many times and update this review in the future, but yes — Paradise Palms is a hit!

Meh it’s ok. It seems really pricey at £2.50 for half prints and the staff aren’t that friendly. It’s a quirky and different place near the uni and at least they serve West beer on tap but the price is a bit high.

Me encanto este resto onda hawaiano /​caribeño en pleno Edimburgo, ciudad fresca si las hay. La ironía del lugar es excelente.
Ubicado cerca de todas las universidades, el lugar se llena cuando terminan las clases y sigue así hasta la medianoche. Es grande, por lo que hay capacidad para todos.
Los precios de la comida están dentro de lo normal de Edimburgo, los tragos son un poco caros pero creo que tienen algún happy hour antes de las 19. La atención es simpática, las chicas le ponen la mejor onda.
La comida esta bien, es rica, y tienen opciones vegetarianas (yupi!) aunque para el precio las porciones son un poco pequeñas. El ambiente es bastante hipster pero bue, es lo que había abierto así que no me quejo mucho.

Probably one of the better bars to have occupied this site over the last few years Paradise Palms has a decent range of music through the speakers, an interior where the decoration actually seems to have been thought about rather than just flung together in the hope that random shit looks cool, a very large range of booze on offer and Ninja Buns operating the kitchen.
Whilst the menu is not very extensive the portion sizes of the bun/​coleslaw/​fries baskets are good for the price, the edamame go down well and the service was quick.

I like Paradise Palms a lot, but I only ever seem to end up there during the festival. As a student I used to frequent its predecessors, and I mourn the loss of their very cheap meal deals. But I haven’t been a student for over five years, and I live in Leith now, so… I’m not mourning too hard.
Anyway! Last year during the Fringe they had some visiting bar staff from London, who were not only great chat but also plied us with customised cocktails. Definitely a thumbs up from me.
Last night, we headed here for food, as I was a few beers in and keen to finally try Ninja Buns. I’d read Paddy’s review, so knew that they wouldn’t be big, but jings, they are tiny. Properly tiny. Delicious, but itsy bitsy teeny weeny. I went for the chicken and tequila one, which mostly tasted of coriander. I happen to really like coriander, but I know it’s a divisive one, so I’m just putting that out as a PSA. I topped it up with ‘Asian’ slaw and chilli and garlic fries, which were pretty good.
I also fell in love. With a cocktail. To be specific, I fell in love with the Filthy Martini. I am a huge fan of salty and sour flavours, I mean, you should see the amount of fish sauce I add when I make Thai food. And if I open a tin of sardines, I’ll eat the lot, brine and everything. Obviously if you don’t like brine, don’t order the Filthy Martini. But I’m very glad I did. My liver is less glad, but meh, liver schmiver.
There was a bit of a problem with the bill, namely an extra round of cocktails that we hadn’t ordered, but that was removed and our Ninja Buns, two cocktails and a beer each came to about £50. Which was more than I’d really meant to spend, but I got carried away.
Like I said earlier, I’m seldom in the area so Paradise Palms is almost certainly destined to remain an August only thing for me, but it’s a definitely worth a visit if you’d rather buy your overpriced food and drink in an actual sit down venue rather than from one of the many street food stalls nearby.

There’s an awful lot to like about this bar. It’s mega central, tres chic, plays ace music all afternoon, and has a decent selection of things at the bar.
It does however have one *big* failing for me. The food, for the portion size you get, is staggeringly overpriced. I ordered a delicious sound basil and peanut chicken bun, and was disappointed to say the least when it was a few mouthfuls. It’d have made a cracking starter if it’d been about £4, but as a main I more than a little peeved. You can build it out with a wee pot of slaw (for a pound) and a reasonable portion of chips (also a pound) but if something is being sold as a burger, I want to be filled please!

I really really really liked Paradise Palms.
The Man and I came here on a recent wee day out, after I read about their famous Ninja Buns. We were fortunate to arrive early as they really filled up for lunch, which actually quite surprised me. The Man got a bloody mary which properly impressed him. That appreciation grew when the bartender popped by to see if he was enjoying his drink, and went on to explain the bazillions of ingredients which are lovingly muddled into and strained out of the drink to give it a very unique, spicy and tangy flavour.
For our lunch, The Man got the fish finger ninja buns and I chose pulled pork. I opted for the lunch special (with fries and coleslaw) so we could share the sides.
On the one hand, I was surprised that a teeeeeny tiny pot of coleslaw was £1, but on the other hand it was proper good coleslaw (with a satay-​like sauce) and frankly, the £6.50 price tag for the whole meal is actually a comparatively decent deal for lunch in Edinburgh these days. The bun alone is £4.50. It seems small but is so full of flavour that we both left entirely satisfied (and with room for ice cream, which is always important).
I’m quite desperate to try the cocktail list, so will have to return to partake in that.
In addition to enjoying the food and drinks, we thought the staff were brilliant. They were incredibly friendly and you could tell that they all believed in their product and enjoyed what they do.
I had mixed feelings about the «dive bar» label — on the one hand it’s refreshing to not have the whole wood/​metal/​tungsten light look, but on the other hand it feels weird to me to create a dive bar. For me, a dive should happen naturally instead of be created. Having said that though, the setting didn’t actually feel terribly contrived.
I would absolutely return both for lunch, and hopefully next time for cocktails too!

A self-​titled dive bar, this is all potted palms, bunting and an extensive list of exciting cocktails. In a partnership with Ninja Buns for food, the gua bao are delicious, and make sure you have one with the peanut-​infused Asian slaw. Informal and fun, but staff are attentive. A drinking den to enjoy.

i popped into Paradise Palms for a quick drink prior to a christmas dinner. having never visited the venue before i was pleasantly surprised by the décor (sort of tiki bar in the wild kind of theme) and the cocktail menu on offer. i tried a sugar daddy which was lovely and had a great sour/​sweet taste. had i been there longer i definitely would have tried a few further offerings on the cocktail menu but a good place to go next time i’m in that part of town.
also as a side note, the bartenders were quite dishy… so quality service for a good looking guy :) always a positive in my book!

What I appreciate more than anything is effort. If a place puts in the effort you feel like your custom is acknowledged and appreciated. Its even better when the food is actually good and it’s really good here.
I’m a big fan of BBQ ribs and what used to be impossible to get anywhere in Edinburgh seems to be de rigueur at the moment but the ones in here are brilliant.
Today I had a nice pint of Estrella and some chipotle macaroni outside in the sun on my lunch break (all served in good time for work lunches)
The place itself is quirky and thankfully different from all these new minimalist places popping up that are stripped to the bare bricks and steel girders. That was done 10 years ago in London man…