Nauticus

Standing out amongst Leith's pub scene is never going to be an easy task.Thankfully, Iain McPherson, co-owner of two of Edinburgh's best-loved watering holes, Panda & Sons and Hoot The Redeemer, knows a thing or two about the tricks of the trade.

McPherson's teamed up with friend and fellow industry connoisseur Kyle Jamieson to launch Nauticus, a bar which pays homage to Leith's maritime trading heritage. From the moment you walk in, the nautical nuances can be noted, from booze which makes nods towards Scotland's former gin craze and spice trade, to the whiskies which line the bar. The emphasis here is very much on keeping things local; 90% of the menu centres around Scottish produce, from the beer to the coffee liqueur, which comes straight from Edinburgh-based Cross Brew, and the gin provided by Leith's own Electric Spirit Company.

With its Harris Tweed-clad bar stools, deep dark walls, conversation-starting bookcase and resident piano, which just cries out for a rowdy sing-along, everything about Nauticus has proved very inviting and the locals have taken to it like ducks to, well, water!

The bar has made a great impression on The Skinny's readers too, and was recently voted as one of Edinburgh's Best New Places in our 2019 annual Food & Drink Survey, along with 83 Hanover Street, Bross Bagels and the Rose Theatre Cafe. Those are some serious accollades.

If you want to learn more about Scotland's best bars, restaurants and shops, check out the full list of winners for 2019 .