Location PotentialEdinburgh
Model ranking · Bars · Edinburgh

The 10 best streets to open a cocktail bar in Edinburgh (2026 data)

Late-night demand is concentrated and competition is fierce, so the ranking leans on Friday and Saturday station flows, nightlife context and recorded bars within 600 m. These ten streets come out on top.

Format scored: A cocktail and natural wine bar: £30 average ticket, 36 seats, trading Wednesday to Saturday nights.

Computed 12 September 2026 over 249 Edinburgh street segments. Every figure carries its label: OBSERVED, AREA CONTEXT or MODELLED.

OBSERVED measured at the street or station · AREA CONTEXT residents or borough statistics around it · MODELLED transparent estimates we compute, with the rule shown. Nothing is presented as more precise than its source.

  1. 1

    Cowgate (St James Quarter)

    City of Edinburgh · City centre · side street

    13,093 weekly station entries and exits (entries + exits at named stations) pass the pitch, with 107 recorded cocktail bars competing within 600 m. Typical spend nearby is £31 per person and modelled rent is £232 per m².

    Fit score 70/100MODELLED Est. revenue £3,927/mo (range £2,160-£6,284)MODELLED Weekly station flow 13,093MODELLED Competitors within 600 m 107 (4 chain)OBSERVED Est. rent £232/m²/yrMODELLED Residents nearby 770AREA CONTEXT
  2. 2

    St James Quarter

    City of Edinburgh · City centre · managed estate

    436,424 weekly station entries and exits (entries + exits at named stations) pass the pitch, with 78 recorded cocktail bars competing within 600 m. Typical spend nearby is £33 per person and modelled rent is £347 per m².

    Fit score 69/100MODELLED Est. revenue £52,773/mo (range £29,025-£84,437)MODELLED Weekly station flow 436,424OBSERVED Competitors within 600 m 78 (5 chain)OBSERVED Est. rent £347/m²/yrMODELLED Residents nearby 770AREA CONTEXT
  3. 3

    Broughton Street (St James Quarter)

    City of Edinburgh · City centre · high street

    32,674 weekly station entries and exits (entries + exits at named stations) pass the pitch, with 51 recorded cocktail bars competing within 600 m. Typical spend nearby is £31 per person and modelled rent is £285 per m².

    Fit score 69/100MODELLED Est. revenue £9,974/mo (range £5,485-£15,958)MODELLED Weekly station flow 32,674MODELLED Competitors within 600 m 51 (2 chain)OBSERVED Est. rent £285/m²/yrMODELLED Residents nearby 770AREA CONTEXT
  4. 4

    Greenside Place (St James Quarter)

    City of Edinburgh · City centre · side street

    14,003 weekly station entries and exits (entries + exits at named stations) pass the pitch, with 46 recorded cocktail bars competing within 600 m. Typical spend nearby is £31 per person and modelled rent is £233 per m².

    Fit score 68/100MODELLED Est. revenue £7,374/mo (range £4,056-£11,799)MODELLED Weekly station flow 14,003MODELLED Competitors within 600 m 46 (2 chain)OBSERVED Est. rent £233/m²/yrMODELLED Residents nearby 770AREA CONTEXT
  5. 5

    Kingsknowe station area

    City of Edinburgh · 4-8 km from centre · transport hub

    661 weekly station entries and exits (entries + exits at named stations) pass the pitch, with 1 recorded cocktail bars competing within 600 m. Typical spend nearby is £29 per person and modelled rent is £258 per m².

    Fit score 67/100MODELLED Est. revenue £11,905/mo (range £6,548-£19,048)MODELLED Weekly station flow 661OBSERVED Competitors within 600 m 1 (0 chain)OBSERVED Est. rent £258/m²/yrMODELLED Residents nearby 716AREA CONTEXT
  6. 6

    Market Street (St James Quarter)

    City of Edinburgh · City centre · side street

    13,093 weekly station entries and exits (entries + exits at named stations) pass the pitch, with 123 recorded cocktail bars competing within 600 m. Typical spend nearby is £31 per person and modelled rent is £232 per m².

    Fit score 67/100MODELLED Est. revenue £3,275/mo (range £1,801-£5,240)MODELLED Weekly station flow 13,093MODELLED Competitors within 600 m 123 (4 chain)OBSERVED Est. rent £232/m²/yrMODELLED Residents nearby 770AREA CONTEXT
  7. 7

    Lothian Road (City Centre)

    City of Edinburgh · City centre · side street

    1,918 weekly station entries and exits (entries + exits at named stations) pass the pitch, with 82 recorded cocktail bars competing within 600 m. Typical spend nearby is £31 per person and modelled rent is £226 per m².

    Fit score 66/100MODELLED Est. revenue £3,852/mo (range £2,118-£6,163)MODELLED Weekly station flow 1,918MODELLED Competitors within 600 m 82 (6 chain)OBSERVED Est. rent £226/m²/yrMODELLED Residents nearby 922AREA CONTEXT
  8. 8

    Leith Walk (Leith Walk)

    City of Edinburgh · City centre · high street

    268,261 weekly station entries and exits (entries + exits at named stations) pass the pitch, with 19 recorded cocktail bars competing within 600 m. Typical spend nearby is £31 per person and modelled rent is £294 per m².

    Fit score 66/100MODELLED Est. revenue £72,967/mo (range £40,132-£116,746)MODELLED Weekly station flow 268,261MODELLED Competitors within 600 m 19 (0 chain)OBSERVED Est. rent £294/m²/yrMODELLED Residents nearby 761AREA CONTEXT
  9. 9

    Haymarket station area

    City of Edinburgh · 1.5-4 km from centre · transport hub

    63,951 weekly station entries and exits (entries + exits at named stations) pass the pitch, with 16 recorded cocktail bars competing within 600 m. Typical spend nearby is £32 per person and modelled rent is £275 per m².

    Fit score 66/100MODELLED Est. revenue £28,519/mo (range £15,686-£45,631)MODELLED Weekly station flow 63,951OBSERVED Competitors within 600 m 16 (0 chain)OBSERVED Est. rent £275/m²/yrMODELLED Residents nearby 922AREA CONTEXT
  10. 10

    West Maitland Street (Haymarket)

    City of Edinburgh · 1.5-4 km from centre · side street

    1,918 weekly station entries and exits (entries + exits at named stations) pass the pitch, with 26 recorded cocktail bars competing within 600 m. Typical spend nearby is £31 per person and modelled rent is £226 per m².

    Fit score 66/100MODELLED Est. revenue £8,580/mo (range £4,719-£13,729)MODELLED Weekly station flow 1,918MODELLED Competitors within 600 m 26 (1 chain)OBSERVED Est. rent £226/m²/yrMODELLED Residents nearby 922AREA CONTEXT

How this ranking works

One fixed concept is scored against every one of the 249 Edinburgh street segments in the Location Potential dataset: station entries and exits (National Rail: ORR Estimates of Station Usage 2024-25 (annual; day-of-week split modelled)), recorded venues within the concept's competition radius (400 m to 1 km by type) from OpenStreetMap, Census 2022 (Scotland) residents for the local Data Zone, and rent context from the Scottish Assessors valuation roll. Scores and revenue figures are MODELLED planning estimates with fixed, published rules, not observed takings. The full method, sources and limits are on the Method page.

Use this ranking to shortlist, then verify with on-street counts, agent enquiries and a licensing check before signing anything. A specialist can help you.

This ranking is one fixed concept. Yours is different.

Change the ticket, hours, audience and priorities and the whole of Edinburgh re-ranks live.

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