99 Hanover Street

£15 bottles of prosecco, super sweet service, lovely décor and a big space with varied seating.
A DJ was setting up when we left (a common thing in Edinburgh I noticed, most spots had a dj, even the restaurants!) but hadn’t started when we split around 5:45pm.

Favourite place to go on a Saturday night! I love the music and selection of djs that have. A good area for dancing and the cocktails rock.

Met here for a reunion. reserved a table over email, which was nicely available when we arrived. Good cocktails and a nice atmosphere

The décor was really nice and it definitely seemed like the spot to be on our Friday night out. I wasn’t overly impressed with the cocktails, but the place was fun.

I’ve been here for a couple of nights out and the cocktails are good and the music is cool! A bit crowded and full of a lot of posers taking selfies but if you can handle that then its a good place to start your night!

Fab music and great drinks selection. Some people so cool it looked like it hurt but overall friendly and lively. Pain that the loos are all the way downstairs and not the best for 5 inch heels!

Walked by and went in for drinks. Great prices and super funky bar. I totally loved the classic Spider-​man cartoons and decoration. The only thing that bugged me was that it was a bit too loud. Granted, I happened to be there when they had a DJ. The music was good, but just a tat too loud for 5pm drinks. Otherwise, it was a nice place to get a drink and have a chat on some comfy chairs. They don’t have any food though, totally understandable.

It’s too loud…
Ok, hear me out. I act like a 70 year old woman most of the time (with the cat and the knitting and the ‘put on a vest you’ll get a kidney infection!’) but I will not attribute my dislike of loud bars to that. My problem is that 75% of my friends are from foreign lands, they have accents, I have an accent. In a loud bar no one can understand anyone. It’s awful and ruins the buzz of the night.
But moving on…
I’ve been in here at the weekend and what I usually see is people crammed in and the Too-​Cool-​For-​Schoolers staring at each other and their drinks. I’ve been in here on a weekday and there was an improvement as I could move and we got seats, but still, lots of people (mainly women this time) staring at each other and their drinks.
The drinks, by the way, are good (I recommend the Mai Tai) and the staff are very nice, though slow even on a slow night. The décor is very swish and this place is definitely designed to look decadent.
This really isn’t my place and my review reflects that, I’ll let you judge for yourself but I’ll leave you with a quote from a friend on a recent visit, to help you make up your mind.
«I’m wearing waaaay too much wool to fit in here…»

Our favourite place to drink during our recent visit to Edinburgh.
Very cool gothic look, red and black leather décor with lots of wood; couple this with the sultry/​romantic mood lighting and it was the perfect place for post Valetines dinner drinks. Will deffo be going back next time we’re up that way!

Love, love, love this place! Ok, ignoring the pretentious staff and select few wanky (can I say that?!) customers. I love the décor, gold mirrors, glitz, comfy banquet seating, luxurious curtains and dim sultry lighting. This place is perfect for that pre-​club drink, the music is pumping, the bar is crowded, there is an air of excitement and the drink is flowing — all is fine!
If you are looking for a swanky bar with a touch of class, then here you have it! I usually avoid George Street bars, the ones that seem to attract ‘that certain kind of person’ just don’t do it for me, but 99 Hanover, just seems that little bit different from the rest. The prices are a little on the expensive side, but I’m willing to pay it for that kind of environment. I like the attention to design detail and enjoy the atmosphere. I’ve even been here for an afternoon cuppa and it’s a more chilled vibe, you can get a seat, the music is low so you are able to have a decent gossip!
It’s a thumbs up from me!

Really like it here.
Its relaxed and plays my good music.
Yes it is small and will get very busy on a Friday/​Saturday night but its a Friday/​Saturday night aren’t most places?
The staff are good but a like to show off and I like that they wear normal clobber none of this waistcoat/​shirt/​tie/​pinniesolongitmakesyoulooklike­youhavenolegs malarky, it makes you feel comfortable.
The reason I knocked a star off: I asked the waitress for a cocktail pitcher off their cocktail menu, she turned to her [I assume] bar manager who said we don’t do them to which I replied so why are you advertising that you do, to which she replied what do you want. She made a pitcher of woowoo Vodka and Cranberry essentially. WOW! Laziness is not something I tolerate when visiting a bar or restaurant, especially when its blatant.
I still like the place enough to go back, but maybe not for a cocktail pitcher!!!

I’ve got 99 problems but a drink ain’t one. :D
Popped in here for a quick drink before dinner. Couches. Check. G&T. Check. Stamps on a wall. Check. :)
Nice cosy atmosphere and was able to chat without having to yell over music. Check.

This is very nice bar packed during weakends and sometimes even on a Monday. The décor is very nice but when crowded it takes a very long time to get a drink.

What a bar… what a bar… what a mighty fine bar!
This is one of Edinburghs more upper end Friday night bars, famously part owned by some Scottish rugby lads they benefit from the custom of such types.
For me this place actually comes into its own once the post work rush dies down, the oldies head home, the dj cranks it up and the evening gets going. Its cool, its trendy, at £3 a vodka mix its not expensive by local standards and it just has a nice vibe.
During the week they have various live music which is always good and although I have never tried it I am told the food is pretty good. If I was them I would scrap the part restaurant idea and open more space for customers.
If they want to do food… make it upmarket bar food/​tapas type bites done with a modern Scottish twist!
Overall though its worth a visit!

Just love this place. It’s cool without being obnoxious. Very relaxing for a quiet drink during the week and completely rocking with some awesome sounds at the weekend. Those bartenders sure know how to serve up a mean cocktail too.

I have become quite addicted to Groupon/​KGB and any other similar deal of late so it was no exception when a deal came up for two burgers and two rum and coke floats at 99 Hanover street for a tenner. You can’t beat that!
The establishment itself is very ornately decorated inside with tall windows and posh décor. We were seated near the back of the pub so we had a good view of the rest of the place.
I was quite excited about this burger deal because we had looked at the menu online before coming. There were a couple of burgers not available that day that I would have liked to try, such as The Gringo (a Mexican style burger), but after much debate (do I get the Conquistador or the Hangover burger?) I settled for the latter. The main deciding factor was that I had never had a fried egg on a burger before. I was not disappointed!
99 Hanover Street was an example of a place where I didn’t feel the quality and quantity of food and drink reflected the fact that we were groupon customers. This is in contrast to experiences had at both Highlight (Jongleurs) and Nargile. We each had a generous portion of shoe-​string style chips and a sizable burger that was cooked perfectly, nicely seasoned, and if it wasn’t made on site was a good quality frozen one! So yes, the Hangover burger, with a fried egg, bacon, cheese and garlic mayo was delicious. My partner had the Robert Burns burger (there’s a menu on their site:
and he was as equally impressed.
The rum and coke floats were also quite nice but we were glad they were included in the groupon deal as the regular priced drinks are quite expensive. The service was decent but we could tell we only had the table for just over an hour as we were slightly rushed. However, we probably wouldn’t have stayed much longer as the drink prices were enough to drive us out.
In summary, delicious burgers and great atmosphere but I would probably only go back with another groupon or some other kind of special. I guess you could call me a bit of a cheapskate to be fair!

I was only in for evening drinks on a Friday night and found it busy with people with happy faces. It didn’t actually seem to be aimed it the students of Edinburgh. I’d say that it was actually a place that the employed would frequent just because it wasn’t the kind of place that students would be. The drinks are not cheap, £3.40 for a can of Red Stripe, and they save some money by keeping the fridges at a higher temperature.
The seats are low and comfortable. The DJ is a huge fan of obscure Hip Hop and Funk, and he plays it nice and loud. The floor becomes a dance floor later in the evening and the average age of the customers was about thirty. There were no sulky loners hanging around the bar but there were a few crazy chicks enjoying themselves and letting themselves go a bit.
I visited the toilet downstairs and while I was washing my hands I heard someone come out the cubicle. The hand drier wasn’t working so I went to the cubicle to get some tissue to dry my hands and there still another man inside it. What’s THAT all about?
Anyway, if you’re a rebellious young student, you’ll find this place a bit of a drag. If you’re an employed thirty-​something looking to mix with some fellow singles, have a wee dance to some music that you’ve probably not heard before, this is the place for you, (unless you really like your beer cold). The young manager loves the music so much that he has a wee shot at being a DJ near the end of the night.

I love the décor of this bar, which really holds the most of it’s charm. Inside, you are greeted with dark walls, beautiful florally upholstered chairs and large windows, a perfect venue for a quiet, romantic drink, or so I thought anyway.
It seemed to be mainly student based clientèle that were in when I visited, and it kind of ruined the atmosphere a bit. Don’t get me wrong I have no issue with students or student pubs, I’m a student myself. But this didn’t look like a student bar, and I was quite surprised when a really rowdy crowd of ‘lads’ parked themselves next to us. That was out queue to leave. This is probably a good thing, as the drinks were the most expensive we’d bought the whole day.
Beautiful bar, opulent and decadent surroundings, but a rather mismatched clientèle.

99 is another one of those bars that people rave about, but I’m not particularly a fan of. It is wonderfully opulent inside with dark walls, big windows, chandeliers and Louis XVI style chairs, but retains enough quirks to keep the richer students coming back (the menus are contained within old Bunty/​Beano annuals). My complaint is mainly that all the style is not really backed up by any substance: the drinks are overpriced for what is essentially a student pub and the food is bland. They seem to have assigned the task of menu writing to a talented wordsmith: everything sounds delicious. Unfortunately the descriptions of what should be amazing food don’t quite make the transition from paper to plate. If you’re peckish in Hanover St head to The Dogs for some scran and give this place a miss.

If I were going to open a bar aimed at students I certainly wouldn’t kit it out as ostentatiously as this place. Although it’s very grand and sophisticated inside, you can’t help but think it’s all going a bit to waste on such a young crowd who, let’s face it, we students don’t like spending much when we go out.
I assume that’s why the drinks are so pricey — they know they won’t sell many so they have to make as much as they possibly can on the ones they do sell.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice place to go for a cocktail or meal out, and it would be the ideal place for a date. The drinks are well-​made and the food is good, and the occasional live music sets they put on definitely make it worth a visit. But and the end of the day it’s basically just another upscale bar in New Town full of rah students, and it’s not like there aren’t already enough of those in Edinburgh.