Known locally as ‘the bar with no name’ because of its minimal signage, Sygn was one of Edinburgh's first style bars and it remains a top shout. Hidden down a cobbled street behind Charlotte Square at the heart of the city’s social scene, it's a vibrant (if expensive) hangout frequented by locals rather than tourists, with sleek minimalist decor, pumping music and penchant for flashy cocktails – they even hold regular mixology workshops, where you can learn to make a geisha martini (Finlandia vodka, lychee liqueur, pomegranate syrup, lemon juice) or a Highland rogue (Monkey Shoulder whisky, white chocolate liqueur and Byrrh aperitif, stirred and smoked over cherry wood). The food is basic pre-clubbing fare – think burgers, antipasti platters, pizzas, ciabattas and global sharing nibbles (haggis pakora, anyone?). Service is ‘borderline matey’, but things can get ragged when it’s really busy.