Itchycoo Bar & Kitchen

You're walking up the Royal Mile towards the castle, and Itchycoo pulls you in with that reassuring sense of a proper hotel bar done right. It's got the confidence of somewhere that doesn't need to try too hard—good cocktails, reliable food, and enough of a local crowd mixed in with tourists to feel genuine. The sort of place where you can grab a decent steak and a well-made Negroni without feeling like you've wandered into a tartan theme park. It sits within the Radisson Blu, so there's a sheen to things, but it never feels stuffy.