Nightcap

Nightcap is a cocktail bar at 3 York Place in Edinburgh's east New Town, Scotland, close to the Playhouse theatre. It serves cocktails and food into the early hours, and it has a reputation as a late-night stop after a show, a dinner or an evening at a nearby venue. The setting is casual and unfussy compared with some of the more theatrical cocktail rooms elsewhere in the city, which suits visitors who want a drink and a bite without a formal booking.

The crowd is a mix of theatregoers, local professionals, couples and groups of friends, mostly adults in their twenties to forties. The atmosphere is relaxed and late-night in character, with music kept at a level that supports conversation and no dancefloor. There is no strict dress code; casual and smart-casual clothes are both common. As the evening goes on, the room tends to fill with people finishing performances at the Playhouse and other nearby venues.

The drinks programme is centred on cocktails, which typically cost about £11 to £15 (roughly $15 to $20). The kitchen offers food until about 1am, which sets the bar apart from venues where kitchens close early. That makes it useful for visitors who have arrived late in the city or who want a proper meal after the theatre. Opening is in the evening, with cocktails and food available until around 1am, though it is sensible to check the venue's current hours because they can vary by day and by season.

There is no cover charge. Reservations are not normally essential for small groups, although it can be sensible to enquire for larger parties or on nights when the Playhouse has a major production. The busiest times are Friday and Saturday evenings and the period straight after curtain-down at nearby theatres; earlier in the evening and on weeknights the bar is calmer. York Place sits at the eastern end of the New Town, a short walk from St Andrew Square, the tram stop and Princes Street, making Nightcap easy to reach after a day of sightseeing.