Lock 25

Perhaps Edinburgh's most inexplicably peaceful bar, Lock 25 is situated a stone's throw from the Union Canal basin and just off the main drag of Lothian Road. There's a patio for sunnier days, a good if fairly mainstream drinks selection and a menu of inexpensive pub standards (nothing over a tenner) - yet you'll never struggle for a table, even on Saturday night. An ideal starting point for the rest of a night out, then, if not a destination in itself.