Bars and restaurants to enjoy Dry January in Edinburgh

Purveyor of some of the most delectable cocktails in town served in glamorous art deco surroundings, The Ivy doesn’t fall short when it comes to mixing cocktails minus the liquor. Prop up the glitzy vintage-style bar and order a tipple from the menu, or ask the bartenders to whizz up anything you fancy using Seedlip alcohol-free gin — while the venue is a full-scale restaurant, you’re welcome to pop in purely for a drink. One of the highlights here is the holiday-themed drinks menus that come out throughout the year, matched with flamboyant exterior seasonal decor displays. This winter’s selection includes a Kindle Bird made with Nonsuch Bittersweet Apple Shrub & Fever-Tree Indian Tonic for just £5.50. We also love the mixed berry smoothies, green juices, Virgin Marys and virgin bellinis served during the day. Non-boozy brunch anyone?

If you’re seeking a sleek modern lunch or dinner venue in Leith, choose the fine-dining restaurant Aurora. Its seasonal tasting menus take an experimental approach, with unusual food pairings sure to delight the adventurous diner. And its zero alcohol offer is equally out of the ordinary. Rather than crafting more classic mocktails, Aurora has plumped for a range of health-conscious and alternative in-house beverages. Try a 0% abv nogroni for £7, a house-made chilli rooibos kombucha at £5, house-made genmaicha iced tea with popcorn syrup for £5 and the exotic house-made orgeat & ginger switchel for £5.

Housed on the fourth floor of the former Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters, The Register Club makes for a grand night out with lovely views. And an historic venue like this calls for a non-alcoholic beverage that’s a little more exciting than a lemonade. Another superb option for mocktails, the signature serves here (Pink Panthere, Fen Hong Bao and Punk Charles) all make use of Tanqueray 0.0% and come in at £7 each. Climb the sweeping circular staircase to the club, where you can take a pew at a table, or jump on a fancy bar stool and watch the mixologists work their magic.

A theatrical cocktail experience is still accessible to teetotallers at Panda and Sons. Consistently ranking on the World’s Best Bars lists, the speakeasy is a glittering gem in Edinburgh’s drinking scene. Disguised as a barbershop on Queen Street, the bar is a subterranean prohibition-style affair. And it’s been a trailblazer in the now increasingly popular showstopper cocktail trend. Its most famous creation, the Birdcage (presented in a smoke-filled cloche), has been on the menu from the very start. As Panda and Sons is all about mystery, we won’t spoil the surprises when it comes to what you can drink. But rest assured, as the venue stocks non-alcoholic alternative spirits and can customise its servings to meet an individual’s tastes, there’s a huge range of options on the table for you here. Oat and coconut milk, sea buckthorn syrup, hemp and even soy sauce are just some of the quirky ingredients making an appearance. So why not tell the bartenders what flavours you enjoy and how much drama you’d like to see in the presentation and let them create something magical to suit you.

But what if you fancy a few beers and some dirty fries this January? Well, you’ll find plenty of bars serving suitable varieties across the city. Salt Horse has one of the biggest selections including Brulo 7 Hop 7 Grain DDH IPA, Brulo Lust For Life Alcohol-free DDH IPA, Brulo/North Mango Guava IPA, Fruh Kölsch Alkoholfrei (Alcohol-free Kölsch), local brewery Jump Ship’s Goosewing IPA and its new Yardarm Lager, Schneider Weisse Tap 3 and Thornbridge Zero Five. The Old Town bar has a bottle shop to take home your favourite tipple, its own beer garden (with covers and heaters for al fresco winter drinking) and cooks up juicy burgers, crispy fries and lip-smacking wings to accompany your lager.

If you want a restaurant for a night out that has a “dry” menu, opt for Tuk Tuk. While we can’t promise there won’t be any booze in sight (the policy is BYOB on beer and wine), there won’t be any on the menu. What there will be though are lots of exciting soft beverages such as imported Indian cola varieties, lassis, homemade lime juice, Shikanji, (a fizzy fresh lemon drink with house spices) and Rani’s Kiss (fresh mint, orange, lemonade and blackcurrant). The menu here will encourage you to stray away from your usual tipples and into a world of new tropical flavours that pack a punch. Pair your adventurous drinks with sharing plates to be enjoyed with your mates or a loved one. Tuk Tuk has premises in Tollcross and on Drummond Street.

Indian restaurants, especially those focusing on street food, are a fantastic source of alternative drinks rather than mimicking alcoholic versions. Chakoo transports its patrons back in time, with its vintage feel, retro artwork and quirky artefacts. The food menu is mouthwatering, but so are the drinks. You can opt for a mango cooler with mango, mint, demerara and lemonade; a cardamom royale with cranberry juice, cardamom, cloves and lime; a number of iced tea flavours and lassis containing pistachio, chocolate chilli or honeycomb. You can also order a pot of the brand’s famous chai tea, or a freshly squeezed juice. If you want something that tastes like alcohol, you can opt for a 0% Heineken.

If you’re craving spirits but are bent on abstaining, then sup on the next best thing; one of the market’s leading zero-alcohol gins. Hawksmoor has really nailed the use of brands like Seedlip and Lyre, mixing their wares into delicious mocktails which are as close to the real thing as you can get. Sample Steady Pete’s Ginger Brew (Seedlip Spice, ginger, lemon and Athletic Brewing Run Wild); a Sour Cherry Nogroni (Tanqueray 0.0%, Lyre’s Italian Spritz and sour cherry); and a Mellow Yellow Spritz (Botivo Non-Alc Aperitif, lemon, elderflower, soda water). These are grown-up beverages enjoyed in fancy Grade A listed surroundings — it’s a former National Bank of Scotland Banking Hall. And don’t miss Hawksmoor’s juicy steaks and Sunday roast, the latter named among the best in the UK by the Observer Food Monthly.

One of the longest standing eateries in the city, this stalwart is fully vegetarian/vegan, offering nutritious dishes crafted from ingredients that are sourced locally, seasonally and organically. Hendersons takes a responsible approach to drinking too, offering punters plenty of alternatives to the perfect serve and a selection of mocktails. Choose a riff on your faves, like the Seedlip and tonic, Nosmopolitian, Noscow Mule Apple and Ginger, Coconut and Lime Cooler, a Foraged Elderflower Press, a Karma Cola, a Gingerella, a Left Field Oolong Tea Ko, or something else.

This Persian and Middle Eastern restaurant serves 100% halal cuisine and has a Shisha Courtyard, so you can grab a pipe instead of a pint. Whether you sit inside or out, you can dive into some authentic shawarma, wraps, kebabs, skewers and aromatic stews. Get a glass or share a jug of Doogh (a traditional yoghurt drink mixed with sparkling water, dried mint and salt), or order a Persian tea or perhaps even a Turkish coffee to wash it down — that’s as strong as it gets here. Toranj is found on the eastern edge of the New Town, so is handy for both Leithers and those in the city centre.