Where to celebrate your birthday in Edinburgh

Found on the trendy Commercial Quay, this bar and fermentaria is the place for beer lovers, with its own on-site barrel-ageing facility and 10 French-made oak Foeders. So if you’re a Leither, gather your mates and come to this neighbourhood venue to sup on Campervan’s classics as well as quirky brands from all over the world, including many low-intervention producers. Do you have a summer birthday? Why not reserve one of 20 tables in Lost in Leith’s landscaped outdoor area and make the most of the season.

Vegan birthday boys and girls should check out this eatery that’s been named Best Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant at the Edinburgh Evening News Restaurant Awards. From the creators of Glasgow’s super successful Mono and Stereo venues (both loved by locals), Harmonium opened in June 2017, with a plant-based menu including quarter pounders, stone-baked pizzas and lip-smacking desserts. Wash it down with a cocktail, craft beer, glass of 100 per cent organic wine, or simply a coffee from Williams & Johnson Roasters. It’s a great choice for families, as kids are welcome till 8pm and it’s dog-friendly too. Harmonium is open every day from noon, till 11pm Sunday to Thursday and midnight Friday and Saturday (food is served till 9pm).

Where the New Town meets the West End, this place is handy for after-work birthday drinks and nibbles. Everyone loves Italian food, so it’s a safe bet if you have fussy colleagues and sharing plates keep the vibe laid-back and sociable. The Westroom is Edinburgh’s first cicchetti bar, emulating the traditional snacks served with drinks in Venice and is child-free, so perfect if you want a strictly grown-up atmosphere. As it’s an intimate venue, reservations are a good idea, especially if there are a fair few of you. It also caters well to a cosy couples’ night out, too.

Having a big bash and need a private function room for your celebrations? You may be a regular at Vittoria on the Bridge, but did you know that it has a bookable space downstairs for up to 100 covers? The party room provides a dedicated bar, a PA system for speeches (or maybe an impromptu song), adjustable lighting, air-con, an accessible toilet and an events manager to ensure everything runs smoothly. You can adjust the seating layout to suit your needs and choose from three-party menus (Roma, Pronto and Pompei) offering up to four courses and the option of a welcome aperitif. This is a super easy way to calculate and manage costs ahead of time, with multiple courses creating a more formal party service, ideal for milestone birthdays. Or if you have a smaller group, bag a table upstairs for the a la carte. 

Retro arcades, craft beers, cocktails and classic consoles – this is the place to get your geek on and compete with your mates this birthday, as you connect with your inner child. And as NQ64 is open till 3am every single night, it’s a great late-night haunt for those who are celebrating mid-week. Celebrating here needn’t mean making small talk, instead you can get stuck into playing classic games like Donkey Kong, Mario Kart, Guitar Hero and Space Invaders to your heart’s content while drinking beverages with appropriate names such as Pacs a Punch, Space 75, Mad Max and a Power Star Martini. You’ll feel like you’ve returned to the 90s in no time.

Seeking somewhere a little more genteel for a romantic dinner à deux, or a relaxing chat with friends over delicious continental dishes? The Bon Vivant is an Edinburgh institution, first opened in September 2008 by Stuart McCluskey, with a food philosophy of simple, well executed dishes focusing on flavour and quality produce. Tucked away on Thistle Street, this culinary gem has a regularly changing menu, as well as bar bites for those preferring drinks and tapas dishes. And if your birthday falls on a Sunday, you can pop in for a classy roast with all the trimmings.