How many bars and pubs are there in Edinburgh's busiest areas?
We counted 381 bars and pubs within 1 km of the centres of 8 Edinburgh areas. Old Town is the most crowded at 47.1 per km²; Morningside is the least, at 1.3.
Mapped
381
in 8 areas
Busiest area
47.1/km²
Old Town
Average rating
4.4★
places with 10+ reviews
Last scanned
13 October
2026
Bars and pubs by area, most crowded first
Measured within 1 km of the centre: LOW under 5, MODERATE 5–15, HIGH 15–40, INTENSE over 40 places per km².
| Area | Within 1 km | Per km² | Avg rating | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town4.4★ average | 14847.1/km² | 47.1 | 4.4★ | INTENSE |
| Stockbridge4.5★ average | 6320.1/km² | 20.1 | 4.5★ | HIGH |
| Leith Walk4.5★ average | 5818.5/km² | 18.5 | 4.5★ | HIGH |
| Leith4.5★ average | 4213.4/km² | 13.4 | 4.5★ | MODERATE |
| Newington4.4★ average | 3511.1/km² | 11.1 | 4.4★ | MODERATE |
| Bruntsfield4.4★ average | 268.3/km² | 8.3 | 4.4★ | MODERATE |
| Portobello4.5★ average | 51.6/km² | 1.6 | 4.5★ | LOW |
| Morningside4.2★ average | 41.3/km² | 1.3 | 4.2★ | LOW |
Where is it least crowded?
- MorningsideLOW
4 bars and pubs within 1 km (1.3 per km²), averaging 4.2★.
- PortobelloLOW
5 bars and pubs within 1 km (1.6 per km²), averaging 4.5★.
- BruntsfieldMODERATE
26 bars and pubs within 1 km (8.3 per km²), averaging 4.4★.
Fewer bars and pubs is not the same as more demand. Look at foot traffic and rents before you read a quiet area as an opening.
How they are rated
All 381 bars and pubs in the 8 areas, by rating. Places with fewer than 10 reviews are counted apart.
- 4.5 and up191 (50%)
- 4.0 to 4.4152 (40%)
- 3.5 to 3.919 (5%)
- Below 3.51 (0%)
- Under 10 reviews18 (5%)
Chains seen most
Brands with two or more outlets inside one area circle.
- SUPERCUBE2 outlets · 1 area
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Questions
Is Edinburgh saturated with bars and pubs?
It depends on the street. Within 1 km of the 8 area centres we mapped, density runs from 1.3 per km² in Morningside to 47.1 per km² in Old Town. 3 of the 8 areas count as high or intense competition (over 15 per km²). Check the exact address you have in mind before you commit.
Which Edinburgh area has the most bars and pubs?
Old Town, with 148 within 1 km of its centre (47.1 per km²). Next come Stockbridge (63) and Leith Walk (58).
What is the average rating of bars and pubs in Edinburgh?
4.4 out of 5, across the 363 bars and pubs with at least 10 reviews in the areas we mapped. The highest area average is Leith (4.5), the lowest Morningside (4.2).
Which bar chains are most common in Edinburgh?
In the areas we mapped: SUPERCUBE (2 outlets in 1 area).
How was this counted?
We scanned a 1 km circle around the centre of each area on 13 October 2026 and counted every bar on the map inside it. Places missing from the map or opened since are not counted, so treat the numbers as a floor. Circles of neighbouring areas can overlap, so a place near two centres is counted in both, and the figures are not a total for the whole of Edinburgh.