Edinburgh cocktail bar Panda & Sons named 'world's number one bar' in top 500 list

A speakeasy cocktail bar in Edinburgh has officially been crowned number one in the World’s Top 500 Bars for 2025.

On Wednesday night at a ceremony in Florence, Italy, where the global bar community gathered for the reveal of this year’s Top 500 Bars list, Panda & Sons officially took top spot.

Founded in 2013 by renowned Scottish bartender Iain McPherson, the speakeasy-style cocktail bar is hidden beneath a Victorian barbershop façade on Queen Street.

Known for its intimate atmosphere and creative drinks, the bar has become a cornerstone of Edinburgh’s cocktail scene.

Panda & Sons was founded in 2013. Panda&Sons via Supplied

The bar’s innovative cocktail programme includes McPherson’s own pioneering technique known as “Switching,” where water is isolated from spirits and replaced with another non-alcoholic liquid to create new flavours and textures.

The Top 500 Bars list uses AI and digital aggregation to analyse over 2,000 online sources in more than 20 languages, including expert reviews, media coverage, and guest opinions, to capture the collective voice of the global drinks community.

This latest win caps off a successful year for Panda & Sons.

In 2025, the bar made history at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards with a record-breaking triple win, earned top honours at the CLASS Bar Awards, and achieved a #34 ranking on The World’s 50 Best Bars list.

A spokesperson for Panda & Sons said: “We’re incredibly honoured and overwhelmed to be recognised on the global stage.

“To be named alongside so many bars and bartenders we admire is an honour beyond words. A massive thank you to our incredible team, our guests who make every shift worth it, and the wider cocktail community for the love and support.”