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Panda & Sons, the world-renowned cocktail bar tucked beneath the streets of Edinburgh, has been officially named the No.1 Bar in the World in the 2025 Top 500 Bars list. The announcement was made last week at a stunning ceremony in Florence, Italy, where the global bar community gathered to celebrate the very best in hospitality. This historic win marks a defining moment not only for Panda & Sons but for Scotland’s growing reputation on the international drinks stage.
From its beginnings as a hidden speakeasy behind the façade of a vintage barber shop, Panda & Sons has become a global symbol of innovation, craftsmanship and hospitality. Founded by Iain McPherson in 2013, the bar has earned worldwide acclaim for pioneering sub-zero techniques, flavour preservation, and creative storytelling through cocktails. All delivered with trademark Scottish warmth and precision. Every element of Panda & Sons’ success reflects a true team effort, led by McPherson alongside Nicky Craig, Sean Moggach and a bar team whose creativity, professionalism and generosity of spirit have become their calling card.
The Top 500 Bars list itself takes a unique, data-driven approach to celebrating excellence. Using AI and digital aggregation, it draws on more than 2,000 online sources across 20+ languages from expert reviews and media features to expert guest opinions and social sentiment to capture the collective voice of the global drinks community and highlight those who truly inspire it.
For Panda & Sons, this win crowns what has already been a year of remarkable achievements. Earlier in 2025, the bar made history at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards with a record-breaking triple win, following top honours at the CLASS Bar Awards and a prominent position of #34 on The World’s 50 Best Bars list. Never before has a single venue achieved such widespread recognition across every major international award platform.
“It’s honestly surreal,” said Iain McPherson, owner of Panda & Sons. “Being named the world’s number one bar is something we never imagined when we started out in Edinburgh, Scotland! We never set out to win awards, our goal has always been to make people happy through what we love doing. It’s a huge credit to our amazing team; the creativity, care and soul they put into every guest experience is what makes Panda & Sons what it is. This award belongs to them.”
With this accolade, Panda & Sons cements its place among the most influential bars in the world, a place where innovation meets hospitality, and where Scotland proudly leads the way in global cocktail culture.
