Edinburgh’s Panda & Sons have been named No.1 in the World in the 2025 Top 500 Bars list, announced last week in Florence, Italy – the first time a Scottish bar has taken the top spot.
It’s been a good year for the team, following their triple win at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards, honours at the CLASS Bar Awards, and a strong showing in The World’s 50 Best Bars.
Founded by Iain McPherson in 2013, the bar has earned worldwide acclaim for pioneering sub-zero techniques, flavour preservation, and creative storytelling through cocktails. The bar says that “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.”
“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.”