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Writer's pictureSharon Wilson

"Edinburgh Speakeasy shortlisted for coveted design award"

City-centre speakeasy, Jackson the Tailor, is the only bar in Scotland to be recognised by the British Institute of Interior Designers for the 2024 awards. 


Jackson The Tailor

Nestled near the top of Princes Street, Jackson The Tailor has been shortlisted in the BIID Interior Design Awards 2024. The venue’s striking interior was brought to life by Collective Design, aiming to blend ‘sophistication with modernity’. 


Merchant Leisure-owned Jackson the Tailor is located on the capital’s Leith Street and inspired by the speakeasy culture of the early 20th century when Old Leith Street was the centre of Edinburgh's tailoring industry. Based around a fictional character, Jackson, a tailor who would fit Edinburgh’s sharpest dressers - the venue's ambience aims to bring his persona to life. 


Cocktail fans can expect to be immersed in brass and velvet, in a bar featuring intimate booths and luxurious vintage artefacts.


Top Edinburgh mixologists have meticulously created each drink on the cocktail menu. Each page is embroidered with a measuring tape to highlight precise spirit measurements, ingredients and garnishes that comprise your drinks. 


Era-inspired cocktails are divided into sections; ‘Neither Shaken Nor Stirred’ includes refreshingly inventive serves such as the ‘Moroccan Collins’ and ‘Spritz Royale’, with the ‘Make Mine A Martini' section home to the ‘Jackson’s Vesper’.


The British Institute of Interior Design (BIID) is the only professional institute for interior designers in the UK. Committing to advancing professionalism, integrity and excellence in interior design, the institute celebrates the most innovative and aesthetically pleasing interior designs in the country.


Arthur Mustard, Managing Director at Merchant Leisure Ltd, said:

“To be recognised for such a prestigious award is an absolute honour. Our aim with Jackson the Tailor is to create a suave and comfortable space to enjoy carefully crafted cocktails. We believe that wearing a beautifully made suit is an experience, and so is consuming a beautifully made drink. And that is what inspired the attention to detail for our striking interior.” 

Merchant Leisure also owns bars & restaurants across the city including The Newsroom, The Piper’s Rest, Burgers & Beers Grillhouse and The Railbridge.


Jackson the Tailor captures the understated ambience of an underground speakeasy, with a mouth-watering cocktail menu


5-11 Leith St, Edinburgh EH1 3AT. 



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