La Belle Angele
WHERE
Edinburgh
What it’s like
A late-night music and club venue in Edinburgh's Cowgate, all reached down staircases, not a kids' venue at all.
This one's for the record rather than the diary. La Belle Angele runs live music sets from 7 till 10pm and then club nights from 11pm through to 3am, which tells you straight away this isn't somewhere you're bringing a pushchair or a toddler in pyjamas. There's no age information given, and the hours alone put it firmly in the after-dark, adults-out category.
Getting in is a bit of a mission too. The venue sits below street level on Guthrie Street or The Cowgate, and you reach the main space via staircases, with a smaller flight down again to the dance floor itself. There are handrails, and the main door is fixed open during standard hours, but if you've got a buggy or anyone who struggles with stairs, this isn't the layout for it.
On accessibility they've clearly thought about it within those limits. Personal assistants get in free, there's an accessible toilet at the top bar, and Blue Badge parking is pointed towards Chambers Street. Getting there by train is easy enough, Waverley's a 15 minute walk and Haymarket a bit further at 30, with Lothian buses stopping near South Bridge and Chambers Street too.
If you're weighing this up as a family day out, it isn't one. It reads as a proper night-time gig and club space in the Old Town, and the staircase access alone would rule out most prams and quite a few pushchairs before you even got to the music.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- Nearest Blue Badge parking on Chambers Street
- Wheelchairs
- Personal assistants get free tickets
- Getting there by bus or train
- Waverley Train Station 15 mins walk
- Access is via staircases with handrails, no lift mentioned
- There's a further small flight of stairs down to the main dance floor
- Personal assistants get free tickets for accessibility support
- Live music finishes at 10pm but club nights run on to 3am
Plan your visit
Is this suitable for children?
There's no age guidance given, and with live music running to 10pm and club nights until 3am, it reads as an adults' night-time venue rather than a family spot.
Is it accessible with a pushchair or wheelchair?
You get in via staircases from Guthrie Street or The Cowgate, with another short flight down to the dance floor. Personal assistants are given free tickets and there's an accessible toilet at the top bar.
Where do we park?
The nearest Blue Badge spaces are on Chambers Street. Other parking nearby you'd need to look up separately.
What's the easiest way to get there without a car?
Waverley Station is about a 15 minute walk, Haymarket more like 30. Lothian buses stop near South Bridge and Chambers Street, also around 15 minutes on foot.
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