Ah, the sweet feeling of nostalgia. That moment of bliss when you have a bite of your favourite childhood meal or that fuzzy sensation of reminiscing about the good old days with friends. Well, the good old days have been brought back to NQ64 Edinburgh, an arcade game bar with all the nostalgic feels and more: from classic arcade games to old-school consoles, the neon-lit spot is a true treat.
Located on Lothian Road near Usher Hall, NQ64 Edinburgh takes visitors back in time with its time capsule-like bar concept. The space is dotted with arcade games throughout and even has a separate wee room for Guitar Hero. There’s even Street Fighter in the Ladies toilets!
Born in Manchester in 2019, NQ64 has seen tremendous growth and is continuously popular amongst video game enthusiasts. The concept provides neon-splattered otherworldly vibes where guests can enjoy game-themed cocktails and craft beers while playing a range of retro arcade machines, pinball and free classic consoles like SNES, MegaDrive, Gamecube and PlayStation. Expect games such as Mortal Combat, Pac-man, Crazy Taxi, Mario Kart, Virtua Tennis and more.
Guests don’t need to turn up with a bunch of coins for the arcade games, they can simply buy tokens from the bar. You can get 15 tokens for £8, and it generally takes one or two tokens per game.
Moreover, one of the best parts of NQ64 is that you can sip on creative, game-themed cocktails while bashing those buttons in a competitive strike with your mate. The bar has just introduced a brand new cocktail menu, and it has the best names. Our hands-down favourite was the Aku Aku Fruit Punch, with Plantation Pineapple, Mount Gay Eclipse Rums, peach, banana, apple and Refresher syrup. Another new concoction that deserved the top spot was Lara’s Lost, based on Lara Croft, with Absolut Vanilla, blackberry, raspberry shrub and prosecco. Plus, the spot offers White Claw, the hard seltzers that have taken over the US.
NQ64’s Marketing Manager, Ellie Quigley, said: “We can’t wait for our guests to try our new range of cocktails, which we’re proud to say are invented by team members in NQ64 sites across the country.”
NQ64 Edinburgh is a place where your inner child can roam free, while your adult self is allowed to drink now. It’s the perfect combination of childhood wonder, friendly competitiveness and awesome bar vibes.