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Before you visit
Happening Here
Sounds at João's
João’s Place · St James Quarter
16:00
Sounds at João's at João’s Place.
Confirmed by João’s Place. View source. Checked .
The pub’s story
João’s Place is a deliberately intimate, Brazilian-inspired cocktail speakeasy on the 11th floor of W Edinburgh. It is not a historic Edinburgh pub: the venue arrived with the W hotel in November 2023, part of the St James Quarter redevelopment at the east end of the city centre. Marriott describes it as an apartment-style room inspired by São Paulo’s Liberdade neighbourhood, built around music, sunset sessions and cocktails. Its value to this guide is height and atmosphere rather than a publicly guaranteed roof bar: the venue has its own indoor bar, while the W’s wider top-floor terraces and private-events material explain the striking views across the city and Forth. The live venue page confirms public Wednesday. Sunday evening service. Reservations are sensible. This is small, high-floor hotel hospitality rather than a casual late-night walk-in.
What to notice
- 01
Public bookings are currently Wednesday. Sunday; check the live reservation availability before travelling.
- 02
João’s is an 11th-floor indoor speakeasy: treat terrace access as booking-specific, not guaranteed.
- 03
This is a small hotel cocktail bar, so advance booking is wiser than relying on a late walk-in.
From visitors
A visitor
The time rail
The building, the pub and its interior may date from different periods. The timeline keeps documented dates separate from tradition.
The City Council develops and approves a St James Quarter brief for a new mixed-use city quarter; this is site context rather than João’s Place history.
The City Council reports the new St James Quarter opening as a major city-centre development.
Marriott announces W Edinburgh’s November opening, including João’s Place cocktail bar and terrace in its top-floor offer.
W Edinburgh debuts and Marriott describes João’s Place as a Brazilian-inspired apartment speakeasy for cocktails, music and sunset sessions.
João’s Place’s own page lists public Wednesday. Sunday service on W Edinburgh’s 11th floor.
Sources & confidence
The venue’s short, documented history is anchored by City Council site context and Marriott’s 2023 pre-opening and launch releases. Current identity and hours are checked against João’s Place’s official venue page.
Research reviewed
- St James Quarter development briefCity of Edinburgh Councilgovernment
SupportsCouncil development-brief context for the St James Quarter site; this is not evidence of an earlier João’s Place.
- Edinburgh city centre at the heart of the Capital’s recovery planCity of Edinburgh Councilgovernment
SupportsContemporary Council account of the £1bn St James Quarter opening in 2021.
- Hotly Anticipated W Edinburgh to Open this NovemberMarriott Internationalofficial
SupportsAugust 2023 opening announcement, the planned João’s Place cocktail bar/terrace and the top-floor panoramic setting.
- W Hotels Debuts W EdinburghMarriott Internationalofficial
Supports29 November 2023 debut and operator description of João’s Place as a Liberdade-inspired apartment speakeasy with cocktails, music and sunset sessions.
- Hours & LocationJoão’s Placeofficial
SupportsCurrent 11th-floor W Edinburgh address, public Wednesday. Sunday hours, reservations and venue contact details.
- W Edinburgh overviewMarriottofficial
SupportsCurrent hotel context: João’s Place is one of the property’s specialty bars alongside high-level deck views.
- Joao’s PlaceForever Edinburgheditorial
SupportsCity tourism description of the intimate Liberdade-inspired studio and cocktail focus.
