The Caley Bar hosts Toki-O Nights this September, bringing Japanese listening-bar culture and audiophile sound to the West End of Princes Street. The free music series runs across two Wednesday evenings, 9th September and 23rd September 2026, from 7 pm to 10 pm, pairing rare vinyl selections with Suntory Toki Japanese whisky highballs.
Inspired by Tokyo’s traditional kissaten listening bars, where high-fidelity audio takes precedence over rowdy pub noise, the series focuses on intentional, seated listening. High-end turntable manufacturer Technics supplies the venue sound system for both dates. Guests can attend free of charge, with table reservations now open and prize draws planned each night for Technics gear and complimentary highballs.
Kissaten Soundscapes on Princes Street
The series opens on Wednesday 9th September with London broadcaster and artist Anu at the decks. Known for her genre-hopping residencies on NTS Radio and work with Rhythm Section, Anu blends club rhythms with rare Japanese electronic music. The second session takes place on Wednesday 23rd September with DJ Scott Pelloux, director of East London Japanese vinyl specialist VDS London. Pelloux works closely with Tokyo shop Vinyl Delivery Service, bringing crates of rare, unstreamed Japanese pressings directly to Edinburgh tables.
Set inside The Caledonian at the junction of Princes Street and Lothian Road, the bar trades standard pub chatter for focused sound. You can hear every snare crack and needle drop. It is a welcome counterweight to the usual mid-week drinking circuit: intimate, sharp, and audiophile-grade.
Things to do in the West End
If you plan to make an evening of it around the West End, several distinct neighbourhood stops fit the aesthetic of a vinyl and whisky night:
- Dinner: Pair Japanese drinks with dinner nearby at Yamato on Bennets Mount, known for authentic robata skewers and sashimi. Alternatively, grab casual noodles at Maki & Ramen on West Richmond Street or order via Deliveroo UK straight to your room if you are checking in late.
- Vinyl and Shopping: Crate-diggers can head up towards Old Town to browse local record shop Underground Solution on Cockburn Street, or pre-order hard-to-find Japanese pressings through Rough Trade.
- Cinema: Catch an independent screening before the music starts at the nearby Filmhouse redevelopment site or take the tram east to Everyman Cinema at the St James Quarter.
- Transport: The Caley Bar sits a seven-minute walk from Haymarket railway station. You can plan regional trains through TheTrainLine. For travel further across Scotland, car rentals are available via Enterprise Rent-A-Car UK on nearby Russell Road.
- Accommodation: Guests staying overnight can sleep upstairs at the historic station hotel or book neighbouring city rooms through Booking.com. For visitors travelling from overseas, AllClear Travel Insurance UK covers specialist travel policies.
For your Radar
Toki-O Nights offers a rare chance to experience Tokyo’s kissaten listening culture right on Princes Street without buying a plane ticket. With top-spec Technics audio and dedicated sets from Anu and Scott Pelloux, it is easily one of the most sophisticated mid-week music bookings in Edinburgh this autumn.
Find out more about the venue through The Caley Bar and view details on the Toki-O Nights programme. Follow artist updates on Instagram for Anu and VDS London.
Admission is free, but tables are expected to fill quickly. You can reserve your spot via OpenTable Booking.
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