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The Lowdown
Rugged & windswept, yet elegant & congenial, Edinburgh a hugely charismatic city with an ensemble of natural and man-made landmarks endowing it with a distinctive character. Whether you’re wandering up the Royal Mile towards its famous castle perched atop an extinct volcano or strolling through the elegant grand curves and boulevards of the Georgian New Town, your eyes will constantly be drawn to its insistent beauty and drama.
There is plenty to do here, whether you’re on a day or weekend trip, or staying for longer. Meanwhile, her pubs and bars are equally distinctive and essentially round off the complete Edinburgh experience.
You can expect pubs with preserved interiors dating back to the Victorian ages, fresh cask ales from small independent Scottish brewers, live folk music across even the most regular day-to-day pubs and, of course – whiskies galore.
Yes it can be very touristy, none more so than during Fringe Festival, so try and time your visit so it is appropriate to your needs and tolerance level! Are you ready to get started? Let’s begin….
The Route Map:
Our tour of Edinburgh pubs begins in the New Town with its long boulevards, manicured parks and geometric curves set across a slope and a plateau. The area is wealthy and well-to-do but beautiful to wander around.
Stop #1 is Kay’s Bar 🏴
39 Jamaica St
Despite appearances, Kay’s has only performed the function of a public house since 1976, the premises formerly the site of a wine & liquor merchants, its name inherited from the proprietor. A small, cosy venue which fills up to standing room only within an hour of opening on busy match days, but that is luxuriously cosy, clandestine and intimate at quieter times among fire light, old wood and rich red hues.
Attracting a range of ages, there is an affluence on show due to its location in one of the wealthier parts of town, and that accents the vibe and atmosphere just a touch, without making it feel particularly discriminating.
Whether you’re sat opposite the bar by the barrels or in the reading room (snug) at the back, grab a newspaper or a dusty old book and settle in for the day, where you’ll be seduced by its timeless charm. Or, if you prefer things a little livelier, join the throng in the build up to a Scottish rugby game.
An essential visit on any Edinburgh trip. Kay’s has also joined the ranks of pubs featured in Rankin’s works.
Our next stop is perhaps one of Edinburgh’s most famous, an old institution but one that has become virtually world famous through its modern literary connections. Exit the pub and climb up to Queen St gardens. You will note part of this space is locked for use by local residents, indeed should you wish for access the sign on the gate directs you to obtain the key from a local solicitors. Quite unusual.
When onto Queen St you will notice Edinburgh castle rising above the town, and the Parish church of St. Cuthbert ahead of you. Take a right onto Young street which expands to a row of low-rise terraces.
Stop #2 is The Oxford Bar 🏴
8 Young St
‘The Ox’, endures and retains its relevance as a day-to-day pub, rather than purely a tourist destination. The beauty is in its simplicity, a two roomed shop with a bar that seems to loom above you, and a firelit lounge with simple seating.
The local constabulary used to frequent the bar, leading it to be featured or namedropped in several novels, most prominently Rankin’s ‘Rebus’ series.
On weekends the crowd turns more international, as you’d expect, but alongside its regulars. The pub still majestically performs the function of simple, honest local, the kind anyone would wish to be at the end of their street.
A good selection of cask ales and whiskies is of course a nice compliment to the setting.
Our tour takes you North East along George St in the heart of the New Town in the direction of Calton Hill. If you wish to mildly extend your route to take in some great sights of the city then do so, your next stop is only a short descent from the hilltop.
Stop #3 is Café Royal 🏴
19 W Register St
Return to the days where the ornate, lavish and luxurious was not simply the reserve of the ultra rich but a proud, fountaining exhibition of craftwork and achievement hewn by and shared with the general public.
Café Royal is one of the UKs most impressive Victorian-era drinking venues with some frankly astonishing interior features which have been preserved and well-maintained. The stained glass in the rear Oyster Bar dazzles like the stained glass window of a cathedral, while the island bar and painted tilework lends a sense of novelty and exclusivity which makes the place a fun visit.
Moving onto its practical aspects, you’ll find a reasonable range of cask ales from smaller independent Scottish breweries, decent selection of wines, whiskies and cocktails befitting a versatile venue that is quite a bit less snobbish than it may initially appear.
Stripping back the adornments and focusing just on the bare bones of the experience, you’ll find this is a superior version of going for a drink in a bustling institution of a city tavern. The fact it adds to that with such eye-catching features is to its credit.
We are now on the fringes of the old town. Heading south involves passing under, over or through Edinburgh Waverley, however you prefer to. The location of Waverley is such a central transport artery that it strongly accents the feel of the city centre.
Pass the Lawnmarket then take a right onto Victoria St which leads to West Bow. This is one of the more distinctive streets in the city with levels not unlike Chester’s ‘Rows’ emphasising that this is a city of hills.
Stop #4 is Bow Bar 🏴
80 West Bow
Bow Bar looks for all the world like a heritage pub. If these walls could talk, eh? Well, if they could, they’d tell you it’s only been around since the 1990s.
Yes, rather like Holy Tavern in London, the interior is a recreation – a rather effective one – of a Victorian tavern. Opulent features with etched glass mirrors, stylish lamps and a classic wet gloss textured ceiling.
Bow Bar excels in beers and whiskies with a superior cask, keg and bottle range and a shelf full of whisky options. Some of these come at an eye-watering cost, but you can still find affordable options in amongst the specialist stuff.
Based in the old town, the pub gets busy on weekdays with tourists and real ale fans, but reportedly it can also be an oasis of calm on weekday afternoons. Certainly among central Edinburgh’s finest drinking holes.
We exit Bow Bar to the left, dropping down to famous Grassmarket, with the castle hilltop looming over you as you wander down to your West. The Vennel viewpoint is an excellent brief diversion if you are in the mood to take photographs. Grassmarket features the famous Last Drop Inn 🏴, which has a colourful history – but not that much to write home about as a contemporary pub experience.
As you leave West (past a few lovely bookshops on your left) you’ll enter an area of the city known to locals as ‘The Pubic Triangle’ at the meeting point of West Port and Bread St, so named after its trio of strip clubs. Don’t worry, we won’t be going in any of those!
Stop #5 is The Blue Blazer 🏴
2 Spittal St
Fans of smaller, local independent output will rejoice at the Blue Blazer. Named after a local school uniform, the emblem features as you enter and the colour scheme at the back. After that, there’s a traditional pub layout with a shell shaped bar room and snug second room to the rear.
The beer selection is among the strongest in the city centre on cask and keg, with good whiskies too – but you do pay rather a lot for this privilege, sadly.
With books, board games and live events, this feels more versatile and a comfortable ‘hangout spot’ rather than a destination, which provides a nice variety vs. the touristy venues. Well worth checking out.
It isn’t far away from our next two venues. A few minutes walk out of the centre to Tollcross and its busy junction, and a bar that offers a change of scenery to the Victorian (or faux-Victorian) institution pubs, something a little bit fun and alternative.
Stop #6 is The Ventoux 🏴
2 Brougham St
The sister pub to The Tourmalet down Leith Walk, The Ventoux is a Tour de France themed café bar with an alternative feel, from the fish tanks in its knockabout bar room to the graffiti in the bogs – you know where you are.
Casual and relaxed, with a lack of stuffiness that makes it a nice change to many of the Victoriana and heritage pubs nearby (nice though they are). An absence of good tap options is perhaps the key weakness, but if you’re a fan of German and Belgian beers this fills the void and provides a variety.
They also have a connection to a nearby pizza place where you can order in, not a bad idea by this point on the route!
Our penultimate stop is a short walk south down Home St. You’ll begin to notice the scenery has started to gradually ease away from the city centre’s monuments and architecture by this point.
Stop #7 is Bennets Bar 🏴
8 Leven St
Located far enough outside Edinburgh old town to retain a neighbourly feel, this heritage pub features fittings that are unique to the city and worth the short journey out to alone, but it’s no museum! With a good spread of products covering beers and whiskies and TV pulling in rugby fans, this keeps a day-to-day sense of relevance and a casual atmosphere.
As you’re seated you can’t help but admire the huge mirrors and tilework, while the sensation of it being local rather than tourist property is notable versus many others you’ll visit in and around the centre.
And finally… hopefully you have remaining reserves of energy for a walk along The Meadows, through to the fringes of Edinburgh University. There is prime real estate and money sloshing around here, but it’s a nice place to walk through. The park links up to Buccleuch St to a popular, well-known boozer to finish off the day out.
Stop #8 is The Dagda 🏴
93-95 Buccleuch St
The Dagda has become a contemporary Edinburgh classic but it hasn’t always been this way, formerly a low key old boozer called Proctors. Now independently owned, they can choose their drinks and so provide a decent range for a pub of its size with a range of guest cask ales, some decent keg and a fair whisky selection.
The bar aims to be an all-rounder and really achieves that, bringing in different walks of life and offering a social focus at a good, lively pace.
Not one for a slow, introspective evening by the fireplace, but a faster paced social spot, somewhere to natter at the bar with old or new friends and a nice place to finish an evening at.
Should any of the above 8 venues be closed or full we have a series of recommended backup venues for you!
Other recommendations:
Canny Man’s 🏴 – Infamous, any online ratings conceal a passionate love-or-hate split to this place. Lots of 5 star ratings, lots of 1. The pub has a long history, transformed from the Volunteer Arms by the Kerr family who were local whisky blenders, operating in the cellar of the pub for a time on their ‘The Golden Drop’. James Kerr was a very particular fellow and the pub was always run to a set of rules both according to customers and even his staff, which is why some people truly take against the place. However, you will need to visit with an open mind, as there is an exquisite pub to be enjoyed for those who are patient. Rich reds, creams and lacquered wood around lamplight, nooks and crannies festooned with personal artefacts, books, heritage art and always something to draw the eye, whether it’s the dummy fastened to the ceiling in the lounger or the huge Nebuchadnezzar wine bottles perched on the shelves. Unless you’re a regular, service is only tolerant at best, but once served, enjoy your drinks in this wonderful environment that would draw you back often enough that you too could have the rare privilege of being seen as a treasured customer. You’ll love it, or you’ll hate it – it’s best to be honest.
Barony Bar 🏴 – A grand venue with an informal café style feel, the blend coming from its change of use from a wine and liquor merchants in the 19th century to a public house in the 1950s. Particularly to its credit is its ability to blend the busier bar area with a loungier backroom behind the ‘L’, producing an organic atmosphere and sense of permanence.
The Guildford Arms 🏴 – A survivor from the golden age of Scottish pub building and situated yards from some of Edinburgh grandest buildings, it is no surprise to find the pub has tried to keep up appearances with a magnificently lavish interior, the standout perhaps being its Jacobean style ceiling, but the revolving doors on entrance and grand bar are similarly notable. A strong beer selection will always make this a go-to for many, including even an up to date keg selection of modern beers, along with many cask ales from smaller independent brewers. Trade is brisk and the atmosphere can get lively.
Leslie’s Bar 🏴 – A Mr. John Leslie was the second license, from 1902 to 1924 and has become the pubs brand name. Far enough outside the hustle and tourism of the city centre to retain a local crowd, also pleasing to see a wider range of clientele from up and down the class divides which accents the atmosphere in here – lively, fun but with places to lounge too. A large venue, split at the entrance between bar and lounge. Heritage features including a bar clock, snob screens and hatches where you would previously collect your order at the bar – a sign of the vast numbers of people who used to frequent these places.
With their own label whisky available and snug rooms to enjoy, this is a pub with a few strings to its bow and well worth checking out.
The Ensign Ewart 🏴 – A historic pub which can be traced back centuries named after a Scottish military hero. The pub is a small affair with attracting little bar room with beams and some snug space to the rear. During the day it is cosy and clandestine enough to enjoy some of the whiskies and real ales on offer without it feeling too touristy. Staff offer a kind of quasi-table service which keeps a lid on any excess until evening musical performances step up the tempo. Overall worth a look despite the touristy location.
Halfway House 🏴 – Tiny boozer set on famous steps dropping down to Edinburgh Waverley, the atmosphere entirely depends which sort of the dozen or so individuals can fit in here, but the beer selection is good and it is worth keeping up your sleeve.
Diggers aka Athletic Arms 🏴 – Situated between two graveyards, “Diggers” has been going since 1897 and aside of the pub being opened out, the core of the pub remains, a corner shape with narrow tables and communal seating, with a fine snug room to the rear. Far enough outside the centre to be almost entirely frequented by locals and die hard fans, you’ll find fair value here, particularly for the food. As for the atmosphere, a sleepy social home-from-home afternoon changes to busy and buzzy on weekends and matchdays, with Tynecastle nearby. A pub that grows on you on repeat visits, it is easy to reach on a bus from the centre, so no excuses!
Tolbooth Tavern 🏴 – Homely pub in 16th century gatehouse on the former city walls. Eye-catching exterior, but more familiar, less exciting interior.
Captain’s Bar 🏴 – Live acoustic folk nights in an intimate space.
The Waverley 🏴 – Busy, bustling venue renowned for live music, whisky tasting, comedy and quiz nights.
Panda & Son’s – 🏴 – Speakeasy style cocktail bar with sham shop frontage and basement venue with fanciful creations.
Teuchtars – 🏴 Warm, low-key neighbourhood pub in the West End, off the tourist trail with a stolid familiarity and decent beer + whisky selection.
St Bernard’s Bar 🏴 – Mix of traditional and individual here at this quirky little pub. Very well reviewed with a bit of a cult following.
The Wally Dug 🏴 – A mixture of different rooms from traditional bar to candlelit booths.
The Tourmalet 🏴 – Sister pub to The Ventoux, Tour de France themed bar with selection of European beers.
Sandy Bell’s 🏴 – Famous live folk music venue with limited space.
Cloisters Bar 🏴 – Part of a religious building repurposed into a pub with dark wood fittings, beams and stained glass, with an array of real ales and craft beers.
Interested in more Scottish bars?
Head over to our Scotland 🏴 page!