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Location: 39 Jamaica St, Edinburgh EH3 6HF
Year of Inscription: 2024
Venue Type: Sidestreet Boozer / Historic Tavern
Map
Description
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| EBG Rating: | 8.5/10 |
| Choice/ Quality of Drinks | ❤️❤️❤️❤️ 6 cask ales with rotating choices, broad whisky selection and good Guinness. Perfunctory alternatives. |
| Style/ Décor | ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Formerly a wine and liquor merchants, converted to a pub in the 1970s, a small venue with shop front leading into a single bar with line of barrels and bench seating to the left, bar to the right and a niche next to a fireplace, with a small library room to the rear. Rich reds, lacquer and warm-hues of wood and lamplight. |
| Atmosphere/ Character | ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Busy and bustling on match days with a quick trade, conversational and a range of generations involved. Equally atmospheric when quiet among the calm and comfort of the intimate surroundings. |
| Amenities/ Events | ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Sandwiches, snacks, books, newspapers, TV, fireplace, occasional events |
| Value For Money | ❤️❤️ On the higher side for the city centre. |
| Description | Despite appearance’s, Kay’s has only performed the function of a public house since 1976, the premises formerly the site of a wine and liquor merchants, the business 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, but 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. (Added February 2024) |
