My cousins and I have three nights in Edinburgh from Aug 31 to Sept. 2, and want to experience real Scottish pubs, not tarted up tourist places. We will be staying at the Inverleith Hotel, near the Royal Botanic Gardens, and using public transportation (and our feet), not driving. Can you recommend your favorite pub(s) for drinking, eating, ambience, and music? Thank you.
Posted by
Edinburgh
2681 posts
https://www.stewartbrewing.co.uk/whats-on/news/stewart-brewings-7-favourite-edinburgh-pubs/
http://www.dmstewart.com/about/
have a look at these bars, some of them will have a fair number of tourists in them but that's the way it is in Edinburgh, tourist and locals do mix a lot mainly because most of the pubs are in the city and there and certainly where I live the nearest pub is over a mile away.
The Cumberland Bar that is mentioned is near where you are staying and is very good , has a great gin section and some really good beers .Food is not bad there and they have a nice little beer garden.
Posted by
not here anymore
631 posts
http://www.thegoodpubguide.co.uk/pub/view/Halfway-House-EH1-1BX
halfway up a steep lane (so steep it's stairs!) across the road from the rear exit from the main station. The lane continues into the old town area.
Posted by
Edinburgh
2681 posts
Halfway house is good , been a while since I was in there, very limited food menu but they do a great Cullin Skink (smoked fish soup/stew) and always have some great beers on.
In FleshMarket close there is a Inspector rebus book of the same name .
Posted by
Freedonia
16270 posts
where I live the nearest pub is over a mile away.
And you still chose to live there? :)
Posted by
Edinburgh
2681 posts
there used to be two pubs within about 400 yards of where I lived when I first moved there 17 years ago but sadly both have closed down, there is one pub about 800 yards from where I live but is a total dump and the type of place you wipe your feet as you leave .I do however live a fairly short walk from where I work and when I retire in the next few years will move down the coast to an area where there are numerous pubs within a short stagger of where I live.
Over recent years many pubs have closed down in Edinburgh and these are mainly what you would call local pubs so the majority of people especially the younger ones head into the city centre for night outs where there are numerous pubs and clubs.
Posted by
Michigan, United States
703 posts
Sandy Bells in Edinburgh is THE place for great music. The night we went, there ended up being 10 people sitting around a little table, playing all kinds of instruments & singing. It was great. Its just down the street from Grayfriar Bobby's, We also enjoyed a place called The Captain's Pub. Good music but not as good as Sandy Bells.
Posted by
5 posts
My wife and I were in Edinburgh last month and loved our visit to Sandy Bells. We also loved the Fiddler's Arms and Black Bull No. 12, both in Grassmarket. All of these had music and a great selection of malts and beers.