Edinburgh Pub in downtown core

I went on the Literary Pub Crawl last May, and the pub I remember most fondly from that tour is the Ensign Ewart, which I thought had a great atmosphere.

Shelley, A couple of Pubs you could try close to the Royal Mile are Sandy Bell's (great music in the evenings) and Greyfriar's Bobby (there's an interesting story behind the name - look for the statue of the wee dog outside). Cheers!

I too was going to suggest Sandy's Bells. I think you'll enjoy it. Edinbburgh is a small city. You can get around pretty quickly. Check with your B&B or hotel about catching a bus home if you go a wee bit further than you planned. I've found it a life saver many times on my first night. :) Pam

Thanks for the suggestions. Will look into those. The one with the music sounds interesting and fun. We are not in Edinburgh for long so want to make the most of it. :)

We enjoyed "The World's End" pub for lunch. It's about halfway down the Royal Mile between the castle and Holyrood. If you're up to walking over to New Town, the Cafe Royal has wonderful decor. It's the final stop on the literary pub crawl

We also enjoyed World's End. Our favorite pub was The Guilford Arms Near Waverly Station. Victorian atmosphere, good food. If your are a fan of Ian Rankin, check out The Oxford Bar. I forget exactly where, in the new town somewhere.

Great, I'll check on some of these and see what we think. Also in my searching for accomodations i came upon The Abbotford Restaurant. It appears down a little alley type street but it looks quaint...not sure if there is any music. When i checked on the music on the other sites, they don't start till 9... we will be jetlagged and by 9 hope to have our heads on pillows getting switched over. :)
Thanks for the ideas