The Goth is a rather nice pub in which I spend an inordinate length of time these days. Why? Sadly,…read morenot to fuel a drinking habit. The Goth is one of those pubs that is a little social hub, hosting groups such as the choir I attend, art classes, rugby club shindigs and the like. There is the main pub, a restaurant section and upstairs, a bar/lounge area that tends to be the area where private events are held. The space itself is bright, and the pub itself is popular, and seems to build a level of loyalty amongst those that frequent there. They have their own microbrewery as well, but I haven't tried that as of yet. Rather cool though - as you can peek in to see it as it is at the back of the main room itself. Foos wise, it's all rather pleasant, if not exciting. But, there are lots of reasons to like it - gluten free is available, and there are a couple of decent vegetarian options. Their cullen skink is a meal in itself. I also visited recently for a rather raucous Christmas meal, dining on homemade fishcakes and vegetable crepes... which when it came out was a sizeable beast, rather than the dainty item I had imagined. All very nice food and definitely a worthwhile option if you find yourself peckish in the vicinity of Prestonpans. Come on in, there might be live music, or an event running, you never know.

The historic brewpub located inside the pub has earned a CAMRA-worthy reputation. Our visit 12/2013…read morecame at a time where their old brewer had left and a new brewer hadn't started yet, so there were no noteworthy throwback Scots ales to try out. The Christmas dinner was great--big portions of things like smoked fish and fresh salmon, at an amazing price. Very friendly staff.

The Tower is a great "local" bar. Run as a family business by local people, there's a great…read morefriendly atmosphere in the place. Gordon, who's in charge, has a wealth of experience and is widely respected as is his family and the others that support him. If I were to struggle for negatives, the only gripe would be the lack of food in the pub. That though, is most certainly the result of over zealous regulations rather than the wishes of the staff. It's just simply "a pub", and as we all know, Scotland lags some way behind mainland Europe in what constitutes a pub. It's a pub that regulars frequent, that visitors are made welcome in and that people in general feel relaxed and comfortable. Tranent has a rather poor reputation - not always undeserved. The Tower goes a long way towards rectifying that by simply being a good place to go to. A Jager friendly bar, good beer and good craic - well worth a visit.

Had a family get to together here, the food was great the portions were huge so no complaints…read morethere. If you pass by I would always recommend popping in for a bite to eat!!

Very cool, historic restaurant. The original bar was recently reopened and is a historic landmark…read more I had the pleasure of speaking with the new owner and he was very friendly and informative regarding the history of the inn. The food and staff were equally as great. This was an awesome find with a great atmosphere. Can't recommend it enough!

Beer or Gelato? Hmmm…read more.... We stumbled upon Staggs on a hat wearing walk-about from Musselburgh races. However, our leader for the night knew exactly where he was going. And how apt since we were actually on a stag :-) The truth was I was really looking forward to a pistachio ice @ S.Luca's before the no.26 bus back to Edinburgh, but am I glad we stumbled upon what some would call the volunteers arms? Yes! Staggs is a small lively ale bar that any Camra member would be proud to rest his (or her) rather large posterior. In fact it's been their national pub of the year on several occasions in the past. And it's not surprising with the array of fresh, ever revolving ales on tap. I think my tipple for the evening was a Tempest ipa and how enjoyable it was, especially quaffed with warm banter. So after a couple of hours discovering new beer, ribbing locals on Edinburgh football's demise and arguing about the best hat to wear, we were soon ale'd up and it was time - sadly :'( I never did get to S.Luca's, but maybe the next time I'm in E.Lothian? However I may get waylaid? And as we all know beer and ice cream just don't mix :-\

Probably the best bar in Musselburgh and worth the walk from Porty for the excellent beer of which…read morethere are many guest ales on offer. The beer is stored and served to perfection, resulting in a number of awards the pub has collected over the years. There are many small rooms, a lounge bar and beer garden at the back if you want to gather a group of friends and be able to hold a conversation. The locals are extremely friendly and we have often been offered home made food some have brought in for customers to try. Amazingly, two drunken women stopped their argument to let us past at the door, opening it for us and saying hello before resuming it once we were inside. If you want character and a real traditional pub, this is the place to go

Very quiet the night I went in, but the staff kept the sound on the TV for the footie and did the…read morepub quiz by going table to table to read the questions! The quiz is every Monday and £1 per head to enter. Prize is usually a bottle of spirits with a rolling cash prize for a tricky 5-question bonus round. Made to feel very welcome, good prices (£2.50 for a bottle of Newcastle Brown) and I think I'v found me a local!

We stumbled into the Sportsman looking for some food and drink after playing a round of golf at the…read moreoldest course in the world (look it up). No food, but rather just a tiny pub full of old man locals drinking their drinks. One of the gents even had a couple spaniels with him. The jawed with each other. Classic Ryder's Cup was on the TV. The place was adorable. Authentic. Welcoming. And cheap. Really a pleasure to get outside of the city center and explore a nearby community. This place was so charming we decided to stay for an extra round before venturing off to find some food and eventually hopping on a bus back to Princes Street.