As standard a pub as one can get! In a good way. Lots of people talking, laughing and hanging out. Had haggis appetizer and some halloumi cheese that was fried. Fish and chips looks the part, down to mushy peas! Very friendly!! read more

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What a lovely experience! Our waiter was Irish and charming! Recommended some wonderful local brews. We had the fish and chips which were the best we had in Scotland. And the sticky toffee pudding was the perfect end to a great evening! read more

05/28/2024 Tuesday 6:30pm. It was quite busy for a Tuesday. Took a seat as the rush was coming in and the rain was dying down. A very lively atmosphere. Ordered some berry cider and settled on fish and chips. The cider was outstanding. Not too sweet. The haddock was light and flaky. Vinegar and lemon gave it a nice pop of freshness. Too full to have some toffee pudding! read more

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Found on trip advisor. Everyone is right the fish and chips are where it's at here!! Got a pretzel and beer cheese and unfortunately it was burnt and very difficult to chew. Was more of a crunchy pretzel vs a soft pretzel. Staff here were friendly and enjoyed the atmosphere. Some of the other reviews complained of it being dirty and sticky. I didn't find that all. The bathrooms here are down stairs and it is poorly lit so it's a bit creepy. I will definitely be back for drinks if nothing else as I really enjoyed the vibe. read more

Doctors - Beer time - Gastropubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

It's a nice enough pub in terms of decor and service and they do have beer, whisky and sports on the telly. However, the kitchen seems to be frozen in the 1970s. They were out of several items at lunch (like fish & chips). The steak and ale pie was bland beyond description and the "whole tail-on scampi" and chips featured breaded bites of shrimp - literally half of a 30-40 count shrimp in each doughball. It looked like an American carb-loading dish of tater tots and french fries. Bleah. read more

What a great little pub to pop into for a chilled pint and some fantastic fish n chips. This historical old building is the perfect setting for your afternoon shenanigans. Get it started here at Doctors. read more

Doctors - The fish n chips here are perfection. Super crispy and light fluffy fish. Yum! - Gastropubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Classic age old Scottish pub in Edinburgh near the surgeons area. Got to be the best fish and chips I've had in the city and the staff have great knowledge of the local beers on tap. Love the ambiance and can just sit, drink, eat, and enjoy the Scottish accents bouncing around the pub. Must do experience! read more

Doctors - Gastropubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Outstanding local. Great steak and ale pie, chips were very good, and a terrific beer selection. Noise level is high, which you expect in a popular spot with good food, but not annoyingly loud. And the service is flat out excellent; much better than you'd expect for a busy local. Definitely worth a regular visit read more

Doctors - Gastropubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The service was amazing. The bartender was friendly and helpful and made sure we were always taken care of. We started with beer recommendations of some local varieties and he even made sure to cater to whether you like ice cold beer or only slightly cold. He recommended some amazing ciders as well. We moved onto food. The fish and chips came highly recommended as they get fresh fish daily. It did not disappoint. Beware of some small bones but legitimately the best fish and chips I've ever had. Huge portion! We also had the steak and ale pie which was so so good. We will definitely be back. read more

Doctors - Old Mout Cider - Gastropubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Walked back from Holyroodhouse to our nearby hotel in sloppy, wet snow. Miserable weather. Cold and hungry, we wanted something to eat nearby. It was Boxing Day, so our options were limited. We'd seen Doctor's while on a recent walking tour and decided to give it a try. Walked in to a lively scene. Music in the background. Christmas lights. Soccer match on the tv. Never having been there, we had no idea we needed to wait for seating, so we started looking for a table. There were some empty, but they all had "reserved for" papers on them. While we were standing there, a gentleman who worked there (manager?) asked us if we were there just for drinks or if we wanted food. We told him food. After a moment of thought, he told us he could give us one of the reserved tables, but would need it back in about an hour and fifteen. (As it turned out, ample time given the great service.) He could've just sent us on our way saying he was booked up, but instead found us a table, left us menus, and told us to order at the bar. I ordered fish and chips. The Mrs ordered the steak pie. The girl behind the bar asked about drinks. She had two cask ales, so I took one of each. I took the bitter and my wife took the pale. They were room temperature and slightly less carbonated than what we get in the States, but exactly what one would expect here. The bitter was nicely malty with a slight bitterness resembling unsweetened tea. The pale was a bit more dry and a touch heavier on the bitterness. Both quite tasty and we'd later have more. The service was lightning fast with the food arriving within minutes (5 or 10, tops). It was piping hot and if the fish hadn't had a nice, crispy batter coating, I wouldn't have known it was fried. It wasn't greasy at all. Nice flaky haddock, perfectly cooked. Not salty or overseasoned at all and cooked to juicy perfection. The steak pie was comfort food personified. A nice, crispy, perfectly browned crust filled with what amounted to a hearty beefy stew filling. Rich and hearty and everything needed to take away the day's chill. I can't recommend Doctor's highly enough. Welcoming and friendly with great drinks, tasty food, and helpful and accommodating staff. read more

Doctors - Doctors bitter - Gastropubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

We visited Doctor's on our recent trip to Scotland and it was one of our favorite restaurants we went to. The ambiance is charming, felt like the "old Scotland" feeling we were looking for. The bar tender/ manager was extremely friendly and helpful with our drink orders and made sure we felt welcome and taken care of. The best service we had in Edinburgh! Now... the food! We got the classic fish and chips. It was a large portion, the fish was perfectly cooked hot and crispy and the chips were my favorite we had the entire trip. I'm practically drooling thinking of it now. If I lived local I would visit this establishment regularly. Another bonus was it was on a corner with lots of locals heading to school or work. It was a treat to sit in the window seating and people watch. Good music was playing too! We loved everything about Doctors! I hope we get to visit again. read more

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Such a great place in my opinion! We were a larger group (six of us) and had made a reservation well ahead of time, and they had our table waiting for us when we got there. We did have to do all the ordering up at the bar but that was totally fine. In fact, all the bartenders were extremely helpful when we asked about recommendations of what was on tap, based on what we were all craving. This definitely has a very local vibe, between the young people who live and work in the city or those other young ones you could tell are studying in this magnificent historical place. The location was also pretty cool, not right in the middle of everything or by the castles, enough away from it all but that didn't mean it felt like we were in "no-man's land". I had the fish and chips and it was incredible, I couldn't recommend it enough. Definitely a crowded and popular place, plus, we went on a Friday, but it was all good as we were at a table that was a bit more tucked away. So just a warning if you are going to also have a meal, maybe you could be in a table a bit of a distance from the bar proper. As many tables by the bar people are sitting at just drinking and others are standing around as well drinking. Just some food for thought if you're not looking to hang around for a few hours and toss some pints back with no agenda on plan. But if you do want to go for the alternative, I would recommend it here, as when I come back to this city I'd love to do exactly that. read more

Great find! The staff is knowledgeable and friendly! We will be back! Tasty food and beverages!

This place is great! Not super crowded, the owner was really nice and helpful, they have decent prices and lots of choices, even for vegans! They had vegan catfish which was an awesome choice to be available for my husband and I! If we go back to visit we would definitely go here again! It has a cool atmosphere too and was really clean! read more

Doctors - Gastropubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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The service is off the chart for a Pub! Not only nice to the locals but to the tourists. Perfect location. The fish and chips were the best we had and they give great recommendations for beer. The atmosphere is what you want visiting old town Edinburgh. Will be back! read more

My favorite pub I've ever been to. The staff was super welcoming and friendly. Top-notch customer service. The fish and chips,, steak and ale pie and karaage Chicken was delicious and came out in record speed. Highly recommend this spot. read more

They were very friendly. Service was great. Fish & chips were top notch. Tried the haggis. Was good.

Excellent fish and chips, with the fish fresh from the sea. Enjoyed them this summer on the second day of two weeks in Europe, which meant we didn't have to spend any more time hunting down great fish and chips. Great beer menu, too, and fun indoor/outdoor scene. read more

A cozy gastropub with friendly staff, good food, and good drinks; just the combination we were looking for on this night during our visit to Edinburgh. Doctors was filled with all kinds of people from office works and university students to couples and old friends. The staff seemed a bit short yet extremely efficient and friendly. The place was fairly full with the football match on. The atmosphere had a great "neighborhood" feel to it. The food was excellent and came out piping hot. Between the two of us, we ordered the Bangers and Mash and the Meat Pie and Mash. Everything was rich and flavorful with generous portions. I ordered a Rekorderlig cider which is a Swedish cider with a berry flavor. It was a new discovery and I greatly enjoyed it. I'm hoping to find a place to purchase Rekorderlig here in the U.S. While in Edinburgh, we wanted to taste a variety of restaurants and pubs and this one was a nice addition. It was a overall great experience with good food and drinks along with a charming staff. read more

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Service is kind of dodgy got order wrong three times Beer is 4 pound a pint has ok selection Fish and chips good read more

Great place, wonderful atmosphere, and of course the fish and chips are perfect! Most importantly I feel safe here, which is a rare find where I am from ‍ read more

One thing you can't deny about this place is that it's in a great location - right next to Uni, George IV Bridge and only 5 minutes walk from busy South Bridge. For that reason I've been a handful of times for a drink after lectures with friends and I have to be honest, it's location is the only reason I'm giving it as many as 2 stars! The drinks aren't that cheap (£3+ for a pint), and on the one occasion I had food there it reminded me of school dinners, if I'm completely honest! They do offer 20% off food/drinks for students and NHS staff, but compared to the multitude of cheaper and better bars less than a stone's throw away, it's not enough to make this place stand out. A friend of mine convinced me to go and give this place another try, and so we went to try their new promo lunch menu for £4.95... when we got there and found that there was a choice of a grand total of 3 dishes to choose from, we decided not to bother. I haven't experienced the bad service that so many other people mention in their reviews, that is one thing I should say in defense of this place. But it's still not exactly somewhere worth rushing to. read more

Doctors - Gastropubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This pub was named as such because it is where the training medics and doctors would head to from the Old Medical School located right across the street. The romantic idea of Edinburgh in the past with scholars heading here after a long day doing scholarly stuff is quickly diminished as soon as you walk into this pub today. Its moved along since and hosts a variety of clientele of various ages, although predominately first year students-bushy eyed and full of energy(and student loans). I can't see why this place is a target, there are loads of bars near by also conveniently located, whose bar staff will not ignore you when ordering and whose prices are a lot more reasonable. Head here in the afternoon for your neighbours episodes or for a rugby game on the screen, or else later at night, when the crowds have moved along. There's nothing really special to it I'm afraid. read more

Doctors - entrance to the Doctors pub - Gastropubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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This was the first bar I ever went into as a fresher in University. As such, it holds somewhat of a special place in my heart....but I think that's just me. When I told my brothers that I liked Doctors, they shunned and mocked me. Apparently it's the breeding ground for all the medics on the prowl. As much as I quite fancy myself marrying a doctor (Patrick Dempsey please) I don't think I'm ready to pick one up in the pub....a sleazy pub at that. The staff were reasonably nice when I was there....not overwhelmingly so. My friends were asked to be quiet (even though it was a busy Friday night) and I was asked to move! The prices were reasonably good, and the selection was your standard bar plus a few colourful shots (for the easily-led students). read more

Doctors - Gastropubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The pub Doctors is situated in a prime location. It is just a short walk away from the meadows and so it ought to catch all the students on their way home from University. However, on the occasions when I have been in for a drink, it has been mostly filled with older office workers rather than students. This could in part be because of the rather steep prices of the drinks - I once ordered a lemonade which came in a tiny glass and cost £1.50. Doctors does have a wide selection of lagers and ales which attracts a lot of customers, especially my flat mates who adores the Leffe! They also serve the traditional pub food and they have special offers several nights a week offering a discount on drinks if a meal is bought. The Doctors staff are friendly and the pub regularly shows coverage of sporting events on its TV. Although it is relatively small inside, there is seating outdoors where you can take your drinks. read more

Doctors - Gastropubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I don't quite share the same contempt for this place as the rest of the reviewers, but it's definitely not my favourite Edinburgh pub. It's meant to be the Edinburgh medics' pub, yet they never seem to be in there. The drinks are just to expensive for it to make itself a valid option for a 'real' pre-drink. £3.50 a pint is nowhere near student prices!! They probably don't need the student custom, however, as it's always full of the local middle classes enjoying a post-work drink. Apparantly their food is pretty good but, again, pretty expesnive for what it is. It has a nice environment, although you're always pushed to find a seat. Have a look and see what you think. read more

Doctors - Gastropubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This isn't a pub that immediately catches your eye with any traditional decor or blindingly good prices, but it is a pub you are likely to come back to on another day. It's hard to tell precisely what it is that makes this pub such an attraction, but the best I can think of is its homely feel. When sitting there you do not feel out of place and even on your first visit you are likely to look round with a familiar gaze. Its prices are not cheap, though fairly reasonable given the location, but it does offer a great location for a social drink out. Whether you are on a pub crawl, watching the football or trying to relax it's generally able to cater for your needs. The only downside is that it does not excite or wow you like other bars do and eventually you will go elsewhere, but in time you'll be likely to return to this pubs homely atmosphere. read more

Doctors - Gastropubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Recently taken over by Greene King, Doctors has, according to the member of staff I asked last Friday, stopped all discounts so presumably that means any for students as well as the one they had for CAMRA members. Whether this will change after the Edinburgh Festival ends at the end of August & the students return and tourist numbers start to drop is unknown. As is whether it's a management decision or a brewery one. As to the pub itself it's not one I've ever felt to be a locals pub but the interior's not bad and the atmosphere's usually okay. Being passed a pint in a glass still hot from the washer rather puts you off though. Fine for a pit stop but Edinburgh has better to offer. read more

It's been almost 3 years since my previous review and I thought it time I have it another chance, in terms of beer and decor not much has changed, still good beers and nice decor. What has changed is the food, the menu is still fairly traditional british pub food but the quality has massively improved. I had the steak and ale pie again, this time it came with mash potatoes and peas (now costs £9.79) it was good, the pie was moist and filled with quality meat, the mash and peas were good as was the gravy. A great improvement on my last review and I'd happily return for a bite to eat, and as before worth a visit for a good pint. read more

Doctors - Steak and ale pie - Gastropubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This bar is in a great location, right on a main intersection in Edinburgh. I went in here for a quick drink after dinner, and stuck up the most wonderful conversation with our bartender, Hannah. If you ever go here, she has pink hair and is absolutely awesome! read more

After a great Yelp event we were looking for some savoury food to fill our tummies, and that's exactly what we found here. Doctors does a great selection of sharing platters, and we went for the veggie nachos and some chips. The veggie nachos had all the right ingredients, but just not enough of it! We want them drowned in melted cheese please! And some bigger dip pots! They tasted great though! A pub with a larger selection of ales and ciders always does well in my book, and I had some lovely blonde and chestnut ales last night! The service was excellent, and food came incredibly fast. Atmosphere is lovely as well. As we devoured our nachos, a band started playing some rock covers. It could've been great, but it was just average. It's good to know this place exists, but I would probably walk just a little bit further to find an even better pub! read more

Doctors is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. I don't really know why, I think it comes down to the location and the fact that some of the staff are really pretty cool. I noticed that this place is labeled a gastropub. It is definitely NOT. I mean, they serve food, but there isn't really anything expecially nice about it other than it is very reasonably priced and fills your belly without affronting it. They used to make these nachos that were just nacho cheese flavoured doritos with fake cheese sauce and fake guacamole on the side. The nacho lover within me was appalled. But, for some reason I kept ordering them, and recently they have started serving them with real toppings again, which made me happy. The pints are very reasonably priced for the pub's location, and there is plenty of seating whenever I go (pints after work during the week). I never have trouble getting prompt service and quite often have great craic with the bartenders. All in all, the main thing it has going for it is the location, but it is also unpretentious and has -in my experience- good staff. There is a reason I keep going back. read more

I popped in here on the way to a Fringe show the other night, just to get out of the rain. One of my better decisions, as I went straight back in after the show as well! Turns out it's a sister pub of one of my favourite places in Edinburgh, The Grosevenor. The same things that apply in there also work here. The staff are superb, quick, efficient and even some great advice on beers, even allowing for a busier than average Friday night in the midst of the Fringe AND the first live football match of the season. Seriously, the place was packed out and the staff were still getting drinks churned out at an incredible pace, yet still remaining cheerful and helpful. The pub itself isn't quite as unique as The Grosvenor, but it does still stand out amongst the drab beige chain pubs that tend to inhabit city centres these days. They also serve food, I didn't have a lot of time, but did stick around long enough to demolish a serving of fries, which were fine. Can't really say a lot about fries, but I did see a few plates going by that were really impressive looking. With plenty of seats, tables and places to rest your beer while you chase Pokemon (Oh yes, plenty of them round here, fact fans!) and screens a plenty to catch that football goodness, this is a nice place that's just off the beaten track, that I would imagine would be a hidden gem when not in Fringe season. Fringe season is of course when approximately 75% of the world's population descends upon every pub in Edinburgh to get out of the rain... I will return when it's quieter, to investigate this theory. For science, obviously. read more

I am quite a Doctors regular these days and I enjoy it very much indeed. It is so named due to it's vicinity to the old medical school of Edinburgh university, and a synopsis of it's history can be found on it's outside wall. The atmosphere offers nothing spectacular yet is fairly traditional. There is plenty seating, including many large tables and benches which make this a great drinking spot for larger groups. There is a good range of drinks available: all the regular spirits and lagers with some great ales and malts. There is usually several guest ales available which are described on a large blackboard behind the bar, and cater to all tastes as they range from pale ales to darker ones. This pub also has Leffe and Hoegaarden on tap, quite a rarity for pubs around this area. The prices are generally amicable, and often I have used Doctors as a pre drinking venue due to it's decently priced spirits and the 10% student discount. The food here is great. They have a two main courses for £10 deal, including the "roast of the day", and the portions are very generous. I believe now that they are also offering pub classics, ,such as fish and chips from £2.99 . Overall, a great pub although without the student discount, not the cheapest night out and for that reason alone it just misses out on five stars. read more

We've tried this place two days in a row at different times and were told both days that the kitchen closed 30 minutes prior. Both times multiple people had food at their tables and the bartender was very unfriendly... Whatever dude, we'll spend our money and tip elsewhere. read more

Anyone who really dislikes, fun, people and general merriment should go to , or more pertinently get a job in doctors. The monotonous, pub decor beautifully compliments the extreme lack of variation in the clientele; young undergraduates excited at just being allowed in a pub. On my second visit to doctors, having asked the po-faced bar maid for two lemonades, I was slightly taken aback at being charged £6 and queried it. My mistake, the aggressive barmaid informed me, had been not wanting ice, which meant she had to top up the glasses with an extra bottle of lemonade effectively charging me for four drinks. Overlooking the fact that i could barely maneuver a straw through the sheer quantities of ice cube being effectively charged twice for a measly lemonade, really got my goat. Unless you happen to be walking past and are in desperate need of the toilet, or are an undergraduate yourself, avoid doctors like the plague and walk 15minutes to the tron where you can get the same stale, dark atmosphere, for a fraction of the price. read more

The wind blew us into Doctor's. Okay, only sort of... we had come to meet some friends of friends for a drink. I wanted to eat here, but was told we would only be staying for drinks and moving on to someplace close, maybe in Grassmarket to eat... someplace closer than where I am? Do tell. Fine... I had a water. We were able to find seating for eleven since it wasn't busy. I kept seeing delicious looking food pass me by. My husband ordered a beer, but since they didn't have what he wanted, he told them to surprise him. He should have asked what it was because when he wanted another, he couldn't ask for another surprise. The place has a nice atmosphere... We were all able to have a lovely, audible conversation without anyone having to yell over music or overly boisterous patrons. I just wish I could have had the huge serving of fish and chips... It was Sunday too, I'm sure they had Sunday Dinner... For the life of me, I can't figure out the slot machine. Ha ha, laugh at the foreigner. I had some guy try to teach me the night before, but since I was rubbish, I just kept feeding pounds into the machine... Nope, I failed. read more

Pretty decent stop if you're dining on a budget. But beware: you get what you pay for. Most food seems to be from frozen and lacking in flavor. The beer and ciders are great though. I would give it 4 stars if based on drinks and atmosphere only. read more

Bomb food, amazing customer service, right by the uni. Great spot in Edinburgh just off the royal mile.

Doctors has been a steady number on the Grassmarket pub scene for as long as I can remember, although I can't say I've felt compelled to enter its hostelry doors a huge amount of times. Doctors is a perfectly straightforward place to go and have a drink, what you see is what you get and all that jazz, and there is positivity in that, because at least you always know where you're at. The actual premises are fairly big, so there's quite a bit of seating room if there's a big group of you, plus the pub is really well located and convenient from a lot of angles, whether you're coming across the meadows, or up from town. I've used it as my quick go to for a handy drink when I've been short on time, and just want somewhere to go where I'm guaranteed a seat during the day. Doctors is really just your no nonsense, traditional and straightforward pub, although I do feel it's maybe a bit too plain and straight to business, which affects the overall feel of having a drink here. It is always busy at night and the weekends, so you're getting great atmospherics in that sense, and if you want to meet an Edinburgh University student or 2,000, this is the place to attend. read more