I have intense qualms, having read and enjoyed the original story, with any popular culture version of Mary Shelly's monster. The nuts, the bolts, the green, the zombie stancewhere did this all come from?? But it provides a good theme for a bar, I suppose, especially around Halloween, when those iconic and unfounded masks will be seen in every shop. Frankenstein's provides all the fun and entertainment for a lively group of eaters, drinkers and dancers; the food being of a 'beer and a burger' style, but for a quick bite with the lads it's all good. There is, I must admit, something exciting about a themed bar which always makes me, at least, imagine the fun in decorating it and acquiring all the electro-themed gadgets that give it the image. So if it manages even to sway the cynics, it can't be doing that badly. read more

Depending on what you are looking for on a night out you will either love or hate frankenstens. There are three levels: the ground floor is where all the madness happens. During the day it's busy enough with people coming in for lunches, or if there is any sport Frankensteins will have it showing. As it gets later the place fills up and up until you can't move anymore, never mind get to the bar for a drink! There is usually a DJ and the music is cheesy, but the alcohol is cheap. Oh, and at midnight Frankenstein himself comes out of the wall in his coffin and sits up to let you see him (the tourists always take photos!). Downstairs is a bit quieter, as is upstairs on the balcony. The last time I was there was the day Scotland beat Georgia at football in May. As Scotland won, everyone was given a free drink from the bar - which I thought was a nice touch. read more

Mmmm..not a huge fan anymore. When I first stumbled into this place I had an absolute ball. This was some years agomust have been 2005. We were seated at the top level and had a great view over the other levels. Also the boot style seating adds a nice touch of privacy. If I remember correctly the food was quite good- served in generous portions- and we were served by a friendly Canadian waitress. The place was buzzing, and we didn't even stay until midnight when Frankenstein apparently makes a spooky appearance. Some months ago I revisited Frankensteins and sadly it was that disappointing that I shant be back for more. This time we were seated in the downstairs area which was very noisy- any attempt to a decent conversation was quickly drowned out by extremely loud music (and it was only 5pm). The quality of the food was shockingly bad. One of my guests had hairs in his meal(not his own!). When we tried to have this matter sorted, we had a dickens of a time to get a staff member to come over as they appeared to be more interested in having fun amongst themselves than serving the clientele. It's a shame because Frankensteins certainly has potential with its great location and unique decor. But unless they step up the service and quality of food, not even ten Frankensteins can drag me back to that place. read more

Not much to say but that this place was great fun! I went on a Wednesday, they had a wii mario kart tournament going on which was quite entertaining! Staff were very friendly and the first round of drinks was incredibly cheap (I guess we arrived at happy hour)! read more

Been living in Edinburgh for the past month. My partner and I stopped in for a snack before visiting the nearby Edinburgh Museum. It was about 1 pm and there were only two other tables filled since it was I'm assuming after the lunch crowd. I decided to just order a couple of appetizers so we could get our snack and leave quickly. The service was very slow. After waiting almost 40 minutes our food arrived cold. The fish taco I had was good (besides being cold). However, the mozzarella sticks were obviously boxed/premade. They tasted like cardboard, and the cheese was missing from the inside. I paid 15 pounds between this and a cheap drink my partner ordered. My opinion? The chef was slow and isn't serving the best food. Not worth the money. Although the interior was very nice. read more

All put Frankenstein! Watch out for the lightning bolts when Frankensteins monster rises! Cheap ass whiskey, cheapish kind of food.

Dropped in for a quick pint the other afternoon, relatively quiet apart from a few people watching the early kick off Europa League match. Really liked the look of the place from the outside, and they've done the theme very well so that the inside doesn't disappoint. read more

If you enjoy halloween, horror films, or themed entertainment - this is a must. Swung by on a recommendation from a coworker who said to make sure we were there at midnight. Once the clock struck 12:00am, a Frankenstein animatronic was lowered from the ceiling with lights, smoke, and fantastic score. Very fun, would high recommend. read more

Went in here for first time a few weeks ago and was rather dissapointed after what i had heard of it. We had a meal and although it was ok it wasn't worth what we paid for it , drink was rather expensive as well although it was a good pint. Good place to go see if you are a tourist and get a phot taken outside of bar but not a locals bar by any means. Staff were friendly and service was ok. read more

Such a fun place to eat! the food is good, comparable to most pub food in town. Its really the atmosphere and old "monster movies" playing in the background that really make it. If you're going to take a guest to pub food, then you should go here! read more

Staff are not very helpful, place was dirty when I went in , couldnt even get a table to be cleaned for me and my friends. Pretty sure there was no booze in any of the cocktails . Also had a different very bad experience in this pub and the staff wouldnt even help out or anything. The only thing going for this place is the music that plays which is ok. Otherwise I will never be going back and neither will a large group of my friends. read more

Went in for lunch and had a really good cheese and bacon burger. Love the Frankenstein theme with Bride of Frankenstein playing on the big screens read more

An institution in itself, Fankenstein's is one of the most famous pubs in Edinburgh. Like Jekyll and Hyde, it goes for the gothic and Addams Family theme, and being converted from an old church certainly pulls it off well. Inside you have scientific experiments bubbling away, with fake cobwebs adorning the walls, and the DJ booth is to be found in the pulpit. The most famous bit is 'the monster' though, who is winched out from high up in the pub, lowered into the middle and growls at people to an operatic score. This is good fun enough on its own but recently (now every Monday at midnight) I saw an updated version where the staff dress up as a medley of different horror creatures (vampiresses, corpse brides, Jason Vorhees who had a real chainsaw, not a little plastic one, a real f**king chainsaw, Dracula etc) and have a bit of a boogie to a mash up of Lady Gaga / Beyoncé etc and ends with an undead wedding. Completely pointless but one of the best bits of pub entertainment I've ever seen. The pub is a bit of a tourist trap, and this is reflected in the prices. Even with the discount student cards available, it is still about £3.50 a pint. Also, despite the bar being huge, there is a very limited selection of beers on offer. The food is good though, and quite a few of them are on 2 for 1 offers. Overall Frankenstein's is good is you want a slightly different pub experience, but the poor beers and slight overpricing means you won't come here too often. Definitely one for the tourists, but a good laugh for everyone else as well. read more

Stopped in here to use the bathroom, and I can see that it would be kind of cool for the college-aged set. Kitschy and fun. We didn't try the food, but the drinks were good and the prices average. Bathrooms were clean. read more

First off, this place is pretty mediocre. The ambiance is meh. There's no point in going more than once unless you want to hear the exact same playlist over and over again. It's consistently way too empty despite the enormous size of the venue. And a lot of the bartenders don't actually know how much they're supposed to charge for the drinks--one overcharged me and was about to tell me I hadn't paid enough, and was going to ask for more money if the manager hadn't been standing being him digging him in the ribs. read more

In my "perfect world" every old church would be converted into a pub. Notre Dame and St. Vitus would be amazing pubs! But, I don't see that happening anytime soon. This place is really well done... A bit of an over the top "theme" pub, but that is okay. The place is modeled after Dr. Frankenstein's lab, complete with plasma balls, Jacob's ladders, and the monster being lowered from the ceiling. They had several speciality drinks, but we stuck to a few nice droughts. When in Edinburgh, I would definitely recommend stopping by for a few pints. read more

Great decor for the theme--spiderwebs, some shorts in beakers, random scientific looking stuff--and also great music for the theme--'its back from the dead: 80s music'. Not sure if they always play music by the decade, but they should. You would need to be in a certain mood to go there there though--not your average night out--and, because of the decor, I felt like I should have dressed up more. read more

This was my most favorite place to be in Edinburgh!! I spent most of my nights here and met some of the most amazing people!! Frankies will always be in my heart!! Im sure its just as fun without the Rocky Horror Picture nights but man I felt Like I was living a dream here!! Frankie burgers here are amazing!! best burgers in town! Please order their specialty drink called the frankenstein and also frankensteins bride both amazing drinks!! have fun and take home memories! read more

Came here upon the recommendation of a friend who studied abroad here (see my other review on Biddy Mulligans). The atmosphere is interesting and reminds me of halloween decor with the lights and frankensteins... haha anyway, i had the burrito (I know, I know, what was I thinking ordering a burrito in Edinburgh, but I was curious)... It wasn't what I was expecting. The chicken was wrapped in the tortilla and then it was baked with salsa and cheese on top... And it was served with the beans and rice and cheese/sour cream/salsa (more of it!) on the side. But it was DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My friend ordered the portobello and bleu cheese burger (which includes a meat patty, not just the mushroom!) and he LOVED it and said it was the best burger in the WORLD. hahaha. My friends ended up going again another night and both ordered the burger and both agreed that it was the best burger in the world and for that reason alone, they want me to give it 5 stars, but alas, I didn't try the burger ( i don't like bleu cheese or mushrooms) so I can't give it the full 5... oh well. Come to Frankensteins for good food and fun!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Frankenstein's was our funny find for the weekend. A very funky bar stretched across three floors we visited on the Saturday night and then when we went back for quick bite to eat on the Sunday night they'd run out of food! Festival run out! Our waiter/bar man was very friendly and accommodating though and found combinations on the menu we could eat. The food isn't high quality but the atmosphere and fun is. read more

Don't know what's up with all bad reviews. Maybe I came at the wrong time. When I stopped by for lunch, I was the only customer. The food was good and the service great. read more

Having worked at Frankensteins over a summer it holds a special place in my heart. I loved working there as it was always lively and fun-filled from a workers point of view, so you can imagine how much I enjoyed being on the other side of the bar! It is a very student-orientated bar, we had specials for freshers week and give out student loyalty cards. Its also got a great menu too though, really reasonable and really good food. I cant really fault Frankensteins in any way. read more

I absolutely loved this place when working at the Fringe as it was over the road from our venue. It is located in a huge old church and made to look like Frankenstein's lair. The atmosphere is fab and there are three floors. On the main floor there is booth seating which was my favourite place to sit. We used book the downstairs, which was like a big cellar, for our new staff members arriving each week and had a party. I loved the food and found it to be decently priced. Every so often a song would blast out and Frankenstein would be lowered down from the ceiling and then he would sit up, it was brill. A great place to eat or drink and they even play organ church music in the loos. Well worth a visit. read more

This place was a good option for us as a hen-party of 20 people. We managed to get a booth downstairs and we never had to wait too long at the bar. Cheap drinks and good service. read more

This place is great if you're feeling a bit silly and up for a laugh, they put on Frankenstein shows and have competitions and raffles that centre around the theme. i really enjoyed myself when i was there and the staff were all fun and friendly (you'd have to be working there). Theres proper security which is reassuring as i could imagine people getting a little carried away with the hilarity of it all. i cant quite remember if it was value for money or not... but the less said about that the better. read more

Frankensteins is alway busy, this can sometimes be a bad thing as the place is very noisy and you can hardly hear yourself think never mind talk to company. Great venue if you're well gone and with a crowd but not really an ideal starting pub. They also serve food whhich is very nice though service can be a bit too slow for my liking. The decor is quite quirky so worth a visit for the experience read more

This place is more like a club than a pub in my opinion. Everytime I've been its been really busy. They have a wide selection of cocktails and drinks and the decoration is amazing. The TVs usually show all kinds of old black and white frankensteins films. read more

We visit Edinburgh every year and always head for Frankensteins late on the Saturday nightwhich probably says it all really!! As a tourist and a gal out for a good time,this place is just the ticket!! It is themed and just good fun. The music is good. The bar is split into 3 levels which is great to have a wander. We did eat there once which was pretty good pub grub. Good innocent fun!!Whoo hooo! read more

A fun themed pub. It can get very busy at nights during the weekend, but I like coming here for food. They do a wonderful full Scottish breakfast and have lots more included on the menu! If you are a student it is possible to get student discount on the meals (this depends on which day it is) and it is also possible to get 2 for 1 meals, depending on what you choose. A meal will cost you £6 - £7, which I think is quite reasonable. The building is very impressive and looks a little like and old church inside. It is set over three floors, with a dance floor on the first floor, which is usually packed on saturday nights. There are mostly boothes to sit in, which are nice and comfy. There is an electronic Frankenstein model which descends from the ceiling quite frequently and sits up to look around. I think this is a nice novelty addition, and I think it certainly helps to pull in customers. They have lots of screens dotted around the place too, playing Frankenstein. There are a wide range of drinks available, including a unique cocktail menu with cocktails such as The Bride Of Frankenstein and lots more! The staff are friendly and attentive, as long as its not busy. When it is you may find yourself forgotten about or waiting for a long time! There are often different promotions on on different days of the week such as karaoke or quiz night, and these are clearly marked on the plaques outside of the establishment. A fun pub to visit which has some character, though I prefer to go here for lunch or during the week, instead of the busy weekend nights! read more

Not a huge fan of this place - good novelty value of the frankstein monster coming out at midnight to a big song and dance of noise and flashing lights, but to be honest, once you've seen it (and drunkenly tried to steal it...) you've done it all. Good place to stop on a pub crawl because of its location, but the beer's quite expensive considering it wants to be a studenty bar. Nevertheless lots of people do love this place, but I can't really figure out why. read more

The one thing you cant take away from Frankenstein's is the effort that has gone into transforming what was a church into the eponymous doctor's laboratory. Seriously gothic, complete with animatronic monster periodically emerging from the altar. Other than that, it's a pretty standard bar split over three levels, with all the usual suspects drinks wise, and a pretty smaverage selection of pub grub. The crowd tends to be a bit more stag/hen party than when it first opened as a student favourite. read more

Saturday was my second time and my mates first, highly addictive and is a must when spending time in the capital. music takes away the pain of the price of the drink as its cheesy but everyone is dancing and having a good time. read more

Really not worth the bother, for some reason its world famous, although I have a feeling this may be referring to the story of Frankenstein, shame to tarnish Shelley's excellent book. The whole place is decked out in the most horribly tacky way, it's usually rammed full and fairly grimey. Bar staff are bored out there faces (not surprising, it's so dark they've probably all developed SAD syndrome) and tend to be pretty but dense pollock halls girls. Food is outstandingly bad, even if you go for the free food it's not worth standing in the enourmous queue. Bearing in mind that they make so much money from the 'free' food night (I know this from a insider and common sense) think how much money from your pint goes to making the food! Overpriced Avoid. read more

Joke of a place.Booked about 3 week in advance for food. but when we turned up last Saturday night we were not allowed in. I was the first one to come up to the door and was told "not tonight" before I even opened my mouth, when I said I had a booking under my name he said "no you don't", I then asked to speak to the manager and was told "doesn't matter you're not getting in anyway". It was only after arguing and saying that I wanted my deposit back, did someone come out and give me a refund. Whilst I appreciate bouncers are there to stop drunk folk coming in causing trouble etc, I had only just left my hotel and hadn't at that point even had a chance to get a drink. Whats the point of taking a booking for that size of a group of people then arbitrarily not letting the first few in? (baring in mind I had been in contact with the manager back and forth the whole afternoon regarding the booking). All it meant was that it became a nightmare to find somewhere else at late notice for food. The whole situation was a complete farce. read more

Don't waste your time. This is the tackiest place on the planet. The mood is desperate. The DJs cut into the music at the most inopportune times so that it's virtually impossible to dance. Even if you wanted to try having fun, you can't. Also, the bartenders are complete assholes who can't make a decent drink. read more

Literally one of my favorite nightclubs ever. Music was SO FUN. Drinks were ok, but music was what makes this place amazing. Videos of the music are so entertaining. They play the top hits of the 80s, 90s, and today...I wish there was a place this awesome in New York. read more

We were very welcomed at Frankenstein. We got to experience our first trivia night overseas and it was one of the highlights of our trip (thats how fun it was)! The bartender and trivia host were both so sweet and made it a very fun night for us. The beer and Goldschlager were tasty too! We will be back. Thanks, Frankenstein! read more

Frankensteins is a themed pub popular with students. The food consists of typical pub fayre with burgers a speciality, but nothing outstanding. I've been a few times and had a reasonably pleasant experience, however on this occasion was very disappointed. The place was packed full of students taking advantage of the free food on offer from a restricted menu). Fortunately we were early diners, around 5, but by the time we left the queue was out of the door and onto the street. Due to the busy-ness the service was extremely slow, and we foolishly ordered a dessert which took a long time to arrive and when it did, it did not resemble anything like the description in the menu. Added to this, in an effort to 'entertain' their clientele, every so often a large version of Frankenstein's monster emerges from a cubby hole amidst loud Phantom-of-the-opera music and almost total darkness in the remainder of the pub. Not conducive to a pleasant evening meal! I will not be going again. read more

Good bar if you're with a bunch of mates and your looking for laugh on a Saturday night! Really busy at the weekends! Price of drinks seemed okay to me! Would definitely recommend if with a stag or hen party! read more

During the day this place serves really nice food but when dusk falls it all changes. It gets very busy at night, making it very difficult to get to the bar and get a drink, or have a dance on the dance floor without banging onto people. Despite this its definately worth a visit. read more