Situated literally 50 metres from Tynecastle stadium, it's an obvious hotspot with the Hearts…read moresupporters and all around the pub you will find Hearts memorabilia as well as signed Scottish football shirts and the like. The decor of the pub is pretty old, but in all honesty this is probably what gives the pub so much character I came here just before a Hearts game versus Rangers and it was very packed, but the bar staff were very fast in taking orders. The vast majority who venture into the Tynecastle Arms are Hearts supporters with away fans opting to frequent other venues. I would come back here, but only if I were going to see Hearts play.

This pub, for decade's was a great pub. When Stevie was…read morerightly removed and Sharon was hired as manager, it became a pub to avoid ( except, of course on a matchday, at Tynecastle ). She ( Sharon, the manager) is an ignorant, arrogant, condescending, disgusting individual. The pub no longer has any kind of atmosphere. She constantly slags off staff to the regular punters and other members of staff. And overall she lacks any kind of personality and has killed this once great public house. As someone who has worked and managed all over Edinburgh, from five star hotels to pubs with questionable reputations, I've never met such an ignorant individual or someone with such poor people skills. Take away her customer service skills ( or lack of ) she knows how to work a bar, that's not in question, it's her disgusting personality that's destroyed this pub.

They're now called The Athletic Arms, not Diggers, but you can still buy Diggers t-shirts. :-)…read more This was the only pub we've visited twice cause we liked the local vibe, assortment of drinks, and small menu of food. Service both times was friendly as well. It's a local place so nothing fancy. Just a good pub with real people. It was close to where we were staying to. I recommend if you're in the area and want a drink or just a place to chill,

I worked full time at the Diggers in 1969 under the legendary Bill Farmer. I was only 18 and had…read morejust returned from travels in India and Nepal. I was so broke I had to be repatriated by the British government, and the Diggers was my first job on my return to Edinburgh enabling me to pay back the government at £5 a week. Bill didn't let me pour a pint for a month, until I had practised bringing hot water through the pipes. And yes - it was a skill in those days. Bill was a great boss, but never tolerated any nonsense from the staff. There was Charlie, the head barman (a very miserable man), John (from Leith), and part-timers Wullie, Stewart and Jimmy. There was a cleaner who never spoke to me again after an argument. In those days there was a small 'Jug Bar', and I always wondered why it was called a Jug Bar - until one day an old lady in a shawl entered through the Jug Bar entrance carrying a ceramic quart jug. "Fill that up son" she said, and then left the pub. I remember no women were allowed in the main bar (other than the Jug Bar accompanied by a man). Singing was prohibited (no music licence). On match days at Tynecastle in the sixties pubs opened and closed at 11 am - 2-30 pm and 5 pm - 10 pm. If it was a big game the bar staff never went home - some went to the game - others just returned at 5 pm., for the big rush! Thirteen barmen were standing at the ready behind the bar while fans thumped and hammered on the door. Minutes before opening we would fill the top of the horseshoe bar with pints of heavy (the pub only had one lager tap) at least 6 deep! Then we tossed a coin between us all - the loser had the joy of opening the doors to the screaming fans!!! Allan Foster edinburghbooktour.com

I agree with everything Amy says, but I'm going to add one more little thing. Try the food, its…read morevery nice. I was surprised as hell when I sat down for lunch one day, I was too hungry to move so I decided to through caution to the wind for the sake of Yelp. The things I do for you!

This place terrifies me. When moving into the neighbourhood, we stopped for a drink in here while…read morewaiting for the landlord to turn up with the keys. The staff were friendly enough, but this is one of those bars that when you walk in everyone turns silent and looks at you. It is at that point you know this place is not for you. But lets face it, you aren't going to be down this end of town unless you are a local and you are going to be able to suss this place out. It is the definition of a dive bar, dated and hideous decor completes the look. I am sure this place is great for the regulars, but for anyone else... keep walking.

I was instantly put off by this bar since they are apparently quite fascist in how they filter out…read moretheir clientele. "Home Support Only" is hardly a welcoming sign to be given when you're visiting a pub for the first time. The plan may be to eliminate violence by keeping it for Hearts fans, but it's hardly a great message for anyone else, including visiting away fans. If anyone has read Irvine Welsh or have at least seen Trainspotting, they may romanticise his visualisation of Edinburgh. They may want to go on a tour to capture the essence of the city, the place where the real people go. If that is the case, I regretably advise against visiting here. In case you're not familiar, Scottish cities are fanatical about their football, and although thousands of people can have an adult debate about it, you get those who like to frequent the football bars and would pan you in if you declare yourself a Hibs fan. There used to be a history of football casuals in Edinburgh. Some of the ideology has been carried forward from the 80s into this century, so pubs dedicated to one team should not be frequented unless you are local, love Hearts or can play clueless enough for the punters to think you're endearing. I had my eyes down in here during a week day just to see what it was like, and while I experienced no trouble it's easier for girls. I sound sexist, maybe, but it's sadly true. The clients were really nice to me but they might not be as nice to guys. As Stuart experienced it was not the same for him, and as Amy said it's best avoided unless you live around here. That's my bit of street smart education done for the day. By all means try it out - you might meet a nice local. But there are plenty other pubs up town which are more accomodating. It's right by Tynecastle so it's not a ridiculous notion that it's home support only, but even though it may be to prevent arguments from forming, it's still a bit offputting.

Although Robertsons Bar is one of many many pubs in Edinburgh, it is unique in that it maintains a…read morepretty old-fashioned premise about it. It looks like something from the 1960s, but not in an old and tatty way, in a cute wee cosy way. Robertsons sells a good selection of different beers, ales, wines and the usual standard spirits. The prices are really reasonable here with a spirit and mixer costing about £2.50 and a large glass of house wine costs about five pounds. There is limited food available, which I was pretty disappointed with as I was here drinking for several hours and was hungry and had to go to another pub to get a meal there. Robertsons pretty much just sells crisps, peanuts and pies. There is a really lovely and fun atmosphere in here and the staff are always friendly, but when it gets busy it can be really difficult to get the attention of the bar staff to get a drink. A cosy little pub which is great for a drink, but not so great for food.

I mean, we had walked a lot that day, we were a little bit lost, and we were very hungry. Found…read morethis online and decided to stop in and give it a try. The place was probably the least clean of all places that we had found in Edinburgh, but at least they had tennis on the TV. The staff we're not super happy and really when you're on vacation a smile and a welcome word goes a long way Husband enjoyed the fish and chips, my pasta was a little weird, but you know what it's a sports bar and I didn't have high expectations. We just had to get off the road. I think the higher ratings came from many years ago because this place may have gone past its prime.

We came here for our tours farewell dinner. It's always difficult to say goodbye, especially to…read morepeople you bond very closely within the course of a week, but the Caley did a great job of supporting and celebrating with us. They brought out a ton of appetizers, from haggis bonbons, bread, hummus, olives... literally something for everyone. We had pre-ordered our entree and dessert but I only managed a few bites of my burger as I had been so filled with the appetizers. Plus, I had also been hamming it up with some coos earlier in the day and who really has a heart to chow down on some beef after that? I can say this, the bun was really stellar. I had previously ordered the raspberry cheesecake. It wasn't bad but I live in a place surrounded by world-class cheesecakes so there wasn't any competition coming from it. We also celebrated one of our group's birthdays and the restaurant was happy to keep the drinks flowing for the birthday girl. Kate, one of our servers/bartenders was MVP.

What a cool pub. They get extra marks for having the most interesting facade to the point that we…read morehad to stop off. The bar tenders were super fun and the beer was cold and refreshing.

Such a cozy pub. The drink, food, and staff are all fantastic. Seating can be tight so get there…read morewhen you can. They also have a screen showing the train times so it's even more incentive to sit and wait for your train.

Our VRBO owner recommended this bar, we tried to go at 9:30pm on a Tuesday and were told they had…read morejust called last call and were closing, so never got to experience this place.....bummed! Their profile says they are open till 11pm.

Good place for a drink and good people. It wasnt very busy when we first arrived, then it got…read morebusier. Thankfully we already had a table. I saw two gents standing with their drinks and offered them the extra seats at my table. I would have picked a smaller table for two but they were all taken. But I'm happy I didnt as I got to have a great conversation for several hours. No gluten free beer but there is cider, wines, and they do have great gin and fever tree tonics. Staff was kind and though busy, they did their best to serve food in a timely manner and let people know when seats were opening up.

Sometimes I just want to go to a pub. Not a fancy pub, but just with good beers, decent prices,…read morelocal, pub. Golden Rule is that pub in my area. The staff are friendly, the clientele are mixed, it is always warm and I like the atmosphere! The last few times I've been here I've also seen the CUTEST dogs. So... I tend to "go to the bathroom" often just so I can pass by the dogs and play with them.... at this pub. They always have guest ales and lagers, and stock all the bottles that one needs such as Innis and Gunn and Crabbies. However if you're looking for food, look elsewhere. They only have nuts and crisps at this joint! So, if you want a pint in a pubosphere, and you live in the Polwarth/Bruntsfield area, and you have a canine friend, bring it over. I'd like to hang out with your dog (Imissmineok?)

Nice local pub, however, in the States a pub means they serve food. Not so here. Odd because they…read morecome up on Yelp as "best pub food". Great local feel and nice selection of ales And scotch. Good place stop prior to or after dinner

We had a large group and this because our gathering spot. The atmosphere was good and the food was…read moreexcellent. Not to mention that the beer was on point. The servers took great care of you as well. I would return every week if I lived there.

One of my favorite beer bars in Edinburgh. Great beer selection, killer service, tasty bar food and…read morea cool space. Very laid back but hip vibe. I'll always stop by the Hanging Bat when I'm in town.

Just an awesome, rockin' final meal in Edinburgh - fantastic food, good service and energized local…read morevibe! Absolute must to get reservations! We tried on our first week in Edinburgh and failed, but were able to make reservations 3 weeks out for our last night in Scotland, and we are glad we did. Pork cracklins were a bit hard and crunchy, but everything else was perfect. We had fresh bread and langostinis for starters, along with a smokey whiskey cocktail, the Smoked Indiscretion! For mains we enjoyed the poached Cod, and the Pork with Barley. Service was very good, and wine selection was extensive. Atmosphere was loud with music and locals' chatter in the bar below, but dark tables and heavy wood panels made it a perfect place for a couple celebrating 3 weeks of travel. Highly recommend a visit to the Devil's Advocate, if you can book a table in advance.

The Devil's Advocate is undoubtedly a treasure to find in Old Town Edinburgh, especially if you…read moreaccidentally take the News Steps to get there, only to realize you should have simply taken the steps up Advocate's Close from Cockburn Street. But they call these lessons, "character building," apparently. No matter, the Devil's Advocate is worth the search. Located in an old Victorian pump house halfway up (or down) Advocate's Close, the Devil's Advocate is known for a killer whisky shelf of more than 300 different bottles from various distilleries across the Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, Campbelltown, the Islands, and Islay. I finally sipped on a 15-year Tamdu that has convinced me to keep a bottle at home. Then there's the Clydeside 2024 Limited Edition Cask Strength that was wicked impressive. The bartenders are class at making and serving seasonal and regular cocktails that have their spin and character. My wife enjoyed gin-based cocktails such as the Clean Slate (with St-Germain, citrus, and sugar), Rose Garden (with Yellow Chartreuse, Cocchi Rosa, apple, lemon, and mint), and Bee's Knees (honey and lemon). I went full speed ahead with the scotch cocktails, which are essentially classics with a scotch-substituted twist. The Double Shot is an Espresso Martini with Dalmore 12 in addition to Kahlua, espresso, and demerara -- quite smooth without being too sweet. The Scotzia is a Negroni with Fettercairn 12, while the Boxcar is a Sidecar only with Aberfeldy 12. We enjoyed the bar for a few hours, watching the bartenders make magic while sipping on cocktails, while listening to 80s pop tunes. A great evening indeed.