We stopped in here for a quick bite. The wild boar and mash was absolutely amazing, full of flavor and one of my favorite dishes. My husband did the fish and chips and enjoyed it. For randomly stopping in we were pleasantly surprised, we loved it. Great service and great vibes! Would recommend to anyone stopping for a quick bite. read more

Malt Shovel - Wild Boar and Mash - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Friendly staff and surprisingly good food. Stopped in a couple times for drinks and a bite. The girls loved the bottled cider which was very crisp and delicious. The pea soup, crab rillets and chips were all hits. Prices are fairly reasonable for the location. read more

Pub vibe is lively without feeling touristy. Friendly staff with hearty options to accompany the variety of beers. The highlight was the steak and ale pie, with a flaky crust that looks more like a gourmet burger at first glance. With creamy mashed potatoes and grilled cabbage, great combination of flavors. The crab pot was ok, tasted more like tuna than crab but fun to try. Burger was delicious, a little dry on the meat but the pork belly was nicely cooked. Beer selection is great and worth a stop. read more

Came here with my family for lunch. We came here for fish and chips not knowing that they have a very diverse menu. Even though I don't drink (I can't) my dad got a Guinness and enjoyed it. Our server was very nice and welcoming. I loved the look of the bar. If you are in Edinburgh, this is a great bar to go to lunch with your kids read more

Immediately rude upon entry. I can't really speak to the food or anything else because I turned around and left.

Wasn't exactly sure how it worked when I walked in. But you pick a table and order at the bar. Had the steak and ale pie, it was delicious. Service was a little slow 40-50 mins, but it is during The Fringe and dinner time. Maybe that's why. There's a manager running around, really keeping up on everything. The kids behind the bar are just hanging out. Not to much attention to customers but polite when you speak with them. read more

Malt Shovel - Steak & Ale Pie - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I often travel solo, and as a female that can be intimidating. I stopped here for a drink and felt comfortable. As other reviews have stated, you do order at the bar and seat yourself which I found common with pubs in Scotland. The bartenders were friendly and the atmosphere was energetic. I wish I could have hung around longer, but there was too much to do and see in Edinburgh. read more

We had very nice fish and chips plus their salmon cake. Along with an Aperol spritzer and a Belhaven Black Stout. All was good plus nice atmosphere and friendly staff. read more

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This pub/restaurant caters to an international crowd with typical pub fare. There were signs at the table in numerous languages instructing the patrons on the proper ordering procedure. The food is ordered at the bar (and paid for) and then brought to the table. The food was done well in the pub fashion (heavy sauces, a little on the saltier side), which quite often satisfies the craving when having a pint (or two). We tried some of the Scottish beers on tap after getting a thorough description of the local draughts from the bartender, which helped us to make the right choice and really enjoy our selection. If I were to find myself in Edinburgh again I probably wouldn't head back to the Malt Shovel, but I don't have any regrets about going there. read more

Malt Shovel - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Fish and chips were delish!!(better than the touristy, popular, higher rated place in town we tried)! Came here for dinner with my husband tonight(Thursday) and it was busy enough, but we were still able to get a table easily. We just made it in time to get food in. The kitchen closed at 7:30, so that's just something to keep in mind. We ordered the scotch egg special(very good), beef ale pie, and the fish and chips. Everything we had was great for this style of food! Staff was friendly and it had local pub vibes. Definitely would return! read more

It's like stepping into a Harry Potter novel, except all the people are muggles. The food is fine, we sat outside on a cool but sunny day having typical pub food served up by friendly people. Order inside at the bar, and they'll find you. Recommended... grab a seat, if you can find one. It's close to the train station, the park, old town. read more

Malt Shovel - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

What an excellent pub. Our service was fantastic and the fish and chips the best I had while in Scotland. Excellent selection of beers and ciders. Looking forward to returning one day. read more

Recently, while visiting Edinburgh for the Fringe, I was in the market for some fish n' chips. With the help of my friend who now resides in Edinburgh, we selected a great spot to order up some of those fried fillets and chips. We wandered into The Malt Shovel, which surprisingly enough in this overly-packed city during the month of August city, had an open table. I ordered, big surprise, the fish n' chips. The moment I opened my mouth, I'm sure the server could tell I was an American who had just arrived and wanted the 'authentic' local dish. I wasn't going to eat haggis, so this was the next best thing. The dish was good - but not blow your mind out of this world I'll never eat anything like this totally amazing perfect dish. You can certainly obtain fish n' chips this good in the states. But it was good! Crispy while still being soft on the inside and a good quality fish. The 'chips' were definitely from frozen fries. Do any restaurants use fresh potatoes anymore?!? The dish also came with some green peas on the side - good, but also seemed to be from frozen. read more

Malt Shovel - Fish n' chips! - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

We'd arrived in Edinburgh just before 7pm, checked in to our guest house, and set out to orient ourselves with the city. I'd bookmarked loads of places, but didn't have them printed, wasn't staying in one place long enough to get wifi, and wasn't playing for global data, so we were wandering blind. After going up and down the Royal Mile and realizing that we just needed to eat somewhere prior to the Festival Fireworks, we ended up at the Malt Shovel. The Yelper foodie in me was a bit disappointed when it appeared to be part of a larger group with a set menu that didn't seem all that special. But the staff was SO friendly. In the words of David K, Nice People Work Here. Even though it's a seat yourself place, one of the guys was helping us find space. The bartender was great for whisky recommendations and even consoled me that the strongest I could have was a Finteman's ginger beer (which was totally cool, because I'd just discovered what is now my favorite ginger beer). At first we sat at the bar, but then a nearby table opened up. For dinner, I had the Sunday roast, and Jimmy had the bangers and mash. The meat and gravy itself was delicious, though the vegetables and potatoes were nothing impressive. Bangers and mash were ok, nothing special. With the WiFi offered by the Cloud, I was able to sign up for their email club to get £5 off dinner for 2. Go for drinks and the friendly staff, but eat elsewhere. read more

Malt Shovel - Sunday roast - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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For the name alone, I would come back here without a problem. Beer was good, bar was sort of neat, and location is great for the train station or downtown. Quite enjoyed the thistle stained glass and the rather nice looking bar. Service was great too. All in all, it was a pretty normal pub; but I felt rather good about it. read more

Malt Shovel - The Malt Shovel - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Curving around the corner of Cockburn St is the Malt Shovel. This is one of few pubs nearby with a local clientele and an attractive spot waiting for a train, given its handy location near Waverley Station. The Malt Shovel has an attractive green painted exterior. Inside it has a traditional atmosphere, although the pub itself is more modern. There are a number of levels in this pub, not floors, different rooms with slightly different decor. This pub offers food from lunch time to evening, with standard pub meals on offer. The pub is well known for its extensive selection of single malt whiskies. It also offers live music throughout the week, which might not always be as appealing as some of the other well known folksy bars in Edinburgh, but still makes for a more interesting evening. read more

Malt Shovel - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Always has people. Good brews down from Royal Mile. Also has a fairly good price on breakfast. We ordered a la carte and the price was great! Set menu...ha, I say! read more

We were visiting Edinburgh for a few days and had set on eyes on another restaurant. It was unfortunately full so they recommended this place to us. At first I was kind of disappointed by the menu because it was pretty standard but in the end what we got in our plate was delicious. I also really like the atmosphere, cosy and relaxed and the staff is super friendly. It was a Saturday night and the place was pretty packed but they still let us sit a table for 4 (we were 2). They gave good advice and we're really efficient. read more

Malt Shovel - Apple pie and ice cream - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

As with a previous yelper, I was attracted to the Malt Shovel because of their beautiful hanging-baskets outside. Yeah, I realize that sounds a bit uncool for a 20 year old, but I was with my mum and she likes those sorts of things. The pub was what you would expect from an Edinburgh/British pub. Very pleasant, very nice atmosphere and lovely staff, but pretty average to be honest. Their wine was quite warm - Heinous crime in my opinion - and they didn't have any Pimms so I wasn't all that satisfied with the overall experience. But it was nice to sit outside and watch the world go by (not that much of the world passes Cockburn Street). read more

Malt Shovel - The Malt Shovel - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I was attracted to The Malt Shovel because it looked cosy and homely on a dreich day. I also thought I was the only one who was really turned on by the smallest details - namely pretty, 1920s style stained glass doors and the hanging baskets - but I'm glad to see other Yelpers are with me on how quaint it looks! This pub is pretty low key, but that's why I like it. Quiet and lacking pretention, it serves up some of the usual pub grub during the day. It has the usual selection of beers and ales on tap. The staff are friendly and the drinks prices aren't as expensive as other pubs of this ilk in the area. Overall, I think we're all on the same page here - this pub is a bit of alright! read more

Malt Shovel - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

On our recent trip to Edinburgh we wanted to make sure we had a pub night before we left. We chose this pub as it was later in the evening and close to our hotel. You order at the bar - drinks and food, and they bring over the food to you later. Make sure you have your table number at the ready when ordering. Great service, beer and pub grub. Love the vibe, too. read more

Came on on a Wednesday afternoon for a pint, stayed for a lovely big salad with fresh mint dressing and grilled halloumie--and a side of onion rings. Soft retro 70s music made it easy to linger for conversation. Great service, nice corner views of town. Vegan options too--I'll be back! read more

Friendly and great quality food. Only problem was they were out of most items featured on the menu. The waiter was able to accommodate our group the best he could with what was available. Large variety of choices and I'd definitely recommend it read more

I've started my night off here a few times. It's ideally placed to meet 4 or 5 peeps descending on the city from all over the parish. It's situated slap bang in the centre - a hop, skip and a jump from Waverley. It probably gets an even mix of tourists/visitors and locals and I've been enough to confirm it is rarely quiet. A friend and I stopped-in early evening after a gallery show and all was well and good- except an eye watering price tag on the beer. We had a recognisable Scottish craft lager found in several pubs in the city and it cost us £5 a pint! The relaxed atmosphere, traditional decor and lively hubbub encouraged good conversation but every couple of minutes my mind made a clunky gear change back to that crisp, well earned £10 note that I had recently been bereft of. The thought of it sitting there, cold and confused inside the till was too much to bear- so after we made absolutely sure our glasses were empty, we moved on. read more

I ate here right before heading back to London. I found it to be a very nice pub. I picked it because of its proximity to Waverly. The service was good and the man helping me was very friendly. The food was nice, I ordered a steak and ale pie. I enjoyed it. The decor inside is classic pub style and they had a lot of televisions set up to various channels. It was a nice stop while I was in Edinburgh. read more

Malt Shovel - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I can to the Malt Shovel at the recommendation of a friend and really enjoyed sitting at the bar with my pint of cider talking to the bartender. There was also a photo shoot taking place on Warristons Close that we enjoyed watching. read more

I can clearly recommend this pub for a unique atmosphere and great beverages. The food is not very sophisticated but moderate in price. The staff is very friendly and always cooperative. There is some hustle when there are more than 15 guests. read more

Malt Shovel - At night - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This pub looks nice and has a decent selection of beers. I was a bit shocked to be down 1.88 for a half of one of them though! Is reputed to have a decent range of whiskey, but I bet they cost a fair whack too! A lot of people seemed to be using Wi-Fi here. read more

Stopped in looking for some good pub food. Was greeted by a disgruntled bar keep that was pretty short with us as we ordered. he didn't even as us what we wanted to drink before he bolted off. I ordered the fish and chips and my buddy ordered the steak. Fish wasn't bad but was a bit bland. No amount of sauce mixology seemed to help. Although I have to say it was very fresh and not greasy at all. The steak wasn't great. About average really. I give this place two stars for its atmosphere and bar. Worth a shot if you're in the area but I think I'll try a neighboring pub next time. read more

Malt Shovel - Fish and chips. Fresh cod and crispy chips. - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

In all honesty, you could do a lot worse than the Malt Shovel. It's located in a great place - meaning that it gets lots of custom, and sitting outside just watching the world go by on Cockburn Street is a pleasure. The pub itself is a simple, traditional pub. Pleasant, charming and welcoming. The staff were friendly, the drinks were cheap(ish) and the food was alright. Overall, this pub was exactly that - ok. I would love to say I had a great time here, but truthfully, I really felt that while my time in the Malt Shovel was nice, it wasnt outstanding. But it wasnt bad either. read more

Malt Shovel - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Got to give props to any pub that serves Monster Munch, Quavers, Pringles and Doriotos behind the bar. Was up for a few days as a massively gaggle of psychiatrists and mental health nurses - got nothing but a warm, friendly welcome, reasonably priced beers and a fantastic savoury snack selection from here. Would come back again, and again, and again... no problem read more

I would've given this pub 5 stars, but we ordered the mac and cheese and the waiter came out a few minutes later and said they were out of macaroni. The steak pie I had instead was excellent and I highly recommend it. There was a nice ambience, and being a block off the Royal Mile, it wasn't packed and uncomfortable. read more

I'm not sure if it was just an off day for this place but both the service and food were not very good. It was not very busy while we were there, but it seemed like the staff were having trouble (they may have been short staffed that day). But that does not excuse the quality of the food. We ordered nachos for the group and a couple things of fries (chips). The chips were ok but the nachos did not have all ingredients on them that were listed on the menu. The nachos came to us with a sauce that tasted alot like ketchup, cheese sauce that tasted like cheese whiz and a few jalapenos sprinkled here and there. No cheddar, sour cream, guac, chilis, onion or spices. It was pretty disappointing. read more

If you are looking for great pub food and a cozy atmosphere, then I definitely recommend Malt Shovel. As you walk in for the first time, you feel as if you've been enveloped in a warm, friendly hug. There is an atmosphere of camaraderie and all around good-natured joviality. Their burgers are flavorful and well-cooked. I highly recommend Malt Shovel for casual dining in Old Town Edinburgh. read more

If you want a pub with tasty food, fair prices and very friendly service stop in here. It's authentic and not a tourist trap.

The staff is great and very well prepared pub food, visited twice when visiting the pies are especially good we had steak and ale, chicken and lamb with mint mash. The pastry on the chicken and steak was excellent. read more

When we saw the menu, we realized we were in what we can only describe as a the UK's version of TGI Fridays. The menu is massive with almost every genre of quick fire foods. The service was very slow, but it looked as though there were only two servers for he whole restaurant. The food was OK. Nothing was particularly delicious or impressive but nothing disgusting either. Everything was under seasoned and pretty greasy. Maybe we just didn't order the right items out of their extensive menu. read more

This is a pub on Cockburn Street that I seem to end up in on a fairly regular basis for no apparent reason other than to get out of the rain. That said, it is a nice enough wee pub and the bar staff are cheery and friendly. There's always a buzzy and lively feel about the place, no matter if it's 12 noon or 12 midnight. The bar's got a good selection of whisky and real ales and the prices are fairly cheap given its central location. They dish up some pretty standard pub grub which won't break the bank, but unless I was about to faint from hunger I would probably go somewhere else to eat. read more

Was in Edinburgh for three days and ate there twice. That says it all. Went there on my first night because it was close to the hotel and ended up having the best beef pie I've ever had. Came back on the last day to eat it again because it's was so good but it's was early and they were still making it for the night so I ended up having the fish and chips, which was delicious as well. read more

Great beer and great food! Fish and chips was excellent! Delicious! We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful fresh air while we drank our Belhaven black and ate our meal. read more