Came here on a July afternoon for lunch. We had a reservation, and in turn got a wonderful table inside, on the water. The Cullin Skink was delicious to this American that has a very small frame of reference! Lots of haddock and fresh potatoes with some dill. One of us had a burger, I'd skip that next time but all else is good. Great views, friendly people and makes it a great stop read more

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A cozy friendly warm pub perched on the edge of the water, with fabulous views of the sea (and if you are lucky the sunset)! After much deliberation, we chose this place for our first dinner in Edinburgh and we were pleasantly surprised with our night. We chose to be seated in the conservatory, and had a window seat where we could see the water coming in. I had the fish and chips with a side of peas (I opted out of the mushy ones) and the dish was perfect. The fish was lightly battered and crisp. The chips were thick cut, crunchy on the outside and perfectly moist inside. A great place to tick that off my list of must-eats! To add a bit of fun into the night, we were invited to join their trivia night at the end of our meal. We jumped at the chance and had an amazing time guessing answers (even though we didn't win). It was an excellent opportunity to chat with the locals, get some advice from the bartender and generally have a good laugh. What a wonderful little gem of a place! read more

Old Chain Pier - Fish and Chips, they do it perfectly here! - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

For many years, The Old Chain Pier has been a favourite of my parents and they always want to pay a visit when they come to stay. It has to be said that it has massively improved since it reopened in Spring 2012. The paned windows in the main bar area have been removed and replaced with picture windows to give you a less interrupted view of the magnificent view over the Firth of Forth, the water lapping at the base of the building. The food is better too. I have to say that my falafel and haloumi burger wasn't very substantial or inspiring, but my parents loved their steak pie (despite saying they could have done with some extra gravy). The desserts were more successful though. My mum loved her banana and hazelnut pancakes, the apple crumble got my day's seal of approval and my white chocolate and baillies cheesecake mousse was sublime. The young guy waiting on us was really attentive and very friendly, and coped tremendously considering the place was so packed. The food, in fact, was delivered superhumanly quickly, all the more impressive considering this was a Friday night and every table was in use. Although we weren't lucky to see any on the night in question, on previous occasions we've been there when there has been live music. The husband and wife folk duo we saw last time were great. The conservatory and mezz area can be hired out for free. I'd definitely consider using it as a venue for a get-together. read more

Old Chain Pier - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Tried it for the first time this afternoon. Really impressed! Think it's been open about a year now since a refurbishment and I really liked it. I didn't catch the name of the bartender/waitress but she was brilliant at her job. Made our party of three very welcome indeed. Very friendly and naturally upbeat without overdoing things. Luckily we grabbed a window seat and the view was incredible even on a misty overcast day. Menu choices where not massively extensive however I like that to be honest, Usually means the food is better quality with regular turnaround. I went straight for the main course which I know aint too good for a thorough review but hey. I ordered the Haddock & Chips.Absolutely delicious! Nicely served on a wooden platter with the Fish & Chips served in a wire frying basket. Also had a salad on the side with a nice dressing and also minted peas. Batter was perfectly cooked and inside nice meaty flaky fish fresh as it comes. The rest of my party had Fish Pie and also a Clam Chowder both of which where very well received. p.s Thanks for keeping hold of my mobile phone for me that I accidentally left on the table! Doh, Your're a star ;o) read more

Delicious food, rustic charm and beautiful views! Couldn't ask for more :) I had the pork burger with caramelised apples, onion rings and smoked cheese, on a decadent brioche bun (it was just as mouth watering as it sounds - oh man). My friend had a steak with peppercorn sauce and chips, but sadly the steak was thin and dry so rather disappointing. The other burgers I saw delivered looked great though, so would recommend just sticking to that side of the menu! Very cosy atmosphere and great as a stop if out for a jaunt along the shoreline. Definitely will be making my way back here in the summer to take in a sunset from the beer garden! read more

Old Chain Pier - Pretty seaside view nearby! - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

After watching the beautiful spring sunset, this made for a suitably sweet one-drink-stop before the cycle home. The Old Chain Pier is charming and the location, as others say, is beautiful. Finding it feels like you've struck drinking spot gold. There are no pubs surrounding it; the building stands alone. It's the perfect summer bar, with seating outside and a striking view of the Firth of Forth if you're lucky enough to snag a window seat. We were greeted warmly and sat up in the cosy little mezzanine. We hit the road with an equally warm goodbye. The Old Chain Pier made for a memorable stop and one I'm sure to go out of my way to frequent once again. read more

I was introduced to this place for the first time last month and I have been back three times already. Yes, I love it. The bar staff, Callum and Lisa (I think) have always been friendly and welcoming. The location is fab with a breathtaking view over the Firth of Forth. I have sat at the same table each time and it almost feels like you are floating on water. (Or maybe it was just the copious amounts of drink we consumed). We have always gone on a week day and the place is reasonably busy without being too crowded. You are best to book beforehand if you are wanting to dine on a Friday or the weekends as I am told it is hard to get a table in the evenings. The fish and chips was recommended to me on my first visit and I have had it thrice now. It is probably the best fish and chips I have had in a while. Thin and crispy batter, delicious, fresh fish. Yum!! I also tried the spicy chicken nachos on my last visit which one of my pals ordered and it was very tasty. I didn't taste the Vegetarian risotto with goats cheese that my other pal ordered but she said was delicious. The portion size however, was tiny. For dessert, we ordered the Banana and Hazelnut pancakes to share which was plate lickingly scrumptious. They have a great selection of ales that I am keen to try. The wine list is not exhaustive but satisfactory and reasonably priced. I am not too eager to try other things on the menu after reading the not so favourable reviews of the fare on here. Then again, with Fish and Chips that good, I doubt if anything else on the menu will tempt me enough to cheat on my new found love. read more

The Old Chain Pier is, in almost every respect, a really nice pub. Nice atmosphere, nicely kept beer, great location right on the Forth. It also hosts regular live music (and what I've heard has been good) and comedy (untested, as yet) all of which is manna from heaven in Newhaven. The inside's really tasteful, avoiding the predictable nauticalia in favour of a clean, warm modern feel. Sitting at the large Forth-facing windows, looking out toward Fife is really relaxing, particularly in the bright, airy conservatory. The friendly staff seem quite happy for you to sit nursing a coffee for as long as you like too, which is good. So far, so four-star. The Old Chain Pier only loses out because it makes such a feature of its food, which is less than stellar. The bone dry, under-seasoned venison burger, and 'roast vegetable and haloumi cassoulet' (consisting of under-cooked red pepper and flageolet beans swimming in a garlicky tomato sauce) were both serious disappointments. Most other diners were eating the fish and chips, which looked a lot better and led me to suspect that's really what the place is about. Next time, maybe. read more

It makes me so happy to sit and look out over the water because it's built that you can see nothing else apart from sea. The whole thing's very quaint and the view is something I'd go for alone. However, if there was no window seats available I'd probably walk straight back out again. I didn't mind the food at all but my boyfriend, who granted likes a whinge, was rather upset with the whole thing - he reckoned it was soulless and dry. But I'm a believer that the same average pub-food fish and chips can be greatly altered by where you eat it, your mind plays tricks on you like that. So perhaps with a lick of paint and some more nautical decoration instead of acres of chipped, dark wood it would have got it's 5 stars. read more

Great view of the sea and sunset. The fish and chips were fantastic. The mussels were really good, not over cooked. Ordered the pork and apple burger and that was ok. Wait staff were great! read more

Old Chain Pier - Took pictures with locals we meet there with our waitress second from top left. Great personality! - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

With beautiful sea views from its unique position on the Newhaven waterfront, the Old Chain Pier has a splendid menu and an excellent range of beers. This is actually a score of 3.5 - and it would be 4 if a) the wines by the glass weren't from slightly odd winemaking places (Romanian Sauvignon Blanc, anyone?) and b) the piped music wasn't a dreadful muzak cover of pop hits. No-one wants to hear a slow ballad version of Supergrass's 'Alright'. read more

Great venue, fantastic views, fresh fish, relaxing and friendly atmosphere - I'd go there much more often if I lived closer.

I really like this place. It has a great view of the water, and I would totally describe this as a gastro pub. They had a delicious crab appetizer on parmesan crisps, and their soup of the day was a butternut squash with parmesan. I think I died and went to heaven. It was delicious. Much of the rest of my trip was spent dreaming about their butternut squash soup. The staff is also really nice. Recommended. read more

Not the best place in Edinburgh and not the worst either. Situated right on the waterfront, this place is already winning when you take a look at the view. There's nothing more relaxing than watching the water bump along whilst you're sat comfy and warm. If you can get through the view and onto the food then you might be a little bit disappointed. I had the salmon and it was just ok, I suppose the thought of having fish whilst looking at the sea was a bit of a draw. It was busy when we were in so I don't know if that could have maybe been against the kitchen. I'd definitely go back again for the view, but the food would definitely need improving. read more

Odd to find this place unlisted on here but then as it had been closed for a good while (despite it apparently being somewhere you can't go wrong with by Bite magazine) a previous listing may have been culled. Either way it has reopened under new management and with a bit of a facelift so it starts with a clean slate. The redecoration has been well done & manages to maximise the views across The Forth to Fife. The same positive note, however, cannot be struck for the service in the bar. In mitigation I think I wandered in on possibly the first night of opening but none of the staff seemed to know whether they were serving at the bar, waiting on tables, stocking the bar, taking dinner bill payments from customers or what. Consequently the bar area became a bottle-neck, diners were heard to be complaining about a number of issues and getting a single pint took about ten minutes. The menu though looks inviting so I'll happily revisit in the Summer and see if things have calmed down. Having now revisited for the purpose of having dinner I can safely say that things in terms of service have improved & our waitress last night was very efficient. My companion & I both ordered steak from the (probably necessarily) limited evening menu and we both felt that the serving was slightly overpriced for the size but had no complaints about the cooking itself. The brioche bread & butter pudding was of ample size & moreish, if not exactly a summer dessert. Some work still to be done then but for the time being things seem to be adequate. read more

Old Chain Pier - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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A splendid wee place with lovely views (it hangs out over the beach at Newhaven), and consistent gastro-pub fare. Very family friendly and they pull a decent pint. The soups, the nachos, the fish and chips and the fish pie are always winners. Perfect after a stroll through Leith or along the Granton breakwater. read more

Arrived at our booking at seven to be told that we hadn't got a booking. We booked a group on thing, so showed them the confirmation. No apology offered just told it was groupons fault. They then, in spite of the fact they then had actual physical confirmation of our booking, said they didn't have any tables as they had bookings for later. I have to assume the lady didn't understand what a booking was. Anyway, in spite of there being tables, we were offered a seat for 45 minutes at which point we would be asked to vacate. We decided to leave, at which point they decided they had a table. Having had beers here many times, we decided to stay. We sat at a table with no leg space, so we had to sit sideways on. We were then routinely ignored by the waitress who gave us the table for 31 minutes. The deal we had included wine, and we actually had to wave out arms about to get any attention and when we did, after 31 minutes we got a glass of wine each. We then sat 42 minutes in total to get a sharing platter in which not one item is cooked, or prepared in any way. Thankfully we had turned down the 45 minute table as it took them about that to give me a plate of olives and humous. The food was actually nice. That's the sad thing. I haven't ever posted a bad review before, but the simple lack of any degree of giving a shit about customer service was amazing. It was really obvious they didn't want us there. They didn't not just care, we felt like we were actively being ignored as they had lost our booking. Strangely, the people who came in after us were immediately shown to their table, served with a bottle of wine, and there order taken. By the time they offered us a drink, they had done the best part of a bottle, and were tucking in to fish and chips. Not sure how a cold platter that has been pre-ordered takes longer. Sad really. Nice bar, some of the food seemed nice and I have been to the other pubs in Edinburgh the same owners have many times. I think they are great, but really felt like a burden in this place. So hit and miss. Sure this would be balanced out with a five star review from the table next to us, but for me it's a huge miss. As my girlfriend said "I came here for the food, i stayed because the service is really bad, and it takes a long time to get served" read more

Recently completely refurbished, and under new management. The food is pretty good, and the view is amazing.

First - a great location and interior decor - but there is where the good stuff ends.. bar staff - they clearly don't see the customer as an important part of their job - prefer to have banter with each other and their own friends who were at the bar. waiting staff.. 'are you dining?' - I will be right with you..' 15 minutes later we are asked for orders.. and the place only had 3 other tables occupied.. food - 20 minutes later two rather measley portions (for the price) came out. burgers were dry, overcooked and cold. Chips tasted like stale oil and were also cold. We complained and were told ny the hurt waitress that she would speak with the chef. 5 minutes later they waitress came back to say that the food was cooked to order and was hot with no apology. all the while all we could hear were the waiting and bar staff having a jolly time making jokes with each other and if anyone came in they made it clear they were inconvenienced. Someone needs to get a grip on the customer service and someone needs to let the chefs know what they are cooking is sub standard.. I was SO angry after my experience and only live 5 minutes away and won't be coming back ever. read more

Great location and a nice view thus the two star rating. Regrettably the service was sub par and ambivalent. The menu and food was not worth the wait. If you are looking for a quick pint or a coffee shop it would suffice but it is not a proper restaurant. read more

Nice enough place, great location to be able to sit at the window overlooking the waterfront. Perhaps our timing was wrong, going in after 8 p.m. on what we were informed by a rather tired looking grumpy waiter, had been a very busy day. Hence the reason they had run out of several things on the menu, including any fish dish, which it is bit weird when Newhaven has a large fish market right next door. Anyway, I digress. As a couple we eat out more often than we probably should and get used to little disappointments but give praise where it's due. Not this time I'm afraid. The view picks up the points but the food gets a nil from me. My dining partner settled for their burger (never touched the trimmings as the pale pink salsa in the dish looked as if it was fermenting). I had what was loosely described as ribeye steak and pepper sauce served with portobello mushrooms, chips and onion rings. Sounded appetising enough and I was really hungry and looking forward to it. What I got was a rather thin piece of meat, full of fat covered in a tasteless sauce, which even the green peppercorns did not help. Chips were ok and the onion rings were cold and really greasy. Need to have a word with your chef folks...... I gave my review to the waiter when he came to remove the plates and he just shrugged and said ok, I'll mention it to the chef and it's good to know for next time! Well, I'm sorry about this rant, but, for me there will be no next time, even though I usually give places, especially new places, at least a second chance. Paying customers should not be used as guinea pigs and waiters should be a little more responsive to their clients if they are genuinely unhappy. (this one actually hung around looking for a tip!). I doubt very much if this place will last long if that's the general standard. Hope whoever reads this within the establishment takes note. Any reply comments welcome - send them to 'The Leither' at narcosishead@02.co.uk read more