Ok, I have officially fallen in love with Potterow. it plays the WORST but the BEST music ever, it has the cheesiest men and the bouncers are brilliant criac. I love it!!!! read more

I LOVE POTTERROW!! It is one of several of Edinburgh University's student unions and it is by far my favourite. It is a great place to sit and do some work during the day or to have lunch with friends in. It has a shop selling sandwiches, snacks, drinks etc as well as magazines and stationary. It also sells Edinburgh University goods such as hoodies and folders. The best aspect of this store for me is the sushi - it sells the most amazing sushi which is very reasonably priced - £2.99 for six maki rolls. The shop is always busy at lunch time and the staff are very friendly. Potterrow occasionally holds gigs at night for small bands to come and play, but the union really comes alive on a Saturday night for the Big Cheese, one of my favourite places to go for a night out in Edinburgh. It used to be free entry, but it is now only free until 10pm and then it is £3 to get in. The music is cheesy pop from the '70s to '90s mixed with current chart music. The drinks are very cheap, but the one downside to the Big Cheese is the massive queue to get in which seems to move so slowly. They do take their time in letting the students into the union, but once you are in it is definitely worth it! read more

Potterrow - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Having just graduated, I'm ashamed to say I've spent far too many saturday nights here at Big Cheese. And don't believe what people might say... it's awful. You queue for an hour around Bristo Square in the sleet/snow/rain, only to wait up to half an hour at the bar for drinks, which eventually come in plastic cups. And if you haven't downed it within minutes you can rest assured it will have been knocked out of your hands and onto the floor because the place is so packed. Saturday nights aside, this place is actually very useful. It's like a little mini city centre, with 3 banks, a coffee shop, a sandwich bar, a medical centre and wi-fi for when you're lounging on one of the big sofas. It also has a shop that offers everything from chewing gum to dry cleaning, which makes it really convenient. read more

Potterrow - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

Any student living in Edinburgh will come across a night out at Potterrow, especially in relation to the main student night - 'The Big Cheese'! Yes, this is a night dedicated to pop songs, dance music, sing along anthems and chart hits! The Big Cheese has become something of one of my guilty pleasures. The student night is always busy and at times it is impossible to dance on the dance floor! Drinks and entry fee is cheap as it is a student union, so that is certainly an attraction to come here for a night out! During Freshers Week this venue always hosts some good and sometimes some bad times, this year the brilliant B*witched were playing! A gig which actually attracted a full house in Potterrow that night! The only downside to Potterrow is that sometimes you do experience the rowdy first years who knock your drinks and into you consistently! However, apart from that it is one of the best student nights out! read more

Potterrow - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

You get a variety of events on offer for students at Potterrow. Typically the most commonly recurring event is 'The Big Cheese' on Saturday nights, but there are a variety of other one-off nights. These one off nights can vary between a variety of themes and band performances. Many of these are one offs and you'll want to keep your eye out for any posters or website updates and your ears open for any news. Ticket prices can change fro different events, but the general rule is free entry before 10, £3 after and £4 after midnight, but be warned it can be very quiet before 10 and you'll probably spend an extra £3 on drinks you would have bought cheaper at home. The good news is that as well as a dance floor there is also a cafe styled seating area on offer giving you the chance to have a drink and a chat before everyone else arrives. If you're a fresher in halls then you'll probably come here at some point. The first few weeks here it gets very busy and you'll be in a big queue to get in, but it's a bit of a right of passage coming here. Throughout the year its generally busy and unless you want to be a bit more adventurous offers a decent night out. read more

Potterrow - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The last time I was rightfully entitled to enter a student union was three years ago, when I finished my course at uni. Now I am clearly just too old, and remembering the reckless galavanting of my student days makes me feel ill with longing and nostalgia (and memories of the too many triple vodkas and orange juice, just what you need on a night out, lots of nice, acidic, fresh orange mixed with alcohol to make you feel extra awful in the morning). Even though I'm not a student anymore and shouldn't really be roaming about in their 'hood, there's something slightly exciting about sneaking in here and partying with the most drunken, crazy people you'll probably find in one place on one evening in Edinburgh. There's some pretty big dancing space here and some potent shot options at cheap prices. If you've got a friend that's a student, but you're not, they can take you in here as a guest, then you can pretend you're a fresher and see if anyone believes you (first year Astronomy with Russian is my fake course of choice, plus it makes you sound a mix of brainy and out of the ordinary). read more

During the day Potterow is a great place to come for lunch as it's cheap, tasty and most of it is ethically sourced. The have some really good deals going on like a sandwich, a drink and a packet of crisps for £2.80. The service is good and it's relaxing to just chill out under the giant dome on one of the comfortable sofas. The main attraction of Potterow, however, has to be the Big Cheese. It's suitably names as it only plays cheesy music, but as dire as this sounds, it's actually incredible fun. The queues are enormous and seem to take an age to process. But once you're in you discover that it's well worth the wait. I usually start off in the downstairs bar with a few diesels or chill out under the dome, before heading upstairs to the dancefloor. It's an extremely drunken affair and, without fail, you'll see dozens of people who you know. It's possibly my favourite night of the week and well worth a look for all Edinburgh students. read more

Potterrow - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

As a student union, a night at Potterrow does what it says on the tin. It's cheap 'n' cheerful and oh so cheesey. The perfect combination, one might say, for a night of care-free laid-back fun. But I would approach with caution, I believe a certain level of inebriation is necessary for its enjoyment, that is to say it's not the kind of place I'd like to find myself whilst sober. First impressions were not favourable unfortunately. We arrived en masse quite early, as buy-one-get-one-free drinks had been advertised between 9pm and 10pm, and naturally we wanted to take full advantage of this. Imagine our disappointment when bar staff claimed ignorance of said deal...leaving us stuck in an empty bar with full priced drinks when we could be at home, drinking at a fraction of the price. Now isn't there a law somewhere about false advertising? Ha, I'm only slightly bitter. Once recovered, I realised it wasn't all that bad. The seating area is pretty sweet: lots of tables and plenty of sofas all underneath this big black dome. It's odd, I felt as though I was outside, but I wasn't, I liked it! Another major plus is that there are LOTS of toilets, albeit they're all the way downstairs, but there are lots of them. Any girl who's ever had to pee on a night out will never underappreciate an abundance of toilets, and I was 100% grateful for never having to queue. When the upstairs area opens up, the night's title 'Big Cheese' comes into its own, 'cheese' really is the only word that describes it. The dancefloor is a pretty decent size, and there is another bar area up here with some more seating. It's a good layout, but it's all pretty standard...there's nothing remotely special about the place. If it had been up to me, I would have chosen to go somewhere else, but despite this I still had a really fun night. Maybe I'm getting snobby and starting to forget that there's nothing wrong with a cheesey student night every now and then... read more

After my past experiences, I would never go on a night out at potterow. None of the music is to my taste and on a Friday and Saturday night there is almost always a giant queue to get in and I don't think it's worth the wait. The venue is quite interestingly split into a ground floor and an upper floor. Downstairs is more for mingling and chatting with people on account of all the chairs and tables and the main dance floor is upstair. If you enjoy cheesey pop and anything mainstream and like a packed crowd then you'll probably love it. Potterow often has gig nights with nostalgic acts like the a couple of girls from Bewitched performing this semester (past acts have included the vengaboys and the doctor guy from neighbours). I think one of the best gig nights, from what I was told, was the pendulum one but I was unfortunate not to be able to go. I much prefer potterow during the day. It has a good little shop with interesting confectionary choices. You can also grab a Times or Guardian newspaper at a reduced cost. You can also grab your lunch here if you wish. read more

Potterow is a hive of student activity throughout the week with a bank, student support services etc but as the weekend comes it is a place of brilliant fun!! Personally I find the Saturday night 'Big Cheese' night excellentthe evening is dedicated to cheesy tunes that are great fun to dance to. As the night progresses the dance floor gets packed and the music hits the dance/electronica vibe which is always fantastic fun. You can guarantee meeting some great people, having a blast and getting home with a smile! Drinks are excellent value (£1 for a pint John Smiths and £1.60 ish for many other drinks). The huge room itself is not very well lit and can be a bit damp but due to the cheap drinks it wont usually bother you!!. The door entry fee is £3 for students and £4 for non-students provided they are signed in by an Edinburgh University student. Well worth a visit if you know someone at Edinburgh University! read more

I recently attended Potter Row union for a gig and whilst I was impressed with the venue itself and the bar staff the let down for me was the lengthy entry process to actually get in the place. Having previously purchased my ticket to the gig online I didn't expect to spend 30 minutes in a queue verifying my age so that I could receive a wrist band which authorised me to drink in the place (I'm 32 and look it) whilst I'm flattered that my age was in question it all seemed a bit unnecessary. I then had to stand in nother queue to apply for temporary student membership so I could get into the place. I appreciate that this process may be in place as regular student's ages may be in question but should the same process be applied to all patrons? A good venue for hearing live bands but I'd arrive early! read more

Housing a vast complex of support networks for students of the University of Edinburgh, the spacious dome houses everything - a bank, an anonymous support service, a shop, a cafe, and a large, open seating area with wi-fi access. Friday and Saturday nights, however, Poterrow becomes a nightclub, with Saturday night known as the "Big Cheese". It costs £3 entry for students, £4 for non-students. If you like that kind of cheesy old, from queen to blondie to the spice girls, then this is where you want to go. read more

Best place to go for a cheesy night out in Edinburgh! Yes, it's very grimy and you wouldn't want to touch the walls or choose to use the toilets, but that's true of any club, right? Had some of my best nights out in Potterrow. Surround yourself with good friends and watch as everyone remembers the moves to steps 5678. Good times. read more

Potterow is a fantastic venue for Edinburgh University undergrads wanting to unwind on a Saturday night at the "Big Cheese". Elsewhere in the city all the clubs raise their prices as more of the locals go out. This prices most students out leaving Potterow as the only option- but what an option! The queue to get in is pretty horrendous admittedly and can take up to an hour.to get in and there are plenty of queue jumpers who will get you suitably annoyed. But once you get in you are greeted by like minded equally smashed students who equally want to unwind after a long week of studying. Drink deals are great with the signature drink being a "diesel"- half cider, half beer and a dash of blackcurrant. The music is absolutely awful hence the name "Big Cheese" but you will secretly love it. During the day, Potterow is also a pretty cool venue to get together to have a coffee, do some studying with other students or buy lunch from the EUSA shop there. read more

Potterow is a focal hang-out point in the Edinburgh student scene. It has a variety of eateries and places to chill and sink a few beers as well as pool tables and games machines. Potterow also has a large venue for music gigs and club nights, making it a bustling and dynamic student setting. Drinks are cheaper than your average city bar and, for students, it's a great place to go out with friends or go off in search of some love! read more

This is Edinburgh unis biggest student union. During the day it has a nice cafe and uni shop downstairs, with the occasional poster sale upstairs. Comee night time, the 'dome' downstairs becomes an open bar area and upstairs the dance floor - blasting out anything from 70s and 80s music, cheese (saturday nights) or more up to date tunes. Although the floors are sticky and parts of it smelly and dark, the drinks are still dirt cheap and as long as you're on your way to drunkeness you're bound to have a good time! read more

I absolutely love Potterow, both during the day and at night. There's always a great atmosphere and there's loads of space to sit and relax. The Big Cheese night which they do on a Saturday is not a night to be missed! I absolutely love it! Great music (that's my opinion though, it's stuff everyone knows including all the cheesy stuff :D), great people, and cheap drinks. I don't think I've ever had a bad night there, and I've been plenty of times. It's not some people's cup of tea, but it's worth a try with a good group of people (cause they are what make the night what it is, not the location). read more

For students, this is a fantastic union offering cheap drinks, a variety of club nights, cheap food, a great wee shop to stock up on supplies and a large dancefloor. I certainly have fond memories of my nights there from my student days. True, it's not the classiest of venues, but if you want cheap and cheerful, then Potterow is where it's at. It's also a pretty decent place to hang out for lunch, with a good selection of comfy seats for weary students to chill out on. The adjoining Chaplaincy Centre provides a much quieter venue to relax in, and also hosts a good range of dance classes for the University's Modern Dance Society. No Edinburgh student experience is complete without a visit to Potterow! read more