While away on a weekend of debauchery with the other half's brass band, I found out that one of his…read morefriends from Uni lived in the area and that we were going to meet up with him for lunch. Right, so I was in charge of finding a place. To be honest, there's not much Yelp help in Perth, but I did find this place, which seemed reasonable (and cheap), and could probably take the six to eight of us who were going to go to lunch. (As the location I tried before was unlikely to be able to fit us all in). The pub is very nice! It seems like it's not really going to be there, but all of a sudden you happen upon it. It's also a pub that does table service. Which is a bit odd, but also kind of nice when you're waiting for people. Four people had pies (fish, steak and ale, and chicken and ham) and they all really seemed to like them. The other half and someone else had the Balmoral chicken (chicken with bacon and haggis), and they both raved about it. I had the tex-mex burger (a chili burger with onion rings, cheese, and a spicy sauce), and I was very impressed with how spicy everything was (one of my pet peeves is seeing "spicy" on the menu and the food not being at all spicy). The pub itself is quite spacious and has an outdoor seating area (if that's your thing, which in November, it's definitely NOT my thing). If we're back up for the band competition next year, we may have to stop in again.

The Twa Tams is one of the many places my love and I went for a pint and a bite to eat while we…read morewere in Perth on holiday. We decided to make a night of it one night, and ordered food and drinks while waiting for a band to play. We were able to book a table and asked to be seated close enough to the stage so that we could enjoy the band. The band of the night was a band called Tunna (pronounced Ton-a) who were a Celtic band. My boyfriend is pretty particular about his music, but we quite enjoyed ourselves, even though we only stayed for half the set. It was a really loud set up, and we decided the next time we make our way to Perth and happen upon this place, we'll ask to be sat a bit farther away. The food was pretty spot on. We ordered some chicken wings to start which were absolutely delicious and it came with the best BBQ sauce I'd ever had. I meant to ask what kind it was, but forgot. For the mains, he ordered a burger with haggis on it, which came with chips and I ordered the gourmet chili dog, without jalapenos which also came with chips. We also ordered onion rings to share, which I thought were pretty gross. They reminded me of the frozen ones you can get out of Morrisons that are basically minced onion in a battered ring. Yick. All in all, the staff was pretty amazing. Very tentative and waited on us at our tables. That's the first time I'd ever been in to a pub and had table service. We had two different people wait on us, and it was pretty great. They had one of my favourite ciders available (spiced apple) and we also had a voucher for a fiver off, just for joining their email on their website. There is an outdoor patio area with loads of seating for eating and drinking. Pretty great once the weather gets a bit warmer! If we're ever in Perth again, I'm sure we'd stop back by Twa Tams! It's great time!

This fab new bar is another amazing addition to a number of bars springing up in Leith lately…read moreserving craft beers, comfortable atmosphere and great food. Tonight I sampled the menu. Shared two platters which were filled with interesting and tasty cheeses, chutney, dips and loads more. And really good value for money at just £6 & £7 per platter and no extra charge for more oatcakes and bread. The rest of their menu hosts lots of varied and interesting options with plenty of fish and vegetarian dishes - definitely a step up from standard pub grub! The Depot is also a music venue with a wee room upstairs for bands to play... quite cosy upstairs but a great vibe. Can see this place fast becoming a regular haunt for me!

We stopped in for dinner here and the food here is solid! The ambiance is chill and it's a cute pub…read morewith some character. They were also having a film night here in a different room which we didn't check out but would love to the next time we're there.

Hurrah for dark and dingy Henry's!…read more One of Edinburgh's staple underground (no, actually underground) music venues. I'd reckon, despite it's modest size, 90% of every gig I've been to has been here.The booze tastes like an instant hangover but hey, you're not there for a poncy cocktail you're there for the huge list of experimental and alternative bands. Obviously, the busier the more atmospheric it tends to be, so when you're walking back look down into the tiny courtyard and if it's filled with too many people smoking roll-ups and wearing leather jackets you've come on the right night!

Henry's Cellar Bar does exactly what it says on the tin: it's a small and eh, a bar…read more I have a friend who is a super scene kid who reads NME, watches Skins and thinks he is at the forefront of what is trendy and what is not. He often plods off to Henry's Cellar Bar and drags me with him and I'm glad he does. For once he is actually right about something being cool. There is often some obscure band playing or perhaps the next big thing and a great atmosphere to go with it. I have watched bands played here when they have first started out, and are now off to play T in the Park this year. So if your lucky you may spot some real talent. Makes for a fun night out and its a cool venue, so give it a bash!

Love this place! Everyones very welcoming and it seems to do everything! Cafe, artists studios,…read moreperformances, classes/workshops, occasional club nights, gigs, book sales, flea markets, veg' markets, DIY workshops, vintage sales and even wiff waff Wednesday (highly competitive - in a fun way) table tennis! There's probably more on offer but I've just not managed to see it all yet! I've had the fortunate experience to perform here with a dance group (Code Butterfly) a few years ago and we danced all around the space and the audience followed us. There is an amazing network of old tunnels that surround the main hall and maze of staircases that the normal Joe Blogs wouldn't be able to explore unless they came to the show! Blessed! That aside, the cafe is cheap and they serve a lovely brunch at the weekends. There is plenty of local information for groups and community happenings. The perfect place to go to find activities to do or groups to join if you are new to the city. It's a beautiful, quirky venue in an original Drill Hall. Staff are very helpful and friendly. There is a homely, nourishing, homemade, community feel about the place. Child friendly venue, although at the same time it's not over-run with noisy screaming kids. Out Of The Blue's sister venue is Bongo Club, which explains some of OOTBs ethos. The only downside I'd say about OOTB is it's a bit chilly, they do try to heat the space with heat lamps etc, but it must be hard to heat such a vast space. Just wrap up warm and grab a hot chocolate and you'll soon heat up! :)

Out of the Blue is an old TA drill hall just off Leith Walk, now converted into a local community…read morecentre. There's a big central area that usually houses some sort of art exhibition, there's a little dance studio, and there are lots of small offices around the sides let to local businesses. And there's a small cafe that does reasonable coffee and is quite popular at lunchtimes. It's an interesting space and worth remembering about if you're down this way. The cafe service could perhaps be faster when they're busy, but they do a good veggieburger and there are some nice comfy sofas to sit on. A few years ago they first used it as a Fringe venue and it's a great space for that. They often have concerts and other small events on at other times. But it's always worth popping into if you're in the area to see what's happening as there's always something going on, and if you're lucky (and it's quiet) it's a great refuge from the bustle of the city in which to unwind for a while.

Historically, of course, the region of Dalriada was situated on the west coast of Scotland…read more However, it seems to have landed very comfortably after its migration across the country; now situated entirely within a magnificent turreted seafront house on the eastern coast at Portobello, it could have done a lot worse. With what estate-agents might term a "well-proportioned" garden and a series of bright and cosy adjoining rooms leading from the front door to the bar, it feels as much like a friend's home as it does a beach pub. We arrived on a Sunday to find, to my sheer delight, a session in progress. It seems that live music is a regular feature in the Dalriada week, as if its sweeping views of the ocean weren't sufficient entertainment. A session always, always means extra points from me. I wished I'd brought my mandolin so I could join in, but instead took advantage of the glorious weather to sit on the grass outside and admire the view. As a seaside establishment ought, it caters for pretty much everyone. The bar is well-stocked with a range of beverages and (hoorah) cakes, and they even keep water bowls behind the bar for the many dogs that romp along the sand every day. There was a great family atmosphere when I went, too - little children were out in the garden having a whale of a time. Something that I, a naturally queue-conscious Brit, particularly enjoyed was the bar experience. The bar room itself is a little on the small side and so, rather than the usual game of squashing around the bar and hoping the serving staff have a supernatural ability to remember the order everyone arrived in, there was a nice little linear queue that wimbled out into the next room. That queue scooted along at a good pace, too; that's impressive given the business they were getting on such an unexpectedly gorgeous day. It doesn't all hinge on the weather, though. It seems such a lovely place that I'm almost looking forward to the winter - I do love a bitterly cold walk along the beach and I can't think of a nicer way to round it off than with a spot of music and a hot chocolate while gazing out of the window. Dalriada, please don't go back to the West. Stay here forever so that I can make you part of my every trip to Portobello Beach.

A few friends brought me there in 2015 to jam some music. Prior to that we had some amazingly fresh…read moreplaice and chips whilst walking along the boardwalk. The male servers wore kilts. I had a magical evening playing music hanging with great friends in this amazing building overlooking Portabello Beach in the Dalriada! This will alway be a highlight in my soul.

Probably my new favourite club in Edinburgh after the take over of Cab Vol years ago. It's simple,…read moreno frills approach suits me to a tee. The club nights are varied and music is good, drinks are reasonable and the people are what make it.

This is a great music venue, it's small, it's dark and it's kind of hidden away on Guthrie street,…read moreI wasn't even sure if I was at the correct entrance when I showed up because it looked more like a side door with nothing making it stand out apart from a small sign and we waited outside queuing on some steps waiting for entry so this was confusing to me but it's great for small intimate gigs like the one I seen last night of PG Ciarletta, Racheal white and the main man himself Cameron Barnes. the music was pounding and a great night was had by all.

Great venue for gigs (they care about the sound you hear), particularly seeing as it has a balcony…read more Good bar staff & now serving Keith Brewery products in bottles so you don't have to just go for Tennent's or Stella. The Guinness tap on the main bar's looking a bit scabby though.

From the owner: We specialise in hosting the best new musicians and bands there is to offerread more

This is a friendly little pub that definitely has an authentic feel…read more Very vibrant and energetic, drop in for a quick sip

Great spot to grab a drink. The Guinness was expertly poured and the music was sound.read more

We are so sad to hear Rat Pack Piano Bar will be closing its doors April 5th after 21 years! We had…read morethe best time singing along and drinking delicious hand crafted cocktails during our trip to Edinburgh! Such a gorgeous elegant space! The bartenders were attentive and cranked out drinks quickly! The musician took our song requests and made us feel very welcome, cracking jokes all night! The place was packed from 11pm on so I was so surprised by the closing announcement! All the best! Scotsman Old Fashioned Bueno Babe Obey Me Chocolate Orange Old Fashioned Tommy's Margarita Espresso Martini

The Rat Pack is a fantastic establishment!!! The drinks are…read morefantastic, the live music (and music) are amazing. I've been here at least 4 times and it has not disappointed. Highly suggest the Rat Pack if you're visiting Edinburgh!!!

The Broken Drum Studio is the dark horse of Edinburgh's music studios. If you are a musician or in…read morea band, this is the place to go. My favourite place! Not only is the drum-kit huge (and on an impressive rise) and more than ample for any ambitious percussionist, but the owner also offers drum tuition of a very high standard. (He also has extensive history of musicianship -- he helped me with my clarinet skills and corrected me with my rather lacking knowledge of music theory of which I am a grade 7, and was generally a very helpful guy about it too -- too often I encounter pretentious or arrogant musicians). The equipment is top notch too: plenty of amps with strong dynamic range; more than enough to accommodate the picky guitarist. Mics are good too -- plenty to patch up to instruments -- and for the vocalists too obviously. The owner will help make recordings too -- he seems to know a great deal about the industry and editing. I have dabbled in jazz and nu-metal -- two vastly different sounds and two different worlds of recording, but the software as well as the hardware being used at the studio is definitely my first choice. All of it is reasonably priced; and, having been in more one band, I can say he was really helpful with the times too -- my vocalist works a night shift and has pretty odd times to record, but, as I say, the owner was happy to accommodate. I am making this place sound like a dream; but I suppose it is -- any one who has been in a band has to deal with the crappy reality of getting the crew together and the general expense of it all -- already there is stress; and often that can hinder playing; but The Broken Drum Studio is certainly more chilled out than the other places I have been to. I think they do discounts as well -- sorry, I cannot remember that. But great all in all. Check it out.