A fine pub in a great location in the City. The Red Lion is one that's probably busy all the time. It certainly was when I caught up with a friend here on a Thursday evening. I was staying in a hotel nearby, and just wanted to find somewhere close to have some food and a drink. The Red Lion is spread over two levels. The ground floor was extremely busy, filled with football fans watching Liverpool Vs. Borussia Dortmund. My friend and I sat upstairs, where there were free tables. I had a bacon and cheese toastie, and we both had pints of some craft ale. Can't remember the name of it.
The overall experience was fine. The toastie was decent, though burnt around the edges, and the pints were nice. However, the prices were very high. Even in Edinburgh's nicest pubs, I'm not accustomed to paying close to £6 for a pint. The toastie was also overpriced for its fairly small size. Atmosphere in the pub was very mixed- busy and bustling downstairs, very quiet upstairs. After the food, we had the move down anyway, as the upstairs closes at night. Staff members were friendly and helpful- no complaints there.
Overall, I might well come back to the Red Lion if I'm in the area again, but I'm sure there are better options within walking distance as well. read more