I dislike this place strongly. Is that the diplomatic way of saying it? Granted it has a party atmosphere you can't dance without breaking your ankle because the floor is covered in sweat, fake tan and apple sours. You know when you're on a night out and you take a photo with a disposable camera and the flash goes off harshly? Well when those pictures come back everyone looks rough and too drunk? That's what it looks like with your actual eyes inside Rev. The only song I can remember them playing was Livin' On A Prayer - which is never a good thing! Never eaten there but I have a good idea of what the daytime atmosphere would be like. Please will someone enlighten me? read more

Revolution - Edinburgh - logo from official website - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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There's nothing that particularly offends me about Revolution, but then again, I've never once woken up in the morning with an alcoholic thirst that I felt could only be quenched with a rack of shots straight from the bar here. I actually think there's some really good bar space going on at Revolution, and compared to some of the other far more dubious hostelries in Edinburgh, I really don't have any issues with coming here for a few stop off beverages. I still think of Revolution as being Beluga, which it was for aaaages, and which I always found a bit on the pricey side. Revolution is less on the pricey side and has a few drinks deals going on, with a fairly people pleasing, classic bar food menu that's been pretty decent on the few occasions I've tried it. There's a lot of drinking room on the downstairs level, but not so much on the upper level, which is a smaller space and tends to get pretty cramped of a Friday and Saturday eve. Highlights are the big cocktail pitchers, and the flavoured shots that are a random Russian roulette of tasty and potent read more

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I'm afraid I have to support the crowd here. I've never really understood Revolution. I agree partly with what Lynsey says about the two different experiences of this play, day and night. During the day this bar on Chamber St. isn't really too bad. It's nothing special but it doesn't so easily offend. Furthermore I can't really appreciate the food. It's true that there are two for one deals, but when you take into account that some of the burgers are almost £7 for what amounts to a very small burger in a bun, a few leaves of lettuce and a little bowl of chips, it hardly makes up for it. At night the place does down hill. As Anna points out the bouncers are rude. The drink is expensive. It's also a haven for hen nights which can really turn a nice evening sour. I get the impression that Revolution is trying to be like somewhere on George St. Expensive and flashy but geared toward the younger hedonistic crowd. It doesn't even manage that. read more

Revolution - Edinburgh - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

As a deal-finder, I think Revolution is a great place on Mondays! This Revolution has nice sofas and tables, and the servers have been extremely friendly the two times I have been to this location. All food is 50% off on Mondays (yes, ALL food!) and we have also enjoyed going to other Revolutions in Cambridge and London. We keep coming back (truthfully, we are only loyal on Mondays) because you can't argue about decent meals for two for under £10! The pizzas and burgers are fantastic for the price and really a great deal, and I'd also consider paying full price (around £8.95) for them sometime if my memory lapsed and I forgot what day of the week it was. Today I branched out and tried the salmon and prawn linguini with the smallest sliver of smoked salmon and overly heavy cream sauce, but the prawns were nice and I guess I could say at least it was good I tried to branch out from my old standbys at Revolution. Unfortunately, Mondays at this location at 9pm is the very loud pub quiz night, so it doesn't make for a very romantic night out. Mondays are also obviously very popular days at Revolution because of the great deal, and last week the wait was just too long so we left. Every week the service is a bit slow, but 'you get what you pay for' right? For under a tenner for two, I'm usually willing to wait because the food is decent and the staff are friendly. read more

Frankly, I expected better from you Revolution. Having visited your counterparts in different cities up and down our fair isle, I was disappointed by the lacklustre service and poor organisation I encountered at this branch. I was in Edinburgh for a water polo away match, and afterwards both the Manchester and Edinburgh teams wanted to fill their empty stomachs with some food, so we headed to Revs where an area had been previously reserved for us. Despite our afternoon reservation, the staff seemed utterly baffled and flustered by our desire to order food. After several had placed their orders at the bar,the confused bartenders asked the rest of us to take our seats where someone would be around to take our order, yet after 10 minutes, none of the tables had been attended to, and we resolved to go back to the bar, where we were eventually allowed to place our order. The lighting in this particular area of the bar is really dark, which would be fitting for an evening setting, but not entirely appropriate for 3 o' clock in the afternoon. In addition, the tables and even the menus, were really sticky. This I could forgive, if they'd been busy and having quick turnovers, but again, we'd reserved this area, and they were expecting us, so there's not really an excuse for uncleanliness. The food took ages to arrive, and was really staggered, so that by the time half of our teammates had finished their meals, half of us still hadn't been served. There's also NO phone signal in this place, which I know isn't strictly Revolution's fault, but is still very frustrating. The only good I can say is that we got a pretty sweet deal for our money. We managed to get some sort of deal where we got a burger/pizza and a pint for a fiver, which is pretty good really. The food didn't taste half bad either, once it had arrived. But I probably wouldn't go back, as I'm almost certain I could find somewhere else that provides much better service and still manages to produce reasonable food. read more

Well.. £3.50 for all cocktails on Thursdays and Fridays? Yes please! Surprised at how amazing the cocktails were in here; very well prepared and with no exclusions whatsoever (some cost a good £7). The shooters are of course immense, if you're into that sort of thing (and why wouldn't you be?). It is worth nothing that it's hard to chill out in here. It is very loud, and always busy with a dozen hen parties. In all likelihood you will also find members of staff kicking about trying to punt shots and other promos. read more

A chain bar aimed squarely at students, mainstream nightclubbers and 40-somethings who have Bebo pages, Revolution is rarely tolerable and never pleasant, but I suppose that during the week at least, it serves it's purpose of getting students very drunk for a fairly reasonable price. At weekends, it becomes a lot more sinister and attracts the lower end of the Saturday night crowd. Best avoided. read more

It's hard to rate Revolution because it's so not my normal night. I came here recently for a Christmas night out, though, so I'm giving it a go. The food: realistically it was never going to be great, but it was absolutely fine. No one is going to come here expecting a gourmet (or good) meal. It fills a hole. The service: mixed. Some staff were lovely while others bordered on surly. The drinks: weak. Is there actually any alcohol in the pitchers? The music: really fun at the beginning of the evening (flashbacks to my actual clubbing days) but it turned into I don't know what around ten, and that was my old lady exit sign. That all sounds pretty bad but we actually had a really fun night. It was a great venue for a cheap Christmas night out. read more

Whilst this place has the negative aspect of being part of a chain as well as getting hideously busy downstairs at the weekend in its favour it does have have three very well stocked bars, usually enough staff behind the bars to keep waiting to a minimum (you're best trying to use the upstairs one though as the space at the main lower one is reduced to a prety narrow strip due to two supporting pillars), a good menu containing a decent number of offers and pleasant waiting staff. Without the restaurant side of the business I'd probably only give this a 2 but with it it's a very well rounded venue. Having been invited to try out one of this place's new main courses for free last week it would have been rude not to go along. The new Italian Sharing Plate was a good starter between two. My Tuscan Chicken (breast with mozarella wrapped in parma ham) was reasonable although it looked to have been cooked too quickly whilst my companion's salmon would definitely benefit from the inclusion of some sort of sauce (that said he opted to not have the lentils that would normally accompany it so possibly they would have made the difference). Otherwise business as usual and still very good vfm. read more

I don't get the big deal with this bar, a lot of my friends love it but I just don't get the attraction. We had our uni Christmas ball here one year and the place was so packed it was hard to breath with all the sweaty souls. The floor was wet and there was drinks everywhere, it just wasn't very pleasant. I have also been here on nights when it has been empty and there is no atmosphere. We visited this bar during the day as a potential venue for an event and while it looked lovely during the day, I couldn't forget how much I didn't enjoy the Christmas ball here. I see the gimmick with all the random drink combination's and vodkas but I think I would prefer to go to one of the fantastic cocktail bars that Edinburgh has to offer instead. read more

Also known as Vodka Rev to the student crowd, this place is quite popular most days of the week, particular of course on weekends. It's relatively cheap place with various bars located in different rooms. (which are all open on Friday-Saturday nights, not through out the whole week). They have primarily a large variety of vodka flavours, and you can try a choice of these on vodka "sticks" a selection of shots.Both occasions I tried these sticks, I thought what a waste of money- all the flavours offered were disappointing and a few disgusting! Tye also serve exotic looking pitchers of cocktails.Thing is you think you are getting a good deal, until you realise than most of the pitcher is composed of ice cubes. There is a dance floor and the crowds can vary from students to more... well to more chavvy to put it bluntly. It's the sort of place that's trying to be sophisticated and swish without really achieving the ambiance for this. Instead it comes off as a bit cheap for a cocktail bar, but more of a cheap and cheerful place. During the day they also serve food, and their veggie burger is quite good and comes with under cooked chips and a rather bland salad. But they do have 241 deals on food most days of the week anyway. However, eating in a darkly lit, windowless bar with TV screens blazing out videos promoting vodka deals and people partying is rather strange. There are lots of couches and bars and it can hold quite a few people. You can also hire out one of the rooms for functions, but call first to arrange this. Oh and on a weekend don't forget your ID the bouncers are very particular(and rude) about this, unless of course you are a girl in heels with minimum clothing.Somehow this makes you over 18. I still don't understand what all the fuss is about. read more

Smashed glass on the floor, straws littered on tables, sticky seats from spilt drinks, it's all here at 'Vodka Rev'. Sounds terrible doesn't it, but read again and you'll notice such shoddy characteristics are not the fault of Revolution itself, its more the clientele. Catch Revolution on any weekend night and it's just plain rowdy. Its popular with students, locals, even a few meaty bruisers and this forms an unruly lot. Still they don't exactly mitigate the issue either, the liberal amounts of cheap vodka sours and heavily alcoholic cocktails (not particularly nice either) are the catalyst here. Best avoided. read more

Revolution - Edinburgh - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Nice pub to drink very good coktails and have fun! Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. You can also buy some pizza for cheap and also dancefloor available! read more

This place varies massively depending on which day of the week you go and at which time. If I were to go, it would be for quick bite to eat in an evening or in the afternoon at the weekend, where they offer some tasty, very reasonably prices food options. A varied menu will cater to almost all tastes they have plenty of space, and can cater to large groups. I have found the service to be questionable on the whole, not bad by any means, just not all that attentive and it can take a while between ordering a drink and actually receiving it, even when it seems fairly quiet. Its a modern, fairly trendy place but without any pretentiousness as its a 'cheap' bar at heart and caters to the student types with the promotions and offers for cheap food/booze. On a Friday or Saturday night though, rammed with drunk people, shots and cocktails everywhere, not really my scene. All in all, it wouldn't be my choice for a night out, or a quiet drink with friends, but for a cheap, quick and tasty eat, its a winner. read more

I agree with prevous comments, on a weeknight for a quiet one or early afternoon for lunch Revolution is fine, weekend evenings, take your armour or avoid! Ess read more

After having been to the one in Sheffield years ago as a night hot spot I gave this one in Edinburgh a try for a late dinner. As long as you finish up before 9 you'll probably be OK. (This was a Friday). The burger was good, the Italian style nachos an interesting treat, and the vodka selection is average. (Skipping the fruity trash, talking real vodka here). That was the good part.... After dinner it started to convert to it's " night" scene. The music was american top club hits, nothing special. It does seem to be a magnet for very young folk.... I felt very old there and made an early exit seeking better digs. read more

Revolution - Edinburgh - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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I've been in "Revs" a lot for drinks over the past 4 years, mostly because all of the uni societies I was in had 'Revs Cards' which give you discounts there. Never before, though, had I been in for food (actually, that's not strictly true, we organised a Christmas buffet here once, but other than that, never sampled their menu). As an after-last-exam treat myself and a group of 7 friends went for dinner to Revs last week. I had pre-booked a table for 6 but when we turned up there was no table ready for us and we had to wait 10 mins before a table was set up. They admitted they hadn't checked their bookings, because they "don't normally take bookings on a Monday". Which is strange, because the online booking system was pretty complex and required a phone-call confirmation of the date. But, oh well. They were flexible enough to accommodate for 2 extra party members so I didn't complain too much. The food was good - even better considering it was 50% off (a Monday exclusive). The choice on offer is standard pub fare: burgers, mac cheese, fish and chips etc. My peppercorn burger went down a treat and came with a generous serving of fries. Staff were very attentive and friendly. We also stayed for the pub quiz, which was unusually completed via a Smartphone app. Confused? So were we, but it turned out to be good fun. Doesn't come close to good ol' fashioned pen and paper though! read more

Revolution has gone up in my estimation. They have recently run a fantastic set of offers that include 2 for 1 food and cocktails. They seem to run really good offers very frequently. Their food is not bad at all for the price. Especially if you go for their 2 for 1 burger night on mondays - you will not be disappointed (apart from the slightly stingy portion of chips that they offer you). We recently had a party there and the party organiser was very good. She put up decorations for us and layed on some great food. She also gave us all some free shots which was great. It does get ridiculously busy at the weekends and seems to attract those sort of hen parties with no shame. The music at the weekend is better than most mainstream clubs in Edinburgh. read more

Club Revolution is located opposite from the Royal Museum and is easy to get to. This is a very expensive club both in terms of entry fee on the weekends and drinks. Although, there are some drinks promotions they are not especially good value. I can only assume the cost is sue to the high quality of lighting and sound system they have installed. As well as this the seating is comfy. It must be one of the largest clubs in Edinburgh and has three large bars so the time to be served is minimal. Due to the excellent sound system the music can be too loud to hold a conversation unless you head to the balcony area. The dance-floor is a good size and you will have an excellent time dancing the night away. However, some of the DJ's cut up some of the songs so it can be hard to dance to music at times. If you are willing to splash out (£30 plus) on an evening you will have a great time at club Revolution. If you have a tighter budget not there are many other much cheaper bars and clubs in the Cowgate which you would prefer. read more

Every city has to have a Revolution (or so it seems) and Edinburgh has finally caught up with the rest of the United Kingdom. Revolution is situated on Chambers Street and replaces Beluga Bar. As a result, it has inherited much of the unique decor from Beluga and makes it stand out quite a bit from the other Revolution bars. Drinks are pretty standard fare and are not great value for money. However, the atmosphere is quite nice and you can either drink upstairs in the bar or boogie away to your heart's content in the club downstairs. It's safe to say that Revolution is very much a student bar, but don't let that put you off as it's definitely an up-market one and is a great place to meet friends....before going to the Brass Monkey down the road! read more

A great place to come if you like generic drinks, decor and company. Nice place to speak to a vacuous orange trollop while she sips something pink. Also a great place to get abuse from a slicked hair shirty chap. Great place to keep the cattle all in one place I guess and keep them out of my way. read more

Revs has stepped up their game.. Much better service, improved menus with a focus on quality, and they kept their food deals.. All in all they definitely deserved to get their stars back. read more

I went to Revolution last night with the rest of the cast of a play after our last show, as one of us had a revolution card which offered 50%. I am not a massive fan of vodka to begin with, but I don't mind it in a good cocktail. Unfortunately, the cocktails here are quite watery and taste diluted. We went for some half price pitchers, which admittedly was very cheap (£9 and it filled 4 glasses), but even for the price, I think it was quite poor. One pitcher tasted only of lemonade, though it was meant to be 'blueberry lagoon', and the other tasted of orange squash... We couldn't taste any vodka, or any of the other mixers. Maybe the mojitos/individual drinks are better? The music was also very loud, though the bar is very spacious and there is nearly always room for a big group, even on a Friday night. There is a room downstairs which is verging on being a club... It wasn't the best place to socialize. Someone came round handing out samples of some dishes, which served as good late night snacks, including a baked NY cheesecake and chips. My boyfriend loved the chips and cheesecake, which looked more authentic than a few of the other offering I have seen around town. There was a definite American theme going on, what with the loos labelled as 'restrooms', the cheesecake, and a few typically American drinks. The deals make for some good value food, though I am not convinced about the quality of the drinks. Maybe the food would be a reason to come here, but I feel that the pitchers and extremely sweet cocktails are just ways for people who don't like drinking alcohol to get drunk. read more

i have rather mixed feelings on Revolution. it's got a wee bit of a soft spot in my heart as it's where i met a close friend a number of years ago but at the same time it's really not my scene. revolution is a place where people go for cheap drinks (well cheaper than george street) and a bit of a dance. the bar is alright, it's a chain so they clearly have a formula, but it's nothing that great. i do appreciate that there are a large number of seats both upstairs and downstairs which i find ideal on a night out. but it's certainly not the type of place you go for a quiet chat with a group of friends. this place is for the younger lot (ugh am i old???) who want loud music, rows of shots, and a big space to dance the night away in. it made a decent venue for some pre-dinner drinks, but it's unlikely i'll be back on my own accord. either i think i'm a classy gal who only drinks in chic establishments or i'm just too old to deal with the loud music and shots on offer. read more

Revolution - or Vodka Rev as it likes to be known amongst the student crowd can be a bit hit or miss. Some of my most memorable nights have been here - and I'm not just talking about good memories. Some nights, you can spend a brilliant evening here, having fun and enjoying the atmosphere of a full and cool club that is one of the best places for different types of vodka I can think of. Other times you are crushed, hot, stuck to the floor by spilt drinks and you wonder why the hell you ever came to this place at all. I mean, Secret Arcade is just 5 mins walk away, right? Thats just the evenings mind you, during the day Revolutionm tries its damned hardest to be a hip and trendy gastro-pub, but really just sells burgers with some kind of vodka twist (burgers flambe'd with chilli vodka is actually really good!). The food is decent and the ser ice is quick and efficient. So there you go, the food and service is good during the day which is great compared to the hit and miss times you'll have once the kitchen is closed and vodka rev gets going. read more

Having frequented Vodka Revolution in Glasgow many times, I expected the Edinburgh Rev to be pretty much the exact same. I don't really understand the negative reviews for the place but I have always had a positive experience here, whether I've been eating or partying. The cocktails are good, my personal favourite Rev choice being Russian Bride, a twist on the classic White Russian, by adding Vanilla vodka and coffee and chocolate liqueur. Delicious. The prices aren't too bad, about what you would expect to pay for a cocktail, but I would like to see a few more options on the menu! The food is really quite good for pub grub, I had lunch in here last week for a friend's graduation and our combo platter was very tasty, complete with chilli con carne, nachos and onion rings as well as a few more nibbley bites. It really isn't that expensive and my meal including cocktail was only around £14, not bad at all. The atmosphere at night is busy, loud and crowded so if you prefer somewhere you can have a nice cosy seat and chat, I would go elsewhere! read more

Chicken curry was really good. Waitresses were polite and fast. I would come again! Monday is 50% off food- great deal!

One of the best Revolutions we visited on our trip to the UK. Their food seemed higher quality than the rest of those in the chain. I may fly back simply for the Moroccan Bean Burger. read more

I didn't like this place. Although this could possibly be to do with the fact that I've only been there on weekends. Weekdays may be worth a try as the decor is nice and the seats are fairly comfy. Drinks prices are absolutely outrageous, however. My boyfriend informed me that they charged him £4.50 for a bottle of Kopperburg, which is admittedly usually pricey, but come on! I, being the classy lady I am, tried to order a pint of Strongbow, which the barman ACTUALLY HADN'T HEARD OF! No cider on draught apparently. OK, fair enough. But the clientelle! Very hen-nights and office parties. All in all, it was just too loud, very unfriendly and ridiculously expensive. Needless to say, we didn't stay long. A revolution against good bars? I think so. read more

My husband and I only went to Revolution because I had a voucher giving 2-4-1 off selected food items. I wasn't sure what to expect as I'm not a vodka drinker and Revolution is billed as a vodka bar, however I was pleasantly surprised. The decor is very tasteful with plenty of comfy seats, booths and partitions to provide a little bit of privacy. The food we ordered was excellent, we had a Revolution salad and a pasta and both were tasty and filling. The staff who served us were friendly but the service could have been slightly more efficient. read more

It's funny, Revolution isn't somewhere I would elect to go (unless I've just been dumped by my boyfriend and really need six shots of flavoured vodka on a stick) but if you stick to the upstairs bar during the week it's actually a half decent place to go. If you're a student they always have loads of offers.The food is nice too, if you pop in at lunch time; in the evening it can be a bit rushed and iffy. read more

Altough I've been ther only a few times and to the fact that I don't like such places - it's been fun. The club downstairs is nicely decorated, air-conditioned, very well secured and with a wide range of alcohols at the bar. There are some minuses tough: be there early (especially at weekends) to have a place to sit, be prepared for high prices of drinks, music is not for everyone - it was good until the DJ started to play (than he began to mix it a bit too much) so if you want to dance it can be hard at times...All in all a nice place to spend some time at! read more

This is a relatively newly opened bar that carries on the theme of places like Bar Kohl by offering an overflowing menu of vodka flavours. Some are better than others, but on the whole play it safe, and if it sounds odd it will generally taste odd! However, this place also offers a little something more. for special occasions you can section off your own V.I.P area (top tip: ask for 'upstairs' - it's much nicer). I was recently there for a birthday and the birthday girl herself was treated like a princess. She was brought endless free 'milkshake' shots, had a personal waiter and was allowed to go behind the bar and create her own cocktail! They also serve good 'pub grub' till 9pm. read more

A very nice place for vodka lovers like me... the food is also good. Just be careful of their promo as not all the drinks are included. It's great for a night out. read more

If you are looking for a fun place in the heart of the city and you like vodka cocktails, or wine, like me, don't miss the opportunity to join the chattie atmosphere in 'Revolution'. At weekends, it gets a bit annoyingly loud, with disco lights and heavily air-conditioned but if you find a good place away from all that nuisance the chances for a qualitative night are big. read more

Was here for food and drinks with my girlfriend. Was impressed with the food , drinks and service . We were seated at a high table at first but after our meal we asked to move to a comfy seat and then waiter continued on with the table service which was appreciated and saved us waiting at the bar for drinks . Would visit again for food and drinks . read more

We went on Saturday(9/6/12) night had our night planned out and this was the second place we were going to and looking forward to it as we have been before but refused entry because two of the guy's we were with had Timberland boots on?!their lose really as they lost a lot of business that night as there were 10 of us who all like a good drink!totally put me off going back now!bouncers on a power trip once again!get a life mate! read more

I'd been to the Revolution in Cambridge many years ago and loved their pizza so I was excited to find one on a trip to Edinburgh! The pizza was just as good as I remembered. If it had been later in the day we would've had drinks too since they had some excellent deals available and lots of fun sounding drinks, e.g. the "Duck Duck Juice" which comes with little rubber duckies - so cute!! Garry was our server and he was great. Would highly recommend Revolution for food and/or drinks. My family and I all enjoyed it. read more

I made the mistake of going to Revolution with a cold. Why was this a mistake, because when I went to the toilet to blow my nose, I was ejected because I was suspected of doing cocaine. Avoid if your at all unwell... read more

Vodka Revs- What an odd place. During the day/ in the early evening this is a great place to come and have some food- they have loyalty cards that get you discounts, 2for1 offers, etc., and the STEAK WEDNESDAY is brilliant- a steak, brilliant chips, salad and a cocktail of your choice for £8.95, pretty much a student's wet dream when most red meat is off limits given the usually exorbitant price of a hunk of cow in a restaurant. So far so good. And then it becomes the weekend. And you want to kill yourself because it is SO BUSY and full of annoying people who are very drunk and drinking pitchers of cocktails to themselves because they don't want to queue and are starting fights and being sick and basically being THE SCUM OF THE UNIVERSE. Ahem. Oh and the bouncers made me take my hat off when I went inside, which meant I had hat hair for the 30mins I was inside until I said enough is enough I hate this type of place it is a meat market and FULL OF DOOM. So yes. In conclusion- a nice spot for lunch, a terrible spot for a night out. read more