A small bar on The Royal Mile, I must have walked past it hundreds of times without giving it a second glance, dismissing it as a typical tourist bar. Friends brought it to my attention when they dropped in for a quick drink and we have visited it numerous times since.
It IS small and can get pretty busy, they have a few tables outside which obviously attracts a lot of custom when the weather is good. The staff are very friendly and efficient, but you should make allowances for speed of service during busy periods especially during The Fringe. Reserving a table ahead of time is recommended if possible.
It is pretty much what you would expect from a "traditional Scottish" pub, with a selection of beers including three real ale casks, which are usually from small Scottish breweries, a beer "flight" is also available, allowing you to buy a third of a pint of each ale. They also have an extensive menu of approximately 50 whiskies (although some we asked for were not available), broken down by areas of the distillery. They offer a selection of whisky "flights", 4 whiskies based around a theme or area with prices varying to match (around £3 or £4 a glass). Being on the Royal Mile prices are possibly a bit inflated, but not excessively so, and are comparable to elsewhere on The Mile and central Edinburgh.
The food is also fairly "traditional" Scottish pub food, including dishes like Cullen Skink or haggis fritter for starters and main courses like burgers, fish and chips and haggis, neeps and tatties, etc. The food is not just "pub grub" but of a good restaurant quality. I had a tower of Haggis, Neeps & Tatties (each layered on the other) which had an onion & rosemary gravy. I would have preferred a more traditional whisky cream sauce (which you do get with their haggis beefburger), but the gravy was good. None of our party had starters, but a couple of us did order dessert, the main complaint with the sticky toffee pudding was it was too large! I personally had the Cranachan (whipped cream, whisky soaked oatmeal, raspberries & honey) which was delicious!
In summary: good Scottish beers, good Scottish food and good Scottish whiskies.
N.B. They do a "loyalty card" which gives you a 10% discount on food and drink (see their website for how to apply). read more