If anything, it was worth coming for the decor and history. My friends came to this bar recently and definitely and had a great time. Me and a homie came from a video game bar nearby and wanted a quick bite and drink. Some patrons nearby were munching on some Wings so we ended up getting some as well. That and a drink of Guinness got the job done. If you are in the area, you gotta check this place out. read more

Royal Mile Tavern - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Out and about in Old Town on the first night of the honeymoon, we were shut out of a few spots near High Street before wandering into the Royal Mile Tavern. A welcoming pub atmosphere caters to tourists, with a menu covering pub standards (cullen skink, haggis, fish and chips, burgers); a vegan fish and chips option was a welcome sight. My wife went with the vegan fish and chips; I went with the classic. The vegan style (banana blossoms) were soggier than expected; the classic style had a crisp but greasy batter, and some excellent cod. Both came with chunky chips and peas. A solid start to the honeymoon read more

Royal Mile Tavern - Caledonia Best ale - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

Service - the lady tried to explain the history of the tavern: tried to offer and explain their Scotland whiskies and beer available. The place- how it was maintain for longer years from the Old Town Edinburgh. We had soup, beer and wings there for a wuic read more

See all

My husband and I loved it here! He had a steak and ale pie and I had a large Caesar salad with chicken (hard to find a salad in this town). We had beer, garlic cheese bread and desserts which consisted of fried Mars bars and sticky toffee pudding. Every single thing we had was fresh, a good portion and so delicious! They had live music going on at 9, but we were so exhausted from a long day that we unfortunately had to skip it. Please come here- the servers are very sweet and the food is excellent. read more

Was staying nearby and stopped in for a supper. It turned out to be an excellent choice. They have an excellent menu with a good selection of ales/ciders in an authentic atmosphere with great service. The place was pretty full when we got there, but service didn't lack any attentiveness. We had a chicken burger, the pie of the day, and the highland chicken. All were delicious and very filling. read more

Royal Mile Tavern - Highland Chicken wrapped in bacon and stuffed with haggis. - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

What a great pub! If you are looking for a traditional Scottish pub with great food this is the place. We had a large group and were able to get a couple tables. The bartenders and servers were all awesome, very friendly and helpful! The Innis & Gunn was great! We ended up eating here too which was a great decision. Everyone enjoyed their meal. Fish and chips were great. Had a very enjoyable evening. Highly recommended! read more

Our first visit to Edinburg. Stopped in yesterday for drinks and returned today for lunch. Excellent atmosphere and very friendly staff. The Cullen Skink soup, Fish and Chips and Classic Burgers were all perfectly delicious. read more

Royal Mile Tavern - Fish and chips - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

Things didn't start well.. we had made reservations in person the day before for the front of the tavern to be able to people watch while we ate .. arrived a little early and people were at the table we reserved. We were take back to the back of the tavern seated in a dark corner.. waited 40 min to even get a drink order made. Once the waitress figured that they weren't moving us to our reserved table. She came and got our drink order.. food was good and she was real attentive after that. Great chooses of drink. read more

See all

We came here so SOMEONE could get one last Fried Mars Bar during her time in Edinburgh. Secretly, I was jonesing for one as well. The atmosphere here was great - I love watching the staff enjoy themselves while still giving attention to the customers. The sign in the pub says the Mars Bars are "out of this world," and let me tell you - they are. Look at the pics and give them a like. The batter is golden delicious - the bars were still solid and not overdone to messiness. The "condiments" of ice cream, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream were the best additions you could hope for. The presentation of the entire "dish" was next-level. I love that something so kitschy is served with such spectacle. That is all part of what makes it amazing. If you are in Edinburgh and want to try this local tradition, I suggest this as the place for that. read more

Royal Mile Tavern - Deep Fried Mars Bar - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

Decor is awesome, and the location is convenient. IMO it's overpriced, but then look at where it is. Worth a stop in. Try the halloumi fries, they're delicious! read more

Royal Mile Tavern - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Casual. laid back. authentic. Large selection of draft beers and full bar. COLD beer. music was awesome! Neighborhood bar and chill environment. read more

We came from LA and just had a wonderful dinner with great recommendations from Oliver! We love their traditional Scottish food and drinks and received the best service! Ambiance was amazing too! Highly recommend! read more

We stumbled upon this place while looking for restaurant/pub/tavern that would sell both Haggis and the notorious deep fried Mars bars. The Haggis Bon Bons were good, a nice portion for a starter. The pie of the week, which was chicken and chorizo, was delicious. Finally, we tried the deep fried Mars bars which were really good but a bit too sweet for my liking. The only reason I'm giving this place four stars is because the service was a bit slow (could be due to covid ). That being said, the food was delicious, the selection of beers and spirits was decent and the staff was very nice and friendly, would definitely recommend! read more

See all

Enjoyed having drinks a couple of times also their food is good specially their Scottish haggis and tatties Fun entertainment after 9:30 every night. Great atmosphere read more

We were looking for a place to eat on our last evening in Edinburgh, parents, grandparents and two granddaughters, and landed in the Royal Mile Tavern. A nice pub, great atmosphere and some lovely dishes on the menu. Starters, primarily consisting of haggis bonbons, mains of fish & chips, burger, haggis tacos, stuffed chicken and nachos and a dessert. The last one featured a deep fried Mars bar. We had a great time. read more

Atmosphere is nice, restaurant was clean, but service was really bad. It took over an hour to get our food after we ordered. Several other tables that ordered after us got their food before we did. The waiter asked if we wanted dessert and then seemed irritated that we asked about our order. Food was fairly good. We had a cheese board then fish and chips and a minced meat pie. We won't go back. We have had better food elsewhere. read more

I wanted to give this a higher rating, but sadly, I can't with the service we had (or lack thereof). We walked in, walked up to the bar, and were seated. And then we waited 20 minutes to place our order. We both had the venison pie, which was tasty, but the pairing with collard greens was a bit strange and it would have been far better with some other pairing for sure. We then had to flag down our waiter for the bill. Which he was too busy the whole time goofing around behind the bar with several other employees. Hope to come back again and see if the service improves. read more

See all

Right in the center of town, it is convenient and spacious. We enjoyed ample ale and pub food which was good although service a little slow. I wonder if that is the way it is here in Edinburgh? I tried the haggis balls as an appetizer, wasn't quite ready for a whole meal of haggis and they were pretty good: haggis was dipped in batter and fried into little balls. It was odd that they served it with some sweet and sour sauce. I had them plain and they were good that way too! My friends had the burger and fish and chips and I enjoyed my chicken and mushroom meat pie immensely. read more

See all

It was raining, it was crowded out. I was mildly hungry and needed a beverage. The Royal Mile was right there... I walked in and asked if I could sit at a table too though I was alone. The host said no problem. I got a menu and wasn't sure what I would get. It was 4pm so not quite supper time. The haggis bonbons jumped out to me as an appetizer and a Guinness in case this made me hungrier. The haggis was delivered in a decent amount of time and was served on a alternating mashed white and sweet potatoes bed. There were three haggis bonbons. This meal tasted fabulous and was just enough and I skipped dinner later. It was crispy and succulent at the same time. I wish I could find haggis back in the states. Great Job RMT. read more

Royal Mile Tavern - Haggis and Guinness. - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

I have been to this place twice, and both experiences were quite good. During week days they offer several meals for only £7. The first time I went there the place was rather crowded, but still the service was quick. The food was delicious! My friend and I tried the sausages and the Highlands chicken. The second time, we had mac and cheese and haggis. They were very good as well, but this time the service was slower despite the fact that the place was not as full as the first time I went there. If you are on the Royal Mile looking for a nice, traditional pub to have lunch, this one is definitely worth going. Also, they have live music from 9 pm, which I'm sure is very nice! read more

See all

I've got to echo the other reviewers here. This seems a very laid back place to grab a bite or drink. I stopped in here a few times on recent trips to Edinburgh and enjoyed it very much. The meal I had was delicious (Steak & Ale Pie). Someone else at the table tried out their Haggis. I've got to say to my fellow North Americans, if you want to try Haggis, this wouldn't be a bad place to do so. It was seasoned nicely. They have several draft beers on offer as well as the substantial selection of Scotch whiskies you'd expect. They also have live music which I believe the board said starts at 10pm although it may start earlier in the summer. Others have marked the noise level here as loud but to my US standards I thought it was about average. Even the live music was acoustic so it was a pleasant noise level and I could easily hear the conversation around me. I like this place. I like the friendly and fast staff and I also like the fact that it's just busy enough without being obnoxiously crowded. If I'm ever back in Edinburgh, I'd definitely stop in again. read more

Royal Mile Tavern - Haggis, Neeps and Tatties - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

We only came for the music, but it was A++ so we came back and experienced a different musician the next night. If we were in town longer, we'd definitely be back again and would try the food. read more

I'm not a drinker, but I came in here to try the haggis, neeps and tatties. They were delicious. The service was great as well. I followed it up with the fried Mars bar and ice cream. It was much better than I anticipated. I would come here again. read more

Royal Mile Tavern - Haggis, neeps and tatties. - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

It's on High Street, so the prices do reflect that, but the food was good quality for what it was (bar food), and the staff were friendly. The bar did have a weird odor to it, but we were able to ignore that and have a quick bite before wandering around in the rain. Tables were reasonably clean - but this place is a bar with wooden plank floors so you should expect it to be as is. They sell whiskey flavored condoms in the ladies room, so at least they have a sense of humor about the place, though I do agree the front looks fancier than the inside. read more

See all

I imagine this place is only kept going because of its superb location, and the volume of unknowing tourists who will pass through it's doors. Tourists! This is not a good example of Scottish fare! Go somewhere better! The food is genuinely dreadful. I was there for dinner with a group of colleagues, and a new boss, and everything about our experience there was just embarrassing. Honestly, I was mortified that we had taken him to this place! The server who took our order was clearly not getting it accurate at all, and her colleague had to come over and double/triple check everything. When the food arrived, there were still a few things that weren't right, but it had taken so long to arrive that people just accepted it. There was nothing suitable for me at all, being vegan, and no attempt was made to veganise anything or make anything different for me, despite having phoned ahead to make them aware. I had chips and a salad which was basically lettuce and tomato. And even the chips were horrible - dried up and stale tasting. Many of my colleagues were also not impressed with their meals - steaks over or under cooked, or just things being unpalatable really. Service was slow throughout, and just odd, for example, taking a drinks order for half the table, but not the other half. That makes no sense. The only positive is that there were some good beers on tap. We left at the soonest opportunity. I would never come here again. read more

Our second day in Edinburgh on a tour with Grand Circle Travel, and we selected this establishment for dinner after reviewing restaurants nearby on Yelp. My wife and I went with four friends and we had a great experience. I had bangers and mash, two individuals had fish and chips , and three individuals had the vegetarian dish. Everyone seemed to really enjoy their meals! I especially liked my bangers and mash which I have been wanting to get since we started our trip two weeks ago, but didn't for whatever reason until tonight. Our wait person was Peter from Australia, who has only been with the Royal Mile Tavern for about a month. He was just great! He took care of our needs from beginning to end, and agreed to do separate checks for our three couples like it was no big deal (refreshing!). If you're trying to decide where to eat today I recommend you consider Royal Mile Tavern. PS- we were staying at the Hilton in Edinburgh about 200 feet away from this establishment, so it was also very convenient for us. read more

I have to let out a wee lol everytime I look at the Royal Mile Tavern's webpage. They make it look incredibly fancy, which it isn't really. Someone hired a right good photographer that day. These days, you'll find it nestled underneath some scaffolding, which makes this whole street incredibly unsightly. It's pretty nice inside, nothing out of the ordinary, but I like it. It is expensive, but then so is everywhere, and this pub seems to have put dibs on the name 'Royal Mile' first, so that's bound to draw in some tourists no bother. The pub has some fine whiskies, wines and ales, as well as a small cocktail menu (which to be honest, I would steer clear of...not that great) I had a lovely glass of red wine, Whispering Hills I believe it was called, which was really nice. No complaints from me, just another boozer on the Mile! read more

Royal Mile Tavern - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

You can't polish a 2urd.... This place has recently been refurbished, and I think they have done a good job of making it a prettier bar. Logistically the counter is now at the back, so the entrance is more open and welcoming. Some nice big tables on either side, and the new décor is what is best described as 'Traditional Trendy' random stag's heads and empty bottles of whisky adorn the walls. It is still a very dark bar as the small windows struggle to get much light in. Unfortunately, the service hasn't changed, nor have the 'tourist' based prices. I had a very bland espresso, obviously made from coffee which had been ground prior to the refurbishment as there was absolutely no crema whatsoever. What is the point in having a big fancy espresso machine if you don't know how to use it? Also had a pint of William's Bros Joker from the keg, not cask, which was flat. I don't want to say anything more read more

Great food, served hot! Everyone in our party enjoyed their meal! Standard Scottish fare, good beers on tap too.

Large interior that houses: Lots of cask ales Loquacious bartenders Lots of food options Drunk Scottish old dudes that love barking at me Traditional decor Fun atmosphere No, I'm not takin a piss, mate. read more

Service was good. I had the French toast- it was average. Loved the decor and the pub feel.

Very solid food and a convenient location. I loved the haggis parcels appetizer and my goat cheese salad was delicious! The service was reasonable and we were able to walk in for lunch with a party of eight. read more

Royal Mile Tavern - Haggis parcels - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

The Royal Mile Tavern is a charming pub in Edinburgh's tourist central. While overrun with out of towners, the bar is spacious so it never seems to get too overwhelming. The RMT has an excellent selection of beers. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Most of all though, it's housed in a stone building. So the walls are an interesting tapestry of rock interspersed with old brewery signs. The only downside - and this is weird - but it smelled like a stable inside. We weren't sure if horses had once lived in the space, but whatever the source was, it lingered. It took us off guard when we first walked in, but this place was worth sticking around for. After ten minutes we didn't even notice it anymore, and found ourselves fully ensconced in a friendly, charming Scottish pub with great beer. read more

Royal mile tavern is one of several restaurants serving Scottish foods along high street, and I was happy we chose this one. We were seated quickly, and drinks were ordered and delivered shortly after (innus & Gunn ipa which was quality). Started with the haggis bonbons, these were good however I think that adding breading around the haggis actually takes away from the unique taste it offers. My main was the salmon and mash, fish was cooked well not too dry, mash was the proper texture although didn't come with gravy, and the veggies were delicious. I would return if I'm back in Edinburgh read more

Great beer selection and pub food. And their kitchen is open later than some of the other pubs and restaurants on the eastern side of the Royal Mile. And some evenings they have live music. I wished I would have stayed around to listen to it. Also, the service was very friendly and attentive. read more

Want to meet the locals? The Royal Mile Tavern is your place. Definitely number one for friendly bar flys and other regulars, The Royal Mile also has quite a large area for casual dining. They do good specials like beer and burger (£5 I think). Friendly service, plenty of room to move and regular live music make Royal Mile a good ol' local. read more

We went for drinks and appetizers. The service was a little slow, but the waiter was extremely nice. We were given a discount since we are staying at a hostel near by. We got nachos and haggis balls. The nachos had a seasoning on them, which we weren't crazy about, but most people would probably like. Our friend liked the haggis balls though. Overall it was pretty good, I would go back for a drink- it was pretty low key. read more

Thistly Cross Cider, Cask Ale, Haggis, with Fish and Chips. Fun establishment with excellent service. Food was good, drinks were great, atmosphere was friendly and prompted conversation with servers and other patrons. read more

My wife were there during the 2015 Fringe Festival, so everything was really crowded, but we did find a nice table upstairs. We really enjoyed our meal. I had a Veggie Wellington Pie. My wife has the Fish and Chips. Both were really good, and the quantities very large. Service was prompt and friendly read more

Lunch special for fish and chips and haggis plate was less than £7 for each plate (bargain by my standards). Both meals were tasty. The atmosphere was relaxing. Would definitely come here again! read more