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    Scotsman's Lounge

    4.0 (37 reviews)
    InexpensivePubs, Music Venues
    Open 9:00 am - 1:00 AM (Next day)

    Scotsman's Lounge Photos

    SCOTSMAN'S LOUNGE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Scotsman's Lounge

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    Reviews With Photos

    Whisky
    John C.

    Friendly staff. Decent collection of whiskies. Sitting outside, enjoying a glass, people watching. All good.

    Best pub I've been to yet! Atmosphere was great. Staff was excellent. Loved the live music, singer did a wonderful job! Would return
    Tiffany P.

    Best pub I've been to yet! Atmosphere was great. Staff was excellent. Loved the live music, singer did a wonderful job! Would return

    george c.

    We spent 3 nites in GrassMarket, actually we went to the whiskey tasting joint across the pub, the owner recommended this pub across his shop. We went in there and it was packed. However, a nice gentleman, sitting alone at a table, who was very nice, and asked us if we wanted to join him. This would never happen in America. Even another lady from Wales at the next table joined in. We started a nice chat and took a lot of pictures. He even told us Scottish jokes. I think he must had another 3 beers after we started chatting. He told us he was going over to gamble somewhere before heading back to Glasglow. I told him it isn't a good idea to go gamble after drinking. My wife and our friend ordered whiskey flights of 8 double shots. All the locals were shocked. We were really surprised and impressed how friendly the Scots are. The guy & girl bartenders are very helpful in picking all the local whiskeys and showed us the distilleries on the map next to the bar. There was no live music that day, bit rainy, but we really enjoyed our time in the pub.

    Yogeshree T.

    We walked into this bar randomly when looking for a place to grab drinks. Tourists in the city, we were trying to look for a place with local flavor and this pub fits the bill. The ambience is easy and casual and the drinks are cheap. They did not have a drinks menu but one can look at their website which has a list of all drinks they offer. My partner went for a scotch and I went for a gold cider, both drinks were good. We wanted a cozy local bar and Scotsman's lounge is what we found and loved. After coming to the place, I got to know that they also have live music but that is latenight so we didn't get to experience it. If you are a tourist, I highly recommend this place in old town! What caught my attention - relaxed vibe of the place( perfect for a bar), the wooden tables, big barrels laid out, cozy small interior

    Em C.

    I'm with the other reviewers - The Scotsman Lounge has something charming and relaxing about it. Located in an area of Edinburgh that is hoaching with tourist traps (that probably bore visitors as much as locals), The Scotsman's Lounge keep it simple and authentic. It's a straight up, honest pub with a good selection of booze and lots of corners where you can grab a few quiet ones with your mates. Along with the generally good natured locals, you get a lot of tourists and commuters drinking in here, too. That only adds to the dimenions of this pub, and gives the atmosphere a nice, varied buzz. I have yet to stumble in here on a night they're playing live music, but I'm sure it's good (even when it's bad). As Gavin said it beats leary joints pumping out the karaoke. Overall, there's something refreshingly basic about this pub - it lacks the pomp and swagger of many Edinburgh bars (a good thing), but what you can hope for is good service and a sincerely good night out. Tip for the tourists - a lot of the guided walks (including the ghosty ones) meet outside here!

    Lauren G.

    The Scotsman's Lounge is one of my favourite pubs in Edinburgh. Although it is fairly small inside with just the one room, there is an incredibly lively and friendly atmosphere about it. Situated on Cockburn Street, Scotsman's Lounge is right in the city centre and it is just around the corner from the Royal Mile and so it is a great place for tourists to go. This place is a very traditional Scottish pub, as inside the walls are filled with history and Scottish culture, including paintings, artefact's and the bagpipes. Scotsman's Lounge serves a wide selection of different beers, ales and wines, along with the usual standard spirit collection so there is something for everyone. Live music is played most nights, mostly it is local folk artists who play, and the people I have seen play have been fantastic, creating a lively atmosphere. Most of the clientele at this pub are locals, so I tend not to come here late at night, as they can be quite sleazy and off putting. A really rustic pub which is a great place to go to listen to live music.

    On the first day I moved to Edinburgh university, having moved all my stuff into my new flat and wondering what to do next, me and my family wandered down Cockburn Street to find some breakfast. As we sat in a small cafe just down the curving street, I noticed that, even at 10.30am, there were people outside the Scotsmans Lounge having what seemed like a great time. I made a mental note then that I would try this place out, and it turned out to be quite a place. A very traditional 'old man pub', the Scotsmans Lounge is a dark, crowded and cosy place, which has a very charming atmosphere - I have never been here and not had a good time, or a night that has ended up without some funny story or other. Its often the case that this place has live music on, or sports on TV, which really is no more than a bit of a distraction away from the general vibe of the place. The bar is well stocked with everything you could imagaine to be in a pub like this, and although I have seen cheaper, its no more expensive than other places in this area.

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    4 years ago

    The best cider I've had ever! The vibe was lively and the service was quick & friendly! I could stay here all day!

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    9 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Friendly service ! Great live music ! Great drinks! The bartenders were really lovely !

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Nice little pub with locals. Live music was a great singer with a guitar and service was fast.

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    9 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Good prices, low-key, bare-bones, and live music. Great place to have a pint and listen to some music.

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    Scotsman's Lounge Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Scotsman's Lounge

    Acts such as Rantum Scantum and Doogi Rush can really get the place jumping even in the afternoon.

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    The Devil's Advocate - Smoked fish plate

    The Devil's Advocate

    4.3(635 reviews)
    0.1 miOld Town, Royal Mile
    ££

    Walking in to The Devil's Advocate in Advocate Close, just above Market St, the large bar greets…read moreyou. We chose the Scottish Road trip whiskey flight. As someone who truly loved little about Scotch, it was a wonderful way to taste and compare smoky vs peaty whiskeys. Fun. Our table was upstairs and we sat next to an open door which allows for fresh cool air. It was a warm day in Edinburgh. Our server was wonderful, patient and really helpful. Our choices were truly delicious. We started with the fish board, olives, and mushroom skewer. We loved them all. I enjoyed the cod main dish, while my wife finished the starters. The side of asparagus was also excellent. The mouse dessert was delicious but very rich, it's enough for 4 people. The cost of dinner was also totally reasonable. I recommend this place highly.

    Great drinks and a killer location. We got a cheeseboard that was actually quite nice and large,…read morewhich we were very pleased with. The one weird thing -- we were unsure when we arrived how hungry we would be, and the menu is a bit limited. We decided to order just the cheese board and see where we were after that. We were told that once we placed an order, we would not be permitted to put in any more food due to a "small kitchen." I have never heard this rule worded in quite this way. I have been to places that prefer you place everything at once, but not that you would absolutely not be allowed to order more food if you found yourself hungry. We witnessed another table leave because of this rule. The server communicated this rule quite gruffly. The restaurant was also not very busy at all, so couldn't have been crowding concerns. I would definetly recommend for drinks and apps, but, for dinner, perhaps elsewhere.

    Photos
    The Devil's Advocate - Whiskey flight tastings

    Whiskey flight tastings

    The Devil's Advocate - Fish Filet

    Fish Filet

    The Devil's Advocate - Double Shot with Dalmore 12, kahula, espresso shot, and Demerara.

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    Double Shot with Dalmore 12, kahula, espresso shot, and Demerara.

    The White Hart Inn

    The White Hart Inn

    3.9(113 reviews)
    0.4 miGrassmarket, Old Town
    ££

    Our first day in Edinburgh and as usual our first order of business is to ride the hop-on-hop-off…read morebus. Today when the Red route took us to old town and I saw The White Hart Inn I said to Jan let's do an early dinner there and she agreed. We continued the route and stayed on back to the stop in old town. We love Alfresco dining but it was too cold and windy today. We went inside and the restrauant was packed. It's open seating. No hostess, no sign in. We were lucky and just happened to be standing next to a table that opened. We had been there about 5 minutes. The restaurant/ pub is rich in history, established in 1516. It's small with limited bar seating and prehaps 8 to 10 tables. It is noisy from conversation, tosting and music, but we didn't have a hard time communicating. It has a great vibe. It's a fun venue and popular with the locals. The menu is not large and has several Scottish offerings. To start, Jan was cold and wanted an Irish coffee. I ordered an Innis and Gunn larger. Innis & Gunn is an acclaimed Scottish brewery founded in 2003 in Edinburgh. It had a slightly citrus flavor. Jan ordered muscles and I ordered the steak and ale pie, served with a charred Hispi cabbage wedge, buttered mash and Merlot beef dripping gravy. It was very tasty, very robust flavor. I loved the cabbage; great flavor. I had to look up hispi cabbage and it is a variety of green cabbage. The muscles were good and the broth very nice. We had a lovely time and a good meal. Our good luck at freelancing dining venues while we explore Ireland and Scotland continues.

    We chose this place for being one of the oldest establishments in Scotland dating back to the 18th…read more Century and a place where poets like Wordsworth, Burns etc gathered for a sip. The setting still looked ancient and the overall ambiance was befitting. Small place though. The food and drinks however disappointed. They could have put more efforts to turn the place into something much more than it is. Service was efficient without being really excellent.

    Photos
    The White Hart Inn
    The White Hart Inn
    The White Hart Inn - Cozy place

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    Cozy place

    Queens Arms

    Queens Arms

    4.4(115 reviews)
    0.5 miNew Town
    ££

    Bar staff friendly and timely. Carrie (bartender) served us 2 nights in a row. So good we came back…read more2 time on our two night stay. Didn't wait long for drink in a very busy bar. Food was also good, veg were perfectly warmed, not over seasoned and crisp. Exactly how I like them. Food was a Lil pricey. But a great experience overall. Highly recommend.

    Out of all the places I've been to in Scotland, I think Queens Arms was one of my favorites…read more We had reservations for this place recently and when I took one step inside, I was already in love. I mean who doesn't love a good pub? You get great drinks and great food at an affordable price. As I write it makes me think of think of when Zidane reunites with Freya in FF9. Sometimes we don't wanna eat at fancy Michelin restaurant that has small plates but charges a premium. Sometimes we just wanna cut all the BS and just get a nice hearty meal. And thats what we got. When we sat down we found out that they were doing a Trivia night. Normally I would have told my girl to pick another spot to eat but for some reason I was cool with it. There was even a table nearby with kids(yuck). And you know what? It was fine. That's because we had been sipping on some amazing cocktails. If you also partake, Gin and Mezcal enjoyers will love the Bramble and Hibiscus Crush. What color are Luigi's overalls from Super Mario? That's such an easy question. Wait...what do you mean Luigi's overalls are blue? They are green. Look at this picture onli...Oh... One of the stars of our meal was the Haggis. This was the first time I had ever tried it and after trying it at multiple places Scotland, Queens Arms I feel has done it the best. I love the complexity of the flavors of the meat with the creamy and pepper flavors of the peppercorn sauce. If you've never had Haggis, you definitely have to try it here. The best part is that it comes with mashed potatoes too! Shoutouts to the Fish and Chips if you are also into that. One of my friends ordered that and I definitely had to go back in for multiple bites. Finally the roast. The Sunday Roast should just be an automatic order if you happen to come here on a Sunday. You get so much food and it's all so damn tasty. They'll cook a roast to whatever doneness your heart desires. We went with Medium Rare and it came out perfectly. If you didn't have enough flavors with all the extra sides it comes with, they also give you gravy to pour on anything you want. Thanksgiving basically came early this night. But as I looked around and admired all the bookshelf's and all the families have a nice dinner with their loved ones, I just thought about how happy I was. I was finally here! This was the start of my trip. Queens Arms has set a high ceiling on great experiences in Scotland. We even went back there a couple of days ago just because we knew we would be able to end the night on a good drink. But in the end I think if you are Edinburgh, you have to come to this place. It is one of my favorite experiences I've had in Scotland so far and I dream about when I can come back again.

    Photos
    Queens Arms
    Queens Arms
    Queens Arms - Wellington upfront and Mac and Cheese in the back

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    Wellington upfront and Mac and Cheese in the back

    Scotsman's Lounge - pubs - Updated June 2026

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