The Auld Hoose
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Recommended Reviews - The Auld Hoose
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After a long day of walking around Edinburgh in the cold, a late lunch here was just what we needed. The food was delicious and the portions were huge! We ordered the onion rings and the beef chili nachos without being able to finish either. We did have to ask a few times for the onion rings to be brought out, but the atmosphere was cozy and it was no bother. They also offer a student discount year-round! Ask with your check for 10% off.
As Americans would say, more bang for your buck! For the amount of food we ate our bill was so inexpensive. This is a good place to go if you're a broke college student or just wanting to save your money. The food is good and the service is great. & to top it off, there's vegan options! Their vegan nachos are HUGE. You definitely want to share those with a person or two! We enjoyed our time there. The vibes are super chill. We were after food but they also have a variety of alcoholic drinks (which even includes sake) if you're after a cheap night out of drinking. I would definitely return.
Admittedly, the Auld Hoose is a bit of a walk if you're staying anywhere in New Town (or even much of Old Town), but it's sooooooooooooooooooo worth it. Home of Edinburgh's Largest Nachos! No, seriously. I'm proud of the fact that my partner and I can turn on our inner racoons and do serious damage to mountains of food, but the portions here are epic. We got the regular sized vegan nachos - chips topped with five bean chili, cheeze, jalapenos, sour cream, and guacamole, and a tower of vegan onion rings that came with three dipping sauces (sweet chili, guac, and BBQ). You know those scenes in movies when everyone in the restaurant stops and stares? That's what happens when food comes out of the kitchen at The Auld Hoose. The nachos were embarrassingly large. The onion ring tower was embarrassingly large. And they were both so flipping delicious that way, wat past the point of feeling overwhelmingly full, we just kept attacking both. The nachos were perfect; no chip overbaked or soggy at any point, and the toppings were abundant to the point of falling off. And the onion rings? Perfectly fried, and perfect ratio of crispy coating to melt-in-your-mouth onion. Also, shout-out to the staff. We placed our drink order - a beer for him and a cider for me - and they were quick to let us know which beverages actually weren't vegan because of gelatin. Loved that. They were so helpful; super busy even at a weird hour of a midweek day, but definitely hustling through all the orders and the ever growing queue. You're never gonna have nachos like the ones here, so do yourself a favor and make the trip across town!
Wow! I went to The Auld Hoose back during Fringe 2019. I am from the U.S. and had just turned 21 and was terrified of going into a new restaurant abroad. The staff was incredibly friendly and gave amazing recommendations to the point that I came back with my whole theatre company multiple times. You will never find nachos like these in America trust me I have tried!! I can't wait to go back and these nachos are one of the top reasons why. -How can you eat these massive nachos you may ask?? Take one of the side plates and put it under the lip of the nacho plate. Then grab a fork and take a chunk out of the nachos! Voila!
'Good luck!' wished the man who placed the bowl of GIGANTIC vegan nachos before us. 'How hungry are you?' the man behind the bar had asked as the three of us placed our order. This is when we learned that The Auld Hoose did not do things by half measures. And, boy, do the gigantic nachos live up to their name. They are comically huge and quite a sight to see. - Far, too much for three, but we were willing to give it our best shot! I'm not a vegan but I'm currently off dairy for the moment and was dining with a vegan so the vegan nachos were just the kind of thing we were after and kept everyone happy. I'm always keen to dine vegan and the Auld Hoose proves, yet again, that vegan food can be every bit as good, if not better, than the alternative. With an impressive range of beers available and a menu that had my vegan friend swooning over the choice she had, I'd say I'm a fan of the Auld Hoose after just the one visit. SERIOUSLY, look at my picture of the gigantic nachos and tell me that isn't some kind of foodie heaven?!
The nachos here and legendary, and for good reason. I ordered the regular size and laughed when the guy at the bar wrote 'small' - the two of us made a valiant effort and still left enough nachos to feed a third person. A third friend with us, being vegan, funnily enough didn't fancy sharing our full cow beef chilli on the nachos!. I am assured that the vegan chilli hot dog she had was very good, and just serves as proof that vegan food doesn't have to be healthy. We also ordered some onion rings for the table and when the totem-pole of deep fried onion arrived we gasped and photographed it in awe. But again, even with the awesome dips we just couldn't eat that much. You get plenty of food for your money at The Auld Hoose, and there's plenty of choice across carnivore/vegetarian/vegan options without it being too fussy, which is great. They've a good selection of alcohol on tap - I enjoyed a very refreshing cloudy cider. The ambiance is chilled, and the jukebox is well stacked with something other than your regular pop tunes, although the music is (thankfully) neither loud nor imposing. After we had eaten we spotted the cage full of board games and we (obviously) had a quick round of CaH while we finished our drinks. Definitely a place I would return to, but especially if I was entertaining a vegan friend
I want to come here constantly! They have something for everyone--vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike! I've never seen anyplace like this. They're so versatile, and with such an appealing menu. The onion rings and spring rolls were great, and I ordered the vegetarian fry up! Perfect.
This place is magnificent. Excellent vegan/ Veg/ and carnivore selection. The atmosphere is laid-back and extremely comfortable with many high back leather boots. Almost a dozen beers on top and 20 and bottle. Quite a few spirits and extremely friendly staff. The place is clean and playing punk and metal music. The food is quick and beautiful.
I really like the this place - it's close to the Pleasance so it's great for my Fringe addiction, dog-friendly (not really something I look for, but appreciate it's a plus for others) and staff have always been friendly when I've been in. Their menu is brilliantly labelled for vegans and vegetarians; they have burritos and nachos that have their standard ingredients and if you eat meat, they can add beef or chicken. Vegetarian? More veg and dairy cheese. Vegan? More veg and vegan cheese. Job done. They also have a raspberry sorbet suitable for vegans (as well as two dairy options) and chips and spring rolls, meat and veggie/vegan breakfasts, and scampi and meaty pies. Lots of comfort foods which hopefully would suit any diet, not sure about their glutenfree options though. However, unless you have a corn allergy or are watching your salt intake you can't usually go wrong with nachos, and they do massive, massive sharing portions of them! On check in on the Yelp app I also got a free shot of sake. Woo! That's worth it for going in for a drink alone! They also have a handwritten list of different alcohol choices they've compiled which they know - as much as anyone can find out - are and aren't suitable for vegans (filtered with fish/egg/other); it's a bit tricky getting that info even when you've been vegan for years and send companies emails etc etc, so it's a nice touch. Not all restaurants which are vegan-friendly for food think about this, so definitely an added bonus. They have a wide selection of craft beers and guest ales so I think it's worth trying something a bit different from the Heinekien and Hoegarden (much as I do enjoy them). The only thing not really my bag is the music, but there aren't that many places which play Stock, Aitken and Waterman tracks on a loop - or have customers apart from me who would appreciate that - so I can't really be too picky on that one.
It was convenience that drew me to the Auld Hoose to start with, being as its located very close to a friend's house but boy am I glad it is. We wanted somewhere close by to get something quick and easy to eat, and despite initial fears upon seeing the menus at the Auld Hoose, being both sparsely populated and plastic coated, there was really nothing to worry about. The menu proudly claims that the nachos are "probably the biggest in Edinburgh" and four of us feeling adventurous chose to take on the challenge. Fortunately another two people turned up because these nachos... were HUGE. Seriously - go and check the picture I added. They happily fed six people. SIX GROWN PEOPLE! That;s ridiculous. Happily it wasn't just quantity over quality, as the toppings on the nachos were pretty delicious, particularly the chilli itself. People at other tables seemed to be enjoying burgers and other assorted pub grub, and I'd happily come back to try any number of other things from the menu - which ranges from the aforementioned burgers to classics like Stovies and Haggis, Neeps and Tatties. The Auld Hoose is first and foremost a bar though and there were a good deal of beers and ales on offer - not to mention an awesome metal jukebox and happily you don't need to be tatted from tête to toe to fit in - having come straight from work at the time I was *slightly* overdressed, but no one batted an eyelid in my direction. What a lovely place. More places with HUGE food and less attitude please.
Not the best looking pub, but nice enough. We found one staff member very nice and helpful and the other not that great. He seemed to be working alone at the time he served us and the pub was busy, so maybe that's why. The range of drinks wasn't the best but sufficient for a quick drink and rest after climbing Arthur's Seat. Feeling a bit peckish we ordered the giant nachos... And they were huge! They easily served the 7 of us. We did ask for more sour cream and guacamole as half way through there were loads of tortilla chips left but not as much topping. We had to pay extra for this - it would have been nice customer service just to add a little more and no charge in my opinion. When checking in we received a free shot of Sake. Nice to have a freebie but thought Sake was a bit random. We received a 10% student discount on the nachos which was handy. All in all okay, but I wouldn't rush back.
11 months ago
Love this pub. Staff very friendly (shout out to the friendly Canadian server/bar tenders). Food was great, nachos plates are out of this world (see pic). Locals were very friendly and great to talk to. If back in Edinburgh will definitely be going back. read more
Service was nice. It's basically ordering at the counter and getting it brought to you. If you want anything you need to get up and get it from them yourself. Not a problem. Place was empty on a Monday afternoon visiting the area. I ordered the steak sandwich which was dry and the bread hard. Fries were not seasoned but you can do that yourself with condiments on the table. I added mayo to my sandwich but it didn't much help so I just opened the sandwich and ate the meat. Kids' Mac and cheese wasn't all that but the pulled pork was good. Wouldn't recommend but it was not horrific. read more
After a big hike nearby, came by here to get some lunch. Only one person working the place, but wasn't too crowded. Was able to grab a menu and place an order upfront immediately. Settled on the Steak Sandwich (£13.75) and a draft beer (£5ish). The sandwich has a fairly thin slice of beef with tomatoes and lettuce on a ciabatta bread. Basic ingredients and easy to eat, with the giant pile of fries always a nice addition. Lots of good local beer on draft and can. Started with the Clwb Tropica - a hazy fruited IPA that went well with the food. Next was the Last Breath IPA - multiple hop offering that was good for after meal. Really wanted to try their famous nachos, though it was way too much for one person. A nice pub for food and drink. read more
After a long day of walking around Edinburgh in the cold, a late lunch here was just what we needed. The food was delicious and the portions were huge! We ordered the onion rings and the beef chili nachos without being able to finish either. We did have to ask a few times for the onion rings to be brought out, but the atmosphere was cozy and it was no bother. They also offer a student discount year-round! Ask with your check for 10% off. read more
As Americans would say, more bang for your buck! For the amount of food we ate our bill was so inexpensive. This is a good place to go if you're a broke college student or just wanting to save your money. The food is good and the service is great. & to top it off, there's vegan options! Their vegan nachos are HUGE. You definitely want to share those with a person or two! We enjoyed our time there. The vibes are super chill. We were after food but they also have a variety of alcoholic drinks (which even includes sake) if you're after a cheap night out of drinking. I would definitely return. read more
Admittedly, the Auld Hoose is a bit of a walk if you're staying anywhere in New Town (or even much of Old Town), but it's sooooooooooooooooooo worth it. Home of Edinburgh's Largest Nachos! No, seriously. I'm proud of the fact that my partner and I can turn on our inner racoons and do serious damage to mountains of food, but the portions here are epic. We got the regular sized vegan nachos - chips topped with five bean chili, cheeze, jalapenos, sour cream, and guacamole, and a tower of vegan onion rings that came with three dipping sauces (sweet chili, guac, and BBQ). You know those scenes in movies when everyone in the restaurant stops and stares? That's what happens when food comes out of the kitchen at The Auld Hoose. The nachos were embarrassingly large. The onion ring tower was embarrassingly large. And they were both so flipping delicious that way, wat past the point of feeling overwhelmingly full, we just kept attacking both. The nachos were perfect; no chip overbaked or soggy at any point, and the toppings were abundant to the point of falling off. And the onion rings? Perfectly fried, and perfect ratio of crispy coating to melt-in-your-mouth onion. Also, shout-out to the staff. We placed our drink order - a beer for him and a cider for me - and they were quick to let us know which beverages actually weren't vegan because of gelatin. Loved that. They were so helpful; super busy even at a weird hour of a midweek day, but definitely hustling through all the orders and the ever growing queue. You're never gonna have nachos like the ones here, so do yourself a favor and make the trip across town! read more
6 years ago
Wow! I went to The Auld Hoose back during Fringe 2019. I am from the U.S. and had just turned 21 and was terrified of going into a new restaurant abroad. The staff was incredibly friendly and gave amazing recommendations to the point that I came back with my whole theatre company multiple times. You will never find nachos like these in America trust me I have tried!! I can't wait to go back and these nachos are one of the top reasons why. -How can you eat these massive nachos you may ask?? Take one of the side plates and put it under the lip of the nacho plate. Then grab a fork and take a chunk out of the nachos! Voila! read more
2 years ago
7 years ago
Vegan nachos were fantastic but we could not finish them because the portion was so big! Cool atmosphere and nice selection of beers on tap. Service was good! read more
'Good luck!' wished the man who placed the bowl of GIGANTIC vegan nachos before us. 'How hungry are you?' the man behind the bar had asked as the three of us placed our order. This is when we learned that The Auld Hoose did not do things by half measures. And, boy, do the gigantic nachos live up to their name. They are comically huge and quite a sight to see. - Far, too much for three, but we were willing to give it our best shot! I'm not a vegan but I'm currently off dairy for the moment and was dining with a vegan so the vegan nachos were just the kind of thing we were after and kept everyone happy. I'm always keen to dine vegan and the Auld Hoose proves, yet again, that vegan food can be every bit as good, if not better, than the alternative. With an impressive range of beers available and a menu that had my vegan friend swooning over the choice she had, I'd say I'm a fan of the Auld Hoose after just the one visit. SERIOUSLY, look at my picture of the gigantic nachos and tell me that isn't some kind of foodie heaven?! read more
The nachos here and legendary, and for good reason. I ordered the regular size and laughed when the guy at the bar wrote 'small' - the two of us made a valiant effort and still left enough nachos to feed a third person. A third friend with us, being vegan, funnily enough didn't fancy sharing our full cow beef chilli on the nachos!. I am assured that the vegan chilli hot dog she had was very good, and just serves as proof that vegan food doesn't have to be healthy. We also ordered some onion rings for the table and when the totem-pole of deep fried onion arrived we gasped and photographed it in awe. But again, even with the awesome dips we just couldn't eat that much. You get plenty of food for your money at The Auld Hoose, and there's plenty of choice across carnivore/vegetarian/vegan options without it being too fussy, which is great. They've a good selection of alcohol on tap - I enjoyed a very refreshing cloudy cider. The ambiance is chilled, and the jukebox is well stacked with something other than your regular pop tunes, although the music is (thankfully) neither loud nor imposing. After we had eaten we spotted the cage full of board games and we (obviously) had a quick round of CaH while we finished our drinks. Definitely a place I would return to, but especially if I was entertaining a vegan friend read more
I want to come here constantly! They have something for everyone--vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike! I've never seen anyplace like this. They're so versatile, and with such an appealing menu. The onion rings and spring rolls were great, and I ordered the vegetarian fry up! Perfect. read more
9 years ago
This place is magnificent. Excellent vegan/ Veg/ and carnivore selection. The atmosphere is laid-back and extremely comfortable with many high back leather boots. Almost a dozen beers on top and 20 and bottle. Quite a few spirits and extremely friendly staff. The place is clean and playing punk and metal music. The food is quick and beautiful. read more
I really like the this place - it's close to the Pleasance so it's great for my Fringe addiction, dog-friendly (not really something I look for, but appreciate it's a plus for others) and staff have always been friendly when I've been in. Their menu is brilliantly labelled for vegans and vegetarians; they have burritos and nachos that have their standard ingredients and if you eat meat, they can add beef or chicken. Vegetarian? More veg and dairy cheese. Vegan? More veg and vegan cheese. Job done. They also have a raspberry sorbet suitable for vegans (as well as two dairy options) and chips and spring rolls, meat and veggie/vegan breakfasts, and scampi and meaty pies. Lots of comfort foods which hopefully would suit any diet, not sure about their glutenfree options though. However, unless you have a corn allergy or are watching your salt intake you can't usually go wrong with nachos, and they do massive, massive sharing portions of them! On check in on the Yelp app I also got a free shot of sake. Woo! That's worth it for going in for a drink alone! They also have a handwritten list of different alcohol choices they've compiled which they know - as much as anyone can find out - are and aren't suitable for vegans (filtered with fish/egg/other); it's a bit tricky getting that info even when you've been vegan for years and send companies emails etc etc, so it's a nice touch. Not all restaurants which are vegan-friendly for food think about this, so definitely an added bonus. They have a wide selection of craft beers and guest ales so I think it's worth trying something a bit different from the Heinekien and Hoegarden (much as I do enjoy them). The only thing not really my bag is the music, but there aren't that many places which play Stock, Aitken and Waterman tracks on a loop - or have customers apart from me who would appreciate that - so I can't really be too picky on that one. read more
It was convenience that drew me to the Auld Hoose to start with, being as its located very close to a friend's house but boy am I glad it is. We wanted somewhere close by to get something quick and easy to eat, and despite initial fears upon seeing the menus at the Auld Hoose, being both sparsely populated and plastic coated, there was really nothing to worry about. The menu proudly claims that the nachos are "probably the biggest in Edinburgh" and four of us feeling adventurous chose to take on the challenge. Fortunately another two people turned up because these nachos... were HUGE. Seriously - go and check the picture I added. They happily fed six people. SIX GROWN PEOPLE! That;s ridiculous. Happily it wasn't just quantity over quality, as the toppings on the nachos were pretty delicious, particularly the chilli itself. People at other tables seemed to be enjoying burgers and other assorted pub grub, and I'd happily come back to try any number of other things from the menu - which ranges from the aforementioned burgers to classics like Stovies and Haggis, Neeps and Tatties. The Auld Hoose is first and foremost a bar though and there were a good deal of beers and ales on offer - not to mention an awesome metal jukebox and happily you don't need to be tatted from tête to toe to fit in - having come straight from work at the time I was *slightly* overdressed, but no one batted an eyelid in my direction. What a lovely place. More places with HUGE food and less attitude please. read more
7 years ago
Great carb meal after running the #tunneltrailrun. Sophie was exceptionally helpful. Onion ring tower hit the spot. read more
Not the best looking pub, but nice enough. We found one staff member very nice and helpful and the other not that great. He seemed to be working alone at the time he served us and the pub was busy, so maybe that's why. The range of drinks wasn't the best but sufficient for a quick drink and rest after climbing Arthur's Seat. Feeling a bit peckish we ordered the giant nachos... And they were huge! They easily served the 7 of us. We did ask for more sour cream and guacamole as half way through there were loads of tortilla chips left but not as much topping. We had to pay extra for this - it would have been nice customer service just to add a little more and no charge in my opinion. When checking in we received a free shot of Sake. Nice to have a freebie but thought Sake was a bit random. We received a 10% student discount on the nachos which was handy. All in all okay, but I wouldn't rush back. read more
A cosy Edinburgh pub with friendly staff, whopping nachos and a nice vibe. I like it! I visited for a covert meeting of which I cannot reveal any of the details ... let's just say there were lots of hungry people who'd ordered two portions of nachos between 8 people before we'd arrived. I thought this was pretty optimistic when I saw the size of the nachos - these are indeed as gigantic as you've heard. Large doesn't always mean good though (ahem) but I'm happy to report these were excellent. The tortilla chips were plentiful, obviously, there was LOADS of topping and the beef chilli was super tasty. My only suggestion would be a side plate to eat off as it was a little bit messy at times. I wasn't drinking on this visit but their orange and lemonade is well tasty, and not too expensive either. There is parking right out the front if you're driving through from Scotland's best city for a visit, and the staff will make you feel both warm and welcome. read more
Hands down: the vegan nachos are PHENOMENAL! This wonderful pub dishes up friendly bartenders, great beer, and vegan nachos that will make you cry with joy. Piled high with guacamole, the layers of wonderfully-melted cheese, peppers, jalapenos seemed never ending...until they were. Two of us nearly finished an entire plate but would recommend sharing (and we didn't even order the giant version!) After climbing Arthur's seat, the 20 minute walk to these nachos was absolutely worth it. read more
As locals go, this one is probably hard to beat. I liked the vibe and clientele (mostly students but good craic and atmosphere) and the bar looked well stocked and plentiful. Where this place excelled was its food. I ordered a veggie burrito and it was damn fine. Daaaaaamn fine. The plate was rammed with a massive burrito, loads of rice and sauces to boot. Hugely enjoyable pub grub. Pals ordered a plate of nachos and they were the largest mountain of chips and topping I've seen for the price. They looked amazing! So in short this is the place to come to catch up with pals and get fed to bursting. Yum! read more
16 years ago
As the name suggests, this is quite a traditional pub. And if you're into your whiskies, then you'll be in heaven here as they have over 20 different types, ranging from the Highlands to as far afield as Japan. If you're more of a real ale drinker, the good thing about this place is the constantly-changing selection of guest ales to choose from, alongside the two resident ones. But there are lots of girl-friendly drinks to choose from too: their house wine is definitely among the nicer ones I've had a pub recently and the white is always nicely chilled. The main thing I love about this place though has to be the food. If you're a student you get 10% off, and the portions are really generous so it's great value for money. Don't make the mistake I did though... you will not be able to finish the nachos on your own. Not if you plan on doing anything other than sleep for the rest of the day, anyway. They also do really good burgers, and you build the exact combination of fillings yourself so you're bound to end up with one that you like. I've never had the sunday roast myself, but that's what i'll be having next time I go here, as my flatmates rave about it. Why not five stars then? The music. The jukebox is purely punk/metal/gothic, and although it's not blasted really loud like most metal pubs, I just find it a bit of a weird combination with the traditional décor and mainstream food. Don't let that put you off though... if I could have rated this 4 1/2 stars I would have. read more
9 years ago
GET THE JUMBO VEGAN NACHOS!!! If you're questioning it literally just look at this picture & that should make your decision. read more
8 years ago
8 years ago
This is my favourite nacho place in Edinburgh. It's signature MAHOOSIVE mountains of nachos are amazing and I love that they have vegan and veggie options as well, especially because it is a very unassuming place. We had the veggie nachos this time which have all the flavour of the beef ones but aren't as heavy (or bad for the environment!) highly recommend read more
10 years ago
Vegetarian nachos the perfect meal for two to share when you just want some straightforward food and don't want to think about what fancy restaurant to go to. The staff was friendly and you can bring your dog! It's a bit out of the way if you're staying in central Edinburgh but worth the trip for a good pub with lots of locals. read more
16 years ago
7 years ago
7 years ago
13 years ago
7 years ago
14 years ago
9 years ago
Auld Hoose is a fab pub. There are a great choice of excellent beers on tap. Their nachos are amazing (and huge sizes so take loads of friends and share)!! Friendly bar staff. Can only highly recommend this place. Love it. read more
16 years ago
I can't add anything to Fiona's review, she nailed it. Good place and the burgers a famous around these parts. But The Edinburgh University Goth & Rock Society need to stop meeting in here, they've killed what was a perfectly good jukebox!!! read more
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More info about The Auld Hoose
23-25 St Leonard's Street
Edinburgh EH8 9QN
United Kingdom
Newington
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0131 668 2934
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http://www.theauldhoose.co.uk
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The Auld Hoose - pubs - Updated May 2026
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