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    The Beehive Inn

    3.5 (89 reviews)
    ModeratePubs

    The Beehive Inn Photos

    THE BEEHIVE INN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Very loud
    Casual
    Touristy
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - The Beehive Inn

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    Reviews With Photos

    Steak Sandwhich
    Claudia C.

    My husband and I stopped in for a quick bite while out on Holiday. The food was good, highly recommend the fried Halloumi cheese as a shareable. We did not have a reservation but they had a reservation side and a walk in side. We were lucky and walked in and found a table right away!! It's a cozy place with plenty of seating. Great spot to pop in a grab a drink!

    Bar front
    Wendy B.

    Great atmosphere and food. You order at the bar but they bring it to your table. The staff are very attentive especially with the size of the crowd. The food was hot and delicious and the beer was cold and refreshing. Great location, definitely recommend!

    Steve H.

    I would say more of a 3.5 overall. So we are staying on the Grassmarket area (which is a perfect place to stay btw). So The Beehive is really close. We popped in for dinner. If you don't have a reservation, no big deal. If you can find a table, grab it! Totally allowed. Make your way to the bar. Get a drink (if you want). Then tell the bartender your table number and they will send someone over. Or order there and have it brought. We had a table service. They charge a 10% surcharge for this. Here it seemed to mean: it's a bit impersonal and slow. Plus you have to find a refill either from the bar or if you can flag someone down. We both had the fish and "triple fried" chips. Fish? Piping hot, flaky and not overdone. The chips seemed like frozen steak fries. Nothing special there. The peas were ok. Shared a sticky toffee pudding. With custard. Super rich. Oh, and super good! Kind of a no frills, loud at times place.

    Sara G.

    The Beehive Inn in Edinburgh is history, history and more history. It is a typical pub vibe with wood everywhere. It sits in the shadows of the Edinburgh Castle with a legacy of 400 years. A counter service spot, this was a quick dinner. During my visit, I had the pleasure of sampling a few of their notable dishes. Fried Halloumi I loved the spice of the red chilli. The halloumi was both crispy and light. Hake & Romesco Ragout The grilled hake fillet served with a romesco white bean ragout, salsa verde, and carrot crisps surprised me. Contrary to my initial expectation of a stew, the dish had a beautifully cooked fillet of fish laid over a rich but light ragout. The salsa verde added a zesty pesto type touch and the carrot crisps provided a special crunch. Fish & Chips A visit to Scotland wouldn't be complete without chowing some Fish & Chips, and The Beehive Inn's version did not disappoint. The hand-battered Atlantic haddock was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Although I'm not a pub girl, The Beehive Inn proved to be a treasure trove of classics.

    cider and beer
    Tina Q.

    my waitress made my experience so easy! i was unfamiliar with Scottish beer, and had no idea what to order. she gave great recommendations to go with my burger! super cozy and warm vibes in this place :)

    Just happy to be in the building
    Paul V.

    I had to be taught the proper way to do stuff around this place. Pub ordering flowchart: Food Y/N? Drink Y/N? Use the term "soccer" Y/N? These are all critical in creating your ultimate pub experience at Beehive. The food was good and the atmosphere was friendly, with lots of drink choices (it's a pub). Question 1: you want food? Find your table, look at the number, remember it (harder if this is your third or sixth pub today), keep remembering it, maybe write it down, remember where you wrote it. Okay now order with that number you'll never forget. Question 2: you want drinks? Pick it (this could take a while), I guess buy multiples (since they asked "is that all" when I said one drink), find that table of the unforgettable number. Question 3: Do you call it soccer? If yes, note your table will likely not be in view of the 6-10 screens airing a TV playing an Association Football game (this is why you could even get a table here game-time). Think SEC times NFL, minus two quarters, times 1/3 commercials. But enjoy your view of the wall/post with a glimpse of the match, if you crane your neck, and be glad you got a seat. Of course we Yanks partly come just to hear everybody talk. It's across the street, so 75-80% chance I'll be back, just not sure in which order.

    Very disappointing mussels & chips.
    Joe S.

    Looking for good pub food within walking distance of the Royal Mile/Castle. While the Beehive seemed inviting, the meal greatly disappointed us both. Friendly, fast bar service, but the quality of my mussels & chips and her toastie (glorified grilled cheese) was seriously lacking. The mussels were served in a flavorless broth (was it white wine/French? Beer/Belgian? A cream-based stock???) with several unopened shells. Her toastie featured more of a thin cheese spread rather than a real slice of cheese. Our shared mac&cheese was bland and thin. Just a disappointing £50 spend for dinner and two pints.

    A view of Edinburgh Castle steps from the Beehive.
    Jessica C.

    A local recommended the Beehive tilt White Hart (two doors down) for a nearby pub "experience." We chose the Beehive because we saw more options of food that weren't so out-of-the-usual for our unadventurous pallets. (Although I've heard fried haggis balls are pretty good.) Right on the Grassmarket, after a long day touring the city with the on/off Cityseeing City double decker, we popped I for an early dinner. The servers were friendly, helpful, and didn't roll their eyes when we asked for more ice. (Americans- we're obsessed with it apparently.) The haddock fish & chips were delicious, and while I usually prefer cod, this haddock didn't seem quite as fishy. The side of mac-n-cheese was cheesy, rich, and amazing! The dairy here in general is much better than the typical stuff we get in grocery stores at home. My mom enjoyed the bacon burger. The beef seemed to have a bit of a different flavor we couldn't put it fingers on, but good. We loved it.

    Loaded Nachos
    Cara H.

    Super cute bustling Scottish pub near the University of Edinburgh. First come first seating all over restaurant, pub , and beer garden. They were busy on a Monday night! We had to order at the bar and state our table #. They have a great little menu with salads and hamburgers and appetizers etc. we ordered Loaded Nachos and they were great. Some kind of spicy powder on a strange pita tortilla chip. Good avocado. Really delightful. Not mounds of cheese like in the US. Just right amount of cheese. Friendly service even tho we bussed our own table bc we had to snag it. They were fine with that. My daughter drank Guinness and then a cider. I had my usual Sauvignon Blanc. Really reasonable price! Great cheerful busy pub vibe! PS their side salad was great! Arugula, slivered cucumbers, chopped greens, cut tomatoes, fine dressing. I was pleasantly surprised.

    Chicken salad on Ciabatta
    Tina S.

    One of the many touristy trap bar/resto pub in Old town Edinburgh and the food is average. We came in after walking the Royal Mile. No reception, you go in and theres instructions everywhere as to how to go about and order food. Find a table remember your number and order at the bar. Unusual, but it was alright. Theres also a comedy bar upstairs and sports tvs all over the place. Love their onion rings the lighter option sandwiches (the ones we had) not so much. They also have nice selection of ciders if youre into that. All in all it was alright

    Teena D.

    Gord and I enjoyed a beer at The Beehive Inn Saturday because it is apparently the fourth oldest pub in Edinburgh.

    Kathy K.

    Recommended by the hotel front desk clerk for our first meal in Edinburg. We were looking for something within walking distance. She said it was Scottish food -so jumping right in there. At the Inn, you seat yourself and the server comes to the table and takes your order. The menu is on the table. There wasn't a drink menu on the table but of course there was a full bar. We just had Diet Coke and water. The hubby ordered Sausage and Mash and I ordered Steak & Ale Pie. The mashed potatoes are a little different than what we are used to having. Different types of potatoes are used and Americans add much more milk and butter. The greens were crispier than I expected. The gravy on the Steak & Ale Pie was delicious. The bread was very flaky, the steak tender. The server Egan was very helpful at making recommendations. There was a little wait foe our food, but when it came the portions were generous. Each country has its unique foods and ways they cook those foods. Don't really have anything to compare it to but it was hearty comfort food.

    Chicken, wings and salad
    Ryo Hanalei Z.

    I arrived to Edinburgh last night and I was hungry from traveling all day. And because this evening was Halloween, many of bars, and pubs were packed full. So today I was happy I was able to get in find a table and have some lunch. For me today was all about beer and chicken wings. Once you have found your seat, you go and order your food and drinks from the bar and let the bartender know what table number you're sitting at so the food can be delivered to the right place. As I was waiting for my food, I looked around and just observed the patrons here. There's a really cool vibe here. The chicken arrived nice, crispy & golden Brown. It was seasoned well and juicy. The salad was basic but good. Overall, I'm happy I came here for lunch and I was able to get a seat and order some food. I definitely want to come back here again. I hope if you pop in that you have the same experience I did. Njoy!

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    8 months ago

    Great food exceptional service!! A must go to. Bartender very knowledgeable and friendly!

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    3 years ago

    Solid traditional pub. Eat here. Get the pies and the cask ales. Fish and chips also a win.

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    Page 1 of 3

    The Beehive Inn Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - The Beehive Inn

    l. A huge beer garden, right in the shadow of the castle full of people enjoying the cold ales in the warm su

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    The Devil's Advocate - Smoked fish plate

    The Devil's Advocate

    4.3(630 reviews)
    0.3 miOld Town, Royal Mile
    ££

    Just an awesome, rockin' final meal in Edinburgh - fantastic food, good service and energized local…read morevibe! Absolute must to get reservations! We tried on our first week in Edinburgh and failed, but were able to make reservations 3 weeks out for our last night in Scotland, and we are glad we did. Pork cracklins were a bit hard and crunchy, but everything else was perfect. We had fresh bread and langostinis for starters, along with a smokey whiskey cocktail, the Smoked Indiscretion! For mains we enjoyed the poached Cod, and the Pork with Barley. Service was very good, and wine selection was extensive. Atmosphere was loud with music and locals' chatter in the bar below, but dark tables and heavy wood panels made it a perfect place for a couple celebrating 3 weeks of travel. Highly recommend a visit to the Devil's Advocate, if you can book a table in advance.

    The Devil's Advocate is undoubtedly a treasure to find in Old Town Edinburgh, especially if you…read moreaccidentally take the News Steps to get there, only to realize you should have simply taken the steps up Advocate's Close from Cockburn Street. But they call these lessons, "character building," apparently. No matter, the Devil's Advocate is worth the search. Located in an old Victorian pump house halfway up (or down) Advocate's Close, the Devil's Advocate is known for a killer whisky shelf of more than 300 different bottles from various distilleries across the Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, Campbelltown, the Islands, and Islay. I finally sipped on a 15-year Tamdu that has convinced me to keep a bottle at home. Then there's the Clydeside 2024 Limited Edition Cask Strength that was wicked impressive. The bartenders are class at making and serving seasonal and regular cocktails that have their spin and character. My wife enjoyed gin-based cocktails such as the Clean Slate (with St-Germain, citrus, and sugar), Rose Garden (with Yellow Chartreuse, Cocchi Rosa, apple, lemon, and mint), and Bee's Knees (honey and lemon). I went full speed ahead with the scotch cocktails, which are essentially classics with a scotch-substituted twist. The Double Shot is an Espresso Martini with Dalmore 12 in addition to Kahlua, espresso, and demerara -- quite smooth without being too sweet. The Scotzia is a Negroni with Fettercairn 12, while the Boxcar is a Sidecar only with Aberfeldy 12. We enjoyed the bar for a few hours, watching the bartenders make magic while sipping on cocktails, while listening to 80s pop tunes. A great evening indeed.

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    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)
    0.0 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.

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    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(114 reviews)
    0.4 miNew Town
    ££

    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.

    We got 3 reservations to split up our group of 8 adults and 2 kids, so we were all able to make…read moresure to get a table and have the Sunday roast. We shared the ultimate sharing roast and everything was delicious and so filling. It was also nice to be able to sit and watch a match while enjoying the food. The coffee was pretty good too. This is definitely a good option if you're looking for a Sunday roast in the area

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    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

    The Beehive Inn - pubs - Updated May 2026

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