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The Black Rose Tavern

3.6 (60 reviews)
ModeratePubs
Closed • 12:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)

The Black Rose Tavern Photos

THE BLACK ROSE TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

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

Recommended Reviews - The Black Rose Tavern

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Reviews With Photos

Scott L.

A-ok. Mainly for Friendly Service, which I expect in any pub on Rose street, as well as draft cider, and ubiquitous fish and chips on menu. Extra star for Live music (not too loud) and Halloween decor, which I like, but might turn off some. They have a "no football colors" policy, which I found prominently displayed, intriguing and somewhat comforting. Did they have trouble? What inspired this? Answers to these questions are why I walked through the door! I was disappointed with the answer to the question "What is the best main item?" : Fish and Chips. Really? It tasted exactly like every other fish and slightly soggy chips I'd had-- Ok, but nothing special!I'm not firmly determined never to order this again!

Main dining
Gloria Marisol M.

Food was made to order and was the portions were very generous. The ambiance was good perfect for a pub and either late lunch or earlier dinner exploring town. The service was quick and very attentive. Definitely will recommend for a quick bite

Steak & chips.
Kenneth M.

Relative to it's size Edinburgh has surprisingly few rock/metal bars (I'm discounting the Disneyland that is the Hard Rock Cafe from the overall number) but the Black Rose is undoubtedly the most central of the half dozen or so. Clean and comfortable inside it also offers outdoor seating on Rose Street. The jukebox is well stocked with all variations on the theme of rock and metal although it gets switched off when major sports events are being shown on the large TV above the bar. There are always one or two drinks deal on and aside from those a good selection of draught products, bottled equivalents, wine & spirits is on hand to meet your alcohol needs. For designated drivers or other non-drinkers the soft drink prices are amongst the keenest in the city. Cooked breakfasts (handy if you've spent a night in the Travelodge directly beside the place), burgers, fish & chips etc. make up the core menu and the staff will go the extra mile in attempting to meet any special requests.

Em C.

The Black Rose Tavern looks sleek and edgy from the outside, with an interesting mix of sophistication and old tavern. There is in fact nothing old about this place - it's a cool but kicked back rock bar! Serving up good snacky food during the day and having a kick ass jukebox playing out rock classics, The Tavern is certainly one of the cooler bars in Edinburgh that I've been to. It attracts a mixed crowd, which further displays it has a universal charm. It's used by many as a precursor for going out but in its own right, the Black Rose Tavern host some great nights. There is an open mic every Tuesday for aspiring musicians, and for those of us who wish that we were Gene Simmons, there is a rock karaoke every week! They used to do rock karaoke in Glasgow and I only wish I could be through here more often for the event - there is nothing more fun than wailing along to Total Eclipse of the Heart when you're tipsy! This bar manages to successfully be a Jack of all Trades. By day, it serves up great food and is a nice place to hang out with your mates over a few beers. By night, it has a buzz about it, and is one of the nicer places to drink in Edinburgh. It's got more character than a lot of the vapid cocktail bars I've been to in Edinburgh over the years, so I am definitely a fan of this cool alternative.

Lauren G.

The Black Rose Tavern has a pretty gothic look about it from the outside, and you can see why when you go in. As the previous reviewers have noted, this pub is pretty rock orientated with lots of gothic/emo style people drinking here. Situated in Rose Street, The Black Rose Tavern is right in the centre of the city and it is just around the corner from the main shopping street in Edinburgh, Princes Street, and so it is a convenient place to reach. Unlike other pubs in Rose Street which appear to be fairly bland and lacking in character, this Tavern is the exact opposite. It is so different than other pub which I have been in before, that I felt compelled to visit it. They serve a good selection of beers, ales, wines and the usual range of spirits are available, and the drinks are really competitively priced, with spirit and mixers costing about £2. The Black Rose Tavern offer a really decent menu too with a a good choice. I had lunch here one day when I was horribly hungover, and their food did the trick for my sore head! I had onion rings and curly fries, as well as sausage and mash - it was really yummy and incredibly well priced with most main meals costing in the region of £5-6. It is a really quirky pub, and they have live music nights which my friend absolutely adores and tries to go to them all. If you want to go to a pub which is different and has a huge amount of character, then The Black Rose Tavern is the place to go.

Emily T.

It looks sort of mysterious, almost gothic from the outside. To be perfectly honest this put me off a little bit, I'm a bit scared of this particular trend! But I was wrong. It's quite nice inside, really quite quirky and surprisingly modern. Although there is definitely still a gothic theme. It looks lovely to sit outside in the summer, which people always are. I think if you did, work on your best 'grunge' look.

The Fiery Scotsman and a Guinness
Teresa L.

Extremely busy the Saturday night I walked in. Not your run of the mill pub - was blaring the 80s rock music via juke box. Pretty easy to get served especially seeing as the place was packed. I recommend the Fiery Scotsman for anyone who is looking for a hearty meal with some spice and isn't afraid of haggis. Thought the food and drink were spot on.

It was actually the funky, different sign that first drew me to The Black Rose Tavern. Then it was the eclectic mix of prim and proper with biker and rocker folk sitting outside in the sun with pints of beer or glasses of rose. This seemed like my kind of place. It is essentially a pub just like the rest, but the difference here is that the focus is on rock. The emphasis is very much on live rock music, and we found ourselves in here on a Wednesday night when the very unique rock karaoke takes place. You won't find any Cher or Celine on the screens here, think Slayer and Marilyn Manson. It makes for an interesting evening anyway, I'll say that much! I would definitely go back here for a night out. The people were friendly and everyone was there to have a laugh and let their hair down. Next time I might not wear my pink jacket though, I did get a few stares!

From business website.

This place is an odd mixture. Firstly, the actual bar itself is very much a traditional, wooden 'old man pub' - until you look up and notice the skulls, the gothic candles and hear the music. Yes, we are in a ROCK PUB! The best way I can think of to describe this place is if the rock club Opium in Cowgate is your main course, then The Black Rose is the chilled glass of champagne and a canape. It is great to saitisfy you for a little bit, but soon enough you are gagging for the larger portion. You cant just fill up on canapes, they dont have enough substance. The same goes here - yes, the pub is great, the rock music is good (and somethimes live), the drinks are cheap and the general atmosphere is fun - but you will want to move on at some point. It has no real staying power for the whole night (but thats a different analogy).

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9 years ago

You have to order by your self from the bar. The burger was not that good but the fries was excellent. I don't recommend it.

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Review Highlights - The Black Rose Tavern

“There is in fact nothing old about this place - it's a cool but kicked back rock bar!”

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The World's End - Inside the pub

The World's End

3.9(170 reviews)
0.4 mi•Old Town, Newington
•££

The World's End is THE spot on the Royal Mile. If you're tempted to bypass everything because it's…read more"touristy," don't overlook this place. It's solid pub grub in a cozy interior with an ultra-stocked bar, plenty on tap, and all the classic dishes you'd hope for. After beasting my way up Arthur's Seat, I was in need of something more substantial than café fare. I popped in a bit later than the lunch rush and managed to squeeze in at the bar. And yeah, expect it to be packed--but for good reason. All the classics are on offer here, including fish and chips and sausage and mash. After much deliberation, I landed on the sausage and mash, and it absolutely delivered. Hearty, stick-to-your-ribs food that was exactly what I needed. Delicious! All the other dishes passing by looked and smelled nearly as good. Great meal, great price, an even better location, and friendly staff. If I'd stayed longer in Edinburgh, I absolutely would have eaten here again!

The energy was warm and welcoming from the moment we arrived, and the wait staff were incredibly…read morehelpful in getting us seated. We had been wanting to try haggis, but it can feel a little intimidating when you've never had it before. When I saw the haggis bon bons on the menu, it was a must-try! They were served with a whiskey sauce that paired beautifully with the haggis and added so much flavor, I had to restrain myself from drinking the sauce!  We also had the steak and ale pie, which to this day I'm still dreaming about and wishing I could have it again. The meat was falling apart and tender, the vegetables were perfectly soft, and the puff pastry was wonderfully flaky and delicious. Paired with a couple of beers, this was an amazing experience and one I won't soon forget. Highly recommend giving this place a try!

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The World's End
The World's End
The World's End - Sticky toffee pudding and icecream

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Sticky toffee pudding and icecream

The White Hart Inn

The White Hart Inn

3.9(113 reviews)
0.4 mi•Grassmarket, 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

The Black Rose Tavern - pubs - Updated October 2026

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