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The Black Rose Tavern

3.6 (60 reviews)
ModeratePubs
Closed 11:00 am - 1:00 AM (Next day)

The Black Rose Tavern Photos

THE BLACK ROSE TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Live music
Outdoor seating

Recommended Reviews - The Black Rose Tavern

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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).

Very Hot Tea

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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 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)
0.4 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.

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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)
0.1 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 Black Rose Tavern - pubs - Updated May 2026

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