The best aspect of The John Leslie pub, for me, has the be the staff. They are extremely…read moreapproachable, friendly and open besides serving you great pints quickly. The decor also contemporary, yet still manages to retain that feel of a traditional, old pub. The clinetele are almost all locals and they seem a friendly and eclectic bunch. This isn't a standard boozer with fruit machines and gassy, frothy pints of cheap lager, but a proper pub with a good atmosphere and a great range of alcohol. They have a wide range of real ales and beers as well as a decent selection of spirits, including specialist whiskeys from the Highlands. This a good pub with a hearty atmosphere - well worth a visit.

This is a quintessential old man's pub but is still really good fun. Despite the fact it is almost…read moreentirely populated by old regulars, you don't get that 'local pub for local people' feeling, you know the one where everyone goes silent and turns around when you walk in so you slowly back out before they gather up their torches and pitch forks. The old guys in here are all really friendly and with a combined age of well over 1000 they all have stories to tell and are quite happy to tell you them. That's not to say you will be mobbed by people narrating their life to you, just quite nice that they are a chatty old bunch. The pub itself is pretty standard really. It is inoffensive but nothing particularly stands out. There is a good selection of beers and spirits and it is moderately priced. If you are a poker fiend but can't really be bothered to trek off to Vegas every week, on Sundays there is a poker night starting at 7.30 with a £5 buy in. Not quite the same stakes as the huge casinos but it's a bit of a laugh nonetheless

This was our first night in Edinburgh (Sept 2024), having flown all day from SFO. This delightful…read morepub was a short walk from our B&B (check out the 23 Mayfield B&B), and we reserved a table which turned out to be a good idea. It was a Monday, and trivia night, so it was crowded. Good food and good beer, trivia was hard. (Name the fast food chain with most outlets worldwide? Name the top ten grossing Tom Hanks live action movies. That kind of thing - didn't need to be Scottish to play). A huge bonus that we didn't fully appreciate until a week into the trip - they offered skinny fries, which we yanks think of as fries, as an alternative to the thick cut chips that are included in every meal in every restaurant in all of Scotland. Okay, we have not been seeking out Michelin restaurants, but I sure long for some mashed potatoes with my chicken sandwich. Also, really friendly staff at the Old Bell (because we had literally just arrived, we didn't have two pounds in order to join trivia night; they said no worries, and just added it to our food and drink bill). And great ambience - traditional Scottish pub, with food and beer. Check it out.

Wonderful. Warm. Inviting. Our waiter/bartender happily…read morehelped us select beer and whiskey to start our journey into traditional Scottish cuisine. Every dish was artfully made. Smoked salmon so fresh that its firm flesh gives a good bite. The steak and ale pie is also sublime. The haggis is rich, savoury, and delicious. Finally, the sticky toffee pudding has such sweet depth and complexity that I became teary with joy,

Off the beaten path you'll find this fun eccentric pub. Each room with its own unique personality…read more This bar takes you to a different world. A world where you can loud and proud fly your freak flag high. As mentioned The Royal Dick isn't near the hustle and bustle of Old Town. It gives off a punky locals hangout kinda vibe. Absolutely worth the trek to get there.

It's 530PM and this bar is packed. We were very early for a tour so we decided to have our drink…read moreand wait in this lively establishment. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to sit! Luckily, a group left the bar stools and barrel table next to the bar and we were able to sit for a bit and do some people watching. The veterinarian school vibe was interesting and I liked all the weird artifacts "left behind" from the school. Each room to sit in had it's own personality and vibe. Very cool. The bartenders were quick and efficient and shockingly nice. In a place like this, I expect a bit of abruptness but here it was all care and concern. They make a mean gin and tonic too. It was delicious. It may have been one of the best G&T's I've ever had as a matter of fact. I only wish the gin they used in it was sold in the States. Yum yum!!!

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

Such a lovely and quintessentially British pub. It's not impossible to get seating here on a…read moreweekend, which is nice.

Very cool local pub recommended to me by the lads at the Edinburg Larder nearby. It has lovely…read morestained glass windows in the front highlighting the renovated wooden bar and period ceiling. I ordered a build-you-own scotch flight with help of bartender. It was cool to enjoy it with his guidance and check out the afternoon locals - including a piper dissembling and cleaning his bagpipes.

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.

This is exactly the kind of pub I love. Not fancy. Not touristy. Great music. Great drinks. A bit…read moredivey. Dark enough to be intimate. Friendly barkeeper. Moderate prices. Old-school pub atmosphere. If I'd live in the neighbourhood, this would be my local pub to go to all the time.

Having undergone a lick of paint outside and a renovation inside the bar is now a very good choice…read moreshould you wish a quieter establishment in which to watch the football on TV or play Trivial Pursuit or just drink and talk somewhere you don't have to raise your voice in to be heard. At £3.50 for a pint of Joker IPA it's also got a more sensible pricing policy than many of its near neighbours. On visiting again the other week I saw the pub now has an arrangement with the Origano pizza takeaway further down Leith Walk. You can therefore order (from around a dozen or so different types) a pizza & have it delivered to the pub for consumption there.

No real ale but friendly enough when I called in for a pint last week whilst temporarily living in…read morethe area. The McEwan's 70-/- was a decent fallback. Good for the sport on the TV (racing when I was in but I presume the football goes on when available) and for listening to the local characters chew the fat.

Grey Horse Inn a firendly pub on Dalkeith Road which has a welcoming atmosphere, proper 'pub'…read moredrinks and efficient staff. I came here a few weeks ago before heading to Jade Palace down the road for a takeaway and it was a fun, chilled out evening. The pub attracts a wide range of customers. Most are locals of various ages and it even has some students as regulars. The interior feels traditonal, yet stylish and clean with a big wooden bar, plenty of comfortable seating and soft lighting. Behind the bar they don't just sell the usual lagers, ciders and spirits, but also Scottish malt whiskeys and real, locally sourced ales. It's perhaps a bit more expensive than some other pubs in the area, but it's certainly worth a look if you're in the locality.

This was off the beaten path a little ways from the touristy places which I was thankful for. Don't…read moreget me wrong, there were still plenty of tourists in here. The bartender was amazing, he gave me lots of different samples of whiskey and scotch to try before I bought a drink. It was quiet, I enjoyed the coziness of this place. Definitely recommend, wish I could go back.

Best pub ever! Charming, warm, cozy, friendly. The owners Robert and Dorothy are the kindest…read morepeople. They have an amazing selection of whiskeys and beers. I would move to Edinburgh just to end my nights at the Thistle.

This is a short review. But it's a good one…read more We were touring and it was pouring down rain and we needed a break to dry off and grab a pint and a bit of food. Well this place shown like a beacon and we dropped in. The place was great inside looked warm and inviting. We were directed to a table and we sat down. The service was excellent very attentive and the place had that great pub atmosphere where all are welcome and we had a great time. Food was awesome and I highly recommend you visit if you're in the Edinburgh area.

We had a very pleasant meal here in their outdoor garden area. It's self-service of sorts; you…read moreorder at the bar and bring your drinks back with you and food is brought by a server. The food was not exceptional, but the setting is so lovely on a warm day that the place was really full. People clearly appreciate having an outdoor spot to enjoy a meal and drinks with friends. We sat on picnic-style tables but there were also nicer lawn chairs, and several well-behaved dogs around, so it had a nice friendly vibe. Inside looked a bit more formal. Would say this is especially nice for an outdoor meal on a non-rainy day in Edinburgh!