Whilst in the middle of Leith-nowhere, The Pond still manages to attract a merry band of revellers any time of the day, any day of the week.
A workers pub for many, being filled with a mix-mash of market researchers from the nearby Ipsos Mori to the dock workers at the nearby Leith shore, it is worthy of a trek off the beaten Leith track.
A fantastic selection of wheat beers and European ales which make Pivo's selection of far flung, 'point instead of pronouncing' beers look distinctly Fischer Price in comparison. The highlight would be the frequent rotation of one of the beer pumps for hefty (5%+) lager poured to perfection which would take a Ryanair flight to find anywhere else, alongside others such as cult Tennants to cloudy Addlestones cider.
Whilst a fantastically varied selection of malts et al rest on the shelves, reasonably priced normal bar fair nestles in the hidden fridge in one corner ensuring the atmosphere can still be enjoyed by those who may have questioned initially walking beyond Wetherspoon's 'Foot Of The Walk'.
The pub is ran the way you would love every pub to be ran, encapsulated in a Thursday night scenario recently. A handful of us, after a visit to the nearby Mongolian buffet restaurant Khublai Khan's, were the only remaining patrons after last orders had been rang at 12:45. This was even after the pub barely reaching a dozen in capacity for most of our visit, but we weren't hurried to the door at all but simply politely informed that kick out would be 1:20, by which time we had enjoyed our drinks and said our goodbye. No hussle and bussle from the bar staff, no downing of half a pint of fantastic German Oktoberfest beer, no regrets about not making a final visit to the gents.
In addition, an all year open beer garden may be exposed to the unsheltered shore elements adds to the quirks which include a chalkboard wall above the gents urinals, a laptop 'jukebox' and two inquisitive fish-tanks sparking the watery decoration theme.
A hidden gem that will probably stay that way.
And is all the better for it. read more