What a lovely place! Really friendly staff, spoke to Rachel from behind the bar and she was great! Perfect for drinks with friends, great atmosphere and selection of drinks. Couple of areas for small private functions too. Will definitely be going back. It is pretty small so would be best getting there earlier if you prefer to have a seat. read more

Great pub with kid friendly area in the back. Great local brews on tap. Great food. The grilled broccoli salad was amazing.

After a long red-eye flight plus a train ride that started all the way in the southern , it was wicked awesome to end it with a classic cocktail, warm dinner, homemade dessert and a cordial of amaretto. The lounge staff was delightfully entertaining too! Namaste y'all! read more

The Safari Lounge - Luvin the vibe y'all! - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

There are few places I visit as regularly as the Safari Lounge, I'm there every week for a craft night. The environment and decor is fun, I particularly love the pith-helmet lightshade in the ladies! The food is great, they have a regular menu with various types of hot dogs and tacos, and then they have a specials menu, which is the best. You never know what's going to be on it, and it's always a bit unusual with a South African twist, but I can honestly say I've never been disappointed! The staff are friendly and happy to have a chat and make you feel welcome, and the customers are wide and varied with lots of character! Dogs are welcome, as are children (until 8pm), and there's a large back room with a selection of toys to keep the kids entertained. It's a great addition to the area and has fast become one of my favourite places in Edinburgh. read more

The Safari Lounge - You will never regret one of the Safari Lounge's sundaes! - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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I agree with Arthur D - there is definitely a bit of a renaissance going on in the bar scene in Edinburgh at the mo'. Lots of dodgy boozers being transformed into something more upmarket. I've yet to try the cocktail bar through the back & I haven't eaten here yet either. Must try both - any excuse to go back (again). Each time I've been in, it's been for a drink on the way home from being up town. The bar staff are friendly, there's a good selection of beers on tap and in bottle, which is a winner with the OH, the house wine is good, which is a winner with me. It's definitely going to be my new local and I'm looking forward to many more visits in the months to come. read more

The Safari Lounge - The new bar in the safari lounge - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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April 25th .... 2.15 PM Outstanding yet again. Great music. Vegan fish and chips. Love it!!! Like the old days. This meal is stunning. Aubergine and spinach deep fried on top sweet potatoes chips and a delicious salad. Better than fish and chips but so cool to presentation and taste!! The waiter today from way back. I really like how prompt but laid back he is. Great hearing as had only to ask once. Pleasant and genuine. read more

The Safari Lounge - Vegan fish and chips. Really great. - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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After a few more visits this place has actually surprised me more and more. I did not know that they regularly changed their menu - from seasonal produce to new dishes altogether. My last visit included vegetarian Nuri Sushi - yes SUSHI! I, who cant eat fish, was so pleased to know that I can enjoy the taste of sushi without having to worry about my allergy. A big thank you to Joseph Malik - the chef who introduced these culinary delights. I enjoyed a main lunch of a Safari Chorizo Brunch Salad - bit heavy on the barley, but tasty. The proof was definitely in the pudding - or in this case their Passion Fruit Cheesecake with vanilla ice-cream. Well done and keep it up! read more

God rates, so I made a visit. Big selection of beers but just the usual shit that bad places offer, for micro brewery it was mostly can/bottle, no staff had no knowledge Of the beer at all. The Ipa i had was bad. Tacos Fish was without any flavours and just boring Meat was ok Big dispointment was buttermilk chicken. Boring and dry dish. No return, a disapointing experience. read more

I'm really quite keen on the Safari Lounge, and it's ended up being a fairly regular pub for us. No doubt its proximity to our flat helps, but so does the relaxed atmosphere, the quirky decor (as the name would suggest, it's all big game themed) and the friendly staff. Pull yourself up a cowhide stool, get a pint of an interesting European beer, and admire the animals on the wall, and you've got yourself a pretty solid place for a Sunday pint. I've heard good things about the food, but have yet to try it myself, and it's worth noting the room at the back which, judging by the fact that it has a small bar of its own (usually unmanned), I'd assume can be hired out for private parties. Let's be honest too, this area of town doesn't have much competition when it comes to interesting pubs, so Safari will continue to be a regular haunt. read more

My 'local' pub. I really love what the owners have done with this place. The themed safari décor might sound cheesy, but it is actually really stylish and quirky. The front bar is always bustling with a mixed crowd of locals, hipsters and families. Dogs are welcome too! When you walk further you see the lounge area with sofas and a tv, and even further is the back room which is more suited for larger groups. The selection of beer is great, either on tap or bottle, there is something you will love. Ask the knowledgeable bar staff for tips if you're not sure about your choice of bev. Then...the food! I don't know who it is who thinks and cooks up the food the Safari Lounge offers, but you get a big thumbs up from me. The "kitchen" is so tiny (1or 2m2?) and next to the bar, which doesn't strike me with confidence that my food will turn out ok. Please don't let it turn you off because they food is AMAZING. Every time I'm in, the chefs have thought of new interesting menus (pumpkin and lavender soup for example). Along with the classics (f.e. their classic "safari dog"), this gives you a range of small and larger dishes in different cuisines (Asian and Middle Eastern are big favourites) that you wouldn't normally find in a pub. The staff is genuinely friendly and helpful and serves you quickly. All in all, if you're in the area, this is the pub to visit. read more

My friends and I were shopping in the Meadowbank area and at some point decided it was time for some lunch. I had heard good things about the Safari Lounge, so suggested this and as it was just round the corner we decided to go there. Being Saturday afternoon with football on etc. the pub was very busy. However, we managed to secure a table in the back room. A really friendly waitress came to take our drinks orders and we studied the menus. I have to say the Safari Lounge menu is the most interesting and diverse I have seen for ages. I mean - mussel popcorn, anyone? Or would you rather have some sushi? Don't worry - they've got it all covered. We ordered mussel popcorn and chicken wings for starters. Both were very tasty. There was a little pot of tartar sauce to go with the mussels. Main courses for 3 were lemon and black pepper chicken with thai slaw and salad, jungle king prawn curry and ribs and potatoes. Just like the starters, everything was well on flavour. The ribs were amazing - tender juicy meat falling off the bone. The accompanying potato slices were a tad too salty for my taste, though. Jungle curry had amazing flavours and it came with a couple of chapatis on the side. I really enjoyed my lunch here. The atmosphere is very relaxed and they're not trying too hard which contributes to the easy-going vibe. read more

Had an appointment to pick up keys to a nearby airbnb flat at the Safari Lounge. Being quite late, about 10:30pm, but being hungry (don't want to go hangry...) after delays getting to Edinburgh via London from Stockholm something was needed, but wasn't expecting to find anything at this hour. Even if the chef went home the staff fixed together a really nice meal with feta, hummus, salad, ham, bread, olives and other stuff. Really nice atmosphere, friendly hand helpful staff and good, fresh food. Got nice ale too! Win! read more

Edinburgh is undergoing one of its occasional renaissance moments as suddenly a flurry of bars and restaurants open. The new focus seems to be the quality ("craft") beer and food combo. The Hanging Bat, Brewdog and Vintage lead the way, with the refurbished Fountain and renovated Elm Bar now the Jeremiah Taproom. Added to the list is the brand new Safari Lounge, which was the Station Bar on Cadzow Place, Abbeyhill. Until recently a relatively untouched classic Edinburgh pub (reviewed separately on Yelp) with the infamous Safari Lounge at the back. The new owners appear to have grabbed that concept and refurbbed to covert the whole pub to the Safari Lounge. Nice decor, still reminiscent of the original, long narrow with 3 relatively separate spaces to sit, including the original Safari Lounge at the back with its own fantastic cocktail bar. Food now features prominently with meze style offerings, hot dogs etc. All seems to be high quality. Good range of beer both on draft and bottle. It does not appear to be aiming at the high end beer market (like Vintage) but there is some quality on offer. Actually the new high end beer places have their own niche but can miss the mark a wee bit as decent, warm, inviting pubs in the old style. I found that the Safari Lounge had this sort of genuine pub character in spades and actually probably my favourite sort of hangout (it reminded me of the Pond on Salamander St when it first reopened a few years back). Bit more relaxed but cool. Good friendly staff, decent welcome. All in all I REALLY like this place. Just a bit out of the way so a bit more selective in terms of clientèle. Cool vibe, great food and beer. read more

We were in a pinch-- we had 8 people and we needed food. We went to a few places to eat, and they were all full. Luckily Safari had room for us! All pluses here. The service was excellent, very attentive, and our food came out very quickly. The prices were very reasonable and if anything maybe underpriced! The gluten free fish and chips were seriously the best fish and chips that I had in all of the UK. Everybody else's food was really great too, good burgers, excellent soup, etc. The whisky selection was totally on point and the server prepared a custom flight of whiskys for me to try which were excellent. read more

Can't comment on the prices as was treated here but the cheesecake portion was a good size and well presented, service was very good and the range of alcohol also very good. Kudos too for the tangerine & black tiling in the Gents. read more

As a west side resident, I had no idea this place existed until a colleague took me there for my tea a few weeks ago. Boy, are the tacos goooooood. The food ordered on my table generally looked yummy but I was so pleased with my taco choice! I opted for the mushroom ones and the squid ones. Although both were lovely, the squid won hands down. I wish I had ordered four squiddy efforts! They are just wee but home made and lovely. Loads of beer on offer, plenty on tap as well as bottled. Nice to see space given over to craft beers and not much in the way of big brands. Weird but nice loos. Would definitely come again! read more

We were wandering aimlessly around the area, so the boyfriend and I stopped by this place on a whim for lunch. Inside it looks a lot like any other pub, yet it has been dressed up a bit and has a sort of a random jungle-themed room in the back. I think the decor would have made a lot more sense it we were there later and the place was busier. Either way the place was fairly busy for lunch. The food and service are where this place really shines. The staff is uber-friendly and helpful. As usual I asked about a dairy-free option and they totally obliged. The boy and I both opted for the safari hotdog. HEAVEN. The boy is a VERY picky man! He loved the hotdog. His came on a brioche bun, mine came on a lovely little lettuce bed (sad face for dairy intolerance). The hot dog itself was crisp and juicy. We had ours topped with amazing beef chili, jalapeno peppers and mustard and some sort of caramelized onions. It was delicious (and HUGE)! Hot dogs came with a nice little side salad of spinach, sliced nectarines and a lux basalmic crema. Hello. Its the details. We also had a side of the skinny (American-style) fries with white truffle mayo (winner) and some of the house-brewed beer which was totally decent. Aside from what we had, the rest of the menu looked great as well, including options for some steamed Asian rice buns filled with shredded pork belly (next time!). This place is a definite win for Edinburgh and we will happily return. read more

Get the Fish sandwich! Awesome environment and dog friendly inside. The house beer was surprisingly good and the wait staff was extremely courteous. If it looks busy walking by, know there is a larger room in the back. If it is busy food may take a while to come out but it is worth it. read more

Came here for food as I'd heard good things about the hot dogs and I wasn't disappointed. First of all, I'm not an expert on hot dogs and have virtually nothing to compare this too, but having said that it tasted good. Secondly it was a bratwurst which I'm not sure if that makes it legit in the eyes of hotdog purists but anyway. I and my friend both went for 'the jungle brother' (yes that really is it's name) which was a bratwurst with chillied beef and manchego cheese on top. We ordered a side order of fries as well. I was concerned that this might not be enough but in the event it was perfect. (I'd go for fries along with your hot dog if you're a greedy git like me as the hot dog on it's own probably won't be enough, for most guys anyway) The bun was nice and light and airy and seemed to be lightly toasted on the inside. The bratwurst just seemed like an ordinary bratwurst but was nice and went well together with the chilli on top (though the chilli was a tad dry perhaps and I didn't get a huge amount of flavour from it) I didn't get much impact from the manchego either to be honest I wouldn't have been able to tell you it was there actually and I think without the juiciness of the bratwurst the whole thing may have been a tad dry. This is nitpicking though as overall it was pretty decent. My friend who's tried the chilli dogs in America seemed pretty impressed. The hot dog came with a small side salad- lettuce and finely diced cucumber, which could have been a tad oily for some but I liked. The decor of the bar is sort of jungley, retro chic with animal heads on the wall and the waitresses were friendly and service good. So all in all I'd recommend it, not amazing but definitely competent, a tad pricey (the jungle dog was £8.95 I think, certainly £8 something) but definitely not extortionate. If I could I'd maybe only give 3.75 stars but anyway definitely worth a try. Plus they have some good bottled beers, my friend had a Weisbier I'd never seen before. One final thing though, I saw that the menu contained momo fuku and sushi. Now, if they can do good A. hotdogs B. momo fuku and C. Sushi, I'd be very surprised. Also it's a bit random never mind ambitious, I think they'd be better of just sticking to doing one thing really well. read more

This place was recommended to by my host and I'm so glad she did. The place went along with the name down to the bar staff's outfits (cheetah prints and wild hairdos). Very cool atmosphere and the food was surprisingly delicious (and fairly priced) for a place expected to really be just a pub. I had the tacos which were great and my friend had the ribs which were a very generous portion and absolutely delicious. read more

The staff in Safari are awesome and my burger was one of the most delicious burgers I've eaten in a long time! Excellent selections of drinks too. Love this place! read more

Don't even think about it, just go here. Amazing brunch menu on the weekend. I didn't take a photo, but the presentation is SO beautiful and the flavor matches. I had the poached eggs with spinach on a brioche bun, and I devoured it in like 2 minutes flat. Compliments to the chef on being pretty kickass. read more

The thing that instantly grabs me about the Safari Lounge is their orange radiators! A nice unique feature. Explore a bit deeper and you'll meet the gaze of a (fake) croc's head on the wall; or is it an alligator? It's inconclusive, but made for conversation fodder over a pint. And the crocogator is not alone. There are all manner of safari inhabitants. A parrot perched on the ceiling fan.. a black panther lounging on a shelf.. a lizard on the wall. And comfy snake-skin benches with cow-print stools are nicely in keeping with the dedicated theme. I'm told that even the women's toilets have a leopard print bog seat. Something us guys can only envy. What we do have though is a soap dispenser which has now fooled me on more than one occasion into thinking it's a hand dryer. I can't be the only one! Anyway, back to the nitty gritty. The beer selection is pretty good with a few interesting ales on tap. And the food is impressive too. My curry battered fish n chips went down well, and I'm told the buckfast hotdog was also very satisfactory. But the highlight had to be the squid spaghetti. One of these sharing dishes that you can't get enough of and makes you secretly resent everyone else who's eating it! The atmosphere is relaxed, but if I was to find criticism it would be in the repetitive house music playing. It could be worse of course, but as I sat there I imagined how cool it would be if they ditched the music and instead, all the resident animals made jungle noises from time to time! Or would that just be weird? The other criticism being that my friends were left disgruntled by a consistently grumpy barmaid. But all in all, a recommended watering hole which is well worth a visit. Later crocodile. read more

The Safari Lounge is always a pretty bouncy and busy spot at the weekends. Maybe it's all the animal print coverings, or the fine range of real beers, or maybe the excellent menu. Whatever it is, it's certainly brought a much needed burst of life and style to this side of Abbeyhill. read more

The Safari Lounge had great food with a wide variety of choices. Service was outstanding and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. Definitely somewhere I would go back. Waitresses were speedy and friendly. I ordered the smoked salmon and couldn't have been happier. If you're looking for a light lunch or dinner and some drinks, you can't go wrong here. read more

Favourite lunch place - friendly and professional service, very good food, and a nice place to sit down, relax, and chat with your mates.

Surprisingly large bar, friendly staff, relaxed about ecigarettes, and with a good range of beers. Pricey though. Two bottled beers for almost £10. Yowser! read more

Was a regular here for years when it was The Station Bar. I never thought The Safari Lounge would work. Well it does. The staff are friendly,and will go out of their way to help you. The food is top notch. The chef is a great guy. I would recommend this place to all. Give it a try,you will be surprised. read more

Been in twice now and have to say the food and the service is brilliant. Nice vibe about the place and will definitely be back.

Great atmosphere and the margaritas were very good. Food somewhat less compelling but still decent. Worth a visit.