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    The Southern

    3.5 (67 reviews)
    ModeratePubs, Gastropubs
    Open 10:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    The Southern Photos

    THE SOUTHERN ATMOSPHERE

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    Trendy
    Classy
    Casual
    Moderate noise

    Recommended Reviews - The Southern

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    Decor
    Kim K.

    Food was ok. The fish was light but with the breading very very greasy. The fries were nothing special. The service was good, though a bit prentious for what really pub food in a hip atmosphere. If they had done a bit more, had really thick fries w rosemary or truffle. If they'd have drained the oil off the fish...I'd rate it higher.

    Ali C.

    This establishment is under the same management as Holyrood 9A. If you look hard enough you will see the resemblance of the decoration and layout from Holyrood 9A. It is just a little wider with more space. I was here for an Xmas night out with my workmates. I was a late comer and everyone has already basically chosen what they wanted from the Xmas menu prior to that day and they already started eating their starter. So I decided to choose their burger from their ala carte menu and desert. I asked the waitress if they were happy to bring the burgers together with the rest crew's burger. They were happy enough to do so. Helpful and very pretty waitresses (just for you Jurgen if you read this). I chose The Southern burger and when it came out. Again the presentation is exactly the same as Holyrood 9A. I think the burger quality is about more or less the same as Holyrood 9A. But the king of all burgers in Edinburgh I think still lies with Lebowski. The atmosphere here however is great though and definitely not as packed and warm as Holyrood 9A especially on a Friday. It's filled with young, hippy locals who hang out here with their pets and one even came with a Newfoundland dog. Everyone loved it as it was huge and took pictures with it but it stinks the place up. Luckily we have finished our food. Overall, I feel this place is the exactly the same as Holyrood 9A with about the same selection of food and quality. Why so much resemblance?. Feels like I am not in another new establishment. Would come back with friends though but will not come here especially just for something.

    Cherry beeeeer!!!
    Louise H.

    Highly recommend this pub! Hadn't been since before its refurbishment and it looks fantastic. They have cherry beer which is so delicious. They do Sweet potato fries and amazing popcorn. Definitely a good place for a chilled out bite to eat, perfect for a lazy Sunday with pals or for a night out!

    Smoked Dog and beer and sweet potato fries. Beltane fire festival last night. This is breakfast.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Review Highlights - The Southern

    If you look hard enough you will see the resemblance of the decoration and layout from Holyrood 9A.

    Mentioned in 13 reviews

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    John Leslie

    John Leslie

    4.1(12 reviews)
    0.5 miNewington
    £

    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

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    John Leslie
    John Leslie
    John Leslie

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    Queens Arms

    Queens Arms

    4.4(115 reviews)
    1.2 miNew Town
    ££

    Bar staff friendly and timely. Carrie (bartender) served us 2 nights in a row. So good we came back…read more2 time on our two night stay. Didn't wait long for drink in a very busy bar. Food was also good, veg were perfectly warmed, not over seasoned and crisp. Exactly how I like them. Food was a Lil pricey. But a great experience overall. Highly recommend.

    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.

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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 Devil's Advocate - Smoked fish plate

    The Devil's Advocate

    4.3(637 reviews)
    0.8 miOld Town, Royal Mile
    ££

    Walking in to The Devil's Advocate in Advocate Close, just above Market St, the large bar greets…read moreyou. We chose the Scottish Road trip whiskey flight. As someone who truly loved little about Scotch, it was a wonderful way to taste and compare smoky vs peaty whiskeys. Fun. Our table was upstairs and we sat next to an open door which allows for fresh cool air. It was a warm day in Edinburgh. Our server was wonderful, patient and really helpful. Our choices were truly delicious. We started with the fish board, olives, and mushroom skewer. We loved them all. I enjoyed the cod main dish, while my wife finished the starters. The side of asparagus was also excellent. The mouse dessert was delicious but very rich, it's enough for 4 people. The cost of dinner was also totally reasonable. I recommend this place highly.

    I don't really understand why the ratings are so high at this restaurant. We tried going here one…read moreevening and I messed up the reservation. I'm not used to seeing it in blocks and our end time was bolded but not the start time. We showed up at the end time. We were charged obviously because you have to give a card for a guarantee. I get that. I was fine with it since it was my fault. What I wasn't fine with was the rude (dare I say bitchy?) hostess who I spoke with upon arriving. She was awful to me and looked at me like I was garbage. Even after that, I decided to rebook and pay attention to the time. The restaurant had been recommended to us by a relative as the "best place they had eaten" while in Edinburgh and I wanted to try it. I booked for lunch and when we arrived the male host was lovely. We were sat early (because I always show up to a reservation early) and then we waited almost a half an hour for the one waitress there to come and help. It was fine. I can understand they are understaffed and busy. But then the food, it was also just fine. It was decent but not great. Like a lot of things in the UK, it's understated and seasoned. My husband had the pappardelle and my two children and I had the flat iron steak. His pasta had zero flavor. It was a cream based sauce. It needed more salt. As for the steak, it was fine. It was cooked well. Mine was medium rare and the kids both had medium. It was also not seasoned well. However the steak was served with a dipping sauce (a garlic sauce, a peppercorn or lemon mint). We tried all three since we had three steaks and those were all good and kept the steak from being bland. On the plate were chips (fries), which were not salted well but we had the dipping sauces. Also on the plate was plain arugula and a couple on the vine cherry tomatoes. Nothing spectacular. The waitress didn't come back once the entire time we were eating. Overall, it just wasn't worth it for the money we paid.

    Photos
    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 Southern - pubs - Updated June 2026

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