Funky Cowmarket boasts a number of pubs and clubs, and the Three Sisters is among the largest. We dropped in for brunch as they opened and got a seat at a table in one of the 3 empty bars. The brunch menu is pretty standard: full breakfasts, rolls, waffles, and a "breakfast munchie box" with all of the above. A cup of Americano and a bap with black pudding + tomato + mushrooms made for decent fuel for a day walking the old town read more

The Three Sisters - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Boy of boy, this place was pumping! The Fringe was happening and the bar and outside area was completely packed. They handed the traffic well. Only thing o wish they did was clean the bathrooms more frequently with the excess of people. It was pretty nasty. read more

The Three Sisters - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The Three Sisters was my daughter's favorite place to watch soccer with her team during her semester in Edinburgh. It's basically an enormous sports pub with an outdoor courtyard and a two-level indoor space. There's a giant video screen outside (12 ft?); and smaller screens line the walls inside. Consequently it's hard to miss the sports action...which is really the main reason to come here. We were here to watch some World Cup matches. First, the Netherlands vs. Ecuador. (My daughter had Dutch school friends here who arrived early) and then England vs. the USA. The evening ended up being a Jekyll & Hyde experience for us. During the first match, we sat comfortably inside at a table, sipped beers and ciders, enjoyed some snacks, chatted, and watched the game (a 1-1 tie). But... For the second match, we were kicked off of our table (It had been reserved weeks in advance) and eventually found our way to an open spot in the increasingly crowded courtyard. From there it devolved into one of the loudest, rowdiest, sloppiest ordeals I've experienced since my 20s. But we weren't about to leave and miss the match. (We had heard other nearby pubs were also packed). At first we were a bit disheartened by the large number of people wearing the three lions on their shirts (or having painted St George's cross on their face). But we were buoyed by several groups of Scots who were chanting "U-S-A...U-S-A!!" behind us. Plus we found a few random Americans in the nearby throngs, who we toasted. The Three Sisters didn't seem to be concerned with crowd control; it got so packed we could barely move. And getting a beer took ages. (I found a line where I could see the game and eventually bought the biggest cup of lager I could get - about 1/2 liter). The bartenders were sullen (I would be too). Bottom line: If they're gonna let this many people in, they need to compensate with more tenders and/or roaming service. In the end, the second match was another disappointing tie: 0-0. Afterwards, we dispersed with most of the crowd. But that was not the end of our night. We were in the Cowgate neighborhood, and there were plenty of pubs & clubs nearby. read more

The Three Sisters - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Came on a Saturday night out. It was crowded and it's a big venue. It's indoor and outdoor. The bathroom will take awhile. It's all the way inside, and I had to get through the crowd. Inside is very hot. Bartenders were definitely over it. They walk around with jaeger shots for people to buy. Playlist was not lit. They played old music. read more

The great thing about Three Sisters is the huge venue that offers space indoors and outdoors. They are always hosting events here from sports games to holidays, so there is always something going on. Despite that, there is not anything too special about this place either. On Superbowl night, they did open late for the viewing. There is also a booth serving food ranging on the occasion. Their potato wedges (£2) were super crispy and delicious though! It was the perfect snack to go with drinks. Maybe in the summer days (which I have yet to see), this place would be in full effect with its outdoor space though. read more

The Three Sisters - Potato Wedges. - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This place is a local bar with an awesome vibe. Lots of different ciders on tap here along with the usually lagers and pale ales. We came here on two separate occasions since it was so fun. Both for World Cup, first was England v Columbia and second was Croatia v Russia. They had setup a huge screen to watch and it was incredibly festive. Lots of drinks being thrown when England defeated Columbia in PK. Rowdy crowd when cheering on England with a tamer crowd for the second game. Highly recommended by a local and it was definitely a highlight for me in Edinburgh. read more

The Three Sisters - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Great environment! Full of young people. Came here for my spring break/ brithday trip for my 21st and it was amazing.

On occasion I have gone to The Three Sisters and it has been dead, other times you can barely move. Usually during the week its pretty empty with only a few guys watching the football or having something to eat. The actual bar is quite nice with big tables and a large outside seating area with patio heaters and umbrellas. Crucial in this climate! Usually in the summer it is jam packed as they have screens outside with football/rugby on and a BBQ going. By the time it gets to about 9 o'clock on the weekend this bar can be horrendous. Horrendous in a full of pub crawls/stag and hen dos sort of way. This seems to be the hot spot for these groups so as you can imagine it can get very rowdy with the odd fight or two and someone throwing up in the corner. I personally do not enjoy bars like this, too much pink cowboy hats and 'lads on tour' going on for me. I have been to The Three Sisters and had a good time, more often than not you will make a friend from Australia while sharing a table outside so it can be fun. But lately I bypass it because from the outside it looks like its brimming with lager louts and incredibly drunk students. read more

The Three Sisters - Courtesy of Festival Inns Website - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Best described as a hole. The downstairs bar has always been one of the city's busier establishments but last night I was directed upstairs for the first time as every man & his dog was out pretending to have Irish connections (myself included). Thus I discovered the sticky floored delight of Maggie's Chambers. Do they not employ cleaners with mops or do they soak those mops in booze rather than soap & water? The toilets are wholly inadequate for the size of the potential crowd in the place & £18+ for 5 Jagerbombs (albeit with a free coke thrown in) is ludicrous. Paradoxically the music was probably the best I heard all night but otherwise there's absolutely no reason to give this place any business. read more

Don't get me wrong it's a good bar and I didn't get to see it in it's full glory but it's definitely a sports bar. It's big and cheap and the food is delicious, well at least the ribs are. I would go back and it's a good place to go if you have a big party. read more

The Three Sisters - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Visited here as part of the free fringe and i was surprised to find an absolutely massive venue. There has a great outdoors space with food stalls and bar areas and tv screens that tell you what shows are due to start. I was quite surprised about the amount of free shows that are here. There is literally something on every hour of the day. Whilst we were here for 2 specific shows i kinda wish that I lived in Edinburgh as I would have loved to have the chance to see more of what the free fringe offers. Great venue choice for the free fringe and I hope its here next year too! read more

3.5 stars. Open beer garden vibe. Huge outdoor screens for sports. Drinks a little pricey though, so we moved on after 1 drink. read more

The Three Sisters - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

I won't attempt to review all of the pubs I drank at in Edinburgh (pub crawls are truly a glorious thing!) but I thought I'd make an effort to review the pub I had the most fun at. On a cab drivers recommendation I added the Three Sisters as a stop on our pub crawl through the grassmarket area for a bachelor party. Three Sisters definitely didn't disappoint - it was packed with people, and there were quite a few other bachelor/bachelorette parties there as well. The place had a very friendly (although pretty drunken) vibe and had a dance floor inside as well as an outside area for the smokers. Even though the place was packed, there were enough bartenders so the time waiting for a drink was kept at a minimum. I would definitely recommend this place for any visitor looking for a fun, drunken night. The bathrooms are absolutely disgusting though. read more

The Three Sisters is one of THOSE places. Going seems a great idea, and you wonder why you don't go along more. Then when you get there, you remember. Although it's big, and has a huge open air area with an outside bar and food stalls, and the bar inside is quite big and pretty well stocked, getting served in under 5 minutes is usually impossible. I don't know why! It just takes an age to work your way to the front of the queue. The staff are by no means slow, it's just one of those things. With the huge courtyard always full of people, there is a bit of a "meatmarket" feel to proceedings, and even as a usually single guy, I feel a bit uncomfortable here with the amount of guys who just stand and ogle anything in a skirt, making usually unrepeatable comments. Not much the place can do about that in a huge courtyard, though... During the Fringe, there are free shows all through the day, so it's worth checking out what's on while you grab your drink (eventually) and then head off elsewhere, as you always invariably do. Unless there's a big sporting event being shown on the HUGE screen, this is very much a meet-and-move kinda place for me. read more

Ah, The Three Sisters. For any Irish reading, this (not Espionage) is The Coppers of The Burgh. Cheap pint at the bar, which is usually jammed, great dancefloor which is usually jammed, open area outside which is usually jammed and don't get me started on the queue for the ladies! You guessed it, jammed. It's an honest place, it doesn't pretend to be above itself and I can dig that. I generally bring visitors here if they want a boogie and most are happy to while away the night chatting with the various tourists, Hen and Stag parties and the usual mix of people from back home. Others just scream 'Oh My God you brought us to Coppers!' and leg it. The music is good and they show all the rugby. They have a barbeque outside. During the festival there is some pretty decent free shows, if you ever have a chance to see Bogan Bingo DO IT! It's endorsed by real Australians! There's also some awful shows, I won't lie! Completely unpretentious and a bit messy. Sure, why not! read more

Since Three Sisters opened, I have had absolutely no compunction to walk through their doors. There is absolutely no reason, I felt, to come in here - a non descript generic bar with no defining qualities to make me feel at home here. Too big, too many chavs. Well, now I have to take all of that back, because I spent a long time getting quite quite hammered and watching fringe shows here last Monday. It was open late, served me alcohol long past when I deserved to still be drinking, and had an open courtyard where I could sit in the pouring rain talking to cute boys. I think in terms of pubs, I still prefer small and cozy over big and grandiose, but I see the Three Sisters in a new, warmer, more welcoming light than my prior judiciousness. read more

You cannot miss this place. Big outdoor space, huge canopy and massive screens outside and inside. We took a delegation of 6 Fins to enjoy a drink and show some studenty way of Edinburgh life. Bearing in mind these 6 Fins were all in their 50 and 60's they did seem to enjoy it. We were well attended to and promptly served. Shame about the loud music as this stifled the conversations (with already not so talkative Fins) The table was big so it was not possible to hear the other's. Then the live band started playing outside and were duly blasted out of the speakers indoors. This was our cue to leave. It was just a bit too loud. Prices are reasonable and it may be a good idea for them to 'employ' a cat as we did saw a mouse scuttle over the main floor. Great place if you are a student, not so great if you take OAPs read more

I only ever came here once in my freshman year and doubt I will be rushing back anytime soon. It was supposed to be part of a student pub crawl and when we arrived at the three sisters they seemed really lost about what it was on about or the drink deals we had been promised. To add to this, the bartenders were extremely rude to us, got our drinks wrong and we had to pay more than we thought we should. To sum up we didn't stay long. Apparently we weren't the only ones treated this way either. Apparently it's a place to watch footie or rugby matches at. It's over-commercialised which I think has damaged it quite a bit. Despite the ideal layout and building I strongly advise visitors of the City to try their luck elsewhere, as there are plenty of places with a much more welcoming atmosphere. read more

My friends and I greatly enjoy this place!! We came here for the moonlight beach party, the free comedy shows for the Edinburgh Festival (Which were so awesome!) and a few times for a drink. When we were there to dance, the music was played in reverse chronology, so you start with current music and move backwards to 90s and 80s...etc. It is fun, especially if you've been alive for more than 2 decades... 0_0 If you're feeling a little stuffy after dancing, step out with a drink for fresh air at their open air sitting area. Their burgers are aromatic and will certainly seduce you. read more

Never seen any pub quite like this one. Our group was drawn in by the outdoor patio for dancing. Very spacious and you will get plenty of air! Finally a place to dance without a roof and no stuffy air. There were plenty of people here and the mood was high energy. The drinks are little pricey but we didn't pay cover to get in so it balanced out. read more

Rugby, or in fact sports in general, packed with hen and stag nights, packed with people in general, memories of getting ID'd here constantly when I was younger...this all adds up to a pub experience that makes me slightly grumpy and impatient. Not so much the packed with people element, because I don't want to sound too middle aged, and a lot of my favourite drinking establishments are always rammed, I think it's just the lairy sports plus pints plus swilling them everywhere plus a general lads, lads, lads atmosphere that makes me feel like I need to go and sniff some perfume or look at something pink, just to feel a bit girly again. The good features of The Three Sisters are as follows...it has the advantage of a large courtyard, so if there's decent weather, you've got the facilities to sit outside and banter away, which feels a bit more holiday-esque than usual. There are also sometimes BBQs here, which is a bonus. It's completely unpretentious, down to earth banter, and if you're into sport, you're in for some good times. read more

Jumped in here to see one of the shows on at the fringe and enjoyed a relaxed drink beforehand with no hassles. Reasonably priced with a decent food menu I regrettably didn't have the time to try out. It included champ! You don't get that everywhere. Huge outdoor seating section which is nice, poorly lit inside with a few bars and a labyrinth of different little 'venue' type places inside I suspect get used for clubbing? A nice enough place in a dingy part of the city centre where you can park yer bum comfortably. read more

Ok, when I was politely asked by my friend if we could nip in here when she came through to visit I was powerless to say no. Not because I was massively eager to go here, but because I hate saying no to my friends! We turned up here around 4ish on a Wednesday afternoon to find it was shut until five. Alright, that's acceptable, it is January. So we went on to Oz Bar had a drink there and returned around 5ish when it opened. Needless to say, we were the only people there! BUT I like this bar, it reminds me very much of Waxy O'Connors in Glasgow, except much more reasonably priced drinks. It is kinda dark and dingy inside, kinda like a generic Irish bar, but I quite like that, gives it something resembling an atmosphere. And this place is huge! Plenty of room for moving around if it is a little crowded. So, the staff were fine. The chap serving us was very nice, got us drinks but it did take a little while before all the cutlery and menus etc were put out on the table. Think this might be because they were setting up for a private function, but we were in no rush. The menu - if you don't like pizza or burgers you are kinda a little shafted. It was definitely not the sort of food I was expecting, it was better. I ended up plumping for the Godfella, a burger with pepperoni, sundried balsamic tomatoes and little balls of mozzarella. Yet again, I was not setting the bar too high, I mean, Holyrood 9a anyone!? This burger was immense. I mean really delicious. Plus they had a deal on for January, get any main meal and get the second for 1p. Hells yes I will. So basically, we had two burgers, and 4 drinks. Less than twenty squidders. Boom. I want another one of those burgers NOW. read more

My night spent in the Three Sisters took on two very distinct, and very different characteristics. Lets start with the good part of the night. A fine summers evening had drawn us to the huge outdoor seating area of the Three Sisters, and as my friends bought the drinks and a Three Sisters BBQ blazed in the corner, I had an excellent time. The atmosphere was great and generally I had a very large amount of fun. However, then the second half happened - it was getting busier and attracted a hen party and a seperate stag party, which generally ruined the chilled, relaxed and fun vibe that we had before. The night was also growing colder so we moved indoors - well, I say moved, i mean we jammed ourselves inside bearly able to move in a hot mass of drunken people. I attempted to buy a drink next, and after waiting for nearly 10 mins, a round for 3 people came to almost £25 - extorsionate. So there you have it - get there early and you will have a great time, get there after everybody else does, and you might not want to come here again. read more

The Three Sisters - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I've been here a few times as part of pub crawls or staff nights out. I always think it's a decent enough place, but actually it's quite over-priced and not good value for money! the drinks are quite expensive - I was £4 for a Gin and Tonic (single!) and the food wasn't anything special - my lasagne was cold and the 'salad' was a lettuce leaf. It gets really busy at the weekends and during sport events, the bug screen outside is a nice touch. Not for me though! read more

The Three Sister's spacious courtyard, plentiful outdoor seating and heaters are primed and ready for watching big sporting events. An immense viewing screen creates ample opportunity for you to huddle around a table with mates and watch a sporting event without the need to stare at the back of some brute's head all night. Beer and alcohol in general are all standard with regards to quality and cost, so nothing special in that regard. read more

The Three Sisters - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The Three Sisters is a large pub situated on the end of the Cowgate which can accommodate a variety of social functions. I has an upstairs room in which live music and comedy shows are held, a small dance-floor downstairs and a courtyard which acts as a smoking area as well as a beer garden in summer. Further, large screens are used for showing big sporting events which usually attract large crowds. Depending on what one wants out of a Saturday night out The Three Sisters may or may not be the ideal venue to begin or spend it in. It is often used as the site of Stag and Hen parties and, therefore, if your looking for a quiet drink and catchup with your friends this probably isn't the place. On the other hand, if your feeling young and wild this is an ideal place to start the night as its lively, drinks are reasonably priced and service is sufficient for coping with the numbers who flock to its bars on Friday and Saturday nights. I've been to The Three Sisters several times and always enjoyed myself, however, the atmosphere isn't quite as bustling or friendly as I'd like it to be. read more

The Three Sisters - Three Sisters - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The Three Sisters should be really good; it's central, it's massive, it's got a huge beer garden, and they have a good range of beers at the bar. But it never quite lives up to this, and is overall a pretty average place. The interior is really dark, to the point that it's a hassle to walk anywhere, you have to kind of feel your way towards things. Also for the size, there a remarkably few seats, meaning you spend the vast majority of your time standing about, which is always a bit of a pain. The worst part of it though are the people that go in there. It's always full of chavs and on a weekend you feel like any minute a mass brawl is going to break out. It can be quite intimidating, and there's always a bit of anger just simmering under the surface. It does have its good points though. The bar sells a good range of beers, wines and ciders as well as all the major spirits. The garden is probably the best feature, it is absolutely massive for a pub. During the summer it's a really good place to have a few drinks outside, or sometimes there's a big screen showing sports. At the moment (during the festival) they have a Crabbies garden in there as well, which is always a good thing in my book. read more

I feel old. Very, very old. Look, this is actually one of the nicer bars in this area of old town. It's clean, spacious, with enough seating and my legginess-problem is not a problem in this bar, at all. What's to whine? Well, I feel so old. I don't do shots, well, not unless it's at a Yelp event, and I don't drink that much. When I go and have a drink somewhere with a group, I want to be able to understand them. At 7pm on a Thursday, apparently the music needed to be of the ear-deafening variety. To the point where I had to shout sitting at a table, next to someone, in order for them to understand me. I thought that was quite unnecessary. I find it difficult to pinpoint what was so off-putting about this place. The staff are indeed friendly, the place is clean, spacious, but I'm not a major drinker. And somehow this bar gives the vibe of "must get smashed gaaaah". Not something that's very appealing to me. Maybe I should try it for a burger, as Jenny did, with some friends when the music is less loud. Or maybe, just maybe, this isn't for me. I'll take my 26-going-on-62 year old self elsewhere. read more

The three sisters...or "Free" sisters during the Edinburgh fringe festival is a great pub. Its centrally located and has a diverse offering no matter what time of year it is. It has a massive outdoor front area you can sit outside, but they also put a cover as well. They have multiple bars and venues that open up when the fringe festival is on and I absolutely love that they have free shows on, plus its cheap - about 3£ for a pint. It can get pretty messy at nights, as it is also next to a hostel, so loads of backpackers, plus locals plus general chaos. Whenever I go to edinburgh I always hit the three sisters, just for the good craic and you can easily get around anywhere else in the city from here. I do have to say the food is a bit on the expensive side though. read more

The Three Sisters is located on the Cowgate in the city centre. It is a very large pub with a huge courtyard out the front. I have only ever been here when the Fringe is on and it is pretty chaotic! They erect a huge screen in the courtyard at this time of year, which acts as a magnet for football fans and it gets way too crowded. You can here the cheering when a goal is scored a hundred yards down the road! It gets so busy that bouncers are placed at the gate to regulate the number of punters trying to enter the courtyard! Inside, it is a bit dark and the music is way too loud for me (may be my age!). It is not my cup of tea to be honest, and I am happy to leave it to the youngsters! read more

It's a fun pub, usually full of hen and stag parties. It's probably more expensive than what you would normally find on Cowgate but definitely rowdier and more "loose" than what you would find on Grassmarket. read more

This place can be a great night, or can make for a bad night. The people at Three Sister's are generally pretty rude and pushy hence the bad night. That being said the venue is great, big picnic style seating outside, large dance floors inside. Due to the crowd this usually becomes a one drink stop for friends and I, but have had the occasional good time. St. Patrick's day was one of those good nights. Go expecting a crowd on weekends or game-nights. Definitely a hit-or-miss kind of deal. read more

It was a mess in the best way possible. Floors were sticky and the large crowd provided warmth from the frigid Edinburgh night. I liked the outdoor area where you could step out and have an actual conversation without screaming over the music. read more

Ordered a mushroom and leek pie with mash and chip chop sauce. Cost 13 pounds, but okay. I'm hungry and it sounded good. It's also Fringe, so I only had 30 minutes to get my food and eat it. Waited 20 minutes and asked the bartender what was taking so long. She was surprised I hadn't received the food yet. She checked in the kitchen and said it was still cooking. Really? I took that to mean "someone forgot it". Waited another 10-15 minutes for it to come out and now I have no time to eat it and have to have it packed for takeaway. This took another ten minutes! They also tried to give me the pie without a proper lid which would have been horrible because I then had to literally run to get to a meeting 25 minutes away. They gave me another paper dish to put over it. Poor service. No apologies. No attempt to make up for the inconvenience. Also, no chip chop sauce that I paid extra for. The food was good cold so it must be great warm. read more

I can't count how many times I went here with friends while a Student at Napier College. It was a great place to go as if you did not like the music in one room you could go to another. It was a fun dance club and hot spot. If you want to hit the floor with a mass of friends this is the place to go. I would not go expecting a pub, I always considered it a dance hall. read more

Pretty cool spot. Very dark up in there. The beer garden area was cool. The DJ played a good mix of music. Even through on some Westcoast rap while I was there. Don't get the Rum and coke.. it was no bueno.. .Lot of folks on the dance floor. I had time with my friends. Jager bombs were the death of me. :P read more

If you are looking for a pub where you can get a quiet drink, this isn't it. I know I shouldn't like it, but I love to go dancing and that's why I like it. They play a variety of music, most importantly music I can dance to. The drinks are a bit pricey and there isn't a lot of seating inside, but I do like the large outdoor area. When you need a bit of breathing room, you can just head outside. Yes, it is a magnet for hen/stag parties, but never been there when things have kicked off, although I think hen/stag parties are always entertaining to watch... from a distance... and that's why the large outside area comes in handy. Never had to wait very long for drinks as the staff seem to be on top of it. read more

Some of my clients have talked about this place ... I heard always nice review for hen party in night time ...

The breakfast menu on the website is only for hotel guests as well as all menus on the tables... which is very misleading. The service is quite bad - I was there for 30 minutes and the waitress never stopped by my table once. read more