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Theatre Royal Bar

4.0 (33 reviews)
ModeratePubs
Open 12:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)

Theatre Royal Bar Photos

THEATRE ROYAL BAR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Classy
Moderate noise
Good for groups
Outdoor seating

Recommended Reviews - Theatre Royal Bar

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Reviews With Photos

Signed posters of many big shows here
Brian G.

There are many really good restaurants in Edinburgh - I was surprised to be honest by the choice. On this particular evening though it had reached 6:30pm, we were new in town and everything seemed booked. Gave the Theatre Royal Bar a call and they advised to come in soon and they would fit us in. And they did, very friendly staff, took their time to chat and answer questions. Nice atmosphere, the food was not gastro by any means but it hit the spot. Lesson - if you are in Edinburgh without a reservation then try this place. Added bonus if you are a theater buff like us - lots of autographed posters around and also theater living serving staff :)

Next to the Marriott Courtyard.

Basic pub. Fancier on the outside than inside. But the beer was cold, the whisky was excellent, service was great. After dinner drinks so I can't evaluate the food.

Dining area
Josh S.

My wife and I had dinner here and it was excellent. The wait staff was very friendly and attentive. The sticky pudding was so good we might have to go back again for more. The atmosphere was so nice with all the dark wood and the fireplace.

Mcallan 12 year
Sandeep C.

Right near the theatre and our hotel. The experience was quite fantastic. An old school establishment with a lot of character.

Mushroom Soup with bread on the side and Mushroom Risotto
Jessica G.

We picked this pub based on Yelp's reviews and weren't disappointed. The pub has a very old-school drama-Yama feel to it and I felt at home immediately just looking at the numerous musical posters on the wall. We had our dinner here and opted for a mushroom soup to start with a Mushroom risotto as main. The soup was light yet creamy enough to finish the whole bowl of it. The accompanying bread was kinda salty- very different expectations from me. Hubby loved it more than me. I personally loved the mushroom risotto very much. A good stomach warmer for the cold outside.

Em C.

The Theatre Royal is of course affiliated with its neighbour, The Playhouse. I don't know if it is in business terms, but certainly the theme of this bar is to please the theatre goers as they step in for pre theatre drinks and eats. Because of its proximity to the Playhouse, it maintains a high standard of service and quality. The walls are freshly painted a rich red, there are theatre posters from years ago framed in each corner of the space, and the large horsehoe bar serves up a number of nice beers and spirits. They serve up the usual pub fayre for lunch, and it's not too expensive considering its central location. The bar staff are friendly and although it can get busy when a show is about to start, if you aim to get here a couple of hours early you could set yourself up for the night with a relaxed bottle of wine and a wee chat. They have outdoor seating which is enjoyed by locals, tourists and theatre goers during the sunny afternoons. I like this bar. I would drink in it even if I wasn't going to the theatre, and make it my local if I stayed nearby. The exterior decor with the bugle players is interesting, making it stand out as one of the older and classier bars in the area. But what I like most of all about this place is that they keep their toilets clean and tidy. What's more, they pipe music through them. At long last I've found somewhere which plays elevator music in the bathroom. There's nothing worse than doing a wee and awkwardly knowing that your wee, along with those in the neighbouring cubicles, are amplified. Makes washing your hands beside your previously anonymous pee partner needlessly embarrassing. So even though they were playing Joe McElderry of X Factor fame when I visited, I would gladly take that over the icy silence that usually falls on bathrooms. A round of applause for Theatre Royal!

Rezzi I.

This bar/restaurant can't be missed, with it's rich exterior and important position right next to the Edinburgh Playhouse! It definitely fancier, and much larger, than many of the other bars and pubs in Edinburgh and has an enviable menu as well. Now that it's summertime, the outdoor seating is extremely tempting and I have to say I succumbed! The food is surprisingly inexpensive, and I had a delicious chicken burger with my beer. They also serve mains (I noticed they do a lot of fish dishes, haddock, salmon etc) as well as salads and pretty good-looking desserts... It's extremely cosy indoors, but I'm not sure much sunlight is allowed in there, so I'd definitely recommend heading there whilst the weather permits!

Fiona H.

This bar pretty much sums up everything that annoys me about the Theatre in one go. It's a bit gaudy looking, it's painted stupidly flambuoyant colours and the shakespearean life-sized figureheads suspended above the door are just a little too desperate and attention-seeking for my liking. And on the one occasion I drank here it was full of people that pretty much matched that description too. Yes, it's a really convenient location if you want a few drinks before you see a show, as it's pretty much inside the Playhouse building. But that fact also means that drinks are really overpriced. Obviously the other reviewers liked it considerably more than I did, but I have to say I am definitely not a fan.

Trang N.

Touristy, yes. but the food was tasty and the drinks were plentiful. We came here because we noticed that this place was a bit more busy then the surrounding area. We were able to grab a comfy booth in the back room behind the bar. We had just arrived in Edinburgh so we really needed to sit down and get a game plan and stumbled upon The Royal Theatre. Our waiter was quick and efficient with great recommendations with the local drafts. However, he did disappear to play bartender later in our service so we had to track him down in order to pay our bill! I had the traditional Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, 'Hey when in Scotland!' I have to say, that I really liked it! My husband had the burger and was happy with it. He really loved all the ales on tap the most! The restaurant front looked like an old Scottish pub and the interior décor was very regal, with deep reds, beautiful chandeliers and signed theatre posters. I'm glad we got seated when we did as it the place was packed, I guess a play had let out when we left and I could see that they were a bit short on staff to accommodate everyone!

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3 years ago

Great atmosphere, a top-notch and very good menu options. We had a great dining experience and the price was very reasonable too.

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3 years ago

Great food and atmosphere!! The food had great flavor and the service was great. The price was just right!

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Review Highlights - Theatre Royal Bar

It's right next door to the Playhouse, so it's a good place to visit either before or after taking in a show.

Mentioned in 7 reviews

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The Devil's Advocate - Smoked fish plate

The Devil's Advocate

4.3(630 reviews)
0.5 miOld Town, Royal Mile
££

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.

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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 White Hart Inn

The White Hart Inn

3.9(113 reviews)
0.8 miGrassmarket, Old Town
££

Our first day in Edinburgh and as usual our first order of business is to ride the hop-on-hop-off…read morebus. Today when the Red route took us to old town and I saw The White Hart Inn I said to Jan let's do an early dinner there and she agreed. We continued the route and stayed on back to the stop in old town. We love Alfresco dining but it was too cold and windy today. We went inside and the restrauant was packed. It's open seating. No hostess, no sign in. We were lucky and just happened to be standing next to a table that opened. We had been there about 5 minutes. The restaurant/ pub is rich in history, established in 1516. It's small with limited bar seating and prehaps 8 to 10 tables. It is noisy from conversation, tosting and music, but we didn't have a hard time communicating. It has a great vibe. It's a fun venue and popular with the locals. The menu is not large and has several Scottish offerings. To start, Jan was cold and wanted an Irish coffee. I ordered an Innis and Gunn larger. Innis & Gunn is an acclaimed Scottish brewery founded in 2003 in Edinburgh. It had a slightly citrus flavor. Jan ordered muscles and I ordered the steak and ale pie, served with a charred Hispi cabbage wedge, buttered mash and Merlot beef dripping gravy. It was very tasty, very robust flavor. I loved the cabbage; great flavor. I had to look up hispi cabbage and it is a variety of green cabbage. The muscles were good and the broth very nice. We had a lovely time and a good meal. Our good luck at freelancing dining venues while we explore Ireland and Scotland continues.

We chose this place for being one of the oldest establishments in Scotland dating back to the 18th…read more Century and a place where poets like Wordsworth, Burns etc gathered for a sip. The setting still looked ancient and the overall ambiance was befitting. Small place though. The food and drinks however disappointed. They could have put more efforts to turn the place into something much more than it is. Service was efficient without being really excellent.

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The White Hart Inn
The White Hart Inn
The White Hart Inn - Cozy place

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Cozy place

Queens Arms

Queens Arms

4.4(114 reviews)
0.6 miNew Town
££

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

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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

Theatre Royal Bar - pubs - Updated May 2026

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