My cousins and I stopped in here on our first evening in Edinburgh after reading the good Yelp reviews. We were looking for something with healthier food, good wine, and a fun atmosphere and Villager delivered on all accounts. We were shown to a cozy booth and had an excellent (and very cute) server who took great care of us. I love how they serve the water here-in pitchers infused with fruit and herbs, very tasty and refreshing. I thought I ordered the smoked chicken salad but our server heard that I ordered just the straight smoked chicken, and I am so glad he made that mistake! The chicken was amazing and served with perfectly roasted root vegetables, the entire dish was filling without being too hearty. It looked like there were a fair amount of locals at the Villager as well, and it didn't feel touristy, which was a nice change from the restaurants on High Street. read more

The place is quite hard to find, the sign is not obvious enough and it's actually on the other side of the street. We are there as tourists and seems most of the people there are local. Atmosphere were great, we enjoyed the cocktails but food was just ok. read more

I went to villager earlier in the year for some post meal drinks on a friends birthday. One of the party was disabled and after parking her mobility scooter outside, entered on crutches and sat at an empty unreserved table. We were promptly told that we would have to stand as the tables were for customers buying food only. When we explained the situation, they told us the rest of us would have to stand as it would be unfair on other customers which we grudgingly did as they took our seats away. 10 minutes later, security tried to move us to a different part of the bar as we were standing in 'an eating area' leaving the disabled woman sitting on her own. We promptly left. Whilst this sort of treatment is apparently common, its entirely unacceptable and I wont be back read more

Cute intimate ambiance. Delicious cocktails - came here for a quick dinner & drink with some friends and we got about eight cocktails total, all of which were great. The food was tasty but the portions were small. read more

Warm and cozy place. Delicious lunch. I'm not a drinker and the bartender made me a fantastic mocktail. The crispy lamb is out of this world! Made like pork belly. Warm and wonderful staff. In fact, it was so yummy, we came back for dinner the next day! read more

A favourite for lunch; excellent food, good prices and comfy laid back environment. Good for evening cocktails but crammed when packed out.

This is a cool, chic, funky little restaurant with good food and even better drinks (we ordered a gigantic cocktail for my friend's birthday which arrived in a bowl and it was on fire...no kiddling!). The staff were a little slow when we were here however after a couple of their drinks you don't really care... I'll be back again! read more

The place is very interesting! Big windows (superb light when the sun is shinning) and high ceiling, art, wood and mirrors everywhere. My seat was very confortable and the couches looked very nice! The place and the staff are lovely, our waitress was very nice and smiling. First thing she did was to bring a wonderful water pitcher with minth-cucumber-watermelon ... so you can imagine that we enjoyed refreshing-tasty water. But.... there is a huge but.....The food was disapointing, we had a vegetarian share plate ( a lot of bread, 2 small fresh salads, olives, 3 small falafel balls and a mayonaise) and the brocoli and bette pastry as starter! We didn't like it at all... but the green tea and the Pino Grigio was good. Take de big one because the small glass of wine is tiny!! The bill was 24 pounds if I can remember... it is always expensive when you don't like your meal! But again a but... I remember the lovely German waitress who really make the experience not that bad!! read more

Villager - nice wooden bar, it was the view from my table! - Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

We came to the Villager thinking it was an upscale pub, but it's really more of a cocktail bar/lounge. For dinner, we were seated on sofas around a low table, which would have been comfortable for drinks but was a bit awkward for a meal. I tried one of their many cocktails, a play on an old-fashioned with smoky Scotch. The food was fine, albeit a little expensive for something simple like the vegetarian platter, with good fish and chips. We had better pub food in Edinburgh, but it was certainly nothing to complain about. The real problem was the service, which was sporadic and inattentive. I think we came in during a shift change, because our original waitress disappeared and was replaced after a period of time by another waiter. When we tried to pay, the credit card reader couldn't read our cards - another frustration! Overall, it was a fine meal but I'd say this is a better spot for cocktails and snacks than dinner. read more

I love Villager during the day - the food is delicious and the music and atmosphere are very cool. In the evening, though, it can be a different story - the bar seems to struggle to keep it "buzzing" rather than "unbearably packed", and I've been treated quite rudely by security staff in the past, told where I can and can't stand etc. The cocktails are good but the selection of other drinks isn't great, and the lager is really overpriced. It is generally quite pricey. Definitely go for a laid-back late lunch, but if you want to have a good night out you have to take your chances. read more

Wow! This is what I call epic fail. Went out last night for drinks and munchies at the villager and could not have been less impressed. Granted I have been fighting a cold for a few weeks that does not mean I am about to order cough syrup as a drink. Cough syrup that masqueraded as a Pear and Raspberry Mojito. Drink FAIL. When we informed our waiter of this she let me know that she had made the drink and we would still have to pay for it. Service FAIL. The food was fairly average and so I can't award extra point for it. The ambiance was rather plastic though the decor was well done. I have not tried the burgers but I'm willing to stake that I'll be returning to my old haunt rather than try this place again. read more

Quiet lunchtime, but good tasty burger and welcoming staff. Good music, but turn the heating up please!

Nice modern style pub with good music and good looking people.

Very disappointing. I ordered a dirty martini... the bartender used sweet vermouth, and the cocktail was not drinkable. When I mentioned that the drinks were awful, they did nothing and said if we wanted another drink we would have to pay for it. It's absolutely okay if the bartender doesn't know the recipe, but be honest with the customer. read more

The food was so great and prices appropriated for its quality. Also I had a cocktail with gin and cherry in it and it was so good! I'd definitely recommend it also for the place and the location. The only thing I wasn't so happy of was the staff and the service at the table, but overall it was a good experience. read more

The menu looks good but the best food we had was mediocre. The fritters needed salt, and the beef sandwich was horrible. There was way too much bread compared to meat, and the meat was so tough I gave up on chewing it. I would have sent it back, but the service was so slow that i didn't want to waste my time. read more

Really do not know why some people thinks this place is good, it is so cramped that you almost always have to stand and the music is so loud you can't speak. Not for me. read more

I thought this bar was really cool when I visited here for the 1st time recently. I liked the retro décor, they had Erdinger on draught (which I love), good music (playing some funk & soul when we were there) and a nice laid back vibe to the place. We had no problem getting a seat on a comfy sofa with a nice candle lit table and the place wasn't that busy when we went on a Thursday night. I would definitely go back for a few more drinks next time I am in Edinburgh. read more

its what i thought a bar in edinburgh would be, and enjoyed my time there. big shout to the bouncer he makes sure the trouble stays away and at first could seem like hes going to kill you but he just wants to make sure every one enjoys their time. read more

Very nice place, great relaxed atmosphere, good food, superb service and extremely delicious local beer. Even licensed for children :-)

i like it so much here! cocktails, big plusand the carafes of water are infused with cucumber and mint leaves so even if you can't partake of the lucious alcoholic offerings you can still feel quite posh.they used to do a fabulous prawn noodle dish but it disappeared to be replaced with even more delicious dishesgo along, check it out, make sure you have the next day off work read more

The villager is one of my favourite bars, perfect for after work drinks or for chilled out drinks on the sofas with friends. The decor is quirky and retro and the music is usually funky. As other reviewers have mentioned it can be busy at night and the bar area can feel quite cramped, however if you ask nicely you can sit in the area where they serve food which has a couple of couches and boothes by the window. The best time to come is a Saturday or Sunday afternoon when it is much quieter. The cocktails are great and I love the water jugs which come with cucumber and mint or watermelon inside - a nice touch which makes a real difference. The food is upmarket pub grub and can be hit or miss - I recommend eating there in the afternoon as the quality can take a nosedive in the evening when it's busy. The menu is varied with curries and noodles alongside the burgers and chips. Although there are better places to eat nearby on George IV bridge this is the best bar. The Villager's sister bar, Dragonfly is also a great place for some cocktails. read more