Bars

This bar has changed quite a lot over the years, however since it was refurbished and restored to its former role as the Salisbury Arms, it’s really taken off. Inside, the bar makes you feel like you’ve entered a country pub – with wooden interiors, a big fireplace and leather couches, you feel relaxed and comfortable the minute you walk through the door. They also have a beer garden and seating where you can enjoy a touch of alfresco eating when the sun shines.

The food on the menu advertises itself as ‘good, honest, pub food’ and that’s exactly what you get – from a selection of roasts on a Sunday to a light lunch menu or a full a la carte main menu – it’s hard to know what to pick! I recently went along for Sunday lunch and had a very tasty fish pie and my family thoroughly enjoyed some of the roasts on offer. The puddings are very tempting too with everything from sticky toffee pudding to cheesecakes to a ‘sharer dessert’  that would be a challenge to manage without help.

As well as the food on offer, the Salisbury Arms also lives up to its ‘good local pub’ claim with lots of events on during the week like ‘ladies’ night’, a pub quiz and various ‘special’ nights like Fish Fridays and ‘Cattle and Cork’ night. On top of this, they also have a mailing list and an RSS feed with updates on news and offers. 

If you’re out in the Stockbridge area and you’re looking for something to eat or even just after a beer, then you can’t really go wrong with Hector’s.

Set in the bohemian area of Stockbridge, and just around the corner from the Botanic Gardens, the Water of Leith, and the Modern Art gallery, it’s a great place to take a break from sightseeing and enjoy some great food.

Despite being a pub, the food is anything but the usual “pub grub” fare, and it is absolutely bursting with flavour. There are around twenty different types of beer on tap, and to my eternal joy, they tend to sell beers from around the world rather than the beers that are sold in most Scottish bars. The food, for the quality and portion size, is extremely well priced, and a meal for 2 (including drinks) should come in at under £ 30. 

The menu is always changing, so you can go back to trying something new regularly!  I would recommend going for lunch, rather than dinner, as it isn’t possible to reserve seats due to it being a bar rather than a restaurant.  It can get super busy, so go early!

The bar has a very local feel, which fits in the village atmosphere of Stockbridge as a whole, but don’t let that make you feel that you would be an outsider, the staff and patrons are very friendly.

Situated right in the centre of Edinburgh, and only a few minutes walk from The Royal Mile, The City Café is a great place to take a break from the many attractions that the area has to offer.

With its 50s diner décor, which includes a working 7″ playing jukebox with lots of classic rock n roll singles, there is a lot to love about The City Café. For me, and if you’re a big milkshake fan you’ll agree, The City Café sells the greatest milkshakes in the city. After one slurp of their Bounty milkshake, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven.

The food is also absolutely delicious, and there is plenty to choose from. The burgers could definitely be contenders for the best burger in Edinburgh. The veggie burgers come with a lot of avocado on them, which is an inspired idea. The burgers do have a tendency to fall apart because they are packed with so much filling, so keep napkins at the ready! 

Everything is very reasonably priced too, for a meal and a drink it will cost you around £ 10. Alcohol is slightly on the pricey side, but there are special offers on during the week.

There is occasionally live music downstairs. One of the best shows I have ever seen was in the City Cafe, when Franz Nicolay played. The mirrored walls make the tiny room feel far bigger than it is.

Teuchter’s Landing is a pub set in a former waiting room for the steam ferry from Leith to Aberdeen. For those who are not from Scotland, a Teuchter is traditionally a derogatory term for a person from the countryside, usually someone from the North of Scotland. Being a teuchter myself, I can say that any fellow highlanders would feel very welcome in this bar.

The drinks list is exceptional, featuring a lot of the less common beers, one of which is a personal favourite of mine and is brewed in the area where I grew up, Black Isle Blonde.  Along with a normal set menu, the bar also has a very distinct “mug menu” in which it serves food from a mug. The food is mostly Scottish staples, such as haggis (and vegetarian haggis), mac n cheese, and mussels. All of this hearty fare comes with oatcakes too.  The chips are ridiculously thick and incredibly tasty.

There is a big screen at the far end of the bar, and also in the smaller room, which shows sports. The atmosphere is very relaxed and if you’re looking for a bar to watch sports that is less rowdy than someone of the ones in town, then this is a great place to go. 

It also has a beer garden which looks out onto the water, now that summer is (nearly!) here, it would be a great place to visit on a sunny day.

If you’re looking for a pub with exceptional real ales and a great atmosphere, then you really can’t go wrong with The Blue Blazer.

Set in West Port, right between the bustling Grassmarket and Lothian Road, it’s a good place to start a night out, or just have a quiet drink.  I like to grab a table with a few friends at the back, have a few drinks and a good chat.  The bar is more aimed at beer enthusiasts than a lot of bars in the area. It usually has between 6 and 8 real ales on tap, with more bottles. The beers often change, so there is a chance to try something new with each visit.  There is also a very extensive selection of whiskies and other spirits. The staff are obviously very enthusiastic about the drinks and are happy to make recommendations.

The building has been a pub since at least 1893, and it does have a very traditional Edinburgh pub feel to it. There is literature available in the bar detailing its history.  The decor is very traditional, and there are several terrifying toby jugs above the bar, which I try not to look at.  The bar is small, and due to its location and popularity, it is usually quite busy, it is always best to arrive early at weekends as it is quite difficult to get a seat later in the evening, particularly in the booths at the back.