The Royal Dick Edinburgh

The Royal Dick bar is not the easiest place to find. On the south-east corner of the Meadows you can only get into the bar through the entrance to Summerhall, an arts hub which takes up the rest of the building. Walk straight through the reception into the courtyard behind and The Royal Dick is the building right in front of you.

The bar used to be a small animal hospital and the vet school for Edinburgh University and is now decorated with bits and pieces left over from the hospital - you can even sit round the old operating table. The seating area consists of a few small rooms with sofas and board games scattered around, great for settling in!

There is both food and drink on offer. More often than not I stop in for drinks rather than food as Summerhall has both a brewery and distillery on site. Both Barney's Beer or Pickering's Gin are available elsewhere in Edinburgh, but there is something about trying them in their home, especially as both are on tap here - yes, even the gin.

Although it's a little out of the centre of town, The Royal Dick is well worth the trip - the only problem is you might not want to leave!