Cool spot on the corner to order a bit of overpriced beer, but you can't beat the legend behind the name of the place, the prime people watching spot, and the convenience to all that's on the Royal Mile. read more

Best fish and chips in Old Town! This pub has a lively vibe and in a great location in the center of Old town. Highly recommend even if it's just to hang and grab a beer mid day. read more

This place has this magic ability to take my high spirits and good mood, and turn it right around. Last time I came here (no idea why we chose DBs) The Man and I got pints, found a table, and somehow lost the ability to have a conversation because the jolly was just sucked right out of us. It was bright and packed and expensive. I have friends who used to work here because we were all in student residence around the corner and it was conveniently located. Oh the stories I would hear about the kitchen staff being high and/or drunk while working and the issues they used to have with getting orders a) correct and b) in a timely manner. I worked in food service for over two years and the stories still managed to shock me. I'm not saying this place is awful, it just lacks any redeemable qualities which would make up for the negative. If you're looking for a place to get a drink and a bite on the Mile, do yourself a favour and head just one block down to just about any of the pubs below George IV. You will still get the Scottish theme, but your experience will be much more enjoyable. read more

Ate upstairs and loved the food/beer. Staff was so friendly and it was a great first experience at Scottish dining. read more

I can't believe I forgot to review this during my UK loggings. All I really got to say is delicious. However, that makes for a boring review of a place, so a few more words. I went on Halloween, so all the service staff is in costumes, which was a fun touch. They were friendly and quick. Anyway, ordered the wild boar burger with chorizo. Who thought of this idea? They should get a medal. This is completely out of the realm of what I was expecting in food terms. It was quite the burger. This place gets the seal of approval. Would go back if I ever get back out there. read more

We really loved our experience here. Although part of it had to do with the fact that we had the best seat in the house, next to an open window, where bagpipes were playing. I know it's terribly tourist-y, but hey! I'm a tourist, and it was what I envisioned. The waitresses were very friendly and accommodating. The food was fan-tabulous! My hubby had the fish and chips and he said it was the best he'd ever had. I had the steak which was done perfectly! We finished off with gin and tonic sorbet and who ever thought of that gem should get a raise. Holy moly! It was crazy good!! Well done. read more

When I think of this place I think, meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh. Came by here the other day as my brother got scooped into this tourist trap. I realy didn't want to eat here but thought I shouldn't be fussy and thought to myself 'katie, maybe don't be so picky, it might not be that bad' The food was.. okay. The service was SLOW, and it took forever for someone to let us leave!! We waited to pay for ages. Actually the service was so bad we didn't tip (eek!) I hope I never get dragged back into here for food. I'll have a pint.. but thats it. Theres so many better places around. read more

This is the best place in Edinburgh to eat! Great food! Good people, very entertaining! I only ate there as much as possible! I will be coming back! Love Scotland and the food and people! read more

LOVE Deacon Brodie's .... Not once have I been here and not found myself in good conversation with someone interesting .. all locals or at least from the country. It's great to get a non-tourist perception of the city, politics (to a point!) and just a feeling for the Scot's humor and good spirited way of looking at things! It's cozy - I would always want to sit downstairs as it's the most lively and that's what we go for ... upstairs they seat bigger parties and you can "get in" ..but I say, if you're not downstairs .. why go? -- The food is good, beer is cold -- staff friendly. I come here for the atmosphere and proximity to everything from Old town south .... (and East on the Old town side). You have to be quick with spotting and grabbing a table ... aren't all the good places worth that? Yes, brilliant! ~d read more

We came here for lunch on a Tuesday before heading to the castle. We were excited to try some good Scottish food for the first time. We came with 8 people but we sat at 3 separate tables with separate checks. We waited an hour for our food. And while we waited we watched other tables be served FIRST that arrived AFTER us. The only reason for the 2 stars is for the food. It was delicious. It just took way too long. We won't be coming back here. read more

I am a man now. I had haggis for breakfast here. It's too touristy, but then again, what do you expect? I used to go here for a drink as it is relatively close to the stop for the Aircoach. Pints are 50-60 p cheaper if you walk 2 streets away from the Royal Mile, but, then again, if it's only the one pint you're having, who cares? Nice, but nothing special. Good if you're a tourist. read more

In the midst of the Fringe Festival, I was pushed and pulled through the streets to end up here. I wanted to get some haggis, but some nagging suspicion told me to skip it and go for the vegetarian version. So, I did. Smothered in cream sauce, the vegetarian haggis (made of lentils and other goodies) sat atop neeps and tatties (boiled and mashed turnips and potatoes, my fellow Americans), which were also covered in the cream sauce. I couldn't resist a tall glass of Irn Bru, so I got that to accompany my Death by Chocolate layer cake. Sugar with sugar, yum yum. The service was fine, the food was alright; nothing really to rave or complain about. It's a typical pub with standard fare. But, hell, it's far better than the Pizza Hut around the corner! read more

Really cool atmosphere as far as the look and feel go. Good beer selection as well. A place where you can let some time go by. read more

See all

This was the first place I went to arriving into Edinburgh. Its connection with History makes it a must go to place on the Royal Mile for food. The service is friendly and there's a friendly family-run atmosphere about it. They even have special beers down in the cellar! I started with a fish chowder appetizer which was really big, it nearly ruined my appetite for the steak stuffed with haggis. I ate about half of that and I was ready to box up the rest to take back to my hotel room for later. Thing about that, though, is that there is no "takeaway". The restaurant never bothered getting a license for doggie bags, as such a separate license is needed around here. Furthermore, tipping must be done in cash whereas the rest of the bill can be paid with credit card. Be prepared for that. read more

Good pub on the corner in the middle of the Royal Mile. Probably paying a little extra for the location.

We were in Edinburgh with some friends who were visiting us from the states and we had worked up a bit of an appetite playing tourist guides. My friends weren't really picky when it came to food and pretty much just pointed this place out and in we went. We were pretty excited to see that there was a table four of us could sit in was open, seeing as how this pub is right off the main touristy area, so we thought we were in luck. Turns out, they only serve food upstairs so away we went. Heading upstairs, the stairs are carpeted in tartan carpet which adds to that old pub feel. When we got to the dining room, we were immediately blasted with the hottest air possible on a gorgeous afternoon. As soon as we were seated, we immediately shed a few layers as it was like a sauna here. We ordered a large nachos while we looked over the menu. The nacho's were substandard, and basically were a load of tortilla chips with one big wad of cheese melted and hardened in the center of the pile with guac and sour cream (which had the consistency of cottage cheese). Only a few chips had cheese on them, the rest were rather bare. I really wanted to try the amazing sounding pies they had on offer, but ended up going for scampi and chips instead with a side of kale and green beans. My guy went for the hunters chicken which was a bbq'd chicken breast wrapped in bacon, one of our friends went for the chicken and leek pie and the other, being a veggie, went for the cheesy potato pie. Everyone really enjoyed their meals, aside from myself. The scampi were tiny and the tarter sauce looked like it had been used. I was really put off by the whole meal. The kale was good but the green beans, you could tell, were frozen, not fresh. I ate it, but I wasn't thrilled. My guy's hunter chicken was a dream and we fully plan on recreating that dish at home. All in all, aside from the fact that we were sitting in a sauna, the staff were nice enough and the food wasn't half bad. read more

See all

My second time eating here (first in 2005). We sat above the craziness of the pub and festival street crowds. Staff was über friendly. The fish (crispy!) and chips were great. My mate had a more healthy fish dish and said it was very good. read more

What would you say was the shortest amount of time you have ever spent in a pub? A pint, a chat and a good look around should take around an hour, no? Withing 15 minutes of this place, I was ready to leave. Yes, I was prepared for the touristyness of it all - but Deacon Brodies takes it to a whole new level. Drinks are astronomically expensive, so is the poor quality food and the atmosphere is an odd mixture of nervousness at being in a real scottish pub (from the tourists i imagaine) and overwhelming boredom - simply because this place has very little charm or character. Deacons looks nice, and is comfortable enough, and I'm pretty sure tourists will love it, but stay away if you value your sanity locals! read more

Deacon Brodies Tavern - From business website. - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I feel as a local, I should give Deacon Brodies two stars based on it's ridiculously expensive drinks, poor food and bad chat from the staff. As well as the fact it is always packed with tourists so it takes forever to get served. If I was a tourist I would love this place. Scottish themed (as is every pub in the Royal Mile) with fish and chips and haggis on the menu, this offers everything tourists want from a bar in Edinburgh. If you are looking for an authentic, good pub experience then you need to get away from Deacon Brodies and the Royal Mile. I do enjoy the story on the menu though. read more

Och aye the noo! Wur braw Scots in here like, help ma boab! Slightly overpriced, dirty, and not remotely Scottish. Leave it to the tourists. read more

This place has such a big reputation which I didn't even know about!! Tourists lap this sh*t up! It's pretty standard, tourists listen up - you'll love it in here. It just sounds Scottish doesn't it? Deacon Brodies, aye make mine a whiskey!! The atmosphere is good, the food is average and the drinks are reasonable, so all in all not bad! read more

Deacon's is a tourist bar through and through. Not surprising seeing as it's on the Mile, just down from the Castle, but if you're a regular avoid it. The pub itself is pretty average, but it will annoy you with its excessive Scottishness and it is way too overpriced. Avoid it if you can, as although it's not terrible, there are much better pubs around. Leave it to the tourists that don't know any better read more

As others have stated Deacon Brodies is a totally tourist place, being on the Royal Mile and catering to exactly the types of food and beer tourists expect. That being said, my experience there was not bad. I had the fish and chips. Fish was nice, crispy, not greasy. Chips were chips. Mushy peas were mushy peas. Not amazing, but solid if you are looking for something good to eat. I got there right at noon when the upstairs restaurant was opening, so I didnt have to wait and my service was fast and friendly. The upstairs has a cozy, low-ceiling, darkish pub feeling, though it isnt very big and isnt really designed to cater to large parties. Overall a good tourist visit and good if you are looking for a place that serves solid food. read more

So, after reading a few of the reviews on here I see a common theme... The staff and the food. Location - This place is situated on the Royal Mile, so I was worried that it was a typical tourist trap. I was pleased to see that the place seemed low-key when I entered. It definately wasn't pushing itself off on everyone. Staff - The staff was VERY slow to seat us. There were already 4 people seated and this seemed to be overwhelming the only waitress on duty. (There were 2 waitresses, but one was eating her lunch in the middle of the dinning area.) Once we were seated, the took our drink order, took our starter order, brough our drinks and took our meal order. The food was slow to be prepared, but that is not the wait staff's fault. It is however their fault that they again appeared to be overwhelmed with the small amount of people actually seated. I've run an entire bar and grill with only 2 staff members and EVERYONE was helped immediately and quickly. Nothing overwhelming about it. We certainly never ate in front of the customers and NEVER ate if we had to help the customers. Food - The food was excellent! We had a starter of wings, tomato and basil soup, haggis with neeps & tatties. For meals we had rib eye steaks, sausage and mash, steak and ale pie, and a burger. I'll say again, all of the food was excellent! Nothing disappointed, not even the side dishes. I cannot believe that some people didn't enjoy the food. (Must be an British thing.) Overall, I'm glad that my wife found this place on our little walk. None of us regreted it and if I'm back in Edinburgh any time soon, I'll be back. Hopefully the next time I will get a proper wait staff. read more

This was the absolute DREAM meal to have after a 12 hour tour through the Highlands. We were looking for bonafide Scottish cuisine and find it here we did! We ordered the famous Scottish Haggis, Neeps and Tatties as a starter and it was tasty! Honestly it exceeded my expectations for the dish--I mean how yummy can sheep's stomach be after all?! Turns out pretty excellent per this restaurant's preparation. For my main, I order the scallops, (I guess that's the Floridian in me) which were scrumptious. The perfect protein packed yet light entree. My boyfriend ordered the Bangers and Mash and I'm really glad he's the sharing type because I absolutely loved this dish! It was hearty and full of savory sweet flavor. We enjoyed a bit of local scotch with it all of course and felt more than fueled to explore the city for the remainder of the night! Perfect location being on the Royal Mile as well. read more

See all

Service was terrible. The burger was dry - DO NOT order. The steak and mushroom pie was ok but nothing to write home about. They couldn't even get our Whisky order right. I was trying to warn new patrons as they were coming in to move along, sadly, I don't think they took me seriously. read more

Review for the pub only; I've never eaten here. This is a solid pub option for the Lawnmarket block -- a bit hipper than Ensign Ewart but not as cozy and sweet as the Jolly Judge. The ale selection is priced for tourists (I think I spent over £3.50 for a Tennants) but the atmosphere is usually bumpin' on Friday and Saturday nights. If the Judge is full and you don't have the energy to wander down to the World's End, this'll do. read more

Great location for a drink after a visit up the castle. Good selection of beer and whiskies of course. Two of our guides had recommended this pub for a quick bite and a drink and all was as you expect. read more

The food was ok. I'm very disappointed in the service. Our server Ali basically stopped giving us service after our food arrived. Severs were generally annoyed with us. Maybe not a good place for big parties. Not sure. It said they were family friendly on the wall but that did not seem to be the case. Will not recommend this place to anyone. Scotland has generally been a warm and welcoming country. I'm sad to leave it with this impression. read more

Another of Edinburghs historical pubs. named nafter a rogue, it is a good place to meet for a couple of drinks. believe the food is great but have not eaten here myself. A nice pint is to be had and from here its mostly all down hill towards the palace. read more

Nice pub, very touristy. In the upstairs part, the food is very good, but the ambiance not even remotely comparable to downstairs. Downstairs the selection of real ales is awesome. Why does leaving your business card get you sparkly wine? Why not one of these awesome beers or whiskies? I found it pretty cool that they count how many hand pumped ales they pump every week. The week before I was there: 1987. Cool. read more

Would lean closer to 3.5 or 4 stars based on food and drink - but the service was comically poor. Sat upstairs after a short wait on a very busy Saturday night. There were three servers working the small dining room, and while two were stars the third was off her game or perhaps just not very good to begin with. Incredibly slow and generally oblivious. She was, to be fair, charged with a large section - but we waited far too long to order, watched our drinks sit sadly at the bar for a solid 10 minutes before being delivered, and had to chase down other servers repeatedly for water, catsup, the check - you get the idea. As far as food - we were expecting very standard pub fare, and that's exactly what we got. Fish and chips? Solid. Grilled chicken sandwich? As advertised. Bottom line: Good place for a drink and snack or casual meal if you're touristing around Edinburgh, but probably not a pub I'd seek out otherwise. read more

Enjoyed they fish and chips and would consider them 6 out of 10 for taste. Overall I was impressed. Ambience and food plus location made Deacon Brodie's a decent place for beer and good food. read more

Deacon Brodies Tavern - Looking out of top floor of Decon Brodie's. - Pubs Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

This is where stevenson was inspired to write Dr Jekyll and Mr hyde. It's one of my favorite books so naturally I had to check it out. This pub was originally owned by deacon Brodie who was at first known as a noble man but became a notorious criminal that the author based his character on. The vibe of the pub was really cool especially knowing the history of how Brodie held his illegal gambling games here. Food was classic Scot food, not the best but decent! read more

The pub opened in 1806 so probably wasn't opened as a tourist trap but as Edinburgh has changed Deacon Brodie's has adapted. Still an authentic Scottish pub. I've never had any problem with the service in fact I find it especially friendly. Great place to drop in for a pint or a dram. read more

One of the best known pubs in the city, based almost on the very top of Royal Mile just impossible to miss! The pub itself is not hughe and you feel a little cramped especially when it's full but it's a good place to relax and just have a pint. Veriety of alcohols is good enough to satisfy anyone. The pub itself is on the lower floor. On the second floor there is a cosy restaurant which offers a big menu with a wide range of meals. So if you're visiting Edinburgh get to know all it's creepy stories and drop in to this place for a while! read more

Named after Deacon William Brodie, the man in which the book Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was based, the tavern has two floors, the bar downstairs with a wide selection of beer, lager and malt whiskies and the restaurant upstairs with traditional scottish fare plus a large selection of seafood. Kids are allowed in the restaurant but not the bar and during the tourist season they normally have live music on twice a week read more

We ended up getting eating lunch at Deacon Brodies while touring the Royal Mile. This corner two story pub has some great old world pub feel, and I would probably been much happier with my visit had I just got fish'n chips or a burger. But since I'm on vacation I want to treat myself with their aged steak, horrible. 25 pounds for a tough stringy piece of cartilage, I've had much better steak at Waffle House for lots less. I have a hard time believing this was actually aged as it was listed on the menu. Even my wife's burger was lousy. We ate upstairs, the place was very busy packed with tourist, & understaffed. The waitresses were obviously straining to keep up. This pub would probably be great for a drink, but on a busy day I would rather go another block or two to find some where else a little less overwhelmed. read more

Everyone we met in Edinburgh has gone out of their way to be helpful and nice, except the older woman who was seating people for dinner upstairs. Maybe it was a long night but this was our first time in the restaurant. We had 5 to seat and after waiting she tells us no room. Only 2. 2 tables would be sufficient but she had nothing to do with it. Don't waste your time read more

The prices are really decent for being a tourist spot. The restaurant ( and female toilet) is upstairs (no elevator). But you can get the food at the downstairs bar area too. This is a chain that owns lots of restaurants in the area. If you do a review with the Nicholson chain, you get 25% off the next visit. It takes 48 hours to get the email. But it is only for the restaurant you reviewed, not for any of the Nicholson chain restaurants. They have lunch specials. read more