The Pear Tree specialises in Kopparberg cider (surprise, surprise), which I personally think is amazing. During the summertime (especially the festival) it is cool to come and check out the beer garden. It's lovely and has trees in it, and also there is live music and comedy onstage outside. read more

Self-proclaimed biggest and best beer garden in Edinburgh, and easy to see why. Its a beautiful little cobbled courtyard with plenty of plenty of tables. When its hot, you'll be beating off the crowds to get there, when its not, well, at least you can smoke outside. It is rather expensive though, even if they do have the occasional 342 deal on (£3.50 for a kopparberg cider for instance). There's another thing about the garden too, which i only recently discovered, but can't go there without picturing now. If you happen to be sitting facing the lovely trellessed building, it appears to be a face grimacing back at you, with the door as its mouth I'm assured that others have seen this too, so its not just too many alcohol-induced afternoons in the sun with a free-flowing imagination! inside its not too great, but as everyone agrees, the garden can't be beat on a sunny day. read more

The main attraction of this pub is the beer garden . Surrounded by a wall and on a sunny day really catches the sun , this is a terrific spot, especially given the central location. At other times of the year when you would have to sit inside the pub is not so very different from the many others around town. This is definitely one to save for the summer. (And visit Word Power across the road when you do ) read more

Basically a combination indoor/outdoor sports bar for college kids. There's a screen set up outside for sports, but the inside also has TVs and is a bit more quaint with a bar in the middle and friendly bar staff. read more

I have mixed feelings about peartree. The huge beer garden is great, spacious and has a good atmosphere. It's well kept and the impressive ivy up the wall of the pub is a nice sight while knocking the froth off an ale. Anyone who ever has the privilege/shock of basking in some edinburgh sun must sample it. You'll have until about 6pm to top up your burn before the sun slips behind the tall uni building. On the flip side, it's expensive. An orange and soda will sting you over 3 quid and the guiness tastes like water. And on the 364 non-sunny days of the year you will be drinking inside, which is so so. Don't get me wrong, it's quite pleasant, but nothing special with no great draw. Often what i do is trick my body and mind into believing it's warm and sit outside shivering to get 'my money's worth'. Shivering is good.. Shivering is good..why has my head gone numb??? It's also a decent place to watch football, with adequate tvs, and very popular (often too popular) for big matches. However not my first choice due to the price and layout. So, for sun, outdoor jibber jabber, and nice surroundings this place is hard to top. For everything else, there is yelp! read more

Great go to place for a beer garden in the summer but take my advice, the minute the sun goes get the hell out of there and go somewhere cleaner, nicer and where the bar staff actually welcome your custom!!! read more

it gets a four star cause it has the largest out door drinking area, full sun, in the city. i was going to add another star because ive been informed they are going to have free live music EVERY night of August. but then i take away a star for no table service and a bar which you will inevitably wait for several minutes at to get your drink. now that most of the undergrads are out of here, its just stressy msc and phd students, which is kind of a gain a point situation, since they are not as visibly annoying as the young ins but also a lose a point situation since they (we) have two weeks left til dissertation submission deadline and are likely to be stressy shits. anyway, if you are here and it stops raining, not a bad place to check out- and close to the festival beer gardens (at least the uni one) read more

I rocked up to the Peartree on a sunny day to check it out after a little bit of prior research on a good beer garden in Edinburgh - it didn't disappoint. This place is not somewhere to bump into someone wearing something from the D&G Spring/Summer line. You're much more likely to bump into people looking for a decent priced pint, given that it's full of students and auld geezers that look like they might be part of the furnature. I suppose though that might just be because first year students look like they've just grown out of their babygrow. The fact that it's hoaching with students is not really surprising since it's next to the main Edinburgh University campus. The interior is quite warm and welcoming, the staff were fine when they were serving, however it did get a bit busy when the beer garden started filling up and the staff looked a little stressed then. I like the fact that the sofas are very comfy and you can sink right into them in one of the different little nooks and wee corners. However, for this being one of the main student haunts in the city, I was a little surprised that the prices were a bit more than I'd expected. Nevertheless, you can't beat a beer garden on a sunny day. read more

There doesn't seem to be many beer gardens around Edinburgh and The Peartree has to be one of the biggest of them. It's good for this reason (and that's why I give it an extra star) but it's absolutely mobbed when it's actually sunny. I also think it's a bit expensive considering I think of it as a student bar. The inside is very dark and more resembles an old man pub which I normally like but not so much in this bar. I only go to this bar really if I'm meeting others here. It wouldn't be my first choice of bar as I don't think it holds any kind of great atmosphere. read more

This is a great little pub in an old building covered with twinkling lights. Inside it has a dark, cozy atmosphere. I like that there is a center bar area with comfy, living room-style seating surrounding it. The service was a bit slow and snooty, but the atmosphere makes up for it. read more

Good beer garden but £4.75 for a pint of fairly average wheat beer?! Jog on!

Is there something in the Scottish gene that makes us fry ourselves at the merest sign of the sun. If you're looking for a bench and a pint then this place is pretty good. Better still if you keep a relatively low profile you can take in something to eat from the red noodle box across the way. Sadly, the options for eating in are limited to BBQ burgers with meat of questionable origin. If you play your cards right you can burn all day long here for the cost of a pint. Draft beers are pretty good with the usual suspects and Arran Blonde on draft to perk things up a bit. Don't forget the aftersun!! read more

Popped in the pub last night with a couple of friends. Thought it would be more a young person pub since it's close to the university but there was no distinct age group in the pub. Got a Scottish light beer and it was good considering I'm not much of a beer person. Overall, it was a good experience and if I'm back in Edinburgh, I would visit again. read more

The Peartree is located just off Nicolson street on the way to Newington close to Edinburgh university. It is popular for one reason, the huge beer garden to the rear. It is not actually a garden - there is no grass - but more of a huge patio with an outside bar, lighting and heaters. Not surprisingly, given the location close to the university, The Peartree is a student haunt, and always seems to be too busy in the evenings. It is also very popular during the Fringe when the beer garden is packed. The interior is nothing special, the décor is of traditional style, but it does have some comfy sofas. read more

When we had that brief spell of summer the other week my friend suggested we go to The Pear Tree and take advantage of their beer garden- what I imagined to be a small, quaint out-door spot in the sun. Instead, I was left aghast when we walked into this pub and saw the packed out-door courtyard. It's massive. It was busy, but there was a great atmosphere and despite the queues to the bar you never had to wait too long. If you fancy a relaxing, quiet drink in the sun however, I'd suggest you go elsewhere. read more

A small pub on the inside with a big beer patio on the outside, the Peartree plays host to a variety of young patrons, mostly students, but not entirely. Loads of picnic benches and heaters out-back if you don't want to sit indoors and watch sport on TV. But there's a big screen for those occasionally gripping football matches. Bit pricey. But, it's a pub, and does that job well. If you're a lady, watch out for the slightly disturbing mirror in the loos which is trying to sell you stuff as you check out whether you've got any crisps stuck in your teeth. read more

I wouldn't bother with the Pear Tree during winter since on the inside it is just a regular pub, with no outstanding features that merit a visit. In the summer time it becomes a different place, with the beer garden becoming the place to be in Edinburgh, and the first pub locals and visitors alike head to for a few drinks in the sun. The space is pretty huge, but still gets jam packed with every table taken up, and it feels vibrant, alive and buzzing, especially when the Festival is on. They do BBQs and music during the summer too, all contributing to it becoming a bit of an Edinburgh institution. read more

The ultimate beer garden on those sunny Sunday afternoons to which half the Edinburgh population appears to flock to. Located next to Edinburgh, it attracts hordes of students which makes for an upbeat, good time atmosphere. Fairy lights and heaters add warmth and ambience to the outside area while inside is a traditional, carpeted bar with well worn leather couches and complimentary lighting which is always welcome after a pint or five! A comfortable, easy going spot in which to kill an hour before your next tutorial, enjoy a magners in the sun or get giddy on pre-club drinks on a Friday night. read more

The Pear Tree lives a scizophrenic life; during the winter it's a fairly homely yet hip bar to go to, frequented by students and Edinburghians chasing students. By summer,it's a beehive of activity with a seriiously massive and impressive cobbled beer garden fit with barbeque. During the Edinburgh Festival, one of the best pubs to go to. read more

If there weren't the big yard and solid stone walls, the place would have been an ordinary, local pub full of middle-aged regulars. The pub benefits also from its closeness to the Edinburgh university feeding the customer flow with constant student supply. I like the pub mostly during the summer when the tables in the yard and the stone walls bring a special flavour to the place. If the bar is very busy the service can be remarkably slow. read more

Beer garden is the big attraction to this pub, outdoor BBQ and stage with plenty of tables. Indoors shows sports on tv or projector. Good selection of beers, ales and bottles. Quite popular with students and during the fringe festival as is close to the uni and many comedy venues. read more

This is the place to go when the weather is nice! The garden is great although there is no music. outside :(

Used to love this pub due to its been garden. Unfortunatley, the last few times I've been there I've been really disappointed with the service, whihc is often very slow (even when not busy) but also quite rude. The drinks are also massively overpriced on account of the beer garden. read more

Steady Eddy. Over the years I probably haven't gone to any other pub more than this one. Its always there, always pubbing. And close to work. Outside area as well for when the weather is nice. read more

Not child-friendly. As many others have pointed out, it's the beer garden that really lifts the Peartree out of the ordinary. Sat down there one recent lunchtime with my young nephew and nieces and went to the bar for drinks and food, to be told that they don't have a Children's Licence. Left without having the opportunity to experience anything else, hence the one star is perhaps a bit unfair. The staff (manager?) were perfectly pleasant in pointing things out, and did suggest a nearby alternative (sans garden). So, worth bearing in mind if considering a visit, or just passing by when the weather is pleasant. Seems odd that they have decided not to seek a Children's Licence, but it's a business decision for them. They must lose a fair amount of potential daytime custom, though; our group would have doubled the number of customers using the garden on a lovely sunny October day. read more

the date above the entry to this venerable studenty pub reads 1749. not only is that 260 years ago, it's also 27 years before the united states of america became a country. i imagined the countless generations of edinburgh university students blowing off the stresses of college life one pint a time at this timeless institution. the open air seating area is a simple yet perfect environment to meet and mingle over a pint or three. and that's exactly what was happening there. students and even some faculty showed up here during final exams week. stressed out students slowly but surely turned to smiling buzzing faces as the pints and worries were downed one after another. read more

This pub is rather small on the inside but has a massive beer garden. There is also a massive tv screen in the garden where sports are shown. The service has always been good apart from the many foreign barmaids who take a while to understand your order. Quite a lot of students frequent this pub which makes the dress quite casual and laidback. read more

This is the biggest bar next to the main Edinburgh university campus - and so it's always a popular choice. It has a huge outdoor seating area, so if (and that's a big 'if') the weather's nice, there's nowhere better to be. If it's raining, the inside of the pub is considerably smaller. It has a great atmopshere though, with a traditional look to it. The food is standard pub food but there were no complaints from my friends when we ate their. Edinburgh isn't cheap so the prices weren't great - unless you had a student card, as they get reductions. Bands play in the courtyard during August, which is the best time of year to be there. read more

The major attraction of the Peartree is the beer garden. As soon as the sun comes out, this place is packed! But if you can get a seat, it's a great place to chill out in the sunshine and enjoy a cool drink. As other reviews point out, it can be student central due to its location, but my friends and I are still known to visit the Peartree despite having graduated a number of years ago. The atmosphere is always fairly relaxed and this is a great place for a chilled out drink. read more