A proper Edinburgh pub. Was recommend by a friend and didn't disappoint…read more Got the Tennents on draft. Crisp , light and an excellent Scottish Lager. Tried the Balvenie double wood single malt that was so smooth. Under $10 USD for a double shot of Single Malt?! Unheard of! They also have an area where they show films. Food is limited though and they didn't have any when I visited Sunday evening- all about the spirits here! Great vibe and decent service.

Some good to know facts. A nice stroll from campus, and in a good neighborhood. A block away from…read morea major bus route. A lively and friendly crowd, and as busy as they were I still received excellent service. I came in during pub trivia and just had a couple of drinks so I cannot write on the subject of food. But there are plenty of options to choose from in the vicinity. A great place to bring your friends for a fun evening out!

I hadn't been to Paradise Palms in a few years but I was happy to see: a) it's still such an…read moreinclusive, safe, welcoming space and b) they had a bit of a menu glow-up! Still vegan, but much more focused on a robust fried chkn offering and other fun American-inspired junk/bar food. I appreciate how comfortable they've made the atmosphere; the staff has consistently been so friendly and funny and human; walk-ins welcome!; the front seating has a bit more restaurant-y feel, I prefer the back seating which has a more pub-y feel; and, the food is STILL so craveworthy and memorable. I've tried the hot honey popcorn chkn topped with chilii, spring onion, and sesame (quite spicy! the popcorn chkn texture wasn't my favorite); the buffalo hot chkn wings with blue chz dip and celery (SO GOOD; the perfect amount of heat, but I could go for twice as much sauce; the texture of this chkn is much more satisfying and filling!); the chilli cheeze fries topped with a chipotle mayo (there's SO MUCH food here: they are generous with the chili sin carne... it was delicious piping hot when it came out, it was just as delicious a little cold and congealed an hour later; a MUST for a group!), the jalapeno slaw (it was spicier than, and not as refreshing as, I was expecting). The Frickles (fried pickles) were okay; I was expecting coins, not spears, so most of the coating kept falling off. And the fried chkn ceasar salad was nice: it's ENORMOUS and easily sharable between two people (say if you wanted to get those chili cheeze fries too), it comes with bacon and a less-fried version of their chkn, and it's very heavily dressed. Definitely not healthy, but certainly the most fresh thing on the menu!

So delicious; I went twice during my week-stay in the city!…read more The first visit, I had the Lucky Chicken sandwich/burger. It was pretty good. On the second visit, I had the Lucky BBQ Box; mind and mouth...blown! The bbq ribs/steak had a "meaty" texture and the sauce was hitting(positive term)! The southern fried chicken was yum too, just wish they would slather the sauce that comes on it instead of just sprinkle. The charred street corn also fire(positive term)! The slaw was pretty decent, and the potato salad was okay. It was a bit more food than I could eat, so I took some away with me in a box. Staff were lovely and accommodating on both visits. If I ever return to Edinburgh, I'll be sure not to skip another visit to Paradise Palms!

What a wildly unpredictable experience! The layout was so unique, but thankfully there were maps of…read morethe place. We were there and had a blast singing Karaoke and watching some Tim Burton movies in the theatre. The staff was friendly and helpful, and the drinks were exactly what we expected.

Interesting spot! Definitely a labyrinth within...wish some of the closed off bars had been open…read morebut they were sitting empty, reserved for private parties... The vampire bar looked really cool. There was just one sad dude sitting alone in the movie theater with the VLC player icon up on the screen. This was maybe 10pm on a Thursday? Maybe that's just the vibe. Pretty sure a ghost watched me pee in the ladies' room. What more could I ask for in a dive bar?

Great place for live music with several different rooms and areas to sit and drink. Went down to…read morethe basement type area and watched a few local singers and had a great time. Randomly heard a fellow American playing as well. Good mix of ages and people. Recommend if you're looking for non trad/alternativeish vibe in Edinburgh.

This has always been my favorite pub in Edinburgh for more thar 30 years. I have come to Scotland…read moremore than 20 times, and I always make sure to stop in for a pint. Even one time walking half a mile on a sprain ankle to get there. They have a great selection of beers, always priced to be the most affordable in Edinburgh. The decor is traditional, and has changed very little in 30 years. A comfortable place, best on a week day or even late night. My only complaint is the extra loud Liquid Metal music played on the weekends

I think the review(s) so far show this place to be a marmite venue, you either hate it or embrace…read moreit's full force and enjoy! Decor, attitude and clientele definitely makes this one of the closest to a true American dive bar feel I've found outside the US in a long time. Themed around 1980s board and computer games, giant mousetrap, snakes'n'ladders and operation references grace the walls, along with duck hunt and pacman! The staff seemed to have an endless energy, every spin of the 'random shot generator' wheel behind the bar resulted in the entire pub cheers and shouts. Cocktails, despite being only £3 a time were tasty and balanced, even if some feel like its the result of a sweet shop falling into a blender, sugar overload! Couple of good beers on tap, usual Edinburgh prices. 4 or so staff on duty so service was fairly quick and friendly. Everyone seemed welcome, from those in rock t-shirts and baseball caps to those in shirts and dresses at the end/start of a night on the town. Regardless of your first impression from the outside give it a shot, just aim for a busy night to really experience it. I've only been once, and after this review I really hope it wasn't a one off as my friend and I agreed we shall certainly be back!

If you're down Leith Walk, and looking for a friendly pub, the Mousetrap comes highly recommended…read more A good selection of drinks, nibbles, eclectic decor make this well worth checking out!

I loved the look of this funky place from the start. It's dingy yet fun, with Polaroids everywhere…read moreand random fake vending machines. The bathroom walls have old timey porn on them. Again, love it. Service was so-so. Our server was incredibly (TOO) quick to come take our order, then we asked for a minute and he didn't come back for like 10-15 minutes. When we asked him for recommendations or even specific questions about drinks or ice cream flavors, he didn't have much of an opinion and wasn't particularly helpful. Eventually, I ordered The Devil cocktail, which I really enjoyed. That said, our party tried several of the boozy ice creams and they were all kind of... gross? Maybe that's an overstatement, but the alcohol far overpowered the ice cream flavors and ended up tasting almost medicinal. I wish I would've had more time to try some of their other cocktails -- maybe next time I'm in Edinburgh.

I heard speakeasy and owl and my mind was made up, I knew I had to come in and check this bar out…read more In true speakeasy form, it looks as if you are coming down the stairs to get your palm read. When you walk up to the fortune teller, you push her and the door opens into a rowdy room. Well, at least when we walked in it was fairly rowdy. We sat next to the group of about 15 young lads and they were causing a raucous. However, after one of their big songs during a shot, our server came up to them and told them if they didn't quiet down, she'd kick them out so I don't believe this place is supposed to be rowdy. After they left, the place did have a better ambiance. The vibe of this place is interesting with 50 shades of grey as wall paper in the bathroom and old movie theater seating against the wall with church pews as the other side. There is a lot to look at in there. The claw machine where you can built your drink is not rigged so you may lose a few pounds trying to get a drink. If you have old pounds, she likes 'em. The drinks were fantastic. And the ice cream was delicious. I'm not usually a fan of boozy ice cream (something about alcohol and cream turn me off) but the flavors in our whisky honeycomb were incredible. I wanted to try more cocktails but we had been drinking the whole day and I didn't want to be messy walking in a dark city I don't know. It caught up to me in the hotel room though. Thankfully, I didn't lose any of that delicious ice cream that night. ;)

I'd like to thank the fine people of Scotland for being absolutely drunk off their minds and for…read moreswarming through karaoke this fine evening in December 2022. The karaoke started slow, but that meant that the all-stars who showed up early (this guy named Travis should have a record deal, apparently he wrote Exile by Taylor Swift) got to do multiple songs. If you're not here on karaoke Thursday, you're probably having a bad time. The drinks were good. The food did not exist, unless you count the chocolate flavored condoms in the men's room.

Guilty pleasures rarely get better than this…read more The only reason The Globe isn't my one-stop locale for all my social/sport-viewing needs is that they don't do food; that said, however, I believe they are completely willing to allow you in with whatever grub you find from one of myriad takeaways located around the North Bridge, Royal Mile and Cowgate areas, in which Globe rests like a wee diamond. Mainly a backpacker bar, the drinks are obviously cheaper. But this also means there are always events on for the ever-changing regulars to get involved with. Live music, movie nights, quiz nights, crab racing.... okay not sure about that last one. But the point is it wouldn't surprise me. Never any hassle, which considering the amount of chavs that frequent on the weekends (a result of the cheapness) and it's proximity to the Hive (next door) I think that's a rather impressive claim. I think it's largely down to the fact no one wants to get barred from this place. You may as well cut off your drinking arm...! Okay not really. With a tv on every wall, The Globe is a haven for sport lovers, often alternating the screens between 2 to 3 separate events. Eyes in the back of my head please...? Staff are laid back and friendly. Crowds are ever-revolving and always multi-national. If you're into random banter and cheap drinks, The Globe is perfect.

We had a large group and this because our gathering spot. The atmosphere was good and the food was…read moreexcellent. Not to mention that the beer was on point. The servers took great care of you as well. I would return every week if I lived there.

One of my favorite beer bars in Edinburgh. Great beer selection, killer service, tasty bar food and…read morea cool space. Very laid back but hip vibe. I'll always stop by the Hanging Bat when I'm in town.

Custom whisky flight! The bartender asked me a few questions to put together my flight and asked my…read morecost range. I said £30 and it ended up being £28 which was nice. I think her selections matched well and I came away with my fave whiskey I tasted for the trip! She also took the time to tell me a bit about the whiskey (where it's made, tasting notes, etc) Also love the ambiance inside because who doesn't love cute black cat art!

Excellent fish and chips! I love frequenting anything related to cat themes in the name so that…read moremade the stop extra fun for me. Excellent pub and ambience inside. I didn't know this until I left but I guess there are EXCELLENT whiskey choices here. Next time I will make sure to take advantage of this.

The best aspect of The John Leslie pub, for me, has the be the staff. They are extremely…read moreapproachable, friendly and open besides serving you great pints quickly. The decor also contemporary, yet still manages to retain that feel of a traditional, old pub. The clinetele are almost all locals and they seem a friendly and eclectic bunch. This isn't a standard boozer with fruit machines and gassy, frothy pints of cheap lager, but a proper pub with a good atmosphere and a great range of alcohol. They have a wide range of real ales and beers as well as a decent selection of spirits, including specialist whiskeys from the Highlands. This a good pub with a hearty atmosphere - well worth a visit.

This is a quintessential old man's pub but is still really good fun. Despite the fact it is almost…read moreentirely populated by old regulars, you don't get that 'local pub for local people' feeling, you know the one where everyone goes silent and turns around when you walk in so you slowly back out before they gather up their torches and pitch forks. The old guys in here are all really friendly and with a combined age of well over 1000 they all have stories to tell and are quite happy to tell you them. That's not to say you will be mobbed by people narrating their life to you, just quite nice that they are a chatty old bunch. The pub itself is pretty standard really. It is inoffensive but nothing particularly stands out. There is a good selection of beers and spirits and it is moderately priced. If you are a poker fiend but can't really be bothered to trek off to Vegas every week, on Sundays there is a poker night starting at 7.30 with a £5 buy in. Not quite the same stakes as the huge casinos but it's a bit of a laugh nonetheless