I stopped by with friends on 08/30/25, and the experience was a mixed bag. This is a member's only…read moreclub, but 2 of our group were members. First, you are unlikely to find a better selection of unique, one-of-a-kind whiskies in the area; we ordered a large number of drama between the 4 of us, and were not disappointed. second, the food was fine, but nothing that I'd order again (I got the haggis, and burgers were ordered by others at the table), & not particularly good value - next time I'd just eat first. Finally, the atmosphere and decore was nice and clean (not unlike most private clubs), but the staff came across as a touch snobbish, and not especially welcoming. I'd still give it another chance, if back in the area.

While in Edinburgh for work I was lucky enough to be taken to this place by a current member. The…read moreGnocchi was delicious and the rest of the menu sounded great. The main reason we went was obviously for the whisky, the staff were knowledgeable but weren't as attentive as the queen street location. It wasn't a massive problem, but we had to go to the bar to get service, while others seemed to get table service. As you can see by the photos the members area of this place has a great atmosphere, it isn't over crowded and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely be a signing up as a member.

Wow - nearly 100 different types of vodka including straight, flavored, and direct from Poland…read more Dinner menu that includes appetizers, main dishes, and desserts. Got "haggis balls". Had great fish and chips. Up a flight of stairs and not really advertised.... Well worth it. Only about 7-8 tables and a few bar seats though.

We came late on a weeknight and it was mostly empty. Bar is located above the restaurant…read more There were many different types of flavored vodka here, mostly from Poland. I opted for the blackcurrant and elderflower flavored vodkas. The blackcurrant was very good and the different flavors are just very unique. Definitely worth trying it out! 5 shots for 14 pounds. Decent deal.

This was our final meal on the Royal Mile before returning to our hotel. I also smelled that fishy…read moresmell when entering as posted by another reviewer. Our meals were fine. I had the fish and chips which was a nice portion. The biggest problem was the waitress acted like it was too much trouble to wait on us, plus had to fix the check twice. When I asked for a cappuccino she said just turned the machine off, it was only 7:30pm.

The food was excellent and so was the whiskey. We had two different flights of whiskey both…read morecompletely different. He got their haggis to go along with it and it actually made the whiskey taste a ton better. Had in the back of the bar/restaurant. If I ever get back there then I will definitely go back.

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.

I stopped by for a final couple of drama on my last evening on Scotland (09/09/25). There were…read moregreat scotch offerings at all price points, the atmosphere felt upscale, but still comfortable, and the staff were all pleasant and very helpful. I'd definitely return.

On our first night in Edinburgh, some friends wanted to kick off the trip with a whisky tasting, so…read morewe booked a whisky-and-cheese pairing at SMWS. I don't drink alcohol, but their online mocktail menu looked great, and when my friends made the reservation, the staff confirmed they'd be happy to accommodate me and that I could order a drink at the bar. I was genuinely excited given the variety of mocktails listed. The space is gorgeous, and even without drinking, the whisky selection is fun to explore - the names alone are worth a chuckle. The staff were warm, and our whisky-tasting guide was both knowledgeable and entertaining. After we settled in, I headed to the bar to order a mocktail, and I probably should have stopped while things were still going smoothly. The bartender ended up calling over an off-duty staff member because they were "between menus." He was extremely friendly, asked thoughtful questions about what I liked, and said he'd come up with something based on what ingredients they had. The drink was delivered to me later in the tasting room, and it was... fine. Interesting, with a smoky note - perhaps an attempt to give me a peaty, Scottish experience - but not quite to my taste. When I paid, I'll admit the price surprised me, as my mocktail cost more than a friend's dram of whisky. My friend later mentioned that it also felt like a miss that I wasn't given a cheese tasting tray alongside everyone else, especially since our group nearly bought out the tasting. My place setting was empty until my drink arrived. I didn't think of it at the time or feel entitled to anything, but offering a "no-alcohol" tasting option - a mocktail or NA beverage plus the cheese pairing - would be an exceptionally thoughtful addition for guests who accompany drinkers. As the sober friend tagging along, the experience was perfectly okay and largely in line with what I expected - but with a couple of small tweaks, it could have felt much more inclusive.

Walking in to The Devil's Advocate in Advocate Close, just above Market St, the large bar greets…read moreyou. We chose the Scottish Road trip whiskey flight. As someone who truly loved little about Scotch, it was a wonderful way to taste and compare smoky vs peaty whiskeys. Fun. Our table was upstairs and we sat next to an open door which allows for fresh cool air. It was a warm day in Edinburgh. Our server was wonderful, patient and really helpful. Our choices were truly delicious. We started with the fish board, olives, and mushroom skewer. We loved them all. I enjoyed the cod main dish, while my wife finished the starters. The side of asparagus was also excellent. The mouse dessert was delicious but very rich, it's enough for 4 people. The cost of dinner was also totally reasonable. I recommend this place highly.

After seeing the high reviews on Yelp, I decided to make a reservation for this restaurant. We…read moretrekked up the steps of Advocate's Close to get there. When we arrived at noon (opening time), the restaurant wasn't too busy. There is an impressive bar downstairs with many whiskies. We were led upstairs to the dining area. There is outdoor dining too that would be nice if the weather was warmer. Cool vibe, but it is kind of dark inside the stone walls. The menu is Scottish-focused with seasonal ingredients. We didn't want to overeat, so we decided to share a starter and a main. We got the Scottish venison fritters, which were ok. We enjoyed the pappardelle pasta (roast pumpkin and pecorino sauce, wild mushrooms, spinach, bacon and poppy seed crumb, crispy sage). It was flavorful and didn't feel too heavy. Staff were friendly and it was an enjoyable lunch.

I'm going to swim against the current on this one, but Usquabae ([ooh-ska-bay], n. aqua vitae,…read morewater of life, whisky) just didn't do it for me. We came in around 3 or 4pm and asked if we could get a drink; the host asked us if we had made a reservation. We hadn't, and they made a bit of a fuss about "squeezing us in" (at this point there was only one other person in the entire place - a man drinking at the bar). As long as we "weren't there for food" they could accommodate us. For the record: we were here for an hour, and no one else came in during that time. The whisky options were impressive featuring something from all the regions of Scotland, and we also appreciated their cider and cocktail options. In the end we each had one drink, but genuinely felt a bit disinterested and disappointed by the place on the whole after the hype we had read/heard. We just didn't get what made it THE place to go to in Edinburgh according to so many. We found much more interesting, down to earth, genuine places elsewhere in the city. The cold reception didn't help, but -- really -- what are we missing about this place?

Love this place! Best service we have had in a restaurant anywhere with the most delightful server…read morewe have met. The food was very enjoyable especially an amazing mac n cheese and the haggis appetizer. This was our first night in Edinburgh so the relaxed atmosphere was perfect for two jet lagged travelers. Loved the sticky toffee pudding for dessert was a treat!

We had a brief stop in The Bow Bar on our last night in Edinburgh to night-cap the evening and the…read morecity, based on a recommendation from staff at the Whisky shop across the street. It's towards the bottom of the famous "Victoria Street" as it turns into Bow Street. They have a fantastic selection of whisky along with a knowledgeable staff who can guide you through a choice if, like us, you're not exactly sure what you want. I wonder how many times tourists wander into the bars of Scotland begging earnestly for whisky guidance. We certainly did it a number of times on this trip. We were well served here and enjoyed the Scapa dram which we were given. It's easily walked to from anywhere in Old Town, just a few steps up from Grassmarket or a couple of minutes from the top of Victoria Street. If whisky is your destination, The Bow Bar will serve you well.

Heard about this on reddit. Got place to try out some scotch…read more Great selection of scotch here. Long list and I hadn't heard about most of them . Reasonable prices. 10-20 per dram generally Knowledgeable staff provided great recommendations. I ended up loving one so much picked up a bottle from a nearby store.

We dined here on our last night in Edinburgh. I guess our dinner booking was early compared to…read moreothers as we were the first to be in the dining room. But it gave us a chance to chat with the waitress about whiskies. Their whisky list is 3 times the length of the food menu! We had the pork and stilton sausage and the Princess Diana style haggis. We've had haggis at other places in Edinbugh. This one is classy looking and oh so rich. It is very tasty. It was so rich that it was hard for me to finish. Everyone was very friendly and wanted to make sure everything was fine, even as the dining rooms started to fill up. I'd highly recommend Arcarde.

Cozy ambiance, extremely friendly staff and great food. Highly recommend the haggis and the hot…read morechocolate. We ordered a portion of haggis to go because we thought we wouldn't have enough time for a sit down meal before our scheduled visit to the Castle but ended up staying after feeling super welcomed by the staff and realizing that eating there for 20 minutes or so wouldn't mess up our plans. It was well worth it!

Such a lovely and quintessentially British pub. It's not impossible to get seating here on a…read moreweekend, which is nice.

Very cool local pub recommended to me by the lads at the Edinburg Larder nearby. It has lovely…read morestained glass windows in the front highlighting the renovated wooden bar and period ceiling. I ordered a build-you-own scotch flight with help of bartender. It was cool to enjoy it with his guidance and check out the afternoon locals - including a piper dissembling and cleaning his bagpipes.