BAR OF
THE FRTNIGHT
IN ASSOCIATION WITH SAN MIGUEL
THE KING'S WARK
36 The Shore
Leith, Edinburgh
0131 554 9260 Mon-Thu noon-11pm; Fri/Sat noon-midnight; Sun llam-llpm
lt shuts early, is singularly unsnazzy and music is conspicuous by its absence. But what this restored tavern (the building dates from the fifteenth century and has been a plague hospital and a royal armoury) lacks in modern gloss, it makes up for in classic style.
The interior, lined with dark, pitted wood, is partitioned into three small areas, one of which is dedicated to diners and is no smoking during mealtimes (from opening till 3pm and 6pm to 10pm). As you might expect with such a focus, the menu is an impressive bistro-style mix of risottos, pastas, meat dishes and pasta, although seafood is arguably top of the food chain: check out the deliciously tender mussels or the juicy battered haddock, both of which come with a robust side order of chips.
You can also eat in the bar area, which offers a small but well kept real ale selection alongside draught lagers, an assortment of bottled beers and a reasonable range of wine and spirits. The tables are small, and candlelit in the evenings: the feeling is intimate but far from claustrophobic. This is not a place to come as a rowdy stag party, but if you're looking for a relaxed, welcoming and intimate drinking spot the King's Wark is up there with the best of them. Wandering out to the adjoining Water of Leith, it's hard not to see this supremely likeable pub as both a symbol of Leith's past and a part of its continuing regeneration.
AND DRINK
— ENJOY YOURSELF / RESPONSIBLY
I
CERVEZA DE PASION