BARGUIDE 2009
EDINBURGH O n the Edinburgh drinking scene, bar names may change but the streets stay the same. For a city that’s so compact, each area has its own particular drinking character, and where you go out will generally impact directly on the kind of night you have. Those who fancy a few hours’ catwalking before the opposite sex with a drink in their hand need not stray from the George Street area, for example. Anyone who wants to do similar in the company of their own sex will head for the ‘pink triangle’ around Broughton Street and the top of Leith Walk – though expect something more sophisticated than a shameless pulling party from this lively area.
Despite its tourist-friendly prettiness, the Grassmarket is deluged with out-of-town stag and hen parties on the weekend, while the good pubs around the Cowgate and Blair Street are just about worth running a gauntlet of lairy revelers for. Student-friendly areas which don’t demand herculean feats of drinking to fit in include pretty much the entire Southside, particularly the areas around Nicolson Street, Bristo Square, Marchmont and Bruntsfield. Older drinkers may prefer the more relaxed but still lively bars of the New Town, Stockbridge and Morningside, while Leith, midway through a wide-reaching urban regeneration process, is a curious mix of spit-and-sawdust boozers and lovely shabby chic locals. While a good neighbourhood pub is to be coveted, though, be aware that the temptation to stay on your own patch might lead you to miss out on many of the characters the city has to offer. (David Pollock)
TRADITIONAL PUBS BLUE BLAZER 2 Spittal Street, 229 5030. Mon–Sat 11–1am; Sun 12:30pm–1am. Basic pint: £3
The Blue Blazer isn’t the most flamboyant establishment, we’ll grant you. Spread over two rooms lined by basic bunk seating and wooden tables and chairs, its most extravagant flourishes are a low-key open mic night on Sunday from 8–10pm, and the offer of toasties and soup as bar snacks. Yet to everyone who knows it, the Blazer is Edinburgh’s finest bar – so much so that those who have moved to the other side of town have still been known to travel back regularly and refer to it as their ‘local’.
It tops this list by easily matching the bustle of the Café Royal on a weekend, the ‘all life is here’ appeal of the Royal Oak, the character of the Waverley and the lively chatter of the Oxford. The proximity of Edinburgh College of Art has always lent the place a bohemian edge, and now the outflow from the recently opened
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Picture House nearby is giving the Blazer a new, post-gig lease of live. Their range of whiskies and guest ales is impressive (the rare but gorgeous Black Isle Blonde is a fixture on tap), and there’s even a most unlikely cocktail menu. Its New Town sister Kay’s Bar (39 Jamaica Street, 225 1858) is also recommended. High point: keeps it simple CAFÉ ROYAL CIRCLE BAR 19 West Register Street, 556 1884. www.caferoyal.org.uk Mon–Wed 11am–11pm; Thu 11am–midnight; Fri & Sat 11–1am; Sun 12.30–11pm. Basic pint: £3
Is this Edinburgh’s most beautiful pub? Tucked away behind Princes Street since 1863, the Café Royal is centred on the circle bar of its name, with leather- upholstered booths and high-standing tables and chairs surrounding it. In either the bar or the restaurant, the classic wood and marble-finished décor is an elegant setting for the fine food served, although Friday evening sees the place fill up fast with city workers. High point: classic style
ROYAL OAK 1 Infirmary Street, 557 2976. www.royal-oak- folk.com Mon–Sat 11.30–2am; Sun 3pm–2am. Basic pint: £2.60 Without doubt, the Royal Oak is the home of folk music in Edinburgh. There’s your classic knitwear folkie, for sure, but also a cross-section of regular pub- goers, students, young musicians, late-night revellers and those who have simply come to appreciate just how boisterous traditional Scots music can be. Most nights of the week you’re never far from someone breaking out a fiddle or a bodhran. High point: authentic folk spirit
THE WAVERLEY 3-5 St Mary’s Street, 556 8855. Mon–Fri 5pm–midnight; Sat 7pm–midnight. Closed Sun. Basic pint: £3
In certain nostalgic fantasies, all pubs would look like the Waverley. Dark-toned decoration blends with wood and brass fittings to create an effect which is radiantly full of character. The service is welcoming but unaffected, some of the flyposters on the wall have been there for years and your beer is served in a proper pint mug. High point: storytelling and music nights upstairs THE OXFORD BAR 8 Young Street, 539 7119. www.oxfordbar.com Mon–Sat 11am–midnight; Sun 12.30–11pm Basic pint: £2.75
Some might suggest the Oxford’s reputation is entirely down to Ian Rankin, who drove his literary detective John Rebus in there on many an occasion. Regulars, however, will tell you the reputation was always there. The larger back room seating area is unfussy, but the small bar is positively Spartan, offering a couple of real ales, a malt of the month, pies and some of Edinburgh’s liveliest bar chat. High point: the overheard conversation SPECIAL MENTIONS Canny Man’s for the ‘rules of the house’; Nobles for some old school Leith action; The Regent is LGBT Edinburgh’s finest; Bennet’s; The Sheep Heid Inn.