Good location for food and drink. The menu while on the face of it looks like a typical bar menu is inventive. You'll find things like rabbit burgers and pheasant on the menu that you wouldn't normally find in a bar. The food is very much moving towards 'gastropub' territory.
On Saturday nights the bar is packed as they have live music. Even when it is quieter it is nice to sit down with a nice pint.
Family friendly.

www.noblesbarleith.co.uk/
44a Constitution street, Edinburgh EH6 6RS
+44(0)131 629 7215
Google map: bit.ly/z8TeR1

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There is a sign above the door of this Edinburgh institution which reads. “Purveyors of fine ales and spirits. Home of world renowned folk music,” and this little place does exactly what it says on the tin.
Impromptu folk sessions, a wide range of fine ales and a superb evening awaits in this tiny and unassuming pub. Plenty of regulars and tourists flock here each night as live musicians provide the soundtrack.
A great atmosphere is guaranteed, so sit back (or more likely prop up the bar) and enjoy your pint. We guarantee you’ll be tapping your foot before long.

25 Forrest Road, Edinburgh, Midlothian EH1 2QH
+44(0)131 225 2751
Google map: bit.ly/roJ9bV

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There are many pubs with great music in Edinburgh and the first I visited was the "Sandy Bell's" on Forest Rd: really nice atmosphere thanks to the good traditional music played by anyone who would an instrument! But the best thing about this pub is that you just need to cross the road to find the fantastic "Monster Mash" where you can enjoy traditional dishes like haggis, neeps and tatties, at least four different kinds of mash and much more. Large choice for vegetarian as well! All served in huge portions for a low price. If you want to treat yourself and you love fish, you really have to go to the "Fishers in the city": located in 58 Thistle Street, this restaurant is perfect to appreciate the fresh local fish served by friendly and polite staff. A bit pricy but worth it: main course, dessert and a bottle of wine for £60 (for 2people). I consider it my best experience at eating fish in the UK. At the Kalpna (2/3 St Patrick Square, 0131 6679890) you can enjoy a totally different taste of Indian food: believe me, nothing to do with what we are use to! The prices are reasonable but the place is always packed so I suggest you to book in advance. I went for lunch in a lovely canteen, “Susie’s Wholefood Diner”(51-53 West Nicolson Street), where you can have the best vegetarian food; perfect to feel better after a few days of greasy food! Most of the customers are students/teachers so I would suggest you to go a bit earlier to avoid a huge queue. At last the “Bow Bar”, 80 West Bow: this is what I consider a REAL pub. Very friendly staff (it was the only time I didn’t feel myself a tourist),good choice of real ales, well kept, and a selection of 150 Scotch whiskies.
Enjoy!!!!!!

Google map: tinyurl.com/37xex7j

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There can be few more pleasant ways to spend a sunny Edinburgh afternoon than taking a stroll through Holyrood Park (strenuous climb up Arthur's Seat optional!) over to The Sheip Heid, which claims to be the oldest pub in Scotland. Built as it was in 1360, they may have a point. Traditional pub grub is the order of the day in the atmospheric interior, while in the summer months an extensive barbecue menu is served in the pub's courtyard. And if - as is perfectly likely - the weather turns inclement, you can always skip the walk in the park and take comfort in a pint of local ale and basket of scampi and chips over a game of skittles in the pub's old-fashioned alley hidden away in the annex.

www.sheepheid.co.uk
43-45 The Causeway, Duddingston, Edinburgh, EH15 3QA. Tel: +44 (0)131 661 7974
Google map: bit.ly/bgo7zT

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I go here a lot, it's one of my favourite places in Edinburgh for music, drinks and food. The food is really excellent for a bar/restaurant and although the menu is quite limited they do have specials on to supplement choice. I think the food offers pretty good value for money too, although the drinks are certainly approaching typical George Street prices.

www.thevoodoorooms.com
19a West Register St, Edinburgh, EH2 2AA
(above The Cafe Royal) which is located on small (and quite dingy) side street accessed from either Princes St or St Andrews Square. Note that there are quite a lot of steps to get up there.)

Google map: tinyurl.com/2uzhc6d

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Situated on one of Edinburgh's most wonderful streets (Victoria Street) with all its multicoloured independent boutique shops and restaurants, the Bow Bar is a step back in time to the days when you could spend an entire evening in the local and still leave without having tasted every ale on offer.

Classic interior with friendly, extremely knowledgeable staff, its a small, cosy kind of pub that locals and an increasing number of tourists frequent.

Come the Edinburgh festival, it will be heaving, but you'd be daft to let that put you off - afterall, so will everywhere else!

If you're after an excellent choice of (mainly British beer) and a chance to chat without blaring music, then do yourself a favour and give the Grassmarket with its hen and stag groups a swerve and hit the Bow Bar instead.

80 West Bow Edinburgh EH1 2HH
0131 226 7667

Google map: tinyurl.com/2wputu8

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A fantasic place to stay when visiting Edinburgh, the staff were extremely friendly and helpful, great local knowledge. It has views of the castle and is right in the heart of the city. The room itself was awesome with great personlised touches, homemade muffins yum :) We also dined in the restaurant and we loved the food and service, we wouldn't normally dine where we stay, but was so glad we did and we even got a 10% discount which we thought was a nice touch. We really enjoyed our stay, I'm sure you will too – it's a little gem.

www.therutlandhotel.com
Google map: tinyurl.com/y2as29r

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Probably the best cocktails in town, and it's a great, ornate classy bar tucked away just behind Princes Street.

They serve food too and its generally pretty good. If you're looking for something a little different then I'd recommend a visit.

It's very near Waverley Train Station on West Register Street, telephone 0131 556 7060. Website:www.thevoodoorooms.com

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This public house just two minutes from the castle is a great place to unwind after the day or build up to a night out. It's a sociable place to talk and drink with no piped (excuse the pun) music played. The furnishings are basic but comfortable enough and its location on the endlessly fascinating Victoria Street cannot be bettered. Real drinkers need only apply for a round.

80 West Bow
Edinburgh
EH1 2HH

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A visit to Edinburgh wouldn’t be the same without a pint in a traditional British pub. With a handful of universities and a horde of students in the city, finding cheap beer is relatively easy. Three Sisters was the best of the lot with three bars inside and a spacious courtyard.

139 Cowgate, Edinburgh

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Good food at any time, but especially the breakfast. Best Sunday breakfast I know in the UK.

Forget about breakfast in your hotel, cooking your own toast and lukewarm coffee. The Kings Wark do not just do a fantastic fry up, but a wide variety of other options as well (veggie, kippers etc).

Great staff, and the food is excellent, freshly cooked rather than sitting around under warming lights. Plus as much freshly made coffee as you can drink.

36 Shore, Leith, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH6 6QU. Telephone: 0131 554 9260

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The independent cinema and cafe-bar Cameo on Edinburgh's southside is a delightful place with friendly staff and real atmosphere.

I will surely miss having coffee or a bottle of beer before or after a carefully selected movie...

Cameo bar, Tollcross, Edinburgh

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Best kept pub secret in Edinburgh.

Minutes from the hell of the Grassmarket and refreshingly free of stag parties and tourists.

A fantastic selection of ales, cracking selection of whiskies, gins, rums and vodkas, friendly staff and friendly locals (albeit friendly by Edinburgh standards).

A proper, old fashioned free house.

2 Spittal Street, in between the Grassmarket and Tollcross

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From the antique grandeur of the Old Town to the cold classical beauty of the New Town, this is the most beautiful city in Europe.

I am a Canadian who visits every January. The weather is not unpleasant: last year there were days and days of glorious sunshine.

The best place to stay is in the Old Town. This is where all the real-life characters of the city hang out. Sit on a bench in Hunter Square or one close to St Giles and just observe the people. Walk down the High Street from the castle to Holyrood.

A great place to eat is Always Sunday close to the Fringe Office, spend Friday/Saturday night listening to the band at the small Scotsman Lounge on Cockburn.

See you there...

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A new trendy Edinburgh restaurant in the Bruntsfield area.

They do some great traditional Scottish food and have been awarded an AA rosette for food and service quality.

69 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh EH10 4HH
Tel : 0131 622 8163
www.thebruntsfield.co.uk/CardoonRestaurant.asp

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Cosy pub on steep and curvy Cockburn Street. Loads of whiskys (they have a 20 page printed list with taste notes and prices) and good selection of ales. It gets the tourists right enough, but has a good crowd of regulars and enough randoms to ensure an entertaining time. Get a booth at the window and watch the world go by.

11-15 Cockburn St
Right up the road from Waverley Station.

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It is a small, cosy, beautifully thought out bar on Queen Street away from the crowds of George Street. Lovely generous cocktail menu, gorgeous friendly staff, perfect lighting, comfy seats and cocktail menus bound inside the shells of literary gems (the guts of which went to a good home). It's the attention to detail which stands out here.

Weekends see decent house music played by friends and guests. Just don't tell anyone you don't like about it.

Queen St, Edinburgh

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Great food, big portions, and reasonable prices. Free internet too, although no printing facilities. Try the chocoholic fantasy on the dessert menu! Mmmmmmm.

1a Market St, opposite Fruitmarket Gallery and Waverley Station;
tel: 0131 226 9560;
www.clg.co.uk/sportsters

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Great selection of cocktails and smoothies, and not overpriced. Restaurant has a wide range of plates on offer, from 'comfort' foods such as fisherman's pie to more exotic/exciting dishes.
Probably the best value of all the George Street establishments (for those not from Edinburgh, George Street is the most upmarket bar area in Edinburgh).

113 - 115 George Street;
www.thelivingroom.co.uk

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OK, another bar/hotel on George Street. However I think this is a little different to the others such as Le Monde. Not cheap for drinks but you have to go at least once! Staff are very friendly and not pretentious in the least. The interior of Tiger Lilly retains the basis structure of the Georgian house that it once was. Food is also good and not overpriced.

125 George Street (near Charlotte Square);
tel: 0131 225 5005;
www.tigerlilyedinburgh.co.uk

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