Edinburgh pub reviews

This review is probably slightly biased by the fact that The Black Diamond Express were playing when I was in…

Probably one of the most beautiful interiors you’ll see in an Edinburgh pub. Lovely ceilings, solid wood bar and simple but nice stained glass windows (take note White Horse and Arcade bar - stained glass should be retained!). The drinks are good and the staff friendly enough. I was in at a busy time and they coped well despite the crowds.

I’ve never had food in Nobles so can’t comment on that. Can it beat the Villager’s burger?

I’ve not done a pub review in a while despite partaking in quite a few tasty drinks. Blame it on Christmas, New Year etc etc.

Anyway, I’ve decided I am going to brew my own beer/cider. I’ve not decided what I’ll brew yet but I know where - the shed! My shed has always been a bit of a mess. When I bought my flat it was filled with the previous owners crap. This was swiftly replaced by my old crap. So, step one of preparing the shed for my beer making fun has been to clear it. Before and at the bottom.

Next step is to insulate the shed a bit as the beer will need to be kept warm(ish) as it ferments. I plan to get a heating band for the fermentation tank but I don’t want the temperature fluctuating too much.

Before: Filled with crap…including some recycling boxes I liberated from the stairwell (now returned).

After: Cleared a fair bit. Some things still needing removed/chucked.

I can’t remember what this place used to be called but it was renamed a while ago. I`m usually suspicious of places that have closed and reopened under a new name, but what about this place?

Well, on turning up some local youths were being ejected from the pub and were giving the bar staff some choice words. Not a great start.

In the pub it`s not too bad. We went upstairs where there’s sofas, papers…and a table-top asteroids. This is great fun.

Beer wise it’s pretty standard and the same goes for spirits. Staff were alright but not place I was bothered about. We headed off to Berts bar.

This place used to be Agenda.  I had one experience of Agenda and it was of a horrid modern pub that thought it was better than it was.  Anyway, it’s since been bought by purveyors of cheap alcohol, J.D. Wetherspoons.

So, it should be terrible. It should be rammed full of Lambrini girls and people who have a WKD side. But it isn’t and it’s actually quite pleasant. On entering, the chap behind the bar was pretty friendly and gave information about the selection ales they had on offer.  We took a seat and I had a look around. It wasn’t too busy, no loud music and no loud idiots. Score.  This was a Tuesday night though and I’ve heard it gets a bit lairy at the weekend.

The place does food, but if it’s like other Wetherspoons it will most definitely fail on the burger test.  It’s got a good selection of crisps though. What it could be good for is a quick pint whilst waiting for a take away being prepared at the St John’s Curry Club.

I’d go back for an after work drink but it’s not going to replace somewhere like Bert’s or Teuchters.

The Globe has cheap beer and a good number of TV screens making it decent for the football.  Well, it would be if they didn’t insist on having flashing rope lights that reflect on the screen!

It’s a pretty average pub with fairly typical beers and spirits. Don’t expect much choice but it does at least have Belhaven Best and the staff are pretty friendly.

The biggest issue is that it’s next door to the Hive nightclub, which has patrons who seem barely 18. As the Hive doesn’t open until 10 it means these club goers often enter the Globe for pre-club drinks.  This makes the place a bit too busy and noisy.  In an attempt to mask the noise of teenager talking they tend to have the music far too loud.

Overall, a bit disappointing but not terrible.  City Cafe it ain’t but it’s still a step above a Wetherspoons.

Vegas is generally a good night out.  A bit of a burlesque dancing, some bands playing and a bit of gambling.  Most people make the effort too and dress up for it.

Vegas happens in a few venues across the city but tonight it’s in the Picture House.  It’s good to see the former Caley Picture House returned to it’s former glory (we’ll forget the years as Revolution/Revulsion nightclub), but there’s some serious issues here.

1. The sound is surprisingly rubbish
2. £4.20 for a pint of Danish lager is having a laugh
3. The gambling area is too small.

The gambling is the most disappointing part.  They’ve put this into a small corner when they have a vast area upstairs that could be used.  That said, I’ve only seen the upstairs used once since the venue re-opened a couple of years ago.

Good night, disappointing venue.

Brass Monkey is very much a student bar but not in the typical sense.  It’s not one of these cheap bars offering pints of of Tennents for £1.50.  Instead it’s a fairly pleasant bar that happens to be popular with the local students.

Beer wise it’s got a reasonable selections of ales and spirits.  The bar staff are pleasant and up for a bit of banter.

The most unusual thing about the Brass Monkey is probably the beds in the back room.  It used to be all beds but now there’s some proper seats at the back.  The beds seem like a good idea but I’ve seen many a drink spillage despite the the tables having holes to place your glass in.

There used to be films on a Wednesday in the back room but I couldn’t see this when I went in last time.  Maybe now removed :-(

I’d rather be in the Cask and Barrel or the Barony but I find myself in Treacle.  This place used to be Baroque and the only reason you’d ever have to go there was 2 for 1 drinks.  Unfortunately for Baroque the government health bods decided that giving me cheap drinks was bad, so they banned it.  This was he demise of Baroque.

So, some months (or was it years?) later along came Treacle.  Stupid name for a pub but that’s by the by.  It does cocktails and as I’ve said before ‘I don’t do cocktails’.  However, the cocktails are actually quite tasty if you go in for the drinking tropical punch thing.

Behind the bar the staff have managed to put up with me and my mates being ridiculous so they’re good in my books.  Seats are comfy, beer’s not bad.