15 Best Pubs in Edinburgh (2026)
15 best pubs in Edinburgh: Victorian interiors, real ale, live folk music, whisky collections, and the locals' pubs that tourist guides skip.
Best Pubs in Edinburgh
Edinburgh’s pub culture runs deeper than its cocktail bars, and it’s a different thing entirely from the bars scene. A pub in Edinburgh means cask ale, whisky, low ceilings, and the particular kind of warmth that comes from a room where people have been drinking for longer than most countries have existed. The city has pubs that date to the 17th century, pubs that look exactly the same as they did in the 1890s, and pubs where Ian Rankin sat writing Inspector Rebus novels while nursing a pint.
This guide is different from our best bars guide. Bars in Edinburgh are about cocktails, small plates, and designed interiors. Pubs are about beer, whisky, and rooms that haven’t been redesigned because nobody wants them to be. Some serve food. Most have live music at some point during the week. All of them are the kind of place where you can sit alone with a book and a pint and nobody will think it’s odd, because that’s what pubs are for.
Edinburgh has over 700 pubs. This list covers 15 of them, chosen for a mix of real ale credentials, whisky collections, live music, historic interiors, and the particular quality of “this is where locals actually drink.” If a pub is on the Royal Mile and packed with tourists, it’s probably not on this list. If it’s in a basement off a close that you’d walk past without noticing, it probably is.
1. The Bow Bar
The best pub in Edinburgh, full stop. The Bow Bar sits on West Bow, the curving street that connects the Grassmarket to the Royal Mile, in a room that hasn’t changed much since it opened. There are eight real ales on tap (the selection rotates and is always interesting), a whisky list that could take you months to work through, and a selection of bottled beers from around the world that’s longer than most bars’ entire drinks menu.
The staff are knowledgeable without being precious about it. Ask for a recommendation and you’ll get a genuine one, not a sales pitch. The atmosphere is quiet and conversational in a way that most modern bars have forgotten how to be. There’s no TV. There’s no music most of the time. There’s just beer, whisky, and the kind of pub where everyone from CAMRA members to first-time visitors feels equally welcome. It’s small, so it fills up, but even standing at the bar with a pint is a good experience here.
The Bow Bar
- Eight real ales on tap plus hundreds of bottled beers and whiskies
- Traditional Scottish pub specialising in beer and whisky
- Knowledgeable, friendly staff who love recommending drams
Visit off-peak to get a seat. The staff will happily talk you through the whisky menu.
"The Bow Bar is highly praised for its welcoming and knowledgeable staff. Visitors appreciate the affordable prices and wide selection of craft beers, whiskies, and ales."
2. Sandy Bell’s
Edinburgh’s folk music pub. Sandy Bell’s has been hosting live folk sessions since the 1940s, and on any given evening you might find a fiddle player, a guitarist, and a bodhran player sitting in the corner, playing for the room. The sessions are informal: musicians bring their instruments and join in when they feel like it, which means the quality varies but the atmosphere is always genuine. This is not a tourist show. This is what Edinburgh folk music sounds like when nobody’s performing for an audience.
The pub itself is small, slightly scruffy, and packed on music nights. The beer selection is adequate rather than outstanding. The toilets are small. None of this matters, because you’re here for the music and the feeling of being in a room where this has been happening for over 70 years. Arrive early to get a seat, because by 9pm on a session night you’ll be standing three-deep. Forrest Road location, near the university, which means it gets a good mix of students, locals, and visitors.
Sandy Bell's
- Live Scottish folk music most nights with impromptu sessions
- Authentic Scottish pub atmosphere since the 1940s
- The kind of pub where musicians bring their instruments and join in
Arrive early for the live music sessions to get a good seat. Sessions most nights.
"Sandy Bell's is a lively and authentic Scottish pub known for its exceptional live folk music sessions that bring together talented musicians."
3. The Jolly Judge
Down a close off the Lawnmarket, through a door you could easily miss, and into a low-ceilinged basement pub with an open fire and hand-pumped real ale. The Jolly Judge is the kind of pub that Edinburgh does better than any other city: old, small, slightly hidden, and completely authentic. The ceilings are so low that tall people need to duck. The fireplace makes the whole room warm in winter. The ales rotate regularly and the staff will pour you a taste before you commit to a pint, which is the mark of a pub that takes its beer seriously.
James’ Court, where the pub sits, is one of the Royal Mile’s most atmospheric closes. David Hume lived here. James Boswell lived here. The Jolly Judge feels like it might have been here when they were. It’s never crowded in the way that Royal Mile tourist pubs are, because most tourists don’t find it. If you’re looking for a quiet pint near the Castle, this is it.
The Jolly Judge
- Tiny pub with low-beamed ceilings and an open fire in James' Court
- Fantastic selection of real ales, cask ales, and Gueuze
- Tucked into a close off the Royal Mile that most tourists walk past
Ask the staff for a taste of the real ales before committing to a pint. They're happy to pour samples.
"Reviewers consistently praise the Jolly Judge for its fantastic selection of beers, with friendly staff happily offering free tasters."
4. Tipsy Midgie Whisky Bar
If you want to learn about whisky and you have one evening in Edinburgh, spend it here. Tipsy Midgie is a small bar on St Leonard’s Hill with over 1,000 whiskies, run by Colin, who has the kind of whisky knowledge that makes you realise how little you know. Tell him what you like (or don’t like) and he’ll find you something you didn’t know existed. The Thursday night distillery tasting events are the best way to experience it, but even a casual visit with a couple of drams is an education.
The collection ranges from affordable everyday malts to bottles that cost more than your flight to Edinburgh. The bar is small and cozy in the way that whisky bars should be. It’s not on any major tourist route, which keeps the crowd local and knowledgeable. If you’ve been to the Scotch Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile and found it too commercial, this is the antidote. For more whisky options, see our things to do guide, which covers The Lost Close underground tastings.
Tipsy Midgie Whisky Bar
- Over 1,000 whiskies from rare to affordable drams
- Owner Colin gives personalised whisky recommendations tailored to your taste
- Thursday night distillery tasting events
Try the Thursday night distillery tasting event. Ask Colin for a personalised recommendation.
"Tipsy Midgie is praised for its extensive collection of over 1,000 whiskies and the expertise of owner Colin."
5. Bennets Bar
A Victorian pub in Tollcross with original fittings that make it one of the most beautiful pub interiors in Edinburgh. The bar is long, the wood is dark, the mirrors are etched, and the whole room has the feeling of a place that was built to last and has. The draught ales are good, the Scotch whisky selection is solid, and the food menu includes haggis bonbons and cauliflower bites alongside the standard pub fare, which suggests a kitchen that’s trying harder than it needs to.
It’s next to the King’s Theatre, so it fills up before and after shows, which gives it a different energy on theatre nights compared to quiet Tuesday afternoons. The regulars are a mix of Tollcross locals and theatre-goers. The staff know both groups by name. Live music during the week is worth checking for. If you’re staying in Tollcross or Bruntsfield, this is your local.
Bennets Bar
- Gorgeous Victorian pub with original fittings and classic decor
- Excellent draught ales, Scotch whiskies, and pub food
- Haggis bonbons and cauliflower bites on the food menu
Check for live music during the week.
"Bennets Bar is a cozy and historic Victorian pub with a classic and rustic interior, offering delicious draught ales and Scotch whiskies."
6. The Oxford Bar
Famous for two reasons: it’s where Ian Rankin’s fictional detective Inspector Rebus drinks, and it’s exactly the kind of pub you’d want a fictional detective to drink in. The Oxford Bar is a no-nonsense New Town local on Young Street that has resisted every attempt to modernise it. There’s no food menu (or if there is, it’s crisps). There’s no craft cocktail list. There are cask ales, whiskies, and a quiet room where people read newspapers and don’t look at their phones.
Rankin himself drinks here, which adds to the mystique but isn’t the point. The point is that the Oxford Bar is what a pub feels like when nobody’s trying to make it feel like anything. The back room is where Rebus sits in the novels. The front bar is where the regulars sit in real life. Both are worth experiencing. It’s the antithesis of the Royal Mile tourist pubs, and it’s a 10-minute walk from them.
The Oxford Bar
- No-nonsense New Town local made famous by Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus
- Wide range of cask ales and whiskies in a cozy, ungentrified setting
- The kind of pub that hasn't changed in decades, and is better for it
Visit off-peak to appreciate the quiet atmosphere. The back room is where Rebus drinks.
"The Oxford Bar is known for its authentic old-school atmosphere, great selection of cask ales and whisky, and the famous Rebus connection."
7. Athletic Arms (Diggers)
The locals’ pub. Diggers (nobody calls it the Athletic Arms) is in Shandon, a residential neighbourhood west of the city centre, next to where the Caledonian Distillery used to be. The name comes from its proximity to Dalry Cemetery, where gravediggers would stop for a pint after work. The cask beer selection is excellent, the pies are proper pies, and the atmosphere is the kind of warm, unpretentious welcome that chain pubs spend millions trying to fake.
It’s not a tourist pub. You won’t find it in most Edinburgh guides. The regulars are neighbourhood people who’ve been drinking here for years. On non-match days (Hearts FC is nearby), it’s quiet and relaxed. On match days, it’s lively and loud. Either way, the beer is good and the welcome is real. If you want to understand what an Edinburgh neighbourhood pub feels like, this is the one.
Athletic Arms (Diggers)
- Edinburgh's quintessential neighbourhood pub with loyal regulars
- Excellent cask beer selection and proper pub pies
- Named after the Caledonian Distillery next door, locals call it Diggers
Visit on non-match days for a relaxed experience. The pies are excellent.
"The Athletic Arms, affectionately known as The Diggers, is a quintessential neighborhood pub. Visitors enjoy the lovely atmosphere with locals, cask ales, and pies."
8. Cloisters Bar
A real ale pub in a converted church in Tollcross. The church setting gives Cloisters a high ceiling and a sense of space that most Edinburgh pubs lack, and the beer board is updated almost daily with whatever cask ales are on. It’s one of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide regulars, which means the beer quality is taken seriously. The crowd is older and quieter than the nearby student bars, and the atmosphere is the kind of relaxed that comes from a room full of people who know what they want to drink.
Local breweries are well represented on the taps, which is what you’d hope for in a Scottish real ale pub. The food is decent pub food, nothing more, and the service is friendly. It’s a two-minute walk from Bennets Bar (number 5 on this list), so you can easily do both in one evening. The Tollcross area doesn’t get enough credit as a pub neighbourhood, but between Cloisters, Bennets, and a few others within walking distance, it’s one of Edinburgh’s best.
Cloisters Bar
- Set inside a converted church with rustic charm
- Edinburgh's most serious cask ale selection, updated daily
- Quiet, older crowd who know their beer
Arrive earlier to enjoy the food menu alongside the cask ales.
"Cloisters Bar offers a unique experience set inside an old church with rustic vibes, attracting a quiet crowd enjoying local cask ales."
9. Cafe Royal
Walk past the entrance on West Register Street and you might not realise what’s inside. The Cafe Royal is one of the most ornate pub interiors in Britain: Victorian stained glass windows, Doulton tile murals depicting inventors (Faraday, Caxton, Watt), a circular bar with brass fittings and marble, and a ceiling that belongs in a minor cathedral. It’s also Scotland’s oldest oyster bar, which means you can sit in a palace-like room eating oysters and drinking ale for the price of a decent pub meal.
The bar side is walk-in and worth visiting for the interior alone, even if you only have one drink. The restaurant side takes bookings and does proper sit-down meals; the Sunday roasts and steak sandwiches get good reviews. It can be noisy when full, and the tourist factor is higher here than at most pubs on this list, but the building is so genuinely spectacular that it transcends the crowd. It’s next to the Guildford Arms, so you can compare two Victorian pub interiors in 30 seconds.
Cafe Royal
- Stunning Victorian palace pub with stained glass, Doulton tile murals, and marble accents
- Scotland's oldest oyster bar with fresh seafood
- One of the most beautiful pub interiors in Britain
Book in advance for the restaurant side. The bar side is walk-in and worth visiting for the interior alone.
"Reviewers praise the delicious Sunday roasts, fresh oysters, and the amazing interiors with ornate stained glass and Doulton tile murals."
10. The Guildford Arms
Next door to the Cafe Royal and almost as ornate. The Guildford Arms has carved mahogany, elaborate plasterwork, a gallery level overlooking the main bar, and the energy of a pub that’s been serving real ale for over a century. The beer selection is excellent and the pub food is better than average: the steak and ale pie, fish and chips, and haggis are all reliably good.
It’s near Waverley Station, which makes it a natural first or last pub on any Edinburgh visit. The upstairs gallery has views down to the bar and is worth climbing to even if you don’t sit there. The atmosphere is lively rather than quiet; this isn’t a contemplative pub, it’s a convivial one. If you like your pubs with a bit of energy and a lot of ornament, the Guildford Arms and Cafe Royal together are the best 30 minutes of Victorian pub-crawling in Edinburgh.
The Guildford Arms
- Ornate Victorian interior with carved mahogany, plasterwork, and stained glass
- Excellent ales, lagers, stouts, and traditional Scottish pub food
- Near Waverley Station, good for a first or last pint
Book for dinner during busy periods. The upstairs gallery has a good view of the bar.
"The Guildford Arms is a lively and authentic Scottish pub with excellent ales and delicious food."
11. Kay’s Bar
A former coach house on Jamaica Street in Stockbridge that’s now one of Edinburgh’s most intimate pubs. Kay’s has the feel of drinking in someone’s living room: low lighting, wood panelling, local ales on tap, and a room so small that everyone ends up in the same conversation. The regulars are Stockbridge locals who treat it like an extension of their houses, and they’re welcoming to visitors in the way that people are when they’re confident about their local.
The ales are local and change regularly. The whisky selection is decent. There’s no food beyond crisps and nuts. The whole point is the beer and the company, which is what pubs were originally for before someone decided they needed to be restaurants too. Visit off-peak if you want a seat, because the room holds maybe 30 people at full capacity and Friday nights exceed that.
Kay's Bar
- Intimate Stockbridge pub with old-world charm
- Local regulars, local ales, and a warm welcome
- The kind of small neighbourhood pub that's disappearing from cities
Visit during off-peak hours to enjoy the intimate setting.
"Kay's Bar is described as an exclusive neighborhood pub with old world charm. Visitors are welcomed by friendly locals and staff."
12. Canny Man’s
Way out in Morningside, a 20-minute bus ride from the centre, Canny Man’s is the kind of pub that rewards the journey. The interior is eccentric in a way that can’t be replicated: cluttered with antiques, prints, oddities, and the accumulated stuff of over 150 years of continuous operation. The whisky collection includes rare bottlings that serious whisky drinkers travel specifically to try. The food is better than pub food has any right to be at this price point.
The atmosphere is Victorian parlour meets collector’s study. The service is old-school Edinburgh: proper, friendly, and efficient. It’s not a young crowd; Morningside is an affluent, quiet neighbourhood, and the pub reflects that. If you’re visiting our recommended cafes in Bruntsfield, Canny Man’s is a 15-minute walk further south and makes for a good evening continuation. Book ahead on busy nights.
Canny Man's
- Eccentric Victorian-era bar with unique, cluttered decor
- Extensive whisky collection including rare bottlings
- Morningside institution that's been serving since 1871
Book ahead, especially on busy nights. The whisky collection is worth asking about.
"Canny Man's is a charming and eclectic establishment in Morningside, known for its excellent service, great selection of whiskies, and delicious food."
13. The Ensign Ewart
The closest proper pub to Edinburgh Castle, on the Lawnmarket. Named after Sergeant Charles Ewart of the Scots Greys, who captured a French Imperial Eagle standard at Waterloo in 1815 (you can read the story on the wall inside). The pub has live folk music most evenings, traditional decor, and a selection of Scottish beers that’s better than you’d expect from a pub this close to the tourist trail.
The downside is the location: Lawnmarket is busy, and some of the crowd is tourists who wandered in from the Mile. But the music is genuine, the beer is good, and the story of Sergeant Ewart is worth knowing. It’s a good stop for a pint before or after visiting Edinburgh Castle or the nearby museums on the Royal Mile.
The Ensign Ewart
- Live folk music in a cozy pub near Edinburgh Castle
- Traditional decor and a good selection of Scottish beers
- Named after a real Scots Greys soldier who captured a French standard at Waterloo
Visit off-peak to avoid crowds. Regular live folk music performances.
"The Ensign Ewart is a charming and historic pub near Edinburgh Castle, offering a cozy atmosphere with traditional decor and live folk music."
14. The Abbotsford
Rose Street runs parallel to Princes Street and has slowly filled with chain bars and tourist pubs over the years. The Abbotsford is the exception. It’s been here since 1902, the ornate wood panelling is original, and the real ales and pub food are consistently good. The steak and ale pie is the kitchen’s best dish. The haggis is proper.
It’s the kind of pub that feels like it belongs to an earlier Edinburgh, when Rose Street was where writers and artists drank rather than where stag parties started. The atmosphere is more civilised than the bars on either side of it, the ceiling is high, and the room has the gravitas of a place that knows it doesn’t need to try hard. Book for dinner on weekends.
The Abbotsford
- Historic Rose Street pub with ornate wood panelling from 1902
- Real ales and traditional Scottish pub food
- Rose Street's best traditional pub among the newer bars
Book for dinner on weekends. The steak and ale pie is the pub food pick.
"The Abbotsford offers a delightful experience with excellent meals, including haggis and steak and ale pie, in a historic setting."
15. Makars Mash Bar
On Bank Street, between the Royal Mile and the Mound, Makars does Scottish comfort food in a pub setting. The concept is “pick your protein, pick your mash,” with at least nine mash options (classic cheddar, black pudding, spring onion, and others) alongside slow-cooked meats and haggis. The slow-cooked lamb shank and beef shoulder get the most praise in reviews, and the haggis is described as “how your grandmother would have made it,” which is high praise in Edinburgh.
It’s more of a gastropub than a drinking pub, but the atmosphere is cozy and the portions are the kind of size that make you walk home slowly. Book ahead or arrive 15 minutes before opening, because it fills up. Half the tables are walk-in with a text queue system. If you want to eat Scottish food in a pub environment without paying fine-dining prices, this is the best option near the Royal Mile. For cheaper options nearby, Oink on Victoria Street is a two-minute walk.
Makars Mash Bar
- Pick your protein, pick your mash: at least nine gourmet mash options
- Award-winning slow-cooked lamb shank, beef shoulder, and haggis
- Views of the Royal Mile from a cozy pub with character
Book ahead or arrive 15 mins before opening. 50% of tables are walk-in with a text queue.
"Reviewers consistently rave about the exquisite quality of the food, particularly the tender slow-cooked beef shoulder and lamb shank."
How to Plan a Pub Crawl
Edinburgh’s best pubs cluster in a few walkable areas. Here are three routes:
Old Town literary crawl: Start at The Jolly Judge in James’ Court (Enlightenment-era close), walk to The Bow Bar on West Bow (Edinburgh’s best beer pub), then finish at Sandy Bell’s on Forrest Road for live folk music. Total: three pubs, about 15 minutes of walking, and 400 years of pub history.
Victorian palace crawl: Cafe Royal and The Guildford Arms are next door to each other near Waverley Station. Walk to The Abbotsford on Rose Street, then finish at The Oxford Bar on Young Street. Four pubs, four different Victorian interiors, all within 10 minutes of each other.
Tollcross and Bruntsfield: Cloisters Bar (real ale in a church), Bennets Bar (Victorian gem), then a bus to Canny Man’s in Morningside if you’re feeling ambitious. Two of these are on the same street. Combine with our best restaurants in the area for dinner.
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