Pub Shopping

An interesting fact about Edinburgh is that it is (supposedly) home to more pubs per capita than any other city in the UK. From what we have experienced in our few days in this town, it appears to be true. One cannot walk down even a single city block without encountering at least one pub, usually with at least a couple of regulars hanging around the doorway, smoking a cigarette or drinking a pint of ale. The pub is very much a part of the culture of this city. Visiting one’s pub of choice, it seems, is an essential part of an evening out. One goes there, not only to enjoy a pint of one’s beverage of choice, but also to enjoy conversation, to meet new people, and to watch and/or argue about sports.

Now, I understand the importance of the pub all too well; in Austin, my friends and I frequented the Crown and Anchor Pub, just down the street from the seminary. Thus, one of our tasks here since arriving has been to find “our pub,” that little home away from home where, even if everyone does not know our names, we will at least fit in. But, in a city that is teeming with pubs, how does one go about finding the right pub? There is no easy answer to this dilemma, so Kellie and I have been trying a variety of different places. Our first night, we dined and had a pint at the Filling Station, right on the Royal Mile. From the outside, it seemed authentic enough, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be akin to a Scottish Chili’s or Applebee’s. Not quite what we had in mind. The next night, we decided to try the Brass Monkey, which one can actually see from our bedroom window. This place was dark and cosy, but we felt a little out of place there, maybe because it was such a small place and we are, after all, Americans. After that, we visited the Southsider, a bit of a larger pub off Nicholson Street. This place seemed nice enough at first, and we even grabbed a cosy little booth, but we were a bit put off after being accosted by a drunk and somewhat incoherent Scotsman. Too bad. Next, we visited Frankenstein’s, which is an older place (founded 1818, supposedly), but rather gimmicky (the place, as one might imagine, is gothic horror themed) and pricey (£3.40 for a pint of Guinness!). We also visited Biblos, a little coffee house/pub just around the corner. This, too, was a bit pricey, but has a nice atmosphere (and free wi-fi).

So, I guess the point is that we have not yet found our Crown and Anchor, so to speak. But there are still lots of options out there. To be sure, it is actually quite fun exploring the Edinburgh social scene and getting to peek inside so many different nightspots. If you have any expertise in Edinburgh pubs and want to make a suggestions, that would be most welcome. Cheers!