Edinburgh - Pub Crawl

[The Minertaur]

Not sure if this is the best place for this but I'm going on a stag party in Edinburgh in a few weeks and the best man is needing help coming up with a pub crawl route.  Basically it's looking to start around Queen St and head up towards Frankenstein. Should be about 15 of us going and all pub suggestions will be considered.

[KnightswoodBear]

@throbber can point you in the direction of all the finest JD Wetherspoon establishments.

[The Woolshed]

We did a Leith Walk pub crawl between Xmas and NY. It started early doors so most pubs weren't particularly busy but it was decent enough.

[The Woolshed]

They served a purpose for us. We stayed for 1 drink in each and ended up up town later on.

[The Minertaur]

4 hours ago, throbber said:

I would recommend starting at the Standing Order on George street then the Alexander Graham bell also on George street then the booking office next to the train station and then finish off at the Caley picture house on Lothian road.

As tempting as that is I'll maybe only suggest one of them if any

[ICTJohnboy]

I haven't done it for years now but Rose St - with an occasional sojourn into George St, was the berries. The best part of it was the short distance from one pub to the next.

I can't think of another street, anywhere in the world with so many really good pubs - in Rose St you're spoiled for choice!

[Darren]

6 hours ago, The Minertaur said:

Not sure if this is the best place for this but I'm going on a stag party in Edinburgh in a few weeks and the best man is needing help coming up with a pub crawl route.  Basically it's looking to start around Queen St and head up towards Frankenstein. Should be about 15 of us going and all pub suggestions will be considered.

Don't start at Queen Street and don't go to Franktenstein's would be my first piece of advice.

The Shore, Stockbridge, Rose Street or Grassmarket, probably in that order, would be my pub crawls of choice.

[ICTJohnboy]

2 hours ago, throbber said:

Whats so good about the pubs on Rose street? It has significantly less pubs/atmosphere than it used to have. 

 

They must have gone downhill since I left the area,admittedly about 20 years ago. I've got really happy memories of places like Milne's Bar, Dirty Dicks, Rose St Brewery, the Abbotsford and not quite Rose St, I know, but Cafe Royal and the Guildford used to be pretty special.

Are they really not so good now?

[heedthebaa]

Was in Scott's bar and Dirty Dicks a few weeks ago, decent enough pubs, but full of middle aged types

[ICTJohnboy]

30 minutes ago, heedthebaa said:

Was in Scott's bar and Dirty Dicks a few weeks ago, decent enough pubs, but full of middle aged types

 

How awful for you.

[heedthebaa]

I know

[invergowrie arab]

I found the Grassmarket disastrous for getting in on a stag do. We weren't even pissed or dressing the stag up, just not interested in having groups of guys it seemed. Ended up binning it and heading to Rose Street and it was fine.

[The Minertaur]

7 hours ago, invergowrie arab said:

I found the Grassmarket disastrous for getting in on a stag do. We weren't even pissed or dressing the stag up, just not interested in having groups of guys it seemed. Ended up binning it and heading to Rose Street and it was fine.

See this is the issue we're worried about.  There were plans to dress the stag up in all manner of things until I pointed out that we'd just be walking round pubs and not getting in!  Rose St does seem like a good shout.

[8MileBU]

See this is the issue we're worried about.  There were plans to dress the stag up in all manner of things until I pointed out that we'd just be walking round pubs and not getting in! Rose St does seem like a good shout.

 

I've always found this to be drinking in Edinburgh, in a nutshell. Which is why I was going to suggest starting at The Standing Order, then the Haymarket Bar, then get on the train to Glasgow.

 

 

[Big Fifer]

Can only reiterate invergowrie arab's point. Do not go to the grass market. Note, there will be folk in your group that will want to, but it's a miserable experience if you're in a group larger than 3, bouncers dying for a reason to kick you back as the pub will be busy regardless, and you're giving them a reason if you're dressed up. More importantly, you'll get bored of having to give a grand speech to get into any pub you want a pint in.

Head to Rose St/George St (not the latter if there's dressing up) as you'll actually get in places without an issue, and you can work your way up towards the west end. Alternatively get off at haymarket and wander up towards central Edinburgh from there, by either going direct or by taking a right and cracking down Lothian Road. 

[Bobby Skidmarks]

See this is the issue we're worried about.  There were plans to dress the stag up in all manner of things until I pointed out that we'd just be walking round pubs and not getting in!  Rose St does seem like a good shout.

I agree with the Rose Street shout, however, also head to the Old Town and Cowgate and into the bars down there like the 3 sisters and Vodka Revolution. They welcome stag parties with open arms.

[Jason King]

Disappointed no one has yet mentioned the Pubic triangle, when one is in Edinburgh researching my Mark Caine novels I do like to delve into the available treasures around there.

I do like The Grassmarket for a session of afternoon delight but of a weekend evening I'd avoid it like the plague.

I'm thinking that your pleasure will depend on what sort of day you want to have - if you want to be ripped off then do all of the public houses on the Mile, if you want lots of pubs in small area then the Grassmarket or Rose Street is your destination and if you want to sample something a bit more exotic then I'd head down to Victoria Quay and work my way back to Leith Walk and then ambulate via all of the hostelries on the Walk to Waverley.

Champagne all round, chin chin.

[Shandon Par]

On ‎06‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 09:50, The Minertaur said:

Not sure if this is the best place for this but I'm going on a stag party in Edinburgh in a few weeks and the best man is needing help coming up with a pub crawl route.  Basically it's looking to start around Queen St and head up towards Frankenstein. Should be about 15 of us going and all pub suggestions will be considered.

Go more exotic and head along Porty high street all the way to Musselburgh. There are a couple of really good boxers working the doors and the fun part would be finding out which ones.

I'd echo the others' sentiments about Rose Street being more welcoming in terms of big groups being able to just pile in. Or start at Haymarket and work up towards the pubic triangle. Head along to the International Bar too at the end of Brougham Place/edge of the Meadows. Nothing could possibly go tits up there.

[bobby carlos]

Good day for a beer garden if you ended up in one

[Bobby Skidmarks]

It's a shame* Grimbo doesn't post anymore as he used to be quite knowledgeable about the pubs on Leith Walk. The ones he liked were the ones to avoid.




*not really.