(Last Updated On: 12th October 2019)
With hundreds of pubs in Edinburgh, you’d be surprised how difficult it is to find yourself delicious, affordable pub food. There’s oodles of places I could rank passable in a ‘well that filled a hole’ kind of way, but don’t you want ‘mmm yuuum‘ food from your pub instead? Of course you do.
Here’s a list of places I’ve found where your taste buds will appreciate the flavours coming out of the kitchen and your wallet will appreciate the reasonable (for Edinburgh) £8-£15 prices for mains.
Leith Depot only opened in November 2015 but it’s quickly becoming a favourite of locals like me who are too lazy to walk more than a few minutes for their pub food fix. Until now pubs on Leith Walk didn’t offer much other than burgers and snacks, but Leith Depot is promising to save all of our waistlines, offering seriously good quality dishes that won’t deplete the funds. The menu is heavy on seafood and vegetarian options, but don’t despair carnivores, there’s offerings for you as well. As a bonus, they have a live music room upstairs where you can see regular gigs by local artists and bands.
Address:138-140 Leith Walk EH6 5DT
Located at the bottom of Broughton Street, The Ox is more like a bar with a small area on a mezzanine level than what you’d normally think of a pub. But the food is definitely what you’d think of as pub grub. They have some of the best Sunday Roasts in Edinburgh, but for he rest of the week, you can enjoy their pub staples like Fish and Chips, Mac ‘n Cheese and Burgers or try something a bit different like Crispy Pork Cheeks, Indian Spiced Mackerel or a Sloppy Joe.
Address: 49–51 London Street, EH3 6LX
A major renovation a few years ago turned what was one of Edinburgh’s roughest pubs into a stylish neighbourhood bar/restaurant. And the improvements stretched to the kitchen as well. Expect upscaled pub regulars like fish and chips, burgers and lamb, but also a few Asian and the Middle Eastern inspired choices too.
Address: 131 Dundee St, EH11 1AX
The Caley, named after the nearby Caledonian Brewery (the last remaining of Edinburgh’s 19th century breweries), is over in the west of the city. Unless you’re a football fan (it’s close to both Tynecastle and Murrayfield stadiums), are checking out the Union Canal, the Fountain Park cinema or the Gorgie City Farm, you might never wander down this side of town. Here’s a reason you should. Don’t be put off by the rather unappealing exterior. I promise it’s much more inviting inside. And, like The Fountain, the zhooshed up versions of pub favourites on offer are consistently great.
Address: 42 – 58 Angle Park Terrace, EH11 2JR
Teuchters serve classic Scottish winter warmers – Cullen Skink, Stovies, Haggis Neeps and Tatties – in a mug. Yep, a mug. And there’s also Curry, Mac n Cheese, Risotto or chips, in a mug. They do have things on plates too, pub grub faves like burgers, hot dogs and fish and chips, and they’ve also got oodles of seafood to choose from. Despite there being lots of indoor and outdoor seating (including a floating pontoon), be warned, it gets super busy on a nice day and just getting your order in for food and drinks at the bar can take up to half an hour at times. If the sun’s out, bring some patience with you.
Address: 1c Dock Pl, EH6 6LU
You definitely need to come to The Auld Hoose hungry (and perhaps hungover). Servings are supersized, including their legendary, gut-busting, Gigantic Nachos, photos of which take up quite a lot of space on social media too. It’s a very casual and relaxed atmosphere here and that’s reflected in the rest of the menu. There’s nothing fancy, but includes pub favourites like burgers, hot dogs, burritos and Mac ‘n Cheese. There’s also plenty of vegan and vegetarian choices.
Address: 23-25 St. Leonard’s St, EH8 9QN
Technically this is a gin bar, not a pub, but it has a (very styled) pub feel and the food’s so good I’m slipping it in. There’s a raised level toward the back for dining, but the bar’s always packed at peak times. Visit when it’s busy and you’ll probably have to slobber over someone’s earhole if you want to have any kind of indepth conversation with your dinner companion. Not to worry. You might be enjoying your food too much to talk anyway.
Address: 260 Morrison Street, EH3 8DT
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Stuff to Know:
Of course there’s plenty of great pub food to be had in Edinburgh that’ll cost you £15-£20 for mains, so if those prices don’t make your eyes water, you’ll also enjoy Nobles in Leith, The Magnum in New Town or the oft awarded Tom Kitchin gastro-pub Scran & Scallie in Stockbridge and Southside Scran in Bruntsfield.