The Pub Inspector

The Pub Inspector Website

2013-02-27T21:14:00.001+00:00

This blog is no longer being updated. Future reviews will be published on the Pub Inspector website at www.thepubinspector.net.

Lebowskis: 18 Morrison Street, Edinburgh

2012-11-03T10:46:00.005+00:00

This bar, just off Lothian Road, has changed considerably since the days it was called the Festival Tavern. The Festival Tavern was a bit of a radge bar, where cheap drink was in abundance and the décor was minimal.

It’s now called Lebowskis after the film the Big Lebowski, directed by the Coen brothers, who also directed the film No Country for Old Men. The film No Country for Old Men is one of my personal favourites and definitely worth a watch.

Anyway back to the pub trade. Lebowskis is a modern trendy bar with a mixed crowd and not necessarily upmarket as the pints were fairly reasonable. It looked like the place has been designed by an interior decorator a bit like the ilk of element or somewhere like that. It’s actually part of a chain and there is another venue in Glasgow.

The beer selection on tap is not extensive but they have quite a few interesting beers in bottles. Much of their trade also seems to be cocktails. If you like a cocktail you’ll enjoy it here as they have an extensive menu. If you’re just going for a beer you may have to wait longer than average to get served at the bar as service is often delayed by the staff making some elaborate cocktail. However bars serving cocktails tend to bring in attractive women, and this is also the case at Lebowskis, so it’s not all bad news!

The Friday night I was there, it was busy, in fact we couldn’t get a seat, and there was a DJ in the corner playing funky kind of dance beats in the background (would you call that house music?). Despite this though the bar still felt fairly relaxed and was a far cry from the other rough and ready bars on Lothian Road.

However the ambience is directly related to the DJ, as I went back a week or two later and the DJ was so loud it may as well have been a night club.

Le Monde: 16 George Street, Edinburgh

2012-08-31T19:54:00.003+01:00

French for the world, this is a sensible name for a French daily newspaper. Quite why this bar on George Street is called such a name I’m not sure, as there is nothing really worldly about it - other than the fact tourists may drink in it during the festival. To be honest I think the owners just chose the name because it sounded swanky.

This place is all about the swank! It’s attached to what their website calls a ‘boutique’ hotel – what the hell does that mean? Drinks are obviously expensive! It’s a nice place to go for one or two pints after work, but if you go at the weekend for a session you will require a small mortgage and be irritated by posers!

The problem with this bar is it is trying to be a sophisticated bar to suit the likes of Paris, London or New York. Unfortunately it is located on George Street in Edinburgh, a street where you may get posers and radges, but certainly not sophistication!

Swank!

Bannerman's Bar: 212 Cowgate, Edinburgh

2012-08-31T19:08:00.002+01:00

Also known as Shanerman's (Shan a Scottish word meaning unfair or terrible) this is actually quite an entertaining place. The bar leaves a lot to be desired, the beer is average and fairly overpriced but it’s a great place to people watch and I believe they do drinks offers Sunday-Wednesday.

While I was drinking there, a group came in on a pub golf night – obvious by the way they were dressed. They were like a fish out of water and left quickly though not before one of the girls in the group managed to flash her ass. Later a couple of attractive girls dressed in 1980s sparkly gear came in selling cigarettes from a tray. I’m sure some of the guys in the pub that bought cigarettes from these girls didn’t even smoke – quite a marketing technique!

This bar markets itself as a rock bar and for £5 I could have watched the band playing in the next room. £5 isn’t a lot of money for a gig but why not just have the gig in the bar and let the punters paying for drinks also hear the band? Instead I enjoyed watching the tennis on TV and the various characters in the bar.

Murrayfield bar: 57-59 Roseburn Terrace, Edinburgh

2012-08-31T18:28:00.001+01:00

A very average bar, I prefer the Murrayfield Hotel. You get an ok pint here but on the Thursday night when I visited there were hardy any bar staff so it took me ages to get served.

The main toilets in the basement were out of order so everyone had to wait for the disabled on the ground floor.

They had a poker night on while I was there and I’ve been told they do Beer Pong. There are also TVs to watch the sport and like the Murrayfield Hotel is packed on match days. Overall an average soulless bar and a poor man’s Murrayfield Hotel!

Roxys: 23 Queen Street, Blackpool

2012-08-31T18:25:00.002+01:00

I should point out that this review may not be entirely representative of the bar as my mates and I didn’t rock up to this bar until after 1am on a Sunday morning. I found this bar a bit more chilled out than some of the other Blackpool bars, although it could have been due to the time. It’s quite a big bar with several levels; so there was plenty of space to sit down, space to do a few comedy dance moves if you wished, and an outdoor balcony to get some fresh air.

I stuck to bottled beer, of which there was a reasonable selection, though later on the boys got on the Jäger train for a couple of stops.

This must be a popular tourist bar as we met a couple of drunken girls from Paisley. Along with being a tourist bar I wondered if they did weddings, as there was lots of what looked like confetti all over the floor when we walked in. Possibly due to another stag/hen night (for which Blackpool like Edinburgh seems popular)?

After researching this bar I believe there are drag acts on so I guess the boys were lucky we went late and missed that!

Litten Tree: 8-14 Queen Street, Blackpool

2012-08-31T18:23:00.001+01:00

An average bar with average drinks. Being a Blackpool bar the music is blaring and there are stag and hen parties aplenty.

The Counting House: 10 Talbot Square, Blackpool

2012-08-31T18:21:00.001+01:00

It was after 11pm, and after failing to obtain a drink in a hotel along the shore (as we weren’t guests the hotel wouldn’t serve us) the boys were passing by the Counting House and were parched. Promotions staff for the pub offered us free entry and a free shot so we went in.

However, there is a reason why they need to offer free drink to entice you in, and that reason is that the pub is terrible! The pub is tacky and dirty and they play clubbing songs from the 1990s such as Samba De Janeiro. It made me think of Kevin & Perry Go Large.

Despite this all the punters looked like they were having a great time. There was a stag party (of course there always is in this kind of pub) but a distinct shortage of women.

Verdict: makes Frankenstein in Edinburgh look classy!

The Cambridge: 20 Young Street, Edinburgh

2012-08-27T22:38:00.001+01:00

There are two pubs on Young Street; the Oxford Bar and the Cambridge. Cambridge beat Oxford in the 2012 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, and in my opinion the Cambridge Bar wins over the Oxford Bar every time!

Where the Oxford does a grotty small pub, the Cambridge does a comfortable bar with a nice atmosphere. Where the Oxford favours miserable old men as punters, the Cambridge has a mixed clientele and some hot barmaids. For entertainment the Oxford has an ancient telly you could anchor a boat to, while the Cambridge has a flat screen TV (on which you can watch actual sport rather than just Sky Sports News) and supplies newspapers and even (god forbid) background music!

But most of all, while the only food the on offer at the Oxford are stale pies, the Cambridge serves a delicious variety of burgers cooked on site. Yes it’s all about the burger at the Cambridge.

The Cambridge also serves beer! Though even if it didn’t I’d still favour this bar to its boat race competitor.

The Balmoral Bar: 1 Princes Street, Edinburgh

2012-08-27T21:27:00.001+01:00

The Balmoral Bar is part of the prestigious Balmoral Hotel, and is the ideal bar to go to if you are waiting to catch a train at Waverley Station. Now why would I say this when there are two cheaper bars across the road from Princes Street, and one in Waverley Station?

Well the bar in the station called the Nor Loch is an absolutely terrible bar, and is therefore aptly named. If I can one day be brave enough to try a pint in there I may write a review! The bars across the road on West Register Street (the Guildford and Café Royal) are nice but the advantage of the Balmoral is that because the pints are pretty expensive you will only have one, and therefore not be in danger of having several and missing your train.

The Balmoral bar also offers a relaxed atmosphere with table service and they bring you some posh nuts with your beer.

Kid's Rhythm ‘N’ Blues Kaffee: Grote Markt 50, 2000 Antwerpen, Antwerp

2012-08-27T21:09:00.001+01:00

This is blues/rock bar and I wasn’t disappointed. When I went in a live band was just finishing their set so I hung around for their second set and the guitarist was amazing, stunning the punters with his renditions of classics such as Johnny B. Goode and Voodoo Child.

I got a nice glass of Hoegaarden and my mates ordered a Palm beer which was also nice. Personally I quite enjoyed the Belgian beers, but would warn you to find out the alcohol percentage of the beer you’re ordering - as some of them will blow your head off. If you want to play safe this bar does Guinness.

Hectors: 47-49 Deanhaugh Street, Edinburgh

2012-07-26T09:13:00.004+01:00

The boys finished their New Town/Stockbridge pub crawl in Hectors. Now Hectors don’t give the beer away either, in fact they demand your right arm for it. However unlike the Baillie the staff do endeavour to help you, and there is some atmosphere. The bar is stylish and comfortable and there is plenty of talent.

Some may say this is a pretentious bar and so are its punters and I would have to agree. Would I go back here? Unlikely due to the prices! Watch out for a Belgian beer called Vedett, its £4 – furious! However I still enjoyed this bar more than the Baillie.

The Bailie: 2-4 St. Stephen Street ,Edinburgh

2012-07-26T09:12:00.005+01:00

Personally I feel this well-known Stockbridge bar has nothing going for it.

The boys were now starving from their pub crawl and that we went in to the Bailie at 8.40 specifically because they advertised food until 9. However we were told by a rude barmaid that they were no longer serving food despite the fact we could see the kitchen was still open.

Sure there is a good selection of beer and whisky and there are plenty real ales, however a standard round of drinks was ridiculously expensive and the bar offers absolutely no atmosphere. This bar lives on its name and image. From outside it looks nice, inside it is dingy and miserable – much like their staff.

Dingy!

The Antiquary: Saint Stephen Street, Edinburgh

2012-07-26T09:08:00.004+01:00

A traditional pub divided into two areas; with booths and even a public phone on the wall should you have forgotten the mobile phone. There are a range of games in the corner to keep the punter entertained such as Cluedo and Connect 4 and there is lounge music playing in the background. All good so far. Mixing it up a bit I had a Becks which was fairly refreshing but there is a decent range of beers to choose from.

My main problem with this pub was that despite it being dinner time on a public holiday, and despite other pub reviews raving about the availability of food even on a Sunday, there was no food available. We were given some ridiculous chat by the barman that there was no food served on Mondays, on Wednesday yes, possibly Tuesday, but definitely not Monday. Eh?

So basically go along if you fancy a pint and board game, if you’re hungry go to Pizza Express!

St Vincent Bar: 11 St. Vincent Street, Edinburgh

2012-07-21T18:10:00.001+01:00

The bar was comfortable, and the beer was fairly reasonable. The main memorable thing about this bar was the Golf game. Try it out!

Overall, a nice bar to go to for a quiet drink, just don’t expect any food.

The Star Bar: 1 Northumberland Place, Edinburgh

2012-07-21T17:55:00.000+01:00

Prior to visiting the Star Bar I needed cash, so I popped into Sainsbury’s to get cashback. This meant buying a bag of cookies, but I’m glad I did as the Star Bar has a small beer garden out the back where you can enjoy your pint and eat a picnic if you wish.

This is lucky as the Star Bar is not that easy to find so you’ll be hungry by the time you eventually sit down with your beer! However the Star Bar is worth the effort. It produces an enjoyable pint, the barmaid was 9 out of 10, and there is entertainment such as a foozball table, a jukebox, a dartboard, sport on the telly and even a punter who was dressed up a bit like a pirate.

There is apparently supposed to be a skull on display in this bar but we couldn’t see it, perhaps like the bar it’s just difficult to find? Definitely worth a visit though!

The Standard: 24 Howe Street, New Town, Edinburgh

2012-07-03T20:39:00.000+01:00

My guide book described this as “more like a New York Bar and Grill than a Scottish pub”. Having been to New York I would say that while the Standard is perhaps a bit more unique than many of the traditional chain pubs in Edinburgh, it is far more EDI than NYC - did you like what I did there! It’s a trendy looking bar of the sort you might find on George Street though more relaxed.

The place has a decent beer selection and provides a comfy seat with cushions to sit on while you watch the sport. My only complaint was that the games machine advertising Deal or No Deal, was offering only no deal, as the machine was broken.

Tune in next time for Star Bar. Bring cookies!

New Town Pub Crawl: Part 2

2012-07-03T20:30:00.002+01:00

Possibly the street where we got lost?

Ok, so back to the New Town/Stockbridge pub crawl. These reviews will be fairly quick and short, as apart from the fact that it’s been so long since we did the pub crawl and I can’t read my own scribbled writing, there are a lot of venues to review in the coming weeks, including a recent visit to Shannermans.

So we left of at the Wally Dug, next stop 'The Standard'.

Bar Boda: 229 Leith Walk, Edinburgh

2012-06-19T22:04:00.002+01:00

This is a nice relaxed bar down Leith Walk. It’s one of the Swedish bars owned by the same company that brings you Joseph Pearce’s and Victoria. The beer selection didn’t seem extensive but the service was good. I was going to order a pint of Amstel but was advised by the barman that it cost over £4 - not really sure why as it’s not exactly a premium beer! Anyway I ordered a German sounding lager which was quite nice.

There are a couple of things to keep you amused in this bar – a selection of books in the corner and a paper model of a shark hanging from the roof.

The Third Door: 45–47 Lothian Street, Edinburgh

2012-06-09T12:50:00.001+01:00

We interrupt this tour of New Town pubs to bring you an important announcement.

Do you like being disappointed? Do you like wasting your money? If the answer is no then do not – repeat - do not, go to the Third Door nightclub.

I rocked up there last night about 12.30-1am on a mates birthday night out. We each paid £5 to get in but the club was practically empty. As a few more people started to arrive we bought several drinks, but at 2am the manager closed the club (presumably realising the bar wasn’t taking enough money, so not worth remaining open). A hot girl complained that she had paid £5 and expected the club to be open until 3am. She got a refund. However, when we also complained we were denied a refund (presumably because we are not hot girls).

Basically don’t go to the Third Door - try the first or second door instead. The Third door will rip you off and crush your dreams!

The Wally Dug

2012-06-07T06:50:00.002+01:00

My guidebook makes great reference to the ‘steep stairs’ at the Wally Dug, which I didn’t find that steep – maybe the writer had just had too many pints! It also tells me that apparently Wally Dug is Scots for China Dog, not dogs from China (like the Pandas from China at Edinburgh Zoo) but China models of dogs that were popular ornaments. However, wally is also defined as “a silly and inept person” so is this wally dog a bit stupid?

Anyway the Wally (or China or stupid Dug) is a great pub, there is nothing stupid about it! The pub is divided up into a few rooms, the main bar area which has seating, books and games (games seem to be a feature of New Town bars – more on that in later reviews), and serves Tsingtao beer – a nice touch and keeping the China theme going!

We went into the study area of the pub which has 2 pictures of real dugs hanging on the wall. There was a bit of music in the background, and generally a relaxed atmosphere and good banter. On the table was a menu showing the various types of Jägerbombs that they offer. One was a Haggisbomb. It costs “£3.50 per explosion”!

Overall a very nice bar that I would go back to. If you want to access the free WIFI, ask about it at the bar when you order your pint, as while the free WIFI is well advertised, the code was not.

New Town Pub Crawl

2012-06-07T06:46:00.002+01:00

On the holiday Monday of the Diamond Jubilee weekend, I set out with a couple of mates to try some pubs I hadn’t been in before. Armed with a rather questionable pub guide, that seemed overly obsessed with each venue’s amenities and accessibility, we ventured north into the New Town and Stockbridge.

These were the venues we hit;

Reviews will be appearing shortly. If you fancy doing our pub crawl I’d do it in a different order, as we made a shambles of the geography!

The Spice Lounge Kitchen: 1 Craigmount View, Edinburgh

2012-06-04T09:52:00.002+01:00

Good news everyone! The building that used to be the Rainbow has now re-opened as the Spice Lounge Kitchen, a curry restaurant with a bar area. I haven’t actually had a curry there yet, I just popped in for a drink at the weekend. I had a nice pint of Deuchars sitting on one of their new comfy couches. It was quite relaxing. The staff seemed a bit unsure of what drinks they had available, but we’ll put this down to teething problems. There’s good potential here!

The White Hart Inn: 34 Grassmarket, Edinburgh

2012-05-08T21:23:00.001+01:00

This is one of the nicer pubs on the Grassmarket. It does a decent pint, has live music at the weekend, and doesn’t seem to attract too many stag and hen parties.

However the main problem with this pub is its size. The pub is the size of my living room which means it fills up pretty quickly, particularly at the weekend. As it fills up it becomes hotter and hotter, leaving you feeling like you’ve been running on a treadmill in a sauna.

Best to go there on quieter nights.

Belhaven Brewery: Brewery Lane, Dunbar

2012-04-25T06:25:00.003+01:00

Punters, if you want a cheap day out get yourself to the Belhaven Brewery in Dunbar! This is apparently Scotland’s oldest independent brewery, with a commercial history dating back to 1719.

Cheap!

I said it was cheap – a tour of the brewery only costs £5 (or £3 for concessions).

The Tour

First stop on the tour is the in-house bar called the Monks Retreat. The frequency with which monks are referred to in brewing may make you think they were absolute pissheads! Indeed, some of you may be aware of their association with Buckfast – the favourite drink of the Scottish jakie. However apparently monks brewed beer as it was a nutritious drink during times when they were on religious fasts.

While learning such fascinating facts you can enjoy a pint of Best or there is a selection of alternative products to sample, they even have a fruit beer for the ladies -or should I say those not into their beer ! They then take you round the factory explaining the brewing process, and after that it’s back to the bar again to try other Belhaven pints. If you like you could have about 4 free pints easily on the tour. For £5 that’s GOOD VALUE!

Dunbar

The brewery is located in Dunbar, a seaside town, which is also a nice day out. It’s got historic buildings, traditional local little pubs, and you can work off the pints with a walk along the harbour. It’s the sort of place I could happily spend my retirement!

How to get there

You can get the train from Waverley Station to Dunbar in around 25 minutes. Again fares don’t break the bank, at around £11 for an off peak day return. If you’re parched after the train ride, get yourself into the Royal Mackintosh Hotel at top of Station Road for a pint (which is less than a 5 minute walk from the station).

How to book

Sadly the Belhaven Brewery is only open Monday-Friday, so you’ll need to take a day off the work. If you’re on holiday, retired, a student, or unemployed, this could be ideal though.

You need to book on a tour in advance, but you can do this online at the following address:

http://www.belhaven.co.uk/tours/

Dunbar