Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Best
Drinking
Edinburgh has always been a drinker's city. It has more than 700 pubs - more per
square mile than any other UK city - and they are as varied and full of character
as the people who drink in them, from Victorian palaces to stylish pre-club bars,
and from real-ale howffs to trendy cocktail lounges.
Trad vs Trendy
At one end of Edinburgh's broad spectrum of hostelries lies the traditional 19th-century
bar, which has preserved much of its original Victorian decoration and generally serves
cask-conditioned real ales and a staggering range of malt whiskies. At the other end is the
modern cocktail bar, with a cool clientele and styling so sharp you could cut yourself on it.
Edinburgh Beers
During the 19th century, Edinburgh ranked alongside Munich, Pilsen and Burton-on-Trent
in importance as a brewing centre, and in the early 1900s laid claim to 28 breweries. Today,
there are only two working breweries - Caledonian (now part-owned by Scottish and New-
castle) and Stewart's. Happily, this pair produce some of the finest beers in Britain, includ-
ing Deuchar's IPA (available in most of the city's real-ale pubs) and Stewart's Edinburgh
Gold.
Opening Times
Edinburgh pubs generally open from 11am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and 12.30pm to
11pm on Sunday. Many open later on Friday and Saturday, when they stay open till mid-
night or 1am, while those with a food or music licence can party on until 3am. The bell for
last orders rings about 15 minutes before closing time, and you're allowed 15 minutes'
drinking-up time after the bar closes.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search