Edinburgh was once home to countless cinemas, but now it is dominated by the big multiplexes such as Cineworld, UCI, Ster Century & Warner Village. The best known cinemas that are not part of these multiplex chains are The Odeon, Filmhouse, Dominion & The Cameo. A lot of the older cinemas became bingo halls. Here we will concentrate on just two of the cinemas, but information about the others is readily available to anyone visiting Edinburgh.
THE ODEON
The oldest of the Edinburgh cinemas. It now has a cinema on Lothian Road & further afield in Wester Hailes Edinburgh. The original Odeon building at Clerk street no longer operates, but it is worth checking it out as it has a wonderful art deco frontage. The Odeon on Lothian Road is on the site of the old ABC cinema & this is famous because The Beatles often played there in the early days of their career.
THE FILMHOUSE
The Filmhouse on Lothian Road is Edinburgh's major independent cinema. A lot of Art House movies are showcased here.
Edinburgh has a wealth of nightclubs & disco's. So if you want to dance the night away here are a couple of venues that you should visit.
MOOD
Mood can be found in the Omni Complex next to the Playhouse Theatre on Greenside Place. The Omni Complex also houses the Warner Village cinema multiplex. Mood has various club nights which caters for all sorts of music.
THE CITRUS CLUB
Situated opposite the Royal Lyceum Theatre on Grindlay Street, the Citrus Club caters for a more alternative music scene. It has various club nights celebrating 80's music & the modern day alternative music scene.
THE LIQUID ROOMS & ESPIONAGE
Victoria Street houses two venues.
The live music & club venue The Liquid Rooms & the club complex Espionage just a few doors away. The Liquid Rooms have played host to such groups as Travis, Coldplay, The Smashing Pumpkins & The Coral.
Espionage is actually split into 4 bars & can be accessed either from Victoria Street
or Cowgate. It is split over 5 levels & the upper two levels contain The Lizard
Lounge which plays modern chart music. Level three contains The Kasbar which again
plays modern chart material with the occasional 80's track thrown in. Level four
is Pravda which plays commercial house music. On Level 5 (accessed from Cowgate)
you have Mata Hari which plays current chart hits & commercial house music. As far
as I am aware entry is free. Espionage used to be called The Place & this was the
In-
Edinburgh famously is said to have as many pubs as it has citizens. Although that is an exaggeration you can still find a pub to suit any taste. There are three main areas were the pubs are used to tourists & those areas are Rose Street, Royal Mile & Grassmarket/Victoria Street. There is even a pub named after Greyfriar's Bobby! Remember that most pubs in the centre are open until 1am & some are even open until 3am or later during the Edinburgh Festival! Edinburgh also has a host of nightclubs were you can dance the night away.
ROSE STREET BARS
Dirty Dick's is the sister pub of Clever Dicks on the Royal Mile. It Serves traditional pub food all day & although deceptively small it is always packed with people sitting outside during the summer. The Kenilworth is named after a novel by Sir Walter Scott which was part of his Waverley series. It is a Real Ale heritage pub & was built in 1900. It looks refreshingly old compared to the other newer establishments in Rose Street. It has an extensive range of traditional beers & a family room were you can eat their excellent traditional Scottish food. Breck's Bar was named after Allan Breck Stewart, who was one of the main characters in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Kidnapped. It was reputedly one of the 'in' places to be seen at during the 1960's when it was called The Goblet. There are pictures of Robert Louis Stevenson on the wall & it is a very lively bar at the weekends. Auld Hundred is an old style pub on two levels. There is a restaurant upstairs which serves affordable pub food & having eaten there several times we can both really recommend it. Rose Street Brewery is so named because it used to brew its own beers, however it no longer does this. It is another pub with a traditional appearance, but like many of the bars in Rose Street it is packed with people sitting outside during the warmer summer months. It has a restaurant upstairs like many other pubs in the area such as Auld Hundred. Milnes Bar stands on the junction of Rose Street & Hanover Street. It used to be the meeting place of many famous & aspiring Scottish poets such as Hugh MacDiarmid. It is usually very full at the weekends & can be accessed from street level on Rose Street & by going down a small number of steps on Hanover Street.
ROYAL MILE BARS
The World's End is the first pub on the High Street section of the Royal Mile, but in the old days it was the last pub in the City of Edinburgh. In the past the Canongate, which lies on the other side of the pub was not part of the city & lay outside the city walls, where it was reckoned that all sorts of crooks & ruffians dwelt. Hence the pub received the name of the World's End, because literally the World of Old Edinburgh ended here. The pub became more notorious in recent years after the murder of two girls who had been drinking there in 1977 & who vanished on leaving the pub, only for their bodies to be later found at Gosford Bay in East Lothian. Police have only just recently apprehended a suspect for the murders. The Royal McGregor is a traditional Scottish style pub run as a family business. The pub food is really nice & Carlie first tried Haggis, Scotland's National dish, in this bar. Deacon Brodie's Tavern is housed in a converted tenement building & is named after the infamous Deacon Brodie who was born nearby. Like most establishments of this nature it sells barfood & also has an additional bar upstairs.
GRASSMARKET BARS
Situated opposite the statue of Greyfriars Bobby from which it takes its name, Greyfriars Bobby's Bar backs onto Greyfriars Kirkyard were Bobby & his Master are both buried. Many other famous Edinburgher's are buried there too. A popular bar with tourists & locals alike. The Royal Scottish Museum & Museum of Scotland are both located nearby. The bar is open until 1am. Maggie Dickson's pub features a long & narrow bar & like most pubs in the area sells excellent pub food. It is a popular haunt with students at night & the weekends & the interior can best be described as gothic. The pub gets its name from the Eponymous Maggie Dickson. Dickson was a citizen of the East Lothian town of Musselburgh who was sentenced to hang in 1724 for concealing the death of her prematurely born child. After the sentence was carried out her body was taken from the gallows by friends & students from the school of anatomy as to the disposal of her body, that is a Christian burial or the advance of Science. Executed criminals were the only source of
bodies the medical school in Edinburgh could legally obtain at the time, though later Burke & Hare would find an ingenious & evil plan to make more money from the venture. A stirring was heard from within the coffin & upon opening it was found that Dickson had revived! As the sentence had already been carried out & she had been medically declared dead, it could not be carried out again & Dickson went on to live a long life, thereafter gaining the nickname of Half Hangit Maggie. It is open late seven days a week. The Edinburgh public gallows used to stand directly outside the Last Drop pub & are now marked by a stone plinth in the ground. The pub takes its name from the fact that condemned prisoners would be given one 'Last Drop' of alcohol before they faced their final ' Last Drop' to their death. A busy pub which is always packed & serves the obligatory great barfood. Behind the bar they have currency notes displayed from all over the world including Reais from Brazil. If you want you can add to their collection. The White Hart Inn Claims to be one of the oldest pubs in Edinburgh, although many would say that distinction belongs elsewhere. Whatever the case this pub has been here since the early 18th Century & Scotland's National Bard, Robert Burns, often stayed here while he was in Edinburgh. It has also been visited by the English poet William Wordsworth. It looks quite traditional inside & retains some of its original architectural features. They often have live music in this bar. Bar:Alba bar used to be called The Fiddler's Arms & in that incarnation it was one of the cheapest places to drink in the Grassmarket. Fiddler's was a pretty much 'no frills' bar, but it had a great atmosphere. More recently Fiddler's underwent a total facelift & the current aforementioned bar emerged. I have included it here as an example of one of the modern style bars in this part of town. It doubles as a restaurant & the food is pretty reasonably priced. The staff are friendly & you don't have to wait to be served here unlike some other establishments. It is a good place to begin your night out before exploring the other pubs in the vicinity.
THEME BARS
Edinburgh has a large Irish community, although it is true to say that it is not as large as Glasgow (Scotland's second city), or Liverpool in England. My mother's ancestors on her mothers side were originally from Ireland and arrived in Scotland at least 150 years ago. Given the shared Celtic heritage of Scotland & Ireland it is not surprising that there are literally dozens of Irish theme bars in Edinburgh. Finnegan's Wake used to be called The Preservation Hall & despite its small looking exterior view is surprisingly large inside. Come here to hear live folk music most nights of the week & enjoy the Pseudo Irish Craik on offer. Some other Irish theme bars in Edinburgh are:
Biddy Mulligan's -
Fibber Magee's -
O'Neill's -
Edinburgh's other happening theme bar scene seems to be Latin influenced bars such
as El Barrio. At El Barrio you can even get Salsa dancing lessons & they have a
Latin disco which plays music every night until 3am. They have the occasional live
band playing there as well. They used to have a night solely dedicated to Brazilian
music, but I'm not sure if they still do. It's a magnet for Spanish people, but
also seems to attract the whole of Edinburgh's South American community. They even
sell Caipirinha here. What more could you ask for? Other Latin theme bars in Edinburgh
include: Siglo -
El Barrio however seems to be the best place to start & from talking to the Latin community in Edinburgh that you will encounter there you will no doubt find even more bars to visit.
For those interested in high culture Edinburgh has several theatres were you can watch everything from Musicals to Classical & contemporary theatre plays. These are also the places to go if you want to see opera, classical music & ballet.
THE PLAYHOUSE
The Playhouse Theatre at Greenside Place is the place to visit if you want to see
musicals. This is were the shows that have transferred from London's West End are
showcased. In recent years they have shows as diverse as Phantom of the Opera &
Miss Saigon.. Sometimes the Playhouse also hosts pop & rock concerts. The Playhouse
itself dates from between 1927-
THE ROYAL LYCEUM
Built in 1883, the Royal Lyceum theatre has been home to the Royal Lyceum Theatre Company since 1965. It is built in a neo Greek style & is situated on Grindlay Street, which is just off Lothian Road at the West End of Princes Street. The Royal Lyceum Companies recent performances include Shakespeare's Julius Caesar & they perform a wide range of work from contemporary theatre to classical productions. They are one of the largest theatre companies in Scotland.
THE USHER HALL
Situated on Lothian Road & right next to the Royal Lyceum Theatre the Usher Hall was built at the end of the 19th Century by Andrew Usher who wanted to provide a venue for the citizens of Edinburgh & others with a venue for good music. Today it is the main venue for orchestra concerts & in 2004 it will host the World Music Awards.
THE KINGS THEATRE
Built in 1906, The Kings Theatre is situated on Leven Street in the Tolcross area of the City. It was completely restored in 1985 & has 1350 seats. It is famous for its winter pantomimes but also hosts classical theatre works by the likes of Shakespeare amongst others.
THE FESTIVAL THEATRE
Stands on the site of the old Empire Theatre. It is the premier venue on Edinburgh
for ballet & contemporary dance & Scottish Opera. Distinctive because of its glass
frontage, the current theatre at 13-
THE TRAVERSE THEATRE
This theatre on Cambridge Street has been open since 1963. In that time it has built up a reputation as a theatre that showcases the best in contemporary theatre. There are actually two theatres inside & shows commissioned by the Traverse Theatre Company have been seen worldwide from New York to Budapest.
You can eat out in a variety of restaurants in Edinburgh offering cuisine from all over the world & at varying prices. At one end of the scale you have the expensive restaurants like Witchery by the Castle. This restaurant on Castlehill regularly attracts the rich & famous & also has a hotel attached & many famous celebrities have dined or stayed there including Jack Nicholson, Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta Jones. At the other end of the scale you have of course the Fast Food restaurants. Edinburgh can cater for almost every taste. There are countless Italian, Chinese, Indian, Latin, traditional Scottish, Vegetarian & Seafood restaurants. Edinburgh even has its own Brazilian café, Brazilian Sensation!
CHINESE
Edinburgh is home to countless Chinese restaurants & the character of each depends on the proprietors of the establishment & of course the region of China they are either from or are trying to portray. The current trend in several of the newest establishments is to offer Buffet meals. With a buffet you pay a fixed price & then you can eat whatever you want, literally until you are fit too burst. The Rendezvous Chinese Restaurant serves Chinese buffet meals throughout the week, although the price varies depending on the day you go. It is the oldest Chinese restaurant in Edinburgh, dating from 1956. Another buffet restaurant is Jimmy Chungs on Grindlay Street.
The Chinese are famous for their hospitality & they really do go out of their way to make you feel most welcome when visiting these places.
IINDIAN
At one time the United Kingdom was at the centre of one of the largest empires the world has seen. It was indeed said that the sun never set in the British Empire as it was so vast. India gained its independence from the United Kingdom only in the middle of the last century, but the influence of India remains in the form of the tasty Indian cuisine & of course the Indian & Asian populations that have made Edinburgh their home. There are lots of places you can eat a good curry in the city, but we can recommend the following:
The Indian Cavalry Club -
Shezan Tandoori -
China China)
Tippoo Sahib -
ITALIAN
The Italian community in Scotland really dates from the beginning of the 19th Century. According to popular legend some Italians stopped off in Scotland on their way to the United States & they liked it so much here they stayed. It's a nice story, though how much basis in fact it has is another story. The Italians moved into the restaurant, ice cream & Fish and Chip Shop businesses & one family, the Nardini's became very famous for their ice cream. All of the Italian restaurants serve the classic Italian pasta dishes as well as Pizza of course. Some of them even offer regional dishes too. There are far too many places to list individually, but we would definitely recommend that you give La Rusticana in Cockburn Street a miss. I had a nasty incident in this restaurant when my credit card was cloned & someone attempted to defraud me. Luckily I got the money back, but it took a great deal of time to get everything sorted out. Any of the other restaurants are highly recommended, especially Gordon's Trattoria on the High Street section of the Royal Mile.
LATIN
Edinburgh has a host of restaurants selling cuisines from manY of the Latin countries such as Spain & Mexico.
There are three Mexican restaurants situated on or just off The Royal Mile. On the Royal Mile you have Pancho Villa's, so named after the famous Mexican revolutionary. This restaurant is in the Canongate section of the Royal Mile & we had lunch there recently & very good it was too, even if it was too spicy even for me (and I LOVE spicy food). They serve dishes with cactus there. Carlie tried it for the first time there & thought it was amazing. On Cockburn Street between Waverley Bridge & the Royal Mile is situated Viva Mexico. This restaurants has weird opening hours though so it is best to check the place out before going there for a meal. On Victoria Street is the newest of the Mexican restaurants, Mariachi. This appears to be quite reasonably priced & if you are missing beans & rice & have worked up an appetite from shopping this could be the place for you.
Lately Tapas restaurants have been becoming popular in Edinburgh. These Spanish Bars sell all sorts of Spanish cuisine although obviously Tapas is the main thing they do. The Tapas Tree restaurant in forth Street sells a variety of meat, seafood & vegetarian dishes. La Tasca at 9 South Charlotte Street even treats you to free displays of Spanish dancing at their Friday Fiesta evenings. They have recently opened another branch at the Omni Centre next to the Playhouse Theatre.
If you want to try Brazilian food then head for Brazilian Sensation. This place doesn't have a drink licence and is more properly a café, but the food is delicious.
SEAFOOD
Edinburgh has for centuries been associated with the sea, chiefly through its sea port at Leith. In the 18th Century the Oyster Bars were very popular places for the population to frequent. Seafood therefore has always played an important part in the cities cuisine so it should come as no surprise that today there are several excellent seafood restaurants in the City.
The Mussel Inn in Rose Street also has a branch in Glasgow. They pride themselves on only using fresh shellfish grown in the unpolluted Sea Lochs of the west coast of Scotland. The other seafood items on their menu are also typically representative of Scottish cuisine, such as Scottish Salmon.
Creelers restaurant at 3 Hunter Square (next to the Tron), off the Royal Mile has a choice of dining in a formal setting or in a bistro style. The price depends on the option you choose & the menu reputedly depends on whatever the fishermen managed to catch earlier that day. Yes, they claim their produce is that fresh!
TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH
Of course if you visit Edinburgh, or Scotland for that matter, you cannot leave without having sampled some of the excellent cuisine we have conjured up here. You may well be familiar with Haggis, but what about Cockaleekie or Clootie dumplings? Scottish Salmon is highly prized & Scottish beef regularly wins awards also. As you might expect there are several traditional Scottish restaurants located in the vicinity of the Royal Mile. The Wee Windaes at 144 High Street is a family run establishment which serves Scottish food at very reasonable prices. Across the road you have the pricier Jackson's at 209 High Street. This is situated next to Jackson's Close & you reach it by going downstairs. It is housed in a 300 year old building. Heading towards the Canongate you have the Dubh Prais (Scots Gaelic for The Black Pot). This is again quite pricey & it is also very small, seating only 24 people at the most. You are advised to book in advance if you can afford the money to eat there. Dubh Prais is located at 123b High Street.
VEGETARIAN
Don't worry if you are not a carnivore who lives for meat or fish. Edinburgh has a restaurant which caters only for vegetarians, though you can find vegetarian dishes in any of the other sort of restaurants mentioned in these pages.
Henderson's Restaurant at 94 Hanover Street has existed for over 40 years & as well as operating a restaurant they also operate a shop selling vegetarian & organically grown produce. Many of their dishes such as Nachos & vegetable stews have an international feel & best of all it is only a 5 minute walk from Princes Street!
So you have come to Edinburgh, you have visited all of the tourist sites, ran the gauntlet of tourist shops & open air bus tours, but what can you do now?
Befitting its status as a truly international city, as well as Scotland’s Capital, there is a wealth of things to do to while away the wee hours. So whether you like Cinema, Theatre or just want to have a good meal you will not be stuck.
I have given a few suggestions as to how you can best enjoy yourself, before and after the sun goes down. The list is by no means exhaustive (I’ve not visited every bar in Edinburgh for example), but is based on some establishments I have been to & therefore can thoroughly recommend.
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