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Edinburgh - tips?

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Post by TopHat24/7 Thu 09 Aug 2012, 2:52 pm

Off to Edinburgh for the Fringe this weekend (went for the first time last year and loved it), anyone got any tips on other things to do?

Particularly nightspots as it was a bit hit and miss last time but I'm sure that was just down to our lack of knowledge!

I know there are plenty of Scots on this forum so hopefully some of you can help out with some friendly advice.....

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Post by Fists of Fury Thu 09 Aug 2012, 2:57 pm

Did you head to the grassmarkets for a drink when you were there, tophat?

Found that very enjoyable. Some very old pubs down that way, all within short reach of each other and with some tremendous whiskey to be sampled. There are also one or two clubs up a fairly steep hill that climbs up off the main drag.

Edinburgh is a lovely city, isn't it? Thoroughly enjoyed walking the Royal Mile, stopping in at one or two of the pubs along the way and ultimately taking in the view of the castle.

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Post by TopHat24/7 Thu 09 Aug 2012, 3:06 pm

yep went down there plenty, theres an irish pub that did a great scottish breakfast which, washed down with a guinness, made for a cracking hangover cure Smile

Is indeed a lovely city, thinking of going back with another mate for Hogmanay, make a change from London NYE.

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Post by The Galveston Giant Thu 09 Aug 2012, 3:07 pm

As Fists says the Grassmarket is good Tophat, Rose street which has no traffic and runs parallel to Princes Street, George street which is the next again street over, is a fancier version of Princess street. The top of Leith Walk which is at the end of Princess street and runs down to the shore, which also has a lot of good nightlife now. I would only stick to the top of Leith though, it gets rougher the further down you go unless you go right down to the shore area near the Royal Brittania Boat.
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Post by Il Gialloblu Fri 10 Aug 2012, 3:59 am

Love Edinburgh. Had a few weekends there and also while attending T in the Park every year from 2001 to 2007, we would go up a day early and have a night out in Edinburgh. T in the Park is a great festival by the way, but that isn’t the point of this thread.

I can’t really offer too advice because we never ventured far from our digs and only went to a few places. One of which was called The Tron, on Hunter Square, which I think used to be part of the Scream chain of student pubs. No idea if it still is. Other ones were both live music bars. Bannermans, on Cowgate, and Whistlebinkies on South Bridge.

Looking now at Whistlebinkies’ website, they have free Fringe comedy in the afternoons.

We just wanted cheapish drinks and no frills really, you might be after something a bit more upmarket. It wouldn’t surprise me if you are, TopHat.

Smile

As superfly posted a comprehensive reply to your question on the boxing board, I thought I’d take the liberty to quote him here. Hope nobody minds. I thought it might one day be useful for other members who perhaps don’t read about Women’s Olympic Boxing.

To reiterate, the following great advice is the work of superfly, not me.

superflyweight wrote:Saw Neil Delamere last year and he was very good.

If it's sunny (or at least not raining) the Pleasance Courtyard is great. There's a couple of bars and loads of outdoor space and it's full of festival spirit. Your friend will hopefully know where it is. Just down the hill from the Pleasance is Holyrood 9A. A really good pub with great food and just about the best selection of beer you could hope for.

The other popular festival venue with outdoor drinking is the Spiegeltent which is at George Square Gardens - again, hopefully your friend should know where that is.

Bars that I would recommend:

Sandy Bells on Forest Road (at end of George IV Bridge) is often open until 5am and a lot of the comedians go there after their shows. Quite often a folk band playing as well.

Pear Tree on West Nicholson Street has a massive beer garden and is near the University so has certain advantages when it comes to the quality of the ladies that frequent it.

Negociants on Potterrow is near both the Pear Tree and the Spiegeltent and again tends to be frequented by some easy on the eye young ladies.

I'd tend to avoid the Grassmarket and Rose Street in the evenings at the weekend as they can be stag and hen party central. Some decent bars in the Grassmarket for afternoon drinking though - the Last Drop is probably the pick of them.

As for other places, it depends on what you like. I'm not really a cocktail bar kind of person but there is a load of them on George Street and Olorosoo (on Castle Street - just off George Street) has a rooftop terrace that has great views of the castle. Tiger Lily and Le Monde are ok.

It's been a long time since I've gone clubbing so not sure how great my recommendations would be. I used to like the Bongo Club on Holyrood Road but it might be worth checking the List to see what's on as it can be fairly eclectic. There are more mainstream (and upmarket clubs) on George Street. There's a club downstairs at both Le Monde (Shanghai) and Tiger Lily (Lulu).

If you're going a bit mental, you could always go to Fingers Piano Bar on Frederick Street. Exceptionally cheesy but it will probably be open until about 7am (it is possible to drink for 24 hours in the summer in Edinburgh).

Hope you have a good time.

One more thing about Edinburgh in general. I recently saw an almost silent French animation called The Illusionist. Almost silent French animations are not usually my thing but the way this one depicts the romance, feel and unadulterated beauty of Edinburgh was a joy which made me yearn to go back.

Spoiler:

Spoiler:
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Post by TopHat24/7 Fri 10 Aug 2012, 8:06 am

Thanks everyone, off in an hour, will let you know how I get on!

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Post by eirebilly Fri 10 Aug 2012, 8:23 am

Go have a drink at the Guildford arms. I love that place Very Happy
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Post by The Real Jambo Fri 10 Aug 2012, 11:58 am

Edinburgh is a cracking city for pubs bars and clubs. As other posts say Rose St has about 8-9 pubs Lothian Road has a few, the Grass Market is brilliant on a sunny day and has a real good atmosphere about it, George St is a bit pricey though so avoid unless you have the money hahaha, If you like your beer i suggest going to the Brauhaus at Lauriston Place (just off Lothian Road) they have over 300 types of beer my favourite being the weissbeir. We also have alot of nightclubs all over the city but my clubbing days are over so i cant really say which one is best


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Post by reckoner Fri 10 Aug 2012, 12:46 pm

Great advice so far... I'd add that if you're the clubbing type, Taste is worth going to.

Valvona & Crolla on Leith Walk is an incredible Italian deli, full of delicious things.

The Royal Mile pub crawl is a bit of a classic, too. Ensign Ewart, Jolly Judge, Deacon Brodies etc...

The Cumberland Bar in the New Town is worth a look and I have fond memories of the Canny Man's in Morningside.

Hope you have a great trip!

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Post by The Real Jambo Fri 10 Aug 2012, 3:39 pm

Frankensteins on George 4th brigde is a cool pub too

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Post by pscott Sun 12 Aug 2012, 9:30 am

reckoner the Cumberland is my local, if you get there about 2 in the afternoon and the sun is out and about it has a beer garden. I'll be inside reading a paper though ....

Down at the shore opposite the Scottish Office , my wife likes a cocktail bar called Bond No9.

Like others clubs are not my thing anymore the lights , colours and noise just gets me confused

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Post by TopHat24/7 Mon 13 Aug 2012, 7:08 pm

Right, back home now after a cracking weekend so I thought I'd post a little feedback.

First of all, echo all the above sentiments about Edinburgh being a fantastic and beautiful city, and by god is it good for pubs!

Tried to take on board as much as poss but was 1 of a group of 10 (mixed guys and girls, all 25-30) so couldn't always push these recommendations. For example Le Monde (Shanghai) and Tiger Lily (Lulu) definitely sounded very me (Wink) but definitely weren't the kind of place the others would like, according to the girl who's up there studying.

[Quick note on accommodation, we stayed at the Castle Rock Hostel on Johnston Terrace at the foot of the castle (literally! http://castlerockedinburgh.com/), same as last year, and it really is a very very good all round hostel (and I've stayed in dozens in my time).]

Spent a lot of time at Pleasance Courtyard, Pear Tree and Three Sisters due to the large outside areas. All very good though Pear Tree is a cut above.

Also did a short shift in Bar Salsa which is at the easternmost end of Grassmarket, shocking but a guilty pleasure of ours from last year - mainly due to £2.50 pints and £1.85 jaegerbombs!!

Bulk of Friday night ended up in Espionage, a really good club with great atmosphere and DJ's spread over multiple levels. Closed around 5am from memory when we left. The equivalent on Saturday was Cabaret Voltaire on Blair Street which was ok to good, interesting underground club (sister bar upstairs was very good) but didn't think much of the DJ tho.

Tested the waters on Rose Street but was stag central so, apart from a stop-gap pint between shows, we gave it a wide birth.

Honourable mention to the Last Drop on Grassmarket, good day pub with great staff and lovely food - had haggis neeps and tatties two days running! Smile

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Post by Fists of Fury Mon 13 Aug 2012, 8:14 pm

Glad you enjoyed it, Tophat, sounds like a great weekend.

Nice idea to post here asking for tips - means it'll always be here now for anyone else visiting Edinburgh!

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Post by TopHat24/7 Mon 13 Aug 2012, 8:56 pm

It was the 2012 London visitors thread that gave me the idea Fists!

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Post by The Galveston Giant Mon 13 Aug 2012, 10:21 pm

Getting the haggis down you Tophat good man, glad you enjoyed it mate.
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Post by TopHat24/7 Tue 14 Aug 2012, 9:35 am

Yeh, had it last year Galveston, absolutely love the stuff Smile makes for a good hangover cure too as it's nice and stodgy and has a hint of being slightly nutritious.....

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Post by The Galveston Giant Tue 14 Aug 2012, 9:37 am

Love it myself mate, have it a couple of times a month at least, nice battered in slices or balls.
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Post by The Real Jambo Tue 14 Aug 2012, 9:45 am

haggis rolls are amazing, 2 of them with two anadin on a sunday morning before you head out to get pi$$ed again

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Post by Beer Wed 22 Aug 2012, 10:17 am

Espionage is one of my favourite places simply from meeting an irish girl there.

Tiger Lily is nice, always found it's difficult to get in when you're in groups of blokes.

You didn't head down the Loch End then? Laugh

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Post by TopHat24/7 Wed 22 Aug 2012, 10:28 am

Ha, Loch End a gay bar or something I take it??!

Was advised Tiger Lily was a bit 'high-end' for our group, plus having 6 guys and only 2 girls probably would've made entry tough.

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Post by pscott Wed 22 Aug 2012, 10:52 am

If you were steaming and ended up in Loch End you would be lucky to survive the night. Its got an Escape from New York vibe to it. Is that what you meant Beer?

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Post by Beer Wed 22 Aug 2012, 11:12 am

pscott wrote:If you were steaming and ended up in Loch End you would be lucky to survive the night. Its got an Escape from New York vibe to it. Is that what you meant Beer?

Yeah, pretty much. You know it's gonna be a tough boozer when it has no windows and bars.

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Post by spencerclarke Mon 22 Jul 2013, 9:25 pm

Tophat are you going again this year? I'm seriously skint but loved it last year so going to have to find a way of going. Even if its just for the day.

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Post by TopHat24/7 Thu 25 Jul 2013, 3:34 pm

Only 1 day this year as have a wedding to go to in Inverness Fri/Sat so doing the Sunday in Edinburgh before heading back down to London.

Have tickets to Joe Lycette and Neal Delamere. Both excellent last year, would've liked more time to see more varied acts but hey ho.....

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Post by spencerclarke Thu 25 Jul 2013, 4:49 pm

Neil delamere was brilliant last year. Id heard him on fighting talk. None of my mates had heard of him but everyone loved it. Think im going up on my own this year as everyones tied up. But dont mind traveling on own as you always meet up with folk. I was in edinburgh a few weeks ago with 20 others and picked up the guide for the fringe. Went to three sisters for the first time. Was good laugh watching the lions match. Plus I think they must have a ban on employee unattractive women!

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Post by TopHat24/7 Thu 25 Jul 2013, 4:52 pm

Haha yeh, 3 Sisters is good, usually have some free comedy on there too during Fringe.

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Post by spencerclarke Fri 09 Aug 2013, 6:03 pm

Off to the fringe in the morning. Camping to save some money. Can't wait, should be a great time.

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Post by TopHat24/7 Tue 13 Aug 2013, 12:14 pm

Spencer

Two 'Free Fringe' shows we saw which were much better than some of the rubbish I've seen before were 'Toby Explains the Universe' and 'The Human Beings Guide to Not Being a Dick About Religion'. Both at The Dram House, off Guthrie Street, and well worth a look.

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Post by spencerclarke Tue 13 Aug 2013, 6:31 pm

Evening Tophat.

I had a brilliant time, can't wait to go again next year but I'm going to try and get booked up earlier and stay for longer.

I saw Neil Delamere again. He was very good but not as good a show as last year. I saw Bob Slayer in Bob's Bookshop. Not sure if you have seen Bob before but he is about as random as they come. A couple of years ago he broke his neck stage diving at Download festival in a wheelie bin! I got there early and had ten minutes chatting with him. Twas a fairly surreal situation. His show was excellent, only about 15 people in a small room.

I saw four comedians at the top of the double decker bus in the courtyard of three sisters. Stuart Turner (a comedy magician) and Nick Hall were the highlights.

Where did you stop mate? I ended up on a campsite at a place called Wallyford. Nice little site, handy for the train (which was only a ten min journey every hour with returns the same up to 23.55).

I got a photo of someone dress as the 'Predator' on the Royal Mile and made a pig of myself at the all you can eat Chinese near the station.

All in all a great weekend.

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Post by TopHat24/7 Wed 14 Aug 2013, 9:46 am

3rd year in a row for me and it's never let me down.

Also though Delamere wasn't quite as good as last year, but I still found him hilarious. Problem is he works off the crowd a lot (like Dara O'B) so even he can't feed off the crowd much his show lacks a little sparkle. We had some very funny characters in the crowd so it made for a great show.

Joe Lycette was excellent again.

We usually stay at the Castle Rock Hostel at the foot of Edinburgh castle which is excellent but this year, as there were only 2 of us, we stayed at Eurohostel Edinburgh which is basically the Uni halls of accommodation and pretty cack.

Glad you had a great weekend, I'm so glad I finally got round to going a few years ago - really got the bug now!!

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Post by spencerclarke Wed 14 Aug 2013, 1:01 pm

I stayed in the Eurohostel a couple of months ago. I didn't think it was too bad for what we paid at the time (£19 a night) and the location. Better than most travelodges I've stopped in that for sure!

I used to go to Leeds festival every year so didn't have the coin to do both but now I've started going to Edinburgh I can't see me stopping anytime soon. Theres that much different there and that many things to do that you can't get sick of it.

I think Neil Delamere's a little more structured last year building to one final joke. This year was a lot more adhoc. He did freak out one couple on the front row that were on only their 3rd date though, that was very funny.

I've not seen Joe Lycette before, I'll take a look. Cheers!

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Post by TopHat24/7 Wed 14 Aug 2013, 1:12 pm

we paid £35 each for a twin room, so had slightly higher expectations Wink

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Post by Nematode Thu 09 Jan 2014, 3:28 pm

Not sure whether this is relevant but Edinburgh Airport will soon have/has on its flights roster:

Doha (Qatar Airlines 787)
Toronto (Air Canada Rouge 767)
Philadelphia (US Airlines 757)
Istanbul (Turkish Airlines 737-900)

So you can fly here even easier.

There will also be trams going into Edinburgh too.

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Post by XR Thu 16 Jan 2014, 3:30 pm

BELUSHIS

That place is filth. Snakebites all round

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