Best-of list · Pubs
The 10 best pubs in Edinburgh for 2026 — historic boozers, cask ale temples, and Sunday roast institutions. Read the full editorial guide on barsforKings.
The short answer
10 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Edinburgh pubs are some of the UK's oldest — the 10 below run from Old Town hush to Leith waterfront.
Ryrie's sits beside Haymarket station in a listed Edwardian building, a free house with a carved gantry, stained glass and a focus on real ale and Scotch. An upstairs lounge runs as a cocktail bar. Best for a pre-train pint in one of the city's older pubs.
Full listing & hours →Beyond the 10
The Standing Order fills a former Union Bank hall on George Street, its high ceiling and granite pillars intact, run as a Wetherspoon with budget food and drink from morning to late. It has been voted the chain's best pub in Scotland. Best for a cheap pint in a grand New Town room.