Best-of list · Sports Guides
The 7 best sports bars in Edinburgh for 2026. Where to watch football, rugby and the Six Nations, plus the best ale pubs for the pre-match pint.
The short answer
9 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Edinburgh splits two ways for sport. A couple of Old Town rooms are built for screens and crowds, and the rest are traditional ale pubs you hit for the pint before kickoff. This list keeps both straight so you know what you are walking into.
The Old Town hostel bar near the Royal Mile, and the most committed screen room on this list. Football, rugby, NFL and Formula One run across big projectors, with the Champions League and Premier League pulling crowds. Drinks are cheap, the food is burgers and wings, and the room skews young and loud. Best for a packed Saturday fixture. Get in early for a seat near a screen.
Full listing & hours →A vast Cowgate courtyard pub with 21 indoor screens, a 200-inch screen outside and three Sky packages. It is the city's default for a big match in numbers, and the courtyard fills for any tournament. Expect stag groups and a long bar queue at kickoff. Drinks are standard pub prices. Best for atmosphere over comfort. Arrive 40 minutes early on derby days.
Full listing & hours →A traditional ale pub on Spittal Street, west of the Grassmarket, with cask beer and a regulars-first feel. There is no wall of screens here, so it suits the pre-match pint rather than the match itself. The cask selection rotates and the staff know it well. Best for drinkers who want a proper pint before heading to a bigger room. Honest, no frills.
Full listing & hours →A two-level bar on the Royal Mile, reopened in 2022 and known for live comedy and music as much as drink. Sport appears on screens downstairs but it is not the main event, so check the listings before a fixture. The cellar room hosts Fringe shows in August. Best for a night that mixes a match with live acts. Decent beer, central.
A Belhaven pub on Cockburn Street with Scottish cask ales and around 40 malts. It serves food and pulls a tourist-and-local mix off the Royal Mile. Screens are limited, so this is a pre-match or half-interest spot, not a roaring sports room. Best for a steak pie and a pint before the game. Order a cask ale and a malt to finish.
A West Bow institution for real ale and rare single malts, with no music and no bank of TVs. It does not show sport, so come here for the drink and not the game. The cask range is among the best in the city and the malt shelf runs deep. Best as a serious pre-match or post-match pint. Old-school charm, packed by 6pm.
Full listing & hours →A snug pub down a close off the Royal Mile in James Court, with low beams and an open fire. Real ales, a wide malt list and bar lunches. It is a quiet hideaway, not a screens venue, so it works for the pint before or after rather than the match. Best for a cold night and a slow pint. Easy to miss from the street, worth the stairs.
Full listing & hours →Frankenstein fills a former church on George IV Bridge across three floors, each with its own bar, screens above the counter and a horror theme. Match days run alongside DJs and a late licence. Best for a big-screen night and a themed Old Town crowd.
Full listing & hours →The Persevere anchors Easter Road in Leith with mahogany woodwork, tiled Leith murals and full Sky and TNT sports across screens around the room. A Polish kitchen runs alongside the bar. Best for match days near the Hibs ground.
Full listing & hours →