Bow Bar, The - presented by Edinburgh Pub Guide

80 West Bow
OLD TOWN, Edinburgh
EH1

Picture of the pub: Bow Bar, The,Edinburgh

Review By: broonbairn

Title: QUEEN OF DRUMBOE

Review Date: 2007-12-24 13:30:06

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 3

A real pub, with real barstaff and good ales

Review By: Eck

Title: Good Beer, Poor Atmosphere

Review Date: 2007-09-30 12:37:25

Overall Rating: 2

Ambience Rating: 0

Value Rating: 3

Food & Drink Rating: 4

The ale and whiskey selection are extensive and the beer is clearly well looked after. The atmosphere is lacking that authentic Edinburgh feel, however, due to the bar catering more for tourists. The staff are knowledgeable but can be a little 'brusque', particularly if they feel they don't like the look of you. As was mentioned above, it's less about whether or not you're drunk and more about whether you fit the image the bar staff want. Overall: It's better than the plastic, soulless, modern bars that are springing up everywhere, but there are better and friendlier bars out there.

Review By: Jenni

Title: Who needs music?!

Review Date: 2007-09-18 14:17:27

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 5

Great find!

Super selection of beers, very friendly and helpful staff and reasonably priced. Plus the location is fab.

The atmosphere in this wee pub is super down to all of the above. Who needs music?!

Review By: Tracy

Title: Proper pub!

Review Date: 2007-08-04 10:38:54

Overall Rating: 4

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 4

Excellent atmosphere, great beer, knowledgable staff. A must if you enjoy real ale as much as we do!

Review By: Dave

Title: Proper pub

Review Date: 2007-04-20 13:48:44

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 5

It might get a bit busy, but this is a great pub. It ticks all the boxes: excellent choice and quality of real ales; huge range of whisky; knowledgable, friendly staff with an obvious respect for the booze they're dishing out; actual live locals; and sometimes a real live dog. You know it's a real pub if someone brings their dog in. That's my advice.

Review By: Dave

Title: The best in Edinburgh

Review Date: 2007-04-03 14:20:13

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 5

This was my first trip to Edinburgh and I found this to be the best pub in town. The malts selection is fabulous and the cask ales are rare and just as good. My only problem was, do I have a whisky or a pint! My solution was to have both, which got me a bit blootered. The staff was wonderful in helping me select different whiskys. Whenever in Edinburgh, you must go here!

Review By: MacLaur

Title: Nice beers, lots of whisky. Great place

Review Date: 2007-03-13 17:46:23

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 5

Third visit within the last 4 years. Still a great place with relaxed atmosphere, good beers lots of different whiskies.

Review By: Plato

Title: the very ideal of the perfect pub

Review Date: 2007-02-12 23:46:25

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 5

Without shadow of a doubt the best pub in the Old Town. Lovely atmosphere from the gorgeous decor, none of that infernal piped music. Tends not to be that busy, and the way that the tables are arranged means that you can't really have a party any bigger than 4 people, but this adds to the charm of this relaxed pub. Wide range of whiskies and excellent beer. Mmmmmm.....Deuchars!

Review By: gazza

Title: bow bar

Review Date: 2007-01-25 16:51:01

Overall Rating: 3

Ambience Rating: 3

Value Rating: 3

Food & Drink Rating: 4

Quirky little bar with lots of old school charm - packed with lots of CAMRA recommended real ales .
You usually end up chatting to some tourists or locals - its that kind of place .
Like one of the prev posters said , not really a spot for groups of guys to come - its more of a relax with a paper and pint type of shop . Staff are attentive and actually ask if you want a refill when youre pint is empty .

Review By: maggied

Title: Beau Bow

Review Date: 2006-07-30 23:09:16

Overall Rating: 4

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: Not Rated Yet

This is a PUB. It has grown-up people both sides of the bar and bears no resemblance to some of the plastic establishments in the area.

Review By: James Marshall

Title: Scotland! Love Ya!

Review Date: 2006-07-27 23:15:11

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: Not Rated Yet

Came over from New Jerset for a jounrey round the UK, had to do Edinburgh, fiound this place, it was wow! Been to many places in the UK, this was the best, great whiskey and wild beer!!!

Review By: Steve Howard

Title: Bow to the Bow

Review Date: 2006-07-27 23:12:23

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 5

A wonderful pub, great beer, great atmopshere, loved it!

Review By: Steve B

Title: Bow Bar - best pub in Edinburgh

Review Date: 2006-07-10 18:50:27

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 5

not for nothing has this pub won CAMRA's pub of 2006 award. A real pub, great beer on traditional Scottish air pressure pumps and NO music or TV! Wonderful (if you want to watch the TV why not stay at home?).

First came here on holiday in 96 and now I live near - not just best pub in Edinburgh but one of the best in Britain.

Review By: Off The Wall

Title: The Leith Police......

Review Date: 2006-05-08 11:08:08

Overall Rating: 0

Ambience Rating: 0

Value Rating: 0

Food & Drink Rating: 0

On Saturday past(6/5/06) staff in the Bow Bar refused to serve drinks to my party of 5 as one had stumbled slightly when entering pub which "management" took as a sign of inebriation.Despite talking lucidly to said staff they would not budge and hence this establishment lost quite a few pounds of trade.Most peculiar. And we were NOT drunk!!!

Review By: Applechower

Title: The Cauldron

Review Date: 2006-03-24 11:56:06

Overall Rating: 3

Ambience Rating: 1

Value Rating: 3

Food & Drink Rating: 4

In the Seventies this was a dismal wee bar called the Cauldron and although it has been given the "Victorian Bar" treatment complete with enamel signs and a good range of whiskies and real ales it has no music and lacks an atmosphere.

Review By: Mssrlevarc

Title: Bow Bar

Review Date: 2005-12-27 23:30:33

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 3

Food & Drink Rating: Not Rated Yet

Don't be intimidated by the crowd, or the vast selection of Whiskies. It's an eclectic mix of local and tourists, all enjoying this great inner city bar, and more than helpful staff.

Review By: Bud

Title: Fantastic bar

Review Date: 2004-05-20 21:28:58

Overall Rating: 4

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 4

Fantastic bar. Friendly with a massive selection of whisky stocked in the shelves behind the bar. Discerning bar staff ensure good atmosphere. This place is quite small and may not be the best place to go with a massive group - when I was in a couple of groups were asked to leave, but that's fair enough and this attitude always ensures the place is busy but not too crowded. With a great location, this pub is not typical of it neighbouring pubs in the Grassmarket and Victoria St, but is well worth a visit.

Review By: Lassie

Title: Mind that dog!

Review Date: 2004-01-30 16:46:03

Overall Rating: 4

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 4

This pub is a bit weird, it's right in the city centre but has the atmosphere of a pub you'd find in a highland town. It's often quite busy, so mind you don't step on the dog on your way back to the table.

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Bow Bar, The - presented by Edinburgh Pub Guide

A real pub, with real barstaff and good ales

Great find! Super selection of beers, very friendly and helpful staff and reasonably priced. Plus the location is fab. The atmosphere in this wee pub is super down to all of the above. Who needs music?!

Excellent atmosphere, great beer, knowledgable staff. A must if you enjoy real ale as much as we do!

Third visit within the last 4 years. Still a great place with relaxed atmosphere, good beers lots of different whiskies.

This is a PUB. It has grown-up people both sides of the bar and bears no resemblance to some of the plastic establishments in the area.

Came over from New Jerset for a jounrey round the UK, had to do Edinburgh, fiound this place, it was wow! Been to many places in the UK, this was the best, great whiskey and wild beer!!!

A wonderful pub, great beer, great atmopshere, loved it!

In the Seventies this was a dismal wee bar called the Cauldron and although it has been given the "Victorian Bar" treatment complete with enamel signs and a good range of whiskies and real ales it has no music and lacks an atmosphere.

Don't be intimidated by the crowd, or the vast selection of Whiskies. It's an eclectic mix of local and tourists, all enjoying this great inner city bar, and more than helpful staff.

This pub is a bit weird, it's right in the city centre but has the atmosphere of a pub you'd find in a highland town. It's often quite busy, so mind you don't step on the dog on your way back to the table.

Great find!

Super selection of beers, very friendly and helpful staff and reasonably priced. Plus the location is fab.

The atmosphere in this wee pub is super down to all of the above. Who needs music?!