Diggers (Athletic Arms), The - presented by Edinburgh Pub Guide

1-3 Angle Park Terrace
GORGIE, Edinburgh
EH11

0131 3373822

Picture of the pub: Diggers (Athletic Arms), The,Edinburgh Coming Soon

Number of Reviews: 33

Average Rating: 4.4

Average Ambience: 3.9

Average Value 4.2

Average Food & Drink 4.3

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Review By: Juicy Lucy

Title: Great Pub Great Pint great Pies

Review Date: 2008-03-21 13:54:29

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 5

What a brilliant institute this pub is.

Was hungry and decided to try one of the pies. Brilliant was told they were from the local Butchers in Gorgie Stanleys. Must buy some tomorrow. keep up the good work diggers!!

Review By: Steve

Title: Mecca

Review Date: 2007-12-08 20:01:29

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 5

Once described as mecca by camra and it is a true gem in the edinburgh br scene. best staff in the business and a great pint of IPA.

Review By: Kev

Title: love this place

Review Date: 2007-09-30 22:57:14

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 5

Has got to be one of the best bars left in any city. really look forward to returning to auld reekie

Review By: Donald T

Title: Deserves its place in the top 5

Review Date: 2007-09-19 13:06:44

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 5

The diggers is a great pub and an edinburgh institution. When i get asked my opinion of the best pubs in edinburgh it is always at the top end of the list. Love the IPA there, its only brewed a stones throw away so its always fresh

Review By: Tam the Bam

Title: 80/ (re) convert

Review Date: 2007-09-06 10:46:31

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 5

Spent a great night in there recently. Tried the 80/ for the first time in years and their own brew its at least on a par with the McEwans in its heyday. Four of us had a great night getting change out of a tenner for rounds, quick game of arrows (dangerous after the 80/) and a good bit of banter with the barman - something which is sadly missing these days. Great time had by all, even went away with a t-shirt (had to be the drink) and a mini cask of their brew (definitely the drink)

Review By: Rob J

Title: New 80/-

Review Date: 2007-09-05 09:22:43

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 5

There new 80/- is great not sure if anywhere else serves it

Review By: Stewart

Title: Lovin it

Review Date: 2007-08-07 18:53:28

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 5

Got too love the diggers they could do with more guest ales but always very clean and tidy with excellent staff

Review By: Paul H

Title: just brilliant

Review Date: 2007-07-13 15:52:37

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 4

Just brilliant, love the place

Review By: Paul T

Title: lovin it

Review Date: 2007-07-06 19:38:00

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 5

on a brewery tour with uni and the guys behind the bar were great and gave us a tour of the cellar. True gem in a great edinburgh drinking scene

Review By: Peter

Title: The best bar none

Review Date: 2007-07-04 17:43:16

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 5

This really is a great drinking bar with quality beers and service second to none. I always stop by when in Edinburgh and was really pleased with their 80/- on my last cisit

Review By: shug

Title: I come for the beer not the music

Review Date: 2007-05-08 08:36:33

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 3

Food & Drink Rating: 5

Previous poster, please get a grip this is by far the best drinking pub in town, the new 80/- is brilliant, get a couple of them down you and you can chat to anyone

Review By: Ed,Edd and Eddy

Title: Ahh..Once a great place.Not anymore

Review Date: 2007-05-04 13:06:12

Overall Rating: 2

Ambience Rating: 0

Value Rating: 2

Food & Drink Rating: 2

15 - 20 years ago this was the place to be, and the best pint around.Sadly there is no atmosphere.No real buzz to the place at all.Beer is so so.

Review By: Steve

Title: New 80 Bob

Review Date: 2007-04-30 17:29:20

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 5

The new 80/- is fantastic and well better than the McEwans.

ED - Cheers - Made BBC News!

Review By: Brian

Title: 80 is better than before

Review Date: 2007-04-18 17:34:23

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 3

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 5

Had to try their new *0/- and have to say its a fantastic pint and shall sup a few more

Review By: no longer a local

Title: 80 gone down hill

Review Date: 2007-04-11 14:59:20

Overall Rating: 0

Ambience Rating: 2

Value Rating: 1

Food & Drink Rating: 0

been away for a while what happened the pint was very poor

Review By: Hash Head

Title: Nip in for a nip

Review Date: 2007-04-10 18:20:44

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 5

You know a quality boozer when they have a cleaner who cleans the place and even polishes the brass on the door to the toilet

Review By: Bima Bill

Title: A Beer Drinkers Paradise

Review Date: 2007-01-25 11:05:24

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 5

A mans Pub, no frills here just outstanding quality beer and good crack.

Review By: Keith S

Title: Worthy of a visit

Review Date: 2006-10-31 21:04:19

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 5

My old man use to drink here with his old man so to keep the tradition, in we went. Not too keen on the old ales but when asked for our order my dad stuck up his finger and asked for a sample for the laddie. I received a generous sample from the bar man who explained the different beers, colour and tastes. Brillian place and one day hope to take my laddie.

Top marks

Review By: Jammy Tart

Title: Credit where Credit's due

Review Date: 2006-10-29 20:35:00

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 4

I stumbled across this through a link on (of all places) a Hibs fans forum. That may explain some of the negative posts on here - I wonder if those knocking it have actually ever drank in it or just knocking it for being a 'Hearts pub'. I've only lived in Edinburgh 4 years so don't know it's past but it's my local and it's a great one too. Can go in and see any football match I want or have a game of darts. Beer rivals any pub I've ever been to in Glasgow or Edinburgh, so I shall write this favourable review to give it a rating I feel it deserves to compensate for those knocking it who seem to have other agendas.

Review By: les

Title: they way thay all should be

Review Date: 2006-10-25 08:28:58

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 5

What a friendly place to have your pint. Have to say I miss the local's that have been bought up and turned into the same wine bar with the same silly prices with the same silly bar staff. Great to see a pub still holding onto its roots and giving us what we really want.

Keep up the good work

Review By: George

Title: New regular

Review Date: 2006-10-23 08:18:37

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 4

Food & Drink Rating: 5

Whilst I have always popped in for the odd pint I always classed the caley as my "local" They have just had a refurb and I can't stand it. I have swithched to the diggers and for the life of me cant understand why this was never my local.

Great pub, great beer and great staff

Review By: Jinky Hayes

Title: Fantastic Boozer

Review Date: 2006-10-22 16:43:16

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 4

Just don't get some of the negative posts on here. Fine, if you don't like the pub but there's no way it should be rated at a one or two star level. I've heard all the stories about Diggers but I don't really care how good it was in 1923. I go there now, get a good pint, a bit of banter from the bar staff and dont have to remortgage the flat to do it. There's never any hassle and there's always a relaxed atmosphere. I suggest some of the negative posters stop basing the pub on a visit made 5 years ago and get in and have a look now. Keep it up guys

Review By: Pistol Pete

Title: Give them the finger

Review Date: 2006-10-18 21:23:03

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 4

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 5

I cant believe some of the negative posts regarding the gem of a pub. This pub is still as great as it always was, admitidly the brew of 80/- is not what it use to be however the brew is the same for all the pubs who stock McCewans. The place is heaving on a match day, its the only pub in the area with a full Sky package, there are doms, darts and board games. The staff know their stuff and are always willing to get in any beer I ask for and give me a generous sample should I be unsure.

To all those negative posters tell me another pub that offers the same!

Review By: Dangerous Dave

Title: Electric Soup

Review Date: 2006-10-08 11:42:12

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating: 5

Food & Drink Rating: 4

It has become my local, the price of a pint is reasonable, there's always a good mix of people and the staff really know their stuff and are courteous to boot. Great atmosphere on matchdays and fantastic pies. IPA is class. Can still hold up 3 fingers and get 3 pints of heavy - I know, I tried last week to check. Love the traditional decor and the wife tells me the winelist isn't too shabby. Great little boozer

Review By: Jimmy

Title: Living off reputation

Review Date: 2006-10-05 17:44:01

Overall Rating: 2

Ambience Rating: 1

Value Rating: 3

Food & Drink Rating: 2

Diggers used to be a great bar with possibly the best pint in Scotland. Sadly since the S&N days the pub has steadily gone downhill. It still retains some of iot's old charm but the beers not what it once was and the atmosphere is long gone. The pub is now living on past glories.

Review By: Brian Hamilton

Title: The Grave Diggers

Review Date: 2006-10-05 16:58:48

Overall Rating: 2

Ambience Rating: 2

Value Rating: 3

Food & Drink Rating: 3

Would have been happy to recommend it 10 years ago but it has nowhere near the same quality as it used to. Currently living off a long past reputation.

Review By: Dave

Title: Faded Glory

Review Date: 2006-10-05 16:13:53

Overall Rating: 2

Ambience Rating: 1

Value Rating: 2

Food & Drink Rating: 1

I use to love the Diggers when Farmer had it and old Davy used to refuse to serve lager if he had a strop on.

It was the best pint in Scotland, brilliantly served and a decent price.

It's nothing special these days, ordinary beer, no food and not well furbished.

It's merely living off it's past reputation.

If it wasn't for the regular and substantial trade it gets from football crowds, it might be in trouble.

Review By: Ross Maitland

Title: Top class service and friendly pub

Review Date: 2006-10-02 12:35:41

Overall Rating: 5

Ambience Rating: 5

Value Rating:

Diggers (Athletic Arms), The - presented by Edinburgh Pub Guide

What a brilliant institute this pub is. Was hungry and decided to try one of the pies. Brilliant was told they were from the local Butchers in Gorgie Stanleys. Must buy some tomorrow. keep up the good work diggers!!

Once described as mecca by camra and it is a true gem in the edinburgh br scene. best staff in the business and a great pint of IPA.

Has got to be one of the best bars left in any city. really look forward to returning to auld reekie

The diggers is a great pub and an edinburgh institution. When i get asked my opinion of the best pubs in edinburgh it is always at the top end of the list. Love the IPA there, its only brewed a stones throw away so its always fresh

There new 80/- is great not sure if anywhere else serves it

Got too love the diggers they could do with more guest ales but always very clean and tidy with excellent staff

Just brilliant, love the place

on a brewery tour with uni and the guys behind the bar were great and gave us a tour of the cellar. True gem in a great edinburgh drinking scene

This really is a great drinking bar with quality beers and service second to none. I always stop by when in Edinburgh and was really pleased with their 80/- on my last cisit

Previous poster, please get a grip this is by far the best drinking pub in town, the new 80/- is brilliant, get a couple of them down you and you can chat to anyone

15 - 20 years ago this was the place to be, and the best pint around.Sadly there is no atmosphere.No real buzz to the place at all.Beer is so so.

The new 80/- is fantastic and well better than the McEwans. ED - Cheers - Made BBC News!

Had to try their new *0/- and have to say its a fantastic pint and shall sup a few more

been away for a while what happened the pint was very poor

You know a quality boozer when they have a cleaner who cleans the place and even polishes the brass on the door to the toilet

A mans Pub, no frills here just outstanding quality beer and good crack.

What a friendly place to have your pint. Have to say I miss the local's that have been bought up and turned into the same wine bar with the same silly prices with the same silly bar staff. Great to see a pub still holding onto its roots and giving us what we really want. Keep up the good work

Whilst I have always popped in for the odd pint I always classed the caley as my "local" They have just had a refurb and I can't stand it. I have swithched to the diggers and for the life of me cant understand why this was never my local. Great pub, great beer and great staff

Diggers used to be a great bar with possibly the best pint in Scotland. Sadly since the S&N days the pub has steadily gone downhill. It still retains some of iot's old charm but the beers not what it once was and the atmosphere is long gone. The pub is now living on past glories.

Would have been happy to recommend it 10 years ago but it has nowhere near the same quality as it used to. Currently living off a long past reputation.

What a brilliant institute this pub is.

Was hungry and decided to try one of the pies. Brilliant was told they were from the local Butchers in Gorgie Stanleys. Must buy some tomorrow. keep up the good work diggers!!

The new 80/- is fantastic and well better than the McEwans.

ED - Cheers - Made BBC News!

What a friendly place to have your pint. Have to say I miss the local's that have been bought up and turned into the same wine bar with the same silly prices with the same silly bar staff. Great to see a pub still holding onto its roots and giving us what we really want.

Keep up the good work

Whilst I have always popped in for the odd pint I always classed the caley as my "local" They have just had a refurb and I can't stand it. I have swithched to the diggers and for the life of me cant understand why this was never my local.

Great pub, great beer and great staff