Old Pal Bar and Kitchen
Quick info
About Old Pal Bar and Kitchen
On W Maitland St in Edinburgh, Old Pal Bar and Kitchen is a restaurant with a full bar, and the kitchen serves food daily. Sunday brings a roast with a choice of lamb shoulder, beef sirloin or porchetta, so a table of mixed tastes can each pick a different meat. The rest of the week, the kitchen turns to small plates and pub dishes. A lamb curry with house greens is portioned for sharing. At the bar, the cocktail list includes mezcal margaritas, and low and no alcohol cocktails sit alongside the standard serves. Wines and whiskies are poured as well. Music plays throughout the room.
Good to know
- ReservationsAccepts reservations
- AccessibilityWheelchair: entrance, restroom, seating
- DietaryVegetarian options
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention sunday roast, espresso martini, mezcal margarita and fried chicken sliders.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention sunday roast, espresso martini, mezcal margarita and fried chicken sliders.
Customer Review Summary
Sunday roast draws the most mentions. Reviewers praise the lamb shoulder, beef sirloin and porchetta as fab and delicious, and the potatoes and vegetables as good, though one reviewer found the meat not good at all. Close behind are the cocktails, described as well made, including mezcal margaritas, a Bloody Mary, an old fashioned and a selection of low or no alcohol options. Reviewers also name flank steak with black truffle butter, fried chicken sliders, lamb curry with house greens, a vegetarian cauliflower dish and beef tartare. Desserts earn praise too, among them sticky toffee pudding and pineapple tarte tatin. Service is repeatedly called friendly and attentive. On the downside, one reviewer found the room dark and loud, and their elderly grandmothers struggled to follow the conversation. Another found the mushroom slider overfried and suggested the skate fish and tempura cod slider instead. One diner ended the night with espresso martinis topped with grated tonka bean.
Customer Review Summary
Sunday roast draws the most mentions. Reviewers praise the lamb shoulder, beef sirloin and porchetta as fab and delicious, and the potatoes and vegetables as good, though one reviewer found the meat not good at all. Close behind are the cocktails, described as well made, including mezcal margaritas, a Bloody Mary, an old fashioned and a selection of low or no alcohol options. Reviewers also name flank steak with black truffle butter, fried chicken sliders, lamb curry with house greens, a vegetarian cauliflower dish and beef tartare. Desserts earn praise too, among them sticky toffee pudding and pineapple tarte tatin. Service is repeatedly called friendly and attentive. On the downside, one reviewer found the room dark and loud, and their elderly grandmothers struggled to follow the conversation. Another found the mushroom slider overfried and suggested the skate fish and tempura cod slider instead. One diner ended the night with espresso martinis topped with grated tonka bean.
Featured reviews
- Google user
“A great local bar. Great drinks, great service, relaxing atmosphere. Old fashion and beers were excellent. Vegetarian cauliflower dish was delicious. Desert was fantastic and the servers all great. Invited back for Sunday roast!”
- Google user
“Excellent sunday roast - lamb shoulder, beef & the porchetta. All 3 were fab. We also ordered olives & beef tartare for apps and they were both very good. Had sticky toffee pudding & that was also v good. As an ex-food writer, cook & all around foodie, I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone. Only “con” is its dark and loud - we brought out 80+year old grans and they struggled to follow the chat/couldnt hear.”
- Google user
“Old Pal has excellent service--really friendly staff (thanks Liam!) and the lamb curry and house greens are enough to share, and are delicious to boot. I've got no pictures because we ate too fast, but make a stop in here if you're in Edinburgh!”
- Google user
“Traveling here from America and stumbled into Old Pal after doing some brief searching. A fantastic experience. We decided to stop in for a late dinner. We were greeted by Ben immediately upon entering and everything from there on for the rest of the evening was superb. We started with a couple cocktails, mezcal margaritas to be exact, which were very well made. Nothing extra, nothing over the top, just exactly what the drinks needed, mixed to perfection. The food was also unbelievable. I ordered the flank steak and fries with black truffle butter. The steak was prepared exactly as requested and the truffle butter took it to a level I was not expecting. My partner ordered the fried chicken sliders. The ranch was fantastic and the chicken was crispy and juicy. We finished with espresso martinis for dessert. The grated tonka bean over the top was the perfect addition to make this the best espresso martini I’ve ever had. Kielan and Ben absolutely did more than needed to make our experience more than a 10/10. They deserve all the praise in the world, as well as the folks on the back of house for preparing an excellent dinner.”
- Google user
“Indoor/outdoor eating concept. Clean space. Outstanding service. Incredible, well made cocktails. Sunday roast’s potatoes and vegetables were good, meat was not at all.”
Highlights
“Cosy, modern pub serving a selection of fine wines, whiskies and a classic cocktail menu. Serving food daily- small plates and pub classics.”
- Great beer selection
- Great cocktails
- Great dessert
- Great wine list
- Popular for lunch
- Popular for dinner
Amenities
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Accepts reservations
- Dine-in
- Vegetarian options
- Bar onsite
- Cozy
Show more amenities
- Beer
- Coffee
- Quick bite
- Dessert
- Table service
- Solo dining
- Offerings· 5
- Alcohol
- Cocktails
- Hard liquor
- Small plates
- Wine
- Facilities· 1
- Restroom
- Highlights· 3
- Great beer selection
- Great cocktails
- Great wine list
- Crowd· 2
- Groups
- Tourists
- Planning· 1
- Dinner reservations recommended
- Dining options· 2
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Atmosphere· 2
- Casual
- Trendy
- Accessibility· 2
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
- Wheelchair accessible seating
Location
Restaurants near Old Pal Bar and Kitchen
- The Palmerston4.59920 miWheelchair accessible
sourdough bread and butter, lamb roast/loin, three course lunch menu
- Fava Restaurant - Greek Kitchen4.61,3440.1 miWheelchair accessible
skepasti wrap, gyros portion, feta and chilli fries
- Xiangbala Hotpot4.69540.2 mi
hot pot, soup base variety, fresh ingredients
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Pal Bar and KitchenVegetarian options · Wheelchair accessible · Reservations | 4.8476 | — | sunday roast, espresso martini, mezcal margarita |
| The PalmerstonWheelchair accessible | 4.5992 | 0 mi | sourdough bread and butter, lamb roast/loin, three course lunch menu |
| Fava Restaurant - Greek KitchenWheelchair accessible | 4.61,344 | 0.1 mi | skepasti wrap, gyros portion, feta and chilli fries |
| Xiangbala Hotpot | 4.6954 | 0.2 mi | hot pot, soup base variety, fresh ingredients |
The 3 nearest restaurants by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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