Halfway House

Visit April 2009

Unique location halfway up the long stairway that is the Fleshmarket Close. Very tight space inside, on;y room for maybe 10 people , tops. A few seats at the bar, and two or three low tables. Staff was friendly and service was fast. Cask offerings were limited. Grab a seat if you can get one.

Quite close to the main street in old town. Place smelt of piss, but had weird cozy feeling. It's tiny (max 20 people and it's a stretch). 3 cask beers on tap. Friendly service. Would come back.

A tiny pub that has a nice relaxed vibe. Selection seems not too crazy, but I found some ticks nonetheless. Definitely worth adding to your list if you're doing a pub crawl through Edinburgh.

Good place just for a cheap lunch of traditional Scottish dishes .. the beer selection is short but well done for the hand pumps .. usual stuff on keg

Super cozy, very small pub with seating for about 20 people. Only four casks of interest. One from Broughton and three from Knops, a brewery I haven't seen anywhere else in town. Friendly service

Welcoming and cosy pub just a few mins from Waverley station. Mix of locals and tourists, friendly service at the bar. Interesting decor with painting of the Fleshmarket Close steps and plenty of old railway posters. 4 cask ales on, two from Stewart. Good condition and you could try 3 1/3s for £3.90 which seemed decent for an Edinburgh old town pub. Traditional Scottish pub food (not vegetarian friendly) and the place did smell of seafood a bit

We approached the Halfway House from the Royal Mile. It’s a long way down Fleshmarket Close from there and I wondered whether sunlight ever reaches it although, unusually for Edinburgh, the mobile ‘phone signal does! The pub is basic, charming and minuscule - just one and a half small rooms tucked into the hillside. It’s on the heritage pub trail but still remains very much a locals’ place. There were four casks on offer, with a board showing what was coming up next, and they also serve food. I got the impression that the food might be good old fashioned Scottish fare although I really needed a local to translate the menu (where is Craig when you need him?) and I have no idea where it’s cooked unless the little cave area behind the bar extends back into a kitchen. I’d like to go back to try it and it’s a pub certainly worth seeking out for the traditional atmosphere. (Visited 3 February 2017).

Enjoyed my visit to this pub, my favourite of those visited during a tour of Edinburgh’s Good Beer Guide pubs. Ales were very well kept, with a nice selection available. Service was great, with a cracking atmosphere. One I want to return too and time I will rate ’em all.

Only really interesting beer wise for the 4 cask offerings from either Northern English or Scottish micros (occasional beer festivals). Loads of character, although perhaps not as much as 20 or so years ago.