The Playfair is named after William Henry Playfair, responsible for some of New Town’s finest architecture, including the National Monument on Calton Hill, overlooking the pub. Calton Hill also overlooks the New Town area of Edinburgh, conceived in the mid 18th century by the Lord Provost, George Drummond. New Town contains some of Edinburgh’s finest architecture. It was William Henry Playfair, more than any other architect, who earned Edinburgh its label as ‘the Athens of the north’. His classical-style buildings include the National Monument, Royal Scottish Academy and National Gallery of Scotland.
What a marvelous place! We just came back from nine days in the Higlands and were staying across the plaza and needed a place for a simple dinner. The food and the team who works here are lights out. This place was jumping on a Saturday night, bustling with locals and out-of-town people like me alike! I even went to the bar as this tourist was struggling with finding the App where the bar- maid so assisted me with the sweetest attitude and hospitality ever! Hope to return some day soon, but you can go now if your nearby city center!
Typical Spoons. Came here for a drink after visiting nearby restaurant. Cocktail pitchers are good value, especially in Edinburgh City Centre. Beer garden quite large, and nice to enjoy sunny day/evening. Ladies toilets were out of toilet roll in every stall, apart from the one with the blocked toilet, so had to take paper from there. Toilets are supposed to be checked every hour and it looked like hadnt been all night.
It's in a gleaming glass building and has a terrace at the front. It's a bit of a strange Spoons - it looks great outside but the olde worlde ambience and interior of The Booking Office and The Standing Order is absent here. It's messy and characterless inside. The terrace outside is the best option. ☠️🚨£11.26 for Curry Club (includes a soft drink) - that price is ridiculous. Go to a proper curry house (Nicholson Street is best) and get a proper authentic one for the same money or less !!
Another great Wetherspoons location! Easy service, friendly staff, decent food, LOTS of brews to choose from and most importantly all at a very reasonable price! Came here a couple times including breakfast, which was massive and cheap. Absolutely recommend for anyone trying to get away from the high costs of food in the UK.
Pretty typical spoons - there’s cheap drinks at the compromise of atmosphere. Pride is in town today so that livened things up a bit with lots of rainbow flags and people generally celebrating which was nice to see. Given it’s central Edinburgh, prices are a tiny bit more expensive than your typical spoons but still very reasonable and far cheaper than what you’ll get elsewhere. For smokers, outside is split up into two sections: one for smoking and one for no smoking. Smoking section is on your right as you face towards the entrance. If you smoke on the other side, you’ll be asked to move.
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Opening Times
Mon | 08:00 – 01:00 |
Tue | 08:00 – 01:00 |
Wed | 08:00 – 01:00 |
Thur | 08:00 – 01:00 |
Fri | 08:00 – 01:00 |
Sat | 07:00 – 01:00 |
Sun | 07:00 – 01:00 |
Sorry, we don't have any menus listed at the moment.
Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH1
Edinburgh, EH1
Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH1
An elegant, contemporary, Italian-inspired wine bar on Picardy Place near the York Place tram stop serving wines sourced by wine-importer owners, father and son, Ronnie and Kyle Reid, as well as modern classic cocktails and small plates of nibbles and sna