Cloisters Bar in Edinburgh, City of

Great selections of beers on the board and nicely placed for Tollcross, bruntsfield and marchmont. It's the manse converted, stone walls and a bit clashy for geezers with bad ears but loads of geezers like me were there enjoying a drink and the bar staff are unfailingly knowledgeable about the product. Definitely worth a visit.

Absolutely amazing wee spot. Great selection and friendly service

Great bar with an amazing array of ales.

Rang ahead to make sure I would be able to eat and get a table. Told them I could be there for 6 and was told that wasn’t a problem and the kitchen shuts at 6:30. We ran across Edinburgh in the rain to make it, arrived at 6:05 to be told the kitchen decided to shut at 6, the women behind the bar had no sympathy.

Nice relaxed pub with a great selection of beers on tap. Also a good range of no/low alcohol beers. Very dog friendly!

Great pub. Plenty of beers to choose from. Good prices. Only downside is the lack of seating

Good varied customers and terrific range of beer, both cask and craft.

Very typical in the heart of Edinburgh, on the Royal Mile

Great spot. Quiet, comfortable. Nice place to share a pint. It was our favorite stop in the neighborhood that we stayed.

The beers are very tasty, the burgers are also great (and the chicken salad). It's a shame that at half past eight in the evening there is no kitchen and you can only drink.

Popped in for a pre-dinner drink. Having visited another craft beer establishment yesterday and walked out because we just felt too old, Cloisters was totally different. Everybody from Hipsters to Pensioners rubbing shoulders in here. Loved it!

Typical, warm and welcoming place. Great food with lots of vegetarian/vegan options. Obviously good beers 😍

Honestly just an awesome bar with a great old school feel. Great verity of cask and keg beer. Highly recommend for a stop for a drink.

One of my favourite old school pubs in Edinburgh. Good selection of beers, not ridiculously expensive and generally a good vibe.

Great range of beers and a good menu

Well kept ales and excellent Gin & Whisky selection. Always a favourite.

Great local pub, with wide choice of beer.

One of Edinburgh's best pubs for beer. Comfy.

Excellent atmosphere, the beer was great, the food was delicious, and the staff were lovely. I’ve been drinking in Edinburgh for my whole adult life, and this is one of my favourites in the city.

Lovely pub. The range of local beers and ciders is excellent. Good prices. Boardgames and nice snacks available at the bar too. The atmosphere is fantastic when they have the fire on. It's so comfortable I don't want to leave. Burgers are great too. Despite my being agile and able-bodied, after a few drinks, the spiral staircase can be a slight obstacle to me successfully using the bathroom. Who thought to put a spiral staircase in a pub..? Anyway, it looks cool.

Great pub. Always a fantastic selection of quality Ale and good food. What's not to like!

, Saturday 22nd June…at around 12:05pm. I was passing the Cloister Bar with my friend who was telling me how wonderful and this is one of he’s favourite bar’s in Edinburgh. I then turned around and I told my friend that I’ll buy him a drink, mind you I never drink that early but I thought well it’s his favourite and it Saturday and we where winding down our walk. So I thought why not have a drink and maybe get an early bite to eat. We went in excited and happy. There was less than 10 people in the bar and three were queuing and we joined the queue. Our turn came and my friend ordered my drink and next thing I just heard an angry and very rude loud out cry from the barman who was probably the manager shouting at my friend to make up his mind about what drink he wanted. Omg first I tried to help and point out what drink it was because it was my drink order…. He then proceeded with “ that’s better” but oh dear I was totally freaking out. My friend still wanted to go ahead with getting us our drinks but I didn’t want to have an angry energised drink after a very long hard walk and we were in great spirit before and there’s no way I was going to drink his bad energy. How rude and unpleasant this experience was.The Cloister’s bar logo is say about a friendly pleasant environment oh dear so not my experience. More like get the F..out and yes I could not get out fast enough. SHAME what a pity it was absolutely AWFUL

Omg…. If you want to be served by a rude, unpleasant and one of the most unpleasant barman in Edinburgh then this is the place for you. I could not believe that this is someone that is in hospitality. We popped in just after 12:05 pm on 22 June 2024 to have a quick drink after a long walk… oh boy I totally surprised by the unwelcome and the most obnoxious bartender. Rude and unfriendly and Not what The Cloisters Bar is promising to create a friendly atmosphere and pleasant environment. The barman shouted at my friend to make up he’s mind about the drinks he wanted and it was not busy at all + - 7or 8 people and this is including us. What a horrible experience. I literally drag my friend out of there even though he was prepared to be spoken and treat like a piece of rubbish. Oh NO thank you…I’ll will NOT drink negativity and accept disgusting manners

Typical pub, with a warm atmosphere and a large choice of beers.

Nice pub , older world charm. Excellent beer choice with several local options. We were booked to eat nearby else would have sampled their terrific looking vegan menu, great choice and also had vegan (non isinglass) cask such as Pilot. Will return to eat here!

Been coming here on and off for many years, one of the better pubs in Edinburgh. Good selection of real ales in cask and an extensive whisky selection. Decent atmosphere, downside is can sometimes get very busy.

I recently visited Cloisters Bar in Edinburgh and had an absolutely fantastic experience. The service provided by the bald gentleman was nothing short of amazing. His attentiveness and friendliness truly made our visit memorable. Cloisters Bar boasts an impressive selection of beers, with standout recommendations being their Session IPA and Iron Brew beer—both must-tries! The spirits selection is equally remarkable, offering something for every taste. If you're in Edinburgh and looking for a great bar experience, Cloisters Bar should be at the top of your list. Highly recommended!

Great ambiance. Was highly recommended for the fish and chips. Definitely the best beer battered fish we have had. The chips were also very good, but we found better elsewhere on this trip. Highly recommended.

Very nice local pub with good choice of cask ales.

A very cozy bar with a good selection of English beers. In winter there is a fireplace that must be even warmer. A good place to talk with friends with a good beer in hand.

Very large selection of very varied and particular beers.

Pretty special experience here. More of a locals pub than I expected, rustic doesn’t even begin to describe it. Inside a section of an old church, it’s about as good as it gets for classic pub vibes in Edinburgh. A quiet, older, respectable crowd, most of whom ordered a dram of whiskey along with their beer. Tons of cask options focusing on local breweries and also plenty of drafts and bottles. Had the fish and chips which were delicious although not the traditional coating as they were breaded. HP sauce all over the chips as I’m really starting to like this brown sauce, the preferred sauce in the north. Scottish ale on cask that I ordered was absolutely delicious and paired so well with the food. Incredible!

Great pint of heavy. Chatty locals who suggested lots of places to visit.

This is a fantastic Scottish pub with so many good classic ales and many other local alternatives. Very friendly and welcoming!

We went to drink beer and eat and the kitchen was already closed and it wasn't even 9 pm.

Nice bar with a wide range of cask, keg and bottle beers

We'd got out of the habit of going to pubs during covid, but recently returned here (previously one of our old favourites.) We were delighted to discover that it's as good as ever. Fantastic range of beers, great value food, lovely atmosphere and super staff. Highly recommended.

Great selection of beer.well also brilliant and helpful staff.

Lovely Pub with a large selection of Beers! The food is alright, there is better pub food around. Go here to enjoy a pint

A fantastic pub with 10 - yes ten cask ales on sale. The pale ale I had was perfectly poured and only cost £4.80 for the pint. A pleasure to drink here.

Went here for a get-together with a large group of friends. We all love our beer, and Clostiers has never disappointed. The food was a very pleasant surprise. Heavenly Scran has recently taken over the kitchen. The change is very welcome. Large portions and well above your typical pub food. My barometer is whether a pub can do a decent fish and chips. And the fish and chips here didn't disappoint. None of our group had any complaints about the food or the beer. If you want a great pub in Tollcross with tasty food in decent portions, get yourself to Cloisters.

Been many times in Edi and this was my first time here thanks to a friend. Loved it and nice hamburger too 🍔✨

Met up with some friends for a meal here - the food was excellent - well above pub standards and large portions. My highlights - steak pie and a side of winter greens. But none of us had a bad meal. Bar wise, there is a selection of at least 15 real ales. And the building itself is really interesting to visit. Just off Lothian Road at Tollcross so handy for buses and the Meadows.

Nice place, beer is very good. The service is excellent

Nice cozy place and cheap enough for location and Edinburgh average

Tranquilo, buen ambiente. Nos gustó mucho. Las cervezas son propias y la comida está buena. Increíble el fish and chips

No TV blaring away, no music, no puggy machines. Just a proper pub selling a great variety of beers. Oh, and by the way, I've had my dogs in this pub dozens of times. It's very dog friendly. (Unlike a previous reviewer had said). If your dog is noisy, continually whining and barking then you will be politely asked to take your dog away as it is patently obvious that your dog is distressed by being in this environment.

Interesting and ever-changing keg/cask beer selection. Good food too.

Cozy, great drinks selection and very fair prices. Can easily recommend if in the area and feeling a bit peckish.

Great selection of beers and friendly helpful staff

With a great atmosphere, friendly bartenders, free of tons of tourists, and a large selection of excellent beers, this place is a high recommend.

Love this place. Food is delicious and prices absolutely fine.

Excellent draught beers and food.

It's such an amazing bar they had approx 8 types of cask ales and various draught beers. They are Bowbar branch. Got to know yesterday and believe it, it's also amazing 🤩🤩. Their beer were so delicious. We were quite late for dinner but hoping next time I will reach early so can have the food. Amazingly they have 20% off for students. Which is again fabulous. We are talking to Andrews ( quite be wrong with spelling but it did started with A) was so nice and attentive.

Excellent traditional bar set in an old parsonage whose stone walls make it cool in the summer but nice and warm in the winter. If you like your ales you will love it here as there really is an amazing selection and all are kept in excellent condition. The beer menu has so many good beers that it can be intimidating, but fortunately the staff are patient and are only too happy to explain or to recommend. Has an excellent whisky selection also. It serves food, but I’ve not eaten here as of yet. In any event this bar is thoroughly recommend.

Friendly bar with superb choice of well kept beers

Chilled out , great ales, nice malts. Always a good visit

Probably the best pub experience I have had so far. Order the kernel or pilot if you up for a flavoured beer, including fries and enjoy the Cloisters 💀

One of the best selections of ale in the city, at a decent price (comparatively). The interior is pleasant and has an Alpine vibe, and as a bonus, there is a selection of games, cards and doms behind the bar.

Always a good selection of beers and a friendly bunch of locals. Getting a seat can be difficult sometimes due to its popularity. But if you're patient you might find yourself a table when folk move on.

Nice selection of beers, cozy atmosphere and the flair you would like to have when visiting a bar in the UK!

Nice little pub to stop n pop in for a pint & if memory serves me the food is tasty to

Solid experience in a nice area, would go back

A very quaint pub that looks to have been part of the church next door at some point in history. The place definitely has a neighborhood feel with students from the University of Edinburgh thrown into the mix. The beer selection was an impressive assortment of craft brews from throughout Scotland and the bartenders were able to talk about the various beers and answer questions. We tried a lot of the beers, but did not try the food. I did notice that we saw very few people dining but the pub was busy every time we stopped in - multiple times over several days - so it's a popular place!

Quaint pub that used to be part of a church. Stopped off for lunch after Mass at the nearby Church of the Sacred Heart. Had the small fish and chips and a pint, and they were good but not the best for what you pay (oily batter, frozen French fries). Service and ambiance make it worth stopping by, though.

Excellent choice of real ales in a relaxed atmosphere. Well organised covid reopening May 2021. Great pub. Now doing food again after a break for COVID.

Great pub with a large range of nice beers. The burgers are possibly the best in Edinburgh. I know this is a big claim, but just try one of them and see.

Great pub, lovely atmosphere. Wide range of cask ales on the hand pumps, mostly from Scottish breweries. Very friendly and helpful staff. Definitely on my list for a return visit next Fringe!

All saints parsonage. One room Bar. Wood floor. Spiral staircase. 9 ales on all good. Friendly staff.

Good selection of beers. Great if you want to try some new brews.

Normalmente no haría una reseña de un pub en el que he estado muchas veces a lo largo de los años, pero sí quiero destacar cómo parecen haber implementado las mejores reglas de distanciamiento social de los pubs que visitamos. Instrucciones tranquilas y claras, servicio amable y servicial y logrando crear un ambiente de pub agradable en estos tiempos tan preocupantes.Si estás nervioso por salir pero quieres visitar un pub, este fue uno de los mejores.

As a first time visitor I was pleasantly surprised at the selection of craft beer on offer. I went for a local Edinburgh ale, The Pentland IPA and was not let down. A lovely IPA and served with a passion for beer. A cozy atmosphere and tasteful surroundings make for an exceptional experience. A must when in Edinburgh

A pocos metros de Meadows se encuentra el bar Cloisters. Este es un gran lugar para experimentar la floreciente escena cervecera escocesa. Tienen una amplia y cambiante gama de cervezas, desde deliciosas cervezas de sesión de lúpulo hasta cervezas navideñas oscuras y cálidas. El Stewarts pentland IPA y las cervezas Swannay son particularmente notables. La comida es sencilla pero impecablemente deliciosa. Hamburguesas de pescado y papas fritas un curry y un pastel resumen la gama de opciones. No hay demasiadas opciones para garantizar que los platos estén recién preparados. Tuve una hamburguesa de venado perfectamente preparada que era suculenta (no es fácil con venado) servida con patatas fritas que también estaban perfectamente preparadas. A diferencia de muchos lugares, cambian la grasa de la freidora con frecuencia, por lo que no quedan rastros de aceite quemado y usado en exceso / calentado. Cosas simples ejecutadas con un estándar muy alto.

This is a decent pub with a great selection of real ales. The pub also sells keg beer. It serves lunches.

Very busy pub and its easy to understand why - wide and imaginative range of beers. Pheasant burger and maple fries superb!

We read about this establishment on Trip Advisor and glad we found it. We ended up moving a table so the four of us could sit together. You need to walk up to the bar to order your food and drinks. No big deal since you will get to see all the beers on tap. We ordered the bangers and mash - they even had a vegetarian version - how cool is that. Seems like a local crowd but everyone was having a good time. I’d recommend it even if you need to walk 20 minutes or so.

Me senté a tomar una cerveza con un amigo en un pub VACÍO. Me hizo encender mi teléfono en silencio mientras le mostraba los puntos destacados del cricket, en silencio.Me dijeron que es una política telefónica silenciosa o me expulsaron.Literalmente éramos él y yo sentados en todo el pub. Vacío.Vergüenza. No hay necesidad de eso.¿Qué pasó con la hospitalidad escocesa?

Tuve suerte y encontré un espacio en este popular bar de cerveza artesanal en una lluviosa tarde de agosto. Las mesas están bastante juntas y el lugar está casi siempre ocupado, así que prepárate para estar muy cerca de otros clientes.Pedimos la hamburguesa de venado y no nos decepcionó: la empanada de venado, el pastrami de venado curado en casa, el queso suizo derretido, el pepinillo dulce, la mayonesa dijon, las cebollas fritas ralladas crujientes para 7 es una muy buena oferta. La hamburguesa estaba deliciosa, mi única sugerencia sería ir más fácil con la mostaza dijon ya que mi hamburguesa terminó un poco empapada por el último bocado, pero eso es solo una preferencia personal.La próxima vez probaré la hamburguesa de faisán crujiente de mantequilla de maní con la esperanza de que sea igual de buena. . .

Visited here with my son as the weather was terrible and we needed a place to spend a few hours and have a chat,great selection of beers and whiskies a tad expensive but the bar was full,and the atmosphere was good,will certainly visit again

I hade studied in 80s in Edinburgh and met old buddies of 40 yrs ago for a few beers.I had to punch the idea that i wanted beer brewed in Scotland into the bartender at first !!My first surprise was the price £3.30 a pint in a private top end City ( globally) for a 5% ABV in excellent condition . All good , next year in Edinburgh ( God willing !)

Reviewed this place online before we went to Edinburgh and we were delighted with the result and were so glad we had made the effort. The place is part of what was a church (hence the name) and is stunning. The bar staff were also helpful and friendly. I was recommended the draught lager (no big names served here) and it was wonderful. Great ambience, very chilled and friendly locals too. The only shame was we didn't have time for a return visit.

Solo nos acercamos a tomar una cerveza, pero cuando vi "Peanut Butter Crunch Pheasant Burger" en el menú, mi curiosidad se impuso. Nunca antes había visto mantequilla de faisán frito en un menú. Desde el primer bocado, estoy seguro de que mi estómago pensó que había muerto y se había ido al cielo.

Me alojé en este barrio y frecuenté este bar durante aproximadamente 2 semanas. El personal es excelente, generalmente están bastante ocupados y el lugar se llena y es bullicioso con la gente del lugar. ¡Uno de los barkeeps en ese momento, Gregor, nos hizo sentir bienvenidos desde el primer día! La comida también era buena. Si desea una experiencia de bar escocés "Cheers", visite este lugar. Por cierto, la iglesia de al lado todavía sirve el área. Debería haber preguntado cómo se unía el bar a la iglesia (¿no al revés?)

Uno de mis pubs favoritos, así que llevé a mi familia visitante aquí para un bocado rápido. Me dio vergüenza haberlos tomado. No podía creer el pastel y las papas fritas, lo cual era inaceptable tanto en tamaño como en calidad para 10. El curry (aunque no creo que puedas llamarlo así) era aún peor. Me encanta el pub para bebidas, pero nunca comeré aquí de nuevo.

This is one of the bars in Edinburgh that really know how to treat their beer. People pop into to sample the extensive offerings.

We enjoyed a few great beers and some very straightforward - delicious and good value - bar food. This is a beer drinkers pub that rocks!

The barman / landlord was exceptional - thoroughly knowledgable and enthusiastic about the beers on sale. Every beer we tried was in perfect condition and we'll definitely be back.

Una gran opción para los amantes de la cerveza con personal capacitado.

The ever changing beer list has something for everyone - with 9 casks on, and 10 kegs, there is usually something to entice me away from my usual choices!

I have been a fan of Cloisters for some years. Most evenings it was very busy, with customers flocking to sample the excellent range of hand-pumped beers and a good pub grub menu to match. The burgers, for example, were near legendary and some of the best in Edinburgh - exactly the sort of food to accompany excellent ales from across Britain. Last week I visited again with friends after a break of three or four months. The beers were as good as ever but it was markedly less busy. What really disappointed us was the menu: a very limited selection (four varieties) of 'sliders', which transpired to be small buns containing things like white fish, venison, pork belly or falafel with a variety of exotic garnishes and gooey sauces; 'parmesan double-dip (?)' fries, sweet potato (and maple and cinnamon) or oregano fries; or four or five 'beer snacks' of things like fried pigs' skin. We were hungry so tried all the varieties of sliders and both flavours of fries. The falafel (one) in a bun was OK but blink and you missed it; the pork-belly was an under-cooked slice of fat with a small sliver of lean flesh and was inedible. The fries were, well, fries but coated in unnecessary flavours that added nothing to the experience. Plain fries were not an option. I don't know what possessed the management to jettison a popular formula in favour of hipster confections that would be be appropriate to the more arty and pretentious parts of East London (and would at least be done well there) but I hope that there's a re-balancing soon.

Not impressed with the new food service. There aren't very many vegetarian options and they tasted very tasteless.

Great selection of ales, only time for one pint - shame, could have spent the afternoon there. Will visit again next time in Edinburgh.

Una gran selección de cervezas de barril y cask. Atendido por un personal atento y bien informado. Buena selección de licores y cervezas de botella. No hay televisión, música o máquina tragaperras. Sí. Gran lugar para ir y disfrutar de unas cervezas y hablar, en mi caso sentarse en una esquina, y leer mi libro y la junta detallando las selección de cervezas.

Nosotros sabíamos de este pub en la calle y buscaron Brougham, y estando fuera de la popular zona de Grassmarket, El turista promedio probablemente no encontrado.

Wide selection of beer and whisky. On the Friday evening it was extremely busy and despite it being quite large there was no seats free. That is good and bad depending on your point of view.

Recommended by our grandson, large selection of beers and lagers tried the PentlandIPA very good,quite a small seating area but was able to share a table with other customers.Would definately go back on next visit to Edinburgh. Did not eat on this visit.

Great looking bar in a converted church. It was a Wednesday evening but most of the tables were full. Excellent selection of drinks and the food looked good. Would recommend.

Awful staff. We walked in, they had no interest in seating us, that is not hospitality. Very disappointing.

Excellent pub with fabulous selection of beers on keg and cask, very friendly staff who all know their beers. Large whisky and gin selection large array of rums. The food was spot on. Will be back.

I have only good things to say.