Old Chain Pier in Edinburgh, City of

Enjoyed a huge pot of the best mussels. Fish and chips were great too. Good service friendly and prompt. Overall a great time in a beautiful location

Always a pleasure to spend some relaxing time there. Been there many time and never been disappointed. I am always happy to bring friends visiting or a member of my family. A must visit in Edinburgh!

Cozy place to go. Very good food. Not the cheapest but with generous portions. Pretty view on the sea, and if you are lucky you can experience live music. There is a beer garden in the summer.

The view is stunning from this restaurant. Food is ok nothing special. The Apple and cherry crumble was not ideal.. It’s a bit pricy when they charge you additional 10% service charge even though there’s not a lot service， i.e. Waited ages for the food to arrive， staff were busy or chatting with each other while not attentive to their customers. (Pics to prove I visited the restaurant lol )

Lovely little place 100% need custard for the crumble though :)

Great little place with stunning views out across the water, delightful food and a very comfortable, cosy ambience.

Nice view and professional staff

What a delightful lunch. Our first visit. Lovely seating overlooking the bay. We had homemade Cullen skink soup with crusty bread . It was stunning. Chock full with tasty smoked haddock, potatoes, & onions. The chef should be very proud of that dish. For desert there was homemade fruit crumble & ice cream. The other treat was espresso with yummy vanilla ice cream. Heaven in a teacup. The staff were so welcoming and kind. Mikey even took the time to recommend places to visit during our stay. Highly recommend a visit.

Very beautiful restaurant with sea view, very good service, nice, attentive and understanding waiter. I came alone and I had a very good, pleasant time. The food, the fish and chips very fresh and good, the pea puree is very good. THANKS. If I have the chance, I will come back.

I genuinely don’t get how people rate this so high. Honestly the food is absolutely horrible, no spices, not even salt whatsoever. Multiple mistakes as there’s one server/barman, and if I may say so truly serious mistakes. It’ll probably be good for a night out as it has live music and the view is amazing. If only there was a semi experienced chef that values whatever they’re doing and actually knows how to chop onions or boil pasta. Wishing that we took photos to show the state of the plates. It’s literally such a shame, whatever we’re paying with we’ve worked for and should be respected. Update!! I am aware as I’ve seen your responses on previous reviews that you get defensive. I am not talking about the chef as a person whatsoever or the server, the server is a gem!! And as i mentioned before the mistakes were made due to the lack of staff. As for the kitchen staff, it’s truly baffling to me how instead of accepting the fact that their probably just not too into it that much and a bit bored and you go to the extent to say I’m insulting someone. Never my intention and I do think anyone could see that.( I never mentioned publicly the mistakes made by the server, so yes do trust that I’m not insulting anyone) You do have a beautiful space i really hope us locals can enjoy it more!

Wunderbarer Blick auf das Meer. Fair gepreiste Drinks und freundliche Bedienung. Ein pub mit Charme und Atmosphäre , ideal für Feiern

This place either went downhill or I remember it wrong. Really average food, slow service, no decent local beers despite so many great brewers in the area. Just imported shite and cocktails in a can. Avoid unless you're desperate for a sea view. So disappointing. Edit: what a weird response. Instead of me taking it up with your landlord (why would i do that?), how about you relay customer feedback to them yourselves. Not confidence inspiring.

One incredibly rude member of staff. Such a shame. Expensive. Just go 100m down the road to the Starbank Inn. Cheaper, nicer staff

We stopped in for a couple of drinks. It was nice but then when got home and checked the receipt I noticed that they had automatically added 15% service charge! It’s already a very expensive pub for a pint. But adding that much service charge automatically for a couple of drinks and not even being clear to customers it’s been added is out of order. I shan’t be back. What a predictably rude reply. You absolutely did charge us 15% charge. But I think you e missed the point entirely. Shame seeing such a nice pub run by an awful staff member. Honestly folks, just go down to road to the Starbank Inn. Nicer people and much cheaper!

My friends and I visited the pub last weekend for some drinks. We also brought our babies with us, and brought some cold potato chips and snacks in a small container. We were told very abruptly by the manager/waitress that we should have ordered from the menu for them instead. We apologised but explained that the food was only for the babies, not us. She became very rude and patronising, and had no tolerance for the fact that we had 2 hungry babies with us. I’ve not had this issue anywhere else. I’d like to make it clear that it wasn’t necessarily what she said that we disagreed with, but it was her condescending, rude tone. We apologised but she was combative and patronising. We were quite taken aback and it really ruined the experience. We couldn’t believe the poor customer service and we won’t be back. A lovely pub ruined by one persons poor attitude.

Loved this restaurant. The staff where very nice and had a nice atmosphere. My friend and I went twice

7.50 for a lager in a plastic glass is pure extortion. I’ve moved here local to this place and I will never return. On top of that I will never recommend this place. There is absolutely no excuse for charging this price for a lager. Especially since it’s in a plastic cup. Shocking.

Great little pub with a stunning view. Staff is super friendly. Went for a coffee with my friend and my dog. The team went above and beyond to make sure we're all looked after. Krystyna even gave my dog some treats which was such a nice gesture. Thank you

The view is lovely, service generally good (sometimes a bit mixed). They don’t really like you coming for just a drink, it’s definitely more of a restaurant. Quite touristy and expensive. The outdoor seating is great when the weather is good enough, but the plastic cups are a real shame, and when busy it’s hard to get served at the hatch. All in all we like coming for a drink and the location is fab but the experience overall could use a bit of fine tuning

Visited on a Sunday for a traditional "Sunday Roast" with the added bonus of the water view. The service was fantastic. The setting was and old waterside pub with character, with a beautiful view. The £20 Sunday roast was "average" in quality, above average in volume.

Highly recommended restaurant with a view of the water - if there is no thick fog, like here. Very friendly service, a small but fine menu from delicious fish 'n chips to steak, freshly tapped beer and a wide selection of spirits. What more could you want?

We already went to the Old chain Pier in January 2023, we had to come once again for your new visit! After a long walk on the coast, we arrived a bit earlier than our booking at the restaurant but they managed to get our table a bit earlier as well. Last time we came it was already dark outside, this time we chose our booking time more wisely and we're greeted by a stunning view of the sunset on Leith. The menu offers diversity, with Scottish specialties and more Mediterranean influenced dish that looked delicious. The Cullen skink is to be damned for and they also have a very good fish and chips! Kristina has been our host for the dinner and it has been such a pleasure to have her and to chat with her on various subjects. I wasn't able to eat as much as I wanted and she did her best to accommodate me and gave me recommandations on the menu. She and her colleague at the bar, made this second visit at the old chain pier as pleasant as the first one . On weekends they have live musicians playing, everything you need to have a awesome Scottish meal!

Very nice, cosy with views out to sea. Nice food good price

Fantastic view and a great selection of quality food. The physical menus need updating but would definitely recommend.

Whiskey and service were fantastic . Didn't have food .

The food is delicious, the setting idyllic and the service friendly

We entered this place and the first person we saw told us that a table near the window was available, the other girl said it was booked. I guess it was racism towards foreigners.

We were coming with no hopes because we were just arriving in Edinburgh for the first time and needed to eat. We chose the first restaurant coming up and it was amazing. Food was really good, vibe was awesome, we had a musician playing while we were eating view by the sea ! Perfect !

The food was delicious. The service was friendly and attentive. The menu always has regional and seasonal dishes. The ambience cannot be topped. A beautiful restaurant with a view of the sea. On Friday evening we had great live music. For us the best evening of the holiday. We didn't feel like tourists here at all and were simply warmly welcomed.

Very nice little restaurant with live music on weekends and a beautiful view of the sea. 😍

Fantastic location, great views, service food and the bonus is draught Fyne Ales.

Very nice atmosphere, good dishes, great view

Great for lunch. Can watch the sea while eating

Really lovely pub/restaurant with live music, amazing views and friendly staff. Varied menu and wonderful pie specials.

Personnel (français) super accueillant et serviable Carte courte mais du coup produits frais très bien cuisinés Bon rapport qualité / prix

There were 7 of us for dinner. Firstly we were seared in the conservatory which is a lovely space. Our server was fantastic as was the food. We shared a couple of portions of the mixed seafood platter for starters which was excellent. Everybody enjoyed their mains, mine was the mussels, a giant pot, which came with bread and chips to mop up the delicious juices. Most had dessert and thououghly enjoyed them. Overall a great night, highly recommended.

The food was delicious, love the atmosphere

We have travelled up to Edinburgh twice this year, and made a detour so we can visit here for lunch. The staff are brilliant, friendly and always make an effort. We shared the Shetland Mussels which are incredible, you get enough as a main meal to feed both of you. Highly recommend!

The view and location deserves 5 stars. Unfortunately everything else is poor. Overpriced average food and very expensive drinks. Furthermore you should expect a long wait for food to be prepared due to the tiny kitchen. The staff are very friendly though and try their best.

Excellent and plentiful fish and chips! Nice atmosphere, by the sea, just a few minutes by bus from Edinburgh city centre. Highly recommended!

The best thing about this place is the view of the sea - unparalleled. They fit us in without a booking and we were very happy with where we sat. Our server was really friendly and attentive for the most part, however we did majorly struggle to get the bill at the end of our meal when it began to get busy elsewhere in the restaurant. The food was what you’d expect from a waterside pub, with large portions, but we felt slightly underwhelmed by the fish and chips, having looked at previous reviews. The area is gorgeous, particularly around sunset, and it gave us a good reason to venture down to this beautiful area of Edinburgh. A welcoming spot for pub grub and drinks.

Very nice spot !!!!!, amazing views over Leith , i was looking for somewhere nice to eat so was grabbing some amazing fish and chips on my one night stopover , after meeting my cousin she highly recommended eating here , good selection of drinks as well !! will definitely be back !!!!!

Lovely view. Special thanks to Iwona for such good service.

Lovely meat mac n cheese staff very knowledgeable and helpful

Nice staff and views, sub par food at high a cost

The service of this restaurant is so bad and make us so disappointed!! We book a table for family at 7:45pm, but when we arrival, waiter’s attitude is so rude.

Incredibly yummy food, had the best haggis bon bons. Strange to say but they were delightful. Went again, still outstanding food

The prices really high, £18 for a burger and fries, fish cakes etc looked like they were fried in old oil, cooked far too long everything looked burnt. Spent over £100+ and they had the usual thing that seems to be creeping in everywhere 10% tip just added to your bill, which I asked to be removed , staff member face said it all, one of shock that their money spinner not being made allowed. Nice views but not worth the money definitely wouldn’t go back, overpriced for what you get

Personally not a fan of live music when out for food and a catch up with friends. Couldn't hear ourselves speak last time we were there.

What a fabulous place , we loved it !! Made to feel so welcome , great service , lovely food and the live music was brilliant and created such an amazing atmosphere We will be paying another visit when we come for another trip !!

Good food friendly staff but a bit invisible at times. Definitely worth going through.

Lovely views and nice pub food. Very busy but well staffed. Friday and Saturday with live folk music.

Recommend booking in advance. They turned away at least a dozen people while we were dining. Food was excellent and staff were friendly.

Excellent service and beautiful views.

The service attitude of the female server at Old Chain Pier was appalling. From the moment we arrived, she displayed blatant hostility. When we tried to capture a birthday moment with a flash, she rudely forbade it without prior warning or any visible sign. Her demeanor was cold and condescending throughout our meal, especially when we asked for help with the lobster. Instead of assisting, she gave us disdainful looks. Such unprofessional and unfriendly behavior completely ruined what was supposed to be a special occasion. This level of poor service is unacceptable and deeply disappointing.

The overall dining experience was positive, albeit with some notable areas for improvement. The food quality was generally good, but there was a noticeable lack of salt and flavor, which detracted from the dishes’ potential. The service was adequate, though it could have been more attentive and polished. One of the main drawbacks was the delay in receiving our food. We experienced a considerable wait, which was somewhat mitigated by the wonderful ambience. A local band playing traditional music added a delightful touch to the atmosphere. The restaurant’s location is its standout feature. Situated right above the sea, the view was nothing short of spectacular. We were even lucky enough to spot dolphins swimming, which added a magical element to our visit. The combination of the ocean view and the overall setting significantly enhanced the experience. While the prices were on the higher side, they were still acceptable given the unique location and the overall experience. In summary, while there is room for improvement in the food and service, the ambience and location make this restaurant worth a visit.

Lovely setting and nice selection of drinks and beers. Overlooks the Forth and window tables available, the food is decent and nice menu, they also do sharing boards. Staff are nice and often have live music.

The Old Chain Pier offered a memorable date experience for me and my girlfriend. The stunning waterfront view enhanced our evening, making it truly special. We shared fish and chips and a Sunday roast, both of which were delicious. The fish was crispy and tender, the chips well-seasoned, and the Sunday roast featured succulent meat and perfectly cooked vegetables. The atmosphere was cosy and sociable, with friendly staff adding to the welcoming vibe. Overall, the Old Chain Pier provided an excellent setting for a lovely date, and we look forward to visiting again.

Kiwi visitor. We enjoyed the meal and the view

Service good, music too loud for late afternoon, food good

Best Fish and Chips in Edinburgh! Will definitely be back!

A lovely place with gorgeous food and friendly staff. Would recommend this lovely pub/food place.

Hidden Gem on the water in Edinburgh!! Fresh local sourced food, great flavor, attentive staff. Don’t miss an opportunity to dine with a beautiful water view.

Hidden gem in Edinburgh away from the hustle and bustle of the city away from the tourists. Food was sensational. Service was great and the location just perfect.

Beautiful views! I couldn’t stop looking at the amazing views from the table at this restaurant. It’s in Newhaven, a little outside of Edinburgh, but the tram or bus can take you there in about thirty minutes. The food was amazing, wine matched perfectly and the views! The server was so friendly and they also have a little outdoor seating area. I enjoyed a glass of wine after my meal out there. So peaceful looking out at the water.

Pub on the seafront near Newhaven Harbour. Lovely views and decent food. I'd happily come back.

Great food: fish and chips and the Mezze platter were both amazing! Good beer selection, wine selection was limited. The atmosphere is quiet and relaxing- no rush, nice staff, great location and ocean views.

Excellent place on the Edinburgh Coast

Great atmosphere, very friendly and helpful staff. Delicious and fresh food. Highly recommended 😊😊

Very nice restaurant on the water's edge with super good Fish&Chips. Impeccable welcome, smiling, friendly, welcoming people. The Vegan Fish&Chips is very good, and allows you to enjoy this typical dish. There are several other vegan and vegetarian options, very well indicated on the menu. The view is breathtaking.

Place itself is nice. But £7.50 for a pint served in a plastic cup is ridiculous. There's another terrasse not far from there that serves beer in proper glasses for about £5.50.

If you’re coeliac, avoid. Great drink and views, very unsafe as a coeliac. Was given gluten oat cakes instead of GF ones and they didn’t cater for safe gravy with the roast dinner even though I booked in advance. They have shared fryers so menu limited also. They were apologetic and took off drinks but doesn’t take away the fact it’s an unsafe and unaccommodating place for a coeliac.

Nice restaurant. You can also eat outside. The sea view is priceless. But there is no comfort outside, unlike inside. A table should be reserved in advance.

Great ambience & views, feel like sitting over the sea, food is good, but want to keep it unknown as enjoy it so much!

Food took 40 mins to come out. 18 quid for a Morrisons pie and some packet mash. Disgusting. Rather go to the Starbank Inn across the road.

I recently dined here, and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience. From the moment I walked in, the service was slow and the staff seemed disorganized, and at one point a staff member rudely ignored someone with me. Another person with me asked for a second drink, which came thirty minutes after they ordered it. Also not to mention that we had to wait 1 hour and 30 minutes for our main courses. Food quality was very good, however I left feeling let down by the entire dining experience. I really hope this establishment can improve as the food is great, it was the service that let it down.

Great food - we had the fish and chips (coley) with mushy peas + house white wine (blanc de blanc) lovely. Would have been amazing views but the haar came in.

Didn't eat but food looked excellent, amazing staff and live music... top pint served and a great evening had. Will return soon.

Great food, ale, and live music.

I've been here a few times and keep on resolving to visit more often. This time I think that resolve will stick as everything seems to have improved. Look; the food isn't quick. There's a sign on the wall to warn you. If you don't book, you probably won't get a seat during the rush hours and if you do then they'll warn you again that you'll have to wait on your meal. I think it's worth the wait. Besides, the Old Chain Pier would be a venue worth a visit even if the food was average (it's better than that). This building hangs over the waters near the harbour. I love sitting there (book!) by the window in the sunshine or if the weather is so bad that the waters are choppy and dangerous looking. There's a good range of drinks, seats outside, dog friendly and bus stops just outside. It's no surprise that OCP is busy - just a surprise that it isn't even busier. Best of all; this is not a pub that seems to be much bother from young beer chuggers - I guess it's too far from the beaten track. Good news all round! [ Update: October 23 - Menu grown, pleasantly again. Staff fantastic. Still, I miss the nachos] [Update: May 24 - Lovely refurb]

The food was super delicious, even vegetarians/ vegans have plenty of options. Really good service, beautiful view

I live The Old Chain Pier. Lovely decor and the atmosphere were very relaxing. Had a quick bite to eat at lunch, and they were very accommodating with regards to my mums sulphite allergy. Checked with the chef to make sure all was safe and checked on us throughout the meal. Freshly cooked food, great background music, and lovely views. The Bruschetta was lovely to start, mum really enjoyed the Mushroom Risotto and the Fish and chips was delicious, I don't normally eat mushy peas but I liked these. We also had the crumble for dessert and the Affigatto....both delicious. Will be back again soon. Thank you

Fantastic views, delicious food, and strong scotch!

We stumbled across this lovely restaurant having walked from the centre of Edinburgh with 2 tired, hungry and bored pre-teens and I'm so glad we did as it was absolutely the find of our trip! Delicious food, fantastic views and great service. The mussels special was spot on and the Macaroni Cheese was huge and delicious. If you're in Edinburgh you should go here!

Amazing fish and chips. Wonderful views

Great location, pleasant music and wonderful food. Fish and chips were really tasty, but the mussels came first! Absolute recommendation. Definitely coming back.

A lovely Bar-restaurant by the coast with great views of the sea and the coast line! Friendly and kind staff. Great for food and drinks.

Rating IMO: 4.5 Amazing view over ocean (5) Friendly but relatively slow (perhaps bcuz of kitchen) service Delicious soup and apple&berry crumble Reserve in advance.

Fantastic food, excellent service and fabulous views

I found it by chance while walking, I stopped for a takeaway cappuccino. It was so sunny so I opted to rest outside and the view is just as beautiful as inside. However, the tables with a sea view were already booked.

The chips is one of the best during my UK trip

definitely a pleasant food night to me, super great night view plus seafood to myself, booked in advance remember!

The service was great. Not enough decoration for a maritime restaurant. The fish and chips were okay but too expensive. The grilled vegetables felt like they were cooked. So the food is okay. There is another restaurant in the immediate vicinity where you can linger. In the summer when you can sit outside it's definitely quite interesting. A 4+

Delicious food in one of the most idyllic restaurants I've been to in Scotland. The view is unparalleled.

Cute little waterside bar. Very nicely done interior. Stopped by for some drinks one evening which was no hassle and ordered a few bar snacks. Had the Haloumi fries and the haggis bites, both of which were delicious. Definitely would come back for proper food.

Good apple crumble and nice coffee. Only problem: strong smell of fried fish and an oily touch in the air. Especially for people who don't like dead animals not the best. Beautiful view - you can watch the gulls fly :)

Went for family lunch. Good service. One of our party did have to give feedback on the steak which the restaurant chose not to charge for. 3-5 people ended up with food poisoning which we thought might have been from the mussels which 3 people ate but 2 other family members had fish and chips and were sick when they got home. Sent an email to advise Old Chain Pier of this as was also concerned for other diners. Have not even had an acknowledgement that my email had been read, no apology, nothing. I'm very disappointed as use to go to this bar/restaurant a lot a few years ago when I lived in the area and I really didn't want to write a bad review but as I've had no response I've had to write this review

We stopped by for lunch while exploring Newhaven as part of our weekend getaway to Edinburgh and came across this gem of a pub restaurant. The food was great and the service was friendly, fast and polite. Great selection of vegan options which was a pleasant surprise. Loved the views and the atmosphere. We will definitely be back when we are next in the area. Thank you.

Very nice sea food. And very friendly service

Extremely poor service. I left a private review and received no response. Wouldn’t recommend at all unfortunately.