The Blue Blazer in Edinburgh, City of

Always a great selection of real ales and ciders. Service always speedy by friendly and knowledgeable staff. Since re-opening in Nov 22 service and choice of drinks has widened even further. Edinburghs' finest

To quote an advert from a million years ago, "I'm only here for the beer". As a real ale drinker this place is always an adventure, they never seem to have the same beer on twice, and for a venue only a stone's throw from the castle, it's prices are very reasonable.

Proper unfussy pub serving decent ales for the decerning beer drinker. Away from the overfull tourist places of grassmarket with a more local feel. It's worth the short walk.

A pub straight out of a picture book, wonderful!

Great place with fantastic staff who are passionate about what they do. Great ales, beers, whiskies and of course, the free cheese and biscuits are a great bonus!! £5 "Drambola" as well if you're unsure of what you want!! Love visiting here when in Edinburgh.

Nice range of real ales, some loud people at nearby table made it difficult to have conversation

Our house pub on the doorstep. Excellent beer, great atmosphere and live music! Simply great.

Lived in Edinburgh for a year, this was my go to pub most days. Yesterday walked in, the barman spotted my teenager. “Did you miss the hundred signs saying no 18 year olds?” Hey my bad (actually as the doors were opened for the summer it covered the a4 poster). BUT there are at least a dozen nicer ways to say sorry no under 18s. Spectacularly arrogant nob. Goodbye for good

A proper pub with a good selection of real ales

Excellent pub and my fave in Edinburgh so far (and we did visit many !) Drank a local lager which was very good .Barmaid friendly and great knowledge about her Beers and Whisky's on offer . Mixture of locals and tourists when we visited .We will definitely be back on our next trip 🙂

Part of a tour of a few Edinburgh pubs with friends, and this one has been on my wish list for a while. Just beer for us, so no comments on food. Entering from the street, you are immediately in a well lit area with the bar on your left and a seating area on your right. Further in there is more seating. The first thing that strikes a visitor to this establishment is the sheer number of (mostly) whisky boxes that line almost every surface (they do boast on their website they have more whisky than shelf space!) Coupled with the traditional decor, this is an impressive looking destination. As we entered, there were already a few patrons who had obviously taken the same early doors approach we had. The lady behind the bar was helpful and friendly and didn't grumble when I went for my usual 'split pint' approach so I could try more of the ales on offer. There were four ales on with another two pumps that perhaps come into play during busier weekend times. The variety was spot on for a good ale house, with the obligatory Scottish 80/. and a lovely hazy IPA. The management are obviously familiar with obscure pump clips, so cards which clearly provide the basic information of the beers are on display. For those of you that like a little more comfort in pub seating, do not fear; there is comfort enough in even the stools and chairs. As we neared the end of our second pint and prepared to take our leave, the place was starting to fill with people leaving their workplaces, and I'm sure of an evening this is a fun and lively local. I'll definitely be back. I like to take a moment in my reviews to consider suitability in the zombie apocalypse, and I think this place is likely to score highly in my 'Winchester' rating, if I ever figure out how the scoring would work. The windows, whilst sizable, are quite high, which means that they shouldn't be a major hazard, but there appeared to be tables enough that you should be able to defend it well. The door location isn't a bottleneck, which means if you have a party of several people you can work together, although it could pose a challenge if working alone. Whilst it would be sacrilegious and rather risky, the volume of spirits here could provide a source of defence material, although I'd be more amenable to locking myself in and consuming them if at all possible!

Honestly the worst experience I have had in any establishment, The staff are some of the rudest people I have ever met. This was the first pub we had went too on our visit to Edinburgh, We had went in and I had ordered drinks for the 4 of us, Realsied there was no where to sit so we had asked a man sitting by himself if he minded us joining him which he was happy to have the company. Then 2 more people had came in and also asked to join the table which we didn’t mind at all. One of the people that had joined us took a puff of his vape and next thing I knew one of the bar staff had came over without saying anything and snatched all the drinks that I had bought ( most of us hadn’t even taken a sip) and took them to the counter and told us to get out, she also tried to take the older mans drink which he had told us previously he was a regular. Still haven’t gotten my refund. There is hundreds of other pubs and bars that are well worth visiting over this bombsite.

Horrible staff, would avoid at all costs

Very nice pub, would be 5 stars if they had served 5 of us, but they have a rule about no big groups!

Unfriendly - wanted tongo for a late night drink - there open until 1 pm we’re there around midnight - we were told that we were too many people (6) Place was half empty - unfriendly staff - avoid this place

Amazing whiskey options in a traditional pub

Good beer at good prices in a proper pub - what’s not to like. No stag or hen dos .

Rude staff, place smelt, toilets difficult to get to & dirty as it gets. There are so many actually decent pubs around Edinburgh so don't bother with this rubbish. How it isn't closed is beyond me.

Great place for a quiet pint on a Saturday afternoon.

A great no frills pub with a solid selection of drinks (no food) and live music on some days. Easy to recommend if you're in the area

I was there when not even the bird! :) It wasn't particularly "bar time", my trip took me there around one o'clock in the afternoon, but I still enjoyed its atmosphere! They have quite a large and good selection of whiskey, I recommend it to all whiskey lovers!

This pub has gone downhill. This used to be my local as it was one of the best pubs in the area, however the barman attitude is just unacceptable. You feel judged by the moment you arrive. Go to Footlights, cheaper and better atmosphere.

As a local Scot and not a tourist it’s a fairly decent bar. Nothing special. Nothing bad about it

cozy local pub with a decent whisky selection.

Lovely two-roomed pub close to Edinburgh Castle's walls. Extensive range of whiskies as well as around six real ales on handpump, all good quality on our visit. Friendly and welcoming service, nice relaxed atmosphere. Blue Blazer mosaic just inside the door on the floor.

Very good selection of beers and whiskies. Definitely recommend a visit

I wish we could find such beautiful places in Türkiye. The atmosphere is very nice, the drinks are very nice...

Staff are great, beer selection excellent and changing all the time.

Great spot for a pint of local beer.

This used to be a great wee boozer but it appears they have introduced a blanket "No Groups" policy. I used to drink in here with friends but we are no longer welcome. This ban is both weak and ridiculous.

I’ve been drinking in this pub for decades: albeit, not a regular, but certainly a few times a year. Sometimes it’s with my partner, mostly it’s with friends. I was out in town with a group of 7 old school friends (aged 70). Four entered the pub and were starting to be served when the remaining 3 arrived. Mobility issues stopped us arriving together. On seeing that we were now 7 we were asked to leave! We were beyond dismayed as the BB was a regular venue in the past. The pub was pretty quiet with the “back room” empty. If this policy continues, I can’t see me returning…and that makes me sad.

Was sitting at the bar when previous reviewer Dan B came into the pub to meet his family. I asked for a pint of budvar, which on a chalkboard price chart on the wall, was listed as £5.50, and a medium size zinfandel wine. The price was £16.86! So that's £11 for a wine??? As we sat at the bar drinking the £16 round, we heard and seen with our own eyes, the arrogant and rude bar manager (was wearing a purple chequered jumper) call the gentleman Dan B a c@unt. He looked at him after he spoke with an English accent, turned to his American bar lady and dad " I told you not to let cu@nts in!". The gentleman said "did you just call me a cu@nt?" To which the rude manager replied " we don't serve stag or hen present groups" told them all to leave his pub. Appalling way to treat visitors to the current, and was clearly because he was English. Minutes later, one of his staff posted a badly written note on the front door which read "no groups". Manager - if your reading this, as of April 1st 2024, what you did is actually now classed as a hate crime. Disgusting behaviour. I have half a mind to report you to the police.

Same owners as Bennets Bar and similar vibe. Cozy, rustic, authentic. Popular and crowded for a reason. Great selection of beer and whiskeys. Great corner pub for a pint either after work or during any time of day. A fun experience and certainly a great escape during a rainy day.

Turned away for being a group of 4. If their hostile attitude is like the beer quality i’d avoid.

The space is very beautiful and pleasant despite being full. The waitress wasn't in her best days but overall it was a good experience.

My favourite pub in Edinburgh. Lovely atmosphere, great spot for a quiet pint during the day, but fantastic selection of music in the evening. Just a great pub.

Blue Blazer, Spittal Street, Edinburgh A lovely pub in Edinburgh which has remained virtually unchanged for many years. Serving good quality beers to students, pensioners and tourists alike. A real vibrancy to a good pub.

English family who went in for a beer. Immediately treated with disrespect and assumption that we would make a lot of noise. As we were leaving, we heard the barman call us ‘c***s*’ and so we were absolutely appalled. Such a shame because the pub is lovely but the staff were completely arrogant and simply rude. Absolute disgraceful treatment and I expect an apology if any of the staff see this review.

They had 3 real ales, all good.

Lovely place with a great choice of beer & spirits served by friendly & knowledgeable staff.

The live music is awesome, the ambience is great and the staff is very friendly! Great Pub! See you soon again

Great range of beers and gins . Lovely atmosphere and local musicians playing . Will be back

Small goup of over 50/60s men refused service because allegedly groups of people aren't served. Strange how a busy pub on a saturday night isn't capable of serving a group. Maybe yhe attitude of the bar staff to our English nationality was the reason? Anyway, would never go back for another 57 years.

Great pub with a very rustic atmosphere. Good music and great staff! Large whiskey selection and great advice!

Got charged £19 for a pint and a glass of wine. Couldn't believe it. Hadn't been in for years - definitely won't be going back. Avoid. Avoid. Avoid.

It used to be my daily stop after work, donkeys ago. I visited it past week, and it's still as fantastic as I remembered it. Solid 10 out of 10, and I LOVE the fact the place does not serve food.

Great place, lovely selection of drams, and they give you a discount if you take your dog. Great place, will be back

Nice relaxing pub.good selection of beers

Abysmal. Group of six arrived for a drink but we're turned away by an arrogant barman. He was up himself and seemed to thrive on refusing us entry. Deeply disappointed as was recommended this bar by locals. Piss poor. Barman was on an ego trip.

Refused entry by mega arrogant barman. I was part of a group of six. We are quiet lads but were treated with disrespect. The bar person seemed very anti English and he looked at as like we were scum. Abysmal staff and a complete disgrace.

Fantastic bar, fantastic staff and overall an amazing bar.

Nice wee pub. Stopped on the way from the rugby. Very friendly and good service.

Nice variety of whiskeys local beers!

got massively oversold a whisky I didn’t ask for

A good, traditional pub which hasn't changed much since I used to drink there some 20+ years ago.

Came across this gem of a pub while in Edinburgh for the weekend. We enjoyed it so much the first night that we came back on our second night. Super friendly staff and a great choice of drinks available. Also, it’s a dog friendly pub and there’s a selection of board games for customers to play. Will definitely be back next time we’re in Edinburgh.

We came here for a break and a drink and found it to be a lovely old pub with nice warm atmosphere and a really great selection of beers.

A lovely small bar in the centre of Edinburgh. Went with the family on a trip in December and enjoyed hiding from the cold here with a nice drink.

I ordered (and paid for) a particular drink and when I realised it wasn't what I asked for the barman said it was the closest he had...poor service.

First visit, quite a dark bar, few candles on the table, visited at 6pm and the bar was steadily busy, good Wi-Fi signal, not much atmosphere as everyone was chatting to themselves, if they have live music I’m sure it would increase the atmosphere 100%.

Dogs are actively encouraged! Great atmosphere, great service and drinks selection and ideal location.

Barman was either deaf or very rude. A shame because otherwise its a nice place, of a bit expensive.

Never come across a barman so arrogant in my life, asking me and friends not to riot as he looked us up and down with every drink order made - disappointed and won’t return! It appears we were not the only ones in this position too.

We visited here on a Friday night. It was a busy place, with a good atmosphere and traditional pub feel about it. Bar staff were nice and friendly, and there was a good selection of beers. Reasonably priced for the area. Would definitely return when back in Edinburgh.

Ignored. Stood at Bar for 10 minutes while girls talked amongst themselves. Dreadful. Left and went to better Bar

Drinks price s over the top lovely pub but over priced

Muy buen pub para tomar algo. Buena música (a veces en directo), y muy buena carta de whisky. Recomendable!

Great place for drinks. Really good atmosphere

Whisky bar with a great atmosphere and fantastic friendly and knowledgeable staff. There's a wide range of whiskies of different flavors and ages to explore at different price points. The nights I've been, there's also been really good live music.

Had a day out in Edinburgh yesterday with a few mates. All lads in our 40s. Started in the chanter across the road. Had a few in there and decided to try the blue blazer. We were in the door 20 seconds before we were told that, because there were 6 lads, we couldn’t come in. No more than 5 apparently. Sorry but that’s pathetic. We took our cash elsewhere.

Turned up at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon to an EMPTY pub. We were a group of 6 of 40-50year old men going to a traditional old school real ale pub that is usually much loved for a passing 1-2 pints. Seems standard clientele for standard class of pub, I’ve known it well for 20 years?? Very shocked to be turned away, based on the reason that groups of 5+ need a booking apparently - but the pub was empty?? Young “modern” staff seemingly didn’t like the look of what is the target clientele arriving. It wasn’t a busy night or a stag party arriving, just didn’t like a group of men arriving. I gave no argument or debate, and left, embarrassed I had sold this as a good pub to visit. Shocking approach by the staff, and I find amazing that consumers would be turned away outside peak time. I won’t be back solo or smaller groups , there are other more amicable and nicer vibe pubs in Edinburgh.

Spit and sawdust type pub. Good selection of beers and drinks, friendly staff and great live music.

Many (too many) years ago I met my wife in this classic Scottish boozer so we popped in for a drink (turned into 4). The beer choice was first class and the staff really helpful (and dealt very well with a chap who had a drink ot two too many). Also it was great to see the same guy playing that was at another venue we had been to - and he remembered Helen's favourite song! All over a great finish to our anniversary day in Auld Reekie!

Stopped in for a drink a couple of nights whilst staying over the road. Great staff and atmosphere def worth a visit if you are in the area.

A great classic pub with friendly bar staff and enjoyable atmosphere.

Interesting hipster vibe based on the Sunday night visitors. Quiet music, which allows you to actually talk to each other.

Great place, lovely people, fantastic variety of beer and....

Classic Edinburgh pub with a cozy atmosphere and a fantastic selection of beers and whisky.

Lovely staff, lovely Halloween decorations, we had a blast!

Consistently a good pub. I thought the "What can't you get in the States" Whisky List was a very clever idea to engage with our transatlantic cousins. Nice to see a selection of dark beers on the pumps.

Wow. What a boozer. Been to Edinburgh plenty of times, but my first time popping in here. Whisky selection next level and came with some good bar knowledge as well. They didn't have what I wanted, but was comfortably able to recommend a great similar alternative. Live music during the day and evening (we were there on a saturday). Will definitely be back again

Great Edinburgh boozer selling great local cask beers, and an incredible selection of malts

Small city centre characterful, traditional bar with occasional live music. Has a great selection of beers, whiskies and rums and the staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Toilets are down a rather steep set of stairs, so it may not be suitable for people with mobility problems.

Great choice of beers, whiskeys with friendly knowledgeable barman Recommend a visit 🍻🥃😎

Nice pub. There was a musician playing the night we went on It was good, not too loud. Great ambience.

Real pub with real beer. True Scottish experience if you're visiting.

Sehr nette Bedienung und ausreichend verschiedene Sorten Bier und Whiskey. Und nicht zu vergessen der Wasserhahn mitten im Tresen.

First time in here and glad we stopped in. Excellent old style pub, a warm welcome, friendly service and a great selection of many different drinks. Loved it.

Tremendous pub - very reasonably priced fine ales and an amazing array of whiskies. Staff and punters alike are very friendly

Classic Edinburgh pub. Friendly service

A proper pub. Random clientele, excellent tap list and of course a cracking pint or 3...One of our favourite haunts in Edinburgh. Cheers!🍻

They refused to serve me and an all round a terrible place to go. Do not drink here.

Small, somewhat crammed traditional bar. Disgusting toilets that you could smell before finding them. Most off putting. Pleasant enough bar member

Great choice of drinks and service, live music playing in the corner and board games too

Traditional Edinburgh pub Friendly staff, great range of beers, reasonable prices, good selection of alcohol-free drinks A great wee place

Did not have food beer whisky and staff excellent.

Second rate in every sense. £25 for three pints and one prosecco. They are having a laugh.

Spent a very enjoyable evening here. We were enticed in by the sound of live blues music. We then went on to enjoy several fantastically kept local ales, RumDMC being extremely good. All the staff were friendly and welcoming, so much so we'll be back for more today!!

Reliable place for a beer and comfy seat. The toilets are down fairly narrow stairs so don't be desperate!

Nice wee pub good selection of real ales and craft beer and one of the best selections of rums I've seen in a pub. Prices as you would expect in this part of Edinburgh.