The Bow Bar in Edinburgh, City of

This was my favourite Edinburgh bar. Used to have a drink there 3 or 4 times a year on my city breaks. Sadly last week a barman just ignored my wife and myself when we tried to get served. He appeared more interested in someone behind us who I presume he knew? The bar was only moderately busy. We had to leave and will never return.

Great knowledge and friendly staff

Good spot in the heart of the city center with a great selection of beers.

A must for connoisseurs! Before I made my “beer choice”, I was first offered beer samples by the staff. First class ambience and well-being!

we arrived unexpectedly for lunch and we didn't regret it! Good beer with an offer from the waitress, the pies offered were very good and the welcome was really friendly. We recommend

Popped in for a drink while exploring the city and had read good reviews. Was hoping to do a whisky flight but was informed they couldn't do that. Instead the bartender was kind and offered me a recommendation, even allowed me to nose it before pouring. Enjoyed a quick dram and headed back out as they did not have food at that time.

One of the best whisky selections in Edinburgh.

Great bar, cosy and welcoming atmosphere and exceptional and friendly staff.

It is a typical Scottish place, you have to go there! The waiter is super friendly and recommends the beers. I will repeat!

The bar tender is super friendly, knows his beer and sure know how to recommend one

Quaint pub with a large selection of whiskeys and beers! Here you can immerse yourself in Scottish “pub culture”!

Always good beer in one of Edinburghs best

Very nice and cozy old pub in the heart of Edinburgh.

Typical Scottish pub, friendly environment. Variety of beers

Reasonable price for where it is located and lovely decor. A but unclean tho.

An old fashioned pub serving a great choice of cask ales and whiskies, superb atmosphere and very authentic

Great beer and very friendly service. Great atmosphere.

Family feeling in a pub? Yes that works ! Great atmosphere, super tasty beer, simply an outstanding pub culture.

Very good selection of ales, staff gave the impression they cared about what they served. Line up of beers would suit all tastes Im sure.

Decent pub in a touristy area which doesn’t make you feel like a trap. Though the beer (both stout and pale ale) tasted like room temperature when we visited.

Great ale, albeit, not from a traditional hand-pull. Barman gave excellent whisky advice. Thank you very much. A great pub; not pretentious. Love it.

Ordered wine only one choice of red and white. RIP off price for bottle of wine. Unsmiling and unhelpful service. Does not take young people as they have no food and no kitchen. Would not go back

Very nice pub with a very wide selection of drinks, both beers and whiskey. Price/performance OK

Traditional pub in the beating heart of Edinburgh's tourism, but don't worry, inside you will find locals and true beer connoisseurs from all over Europe with whom you can chat in the afternoon over a pint

A must for cask beer and whiskey lover.

Nice popular pub in the Old Town of Edinburgh. Great beer and atmosphere. No children.

A great historical bar in the city - I mostly visit when the tourists have gone away.

Good selection of beers and large (expensive) range of whiskies - the place always has a buzz about it.

I had such a lovely night at the Bow Bar! Next time I’m in Edinburgh, I’m definitely coming back! Got to learn lots about Whiskey as well! :)

real Scottish pub! You can breathe the real air of Scotland, a cheerful place, friendly staff.

Great spot for drinks, easy ordering and good, local-feeling atmosphere.

Still, THE place for fine whisky and good beer in Edinburgh. The choices are overwhelming! It never changes..Thank God!

Bartender was very friendly and had cool tats!!(:

Wonderful pies, but go for lunch if you want to arrive before they run out. We tried four of them (chicken, pork, vegan, and spinach & goat cheese), and the vegan was my favorite—perfectly seasoned curried vegetables and chick peas. Great bar service as well, though they didn’t have cider on tap. If I lived in Edinburgh, I’d be a regular at this place.

Beautiful old pub with lots of old bar mirrors. For ale drinkers there are 8 cask ale taps! Don't worry for the philistines, there are also 6 kegs. Well-selected beers from all over the UK. Sorry Northern Ireland ;) I'll definitely come back and advertise.

Maybe the best whisky bar in Edinburgh. Very helpful staff, great crowd on a Friday night.

The guys behind the counter know how to lead you to a whisky you'd like.

Such a lovely find! Helpful and friendly staff. Good atmosphere with a great selection of ales and more 👍🏼🌟

My most favourite bar in Edinburgh! A great selection of beers and malt whiskeys (of course) with a genuine atmosphere, built-up over years, and not some false vintage inspired bar, of which there appear to be so many. This is the real deal, with a friendly and very knowledgeable bar staff too!!!

We didn't eat. However, they let us sample the draught before we chose our pints.

Had a nice couple of pints here

Centrally located great bar with good whisky collection and atmosphere. Staff behind the bar were excellent- patient and well-informed; recommending whisky and offering to nose them before we ordered. We ended up getting quite a few drams. It is a small place so be prepared to stand.

We smelled different whiskeys according to our preference and tried two beautiful whiskeys according to the price balance. The bartender was very helpful and friendly. A small but nice bar.

Feels like a step into the past at this pub in the heart of the old town. Great selection of whiskies and cask ales, and generous pours.

Tasty pies, great cask ales, accommodating and knowledgeable staff, affordable. For the old city, this felt very homey with good vibes. One of our favorites in Edinburgh!

Very friendly welcome, conviviality awaits you

Barman was sound! Nice pub nothing fancy.

Fantastic place for beer and it has a good atmosphere, definitely highly recommend

Superb little locale in a the heart of Edinburgh. Plenty of fine ales, beers, and whiskies to choose from. Unsure about which? Just ask the highly knowledgeable staff.

A classic old town spot for good Cask beer and a range of whisky. Traditional, and popular.

Went here based on Google reviews and it didn’t disappoint. My husband had the haggis pie and I had the vegetarian . Both were delicious. Staff are super friendly

Exactly what I would expect from the (voted) best bar in Scotland. Great dram serving sizes, whisky selection, and staff.

If you like cask beer, this is the place for you. Great staff and atmosphere.

Lieu convivial et pub typique. Au calme et da's l ambiance écossaise. Excellent accueil. Service attentionné et souriant. La bière est très bonne. Dégustation possible. et les pies sont excellentes !!!!

The Bow Bar is my favourite pub in Edinburgh. It may attract the tourists but the staff are always friendly, courteous and knowledgeable about the extensive range of whisky and beer. There is always a great atmosphere whether it be a chilled afternoon pint or a bustling weekend night out. Just a great traditional, wee bar.

Perfect place to get craft beer!

Very cozy, good selection of different whiskeys!

This is our favorite pub in Edinburgh! The bartenders are fabulous and knowledgeable about their very well stocked supply of malts. We had a steak pie as well and it was delightful! Sit in the window seat and watch the people passing on Victoria Street.

Nice place for whiskey and beer 👍🍻🥃

Really sorry to have to do this as I have visited this pub many times but last night, I ordered an Ardbeg Uigeadail, a whisky I am very familiar with. This was NOT Uigeadail. The colour and taste were wrong. Either it was Ardbeg 10 or, as I suspect, it had been watered down. The trust is broken and I will never return.

Great Pub in a great location. Friendly bartender, great pies (I can recommend spinach and haggis) make me want to come back. Vegan and NA options available as well. Very welcoming.

Can't comment on the drinks, other than to say that the selection available is impressive and staff seem very knowledgeable. However, the pork and blue cheese pie that I had was the best pie I've ever eaten. Service was great, bar staff super nice :)

Excellent little pub. Good beer selection.

Always amazing. Some of the best whiskies in town.

Great experience. Bartender was very knowledgeable and helpful with whisky selection. Enjoyed speaking with both bartenders, could not recommend more. Great staff with an incredible whisky selection.

Amazing traditional bar. Great selection of beers and whisky.

This place was quite the surprise. A pub this centralized in a tourist zone has no business being this incredible. It's like a locals joint outside of town but right in the heart of the city. A great place to stop for a pint and a wee dram as I had a pint of cask ale and a good pour of Ardbeg Wee Beastie at the end of a long day of exploring. A cozy, warm interior and friendly folk both at the bar and throughout the establishment. This kind of place has the vibes that attracts good people.

The bar staff came across a bit rude, unwilling to guide my friend and I when it came to picking a good whiskey. They served us the house option, which made us incredibly unwell.

Loved it here real friendly staff, great knowledge of whisky. Pies are great! If there is a sign saying nae pies they probably just forgot to take it down! Haggis pie is awesome!

A nice pub, good beers, typical setting and friendly and efficient welcome. To eat, exclusively “pies”, garnished pies. Your choice of haggis, pork, chicken, vegetarian... Something to nourish you with! A good address in this very touristy street.

One of my favourite pubs in Edinburgh. It's beautiful inside, really lovely friendly staff and a great choice of beer. On a day trip to Edinburgh so the plug sockets and free WiFi were very handy.

A truly Scottish pub, where loca and tourist grt among well. Impressive whisky list, although the place does not really work well woth peaceful whisky tasting.

One of Edinburghs little gems. Great whisky selection.Locals/tourists. Good ale selection and friendly staff. And look out for the Wonderful Whisky Wednesday's. When expensive whisky s are at better than half price.

Great beer, good service, interesting interior and nice atmosphere.

Another place where we did the whiskey tasting, which was also amazing. The portuguese guy in the counter helped me a lot, and he asked me what my preferencses since they have hundreds of options, he recommended me to Laphroaig and it was amazing. Since then, this is my best whiskey ever I tasted. Highly recommended place, will definitely go back again here.

Superb Edinburgh bar. Excellent beer and a huge range of whisky

Skip the Grassmarket, go here!!! An amazing Edinburgh bar where the staff will help you find the drink you are looking for! Added bonus they won't rip you off on price

Nice place. Customers are very local looking. Tons of scotches to choose from and a good selection of beer.

Emphasis on compact, but that’s where you get the charm. Great of drinks and a perfect cold weather destination.

Impressive gantry with some independent bottling and unheard of whiskies as well as your usual bottles. Definitely recommend.

Good number of beers and a great range of whisky. Friendly staff who are glad to advise whisky novices.

Good beers in a little quirky pub.

De 10!!! Parada obligatoria. ¡¡¡¡El camarero nos trató mejor que bien!!!!!!! Además era de Lisboa y nos entendíamos a la perfección. Nos dio a probar algunas cervezas porque no sabíamos cuál elegir. El ambiente es inmejorable. Nos gustó muchísimo. Está justo en victoria street,y aunque hay turistas,su público habitual es local. Se admiten perritos y se ve que los tratan genial. No os lo perdáis.

What a great bar! I wanted to try some whiskey and I think he was the bar manager took a lot of time to have me smell different bottles and select ones he thought I would enjoy. He was really friendly and delightful to talk to! Most of the customers seemed more local than touristy. At one point he needed to check on someone who came into the bar bc he was worried this person was “too drunk to serve” but he left. It was reassuring to me that even tho the bar was busy and he was helping me he was still very aware of what was going on in the bar! Definitely worth stopping in for a pint or a taste of whiskey!

Great beer, great service. Nice pie for a good price. Perfect for a stop when strolling around

Wee gem of a pub with a good choice of real ales. Cheap prices, too.

We went to the Bow Bar on a recommendation for our last night in Edinburgh and really enjoyed it! It was a Monday night and probably quieter than usual but it was perfect for us and allowed more time to talk to our amazing bartender and learn about whiskeys. I don't recall his name (young, blonde hair) but he was very knowledgeable and really made our night. Thanks!

Good choice of ales, they had dark ales too which we choose as preference, the barmaid was friendly and knowledgeable and interested in the beers she was selling.

Another good spot for a drink and a feed

Uno de los pubs más auténticos de Edimburgo que aún quedan. Gran variedad de cervezas y whiskys. Ambiente relajado para conversar con amigos mientras degustas alguna de las cervezas que tienen de grifo. Las camareras amables y simpáticas

It's a really fun spot, very friendly and fun bar staff.

Smashing wee bar with amazing beers and whiskies

Un lugar muy acogedor al más puro estilo pub escocés donde charlar tomando unas pintas

Chill, great atmosphere with real folk. Loved the service and they're super dog friendly! We showed up right when they opened and it filled up fast

Best bar in Edinburgh to sit and sip a good malt. Also has an excellent choice of beers.

Nice little traditional pub on the street that was likely the inspiration for Harry Potter's Diagon Alley. Very lively "after work" place with a great selection of beers, ales and whiskeys. It's right in the heart of things, so if you are thirsty after shopping and/or sightseeing, this is a good place to recharge.

Hay que probar el mulled cider. Y si te gusta el whisky, no tienes días para probarlos todos

Très bonne accueil, de bons conseils pour le choix d'un scotch. Lui avec beaucoup de charme, mais pour moi il manquait un peu de musique

Le "pie" erano buone sebbene servissero solo quelle. Qualche varietà di birra, servizio ed ambiente ottimi. Si sta bene. Consigliato per un pasto veloce!

Mice cozy bar with unbelievable choice of whiskies!