The Halfway House in Edinburgh, City of

Good honest pub caught in a little corner of tourist streets... a gem. Went in right at opening and the bartender was kind, informative on their selections, and made great convo. Best genuine experience in the area.

Found this hidden gem. Small, cozy, fun. Hope to return

Really nice pub with a friendly bartender!

Found the Halfway House Halfway down a Close. A great find, good ale in what Is 1 of the smallest bars I've ever been in. We stayed for 2 pints and then made our way back to the Royal Mile. I've starred it so next trip to Edinburgh I no where to head.

A very nice pub. I tried a good dark Scotch Ale. Very tasty. The staff is very friendly. A time well spent. I hope to come back again (soon).

Recommended. Lots of atmosphere, small and intimate.

A typical Scottish pub. Pleasant atmosphere and good beer

Very odd experience at Halfway House 2pm on 19/09/24 - First time in my life I was refused service because I apparently had “difficulty opening the entrance door”. I had previously had one glass of wine with lunch, an hour earlier. Thought I would pop in for a pint before catching the train home. Looked through the window before entering into the pub, with only about 4 or 5 other people inside thought it was nice and quiet, and so I approached the bar and ordered my pint. “Not today”, came the reply. I asked if the beer was off? The reply left me speechless. “No, it looked like you had difficulty opening the door”. Quickly departed and headed down to Brewhemia where I enjoyed excellent service and a very good pint of Stewart’s lager. Avoid the Halfway House. Very odd. If I was the licensee, I would be checking on my bar staff, something not quite right.

There were several types of cask ale and they were all delicious. A pint was 5.40 pounds and a half was 2.70 pounds. Visited in August 2024. There were several types of cask ales and they were all delicious. A pint was £5.4 and a half was £2.7. Visited in August 2024.

A small local pub but friendly staff and outstanding Guinness, especially compared to neighbouring pubs in the area. Very smooth, perfect head and the right consistency - pleased to have found this venue. Also a lovely warm atmosphere that makes for an authentic Edinburgh pub experience.

Pub to have a pint and a single malt in a pleasant atmosphere. I didn't order food, but I think it was more for drinking than eating. The girl who helped us was very nice 😌

Very authentic pub! Great atmosphere, good music, and friendly staff.

We stayed at the Market Street Hotel, just down the street, so had passed here several times. Finally, it was too inviting, so we stopped. Glad we did. . The barkeep was patient and knowledgeable. We learned how to describe our tastes and sampled several to be sure. It was a most excellent evening.

Just popped in for a quick beer. Good range of well kept ales, lovely atmosphere and friendly service. Happy.

We stopped in for one quick shot on our way back to our hotel. I feel like if you're not a local, you're just another annoying tourist. I asked for some local scotch or whisky that I could only get in Scotland. The bartender didn't even show me the bottle he chose, and I was given Glenlivet. I can get that almost anywhere back home in the States. I left feeling unwelcome for the first time in Edinburgh.

Visited here recently with a few friends on a day out. It was a pub located down a lane so it could be difficult to find. The pub was quite small so we were lucky to get seated but the atmosphere was nice and it was good for us to chat away and watch the euros.

The smallest pub in Edinburgh! Worth a stop. Quaint spot just on the stairs a block off Royal Mile. They have some quick and easy food - sausage rolls and meat pies. Plenty of beers and whisky as well. The football game was on when we stopped in, which was a good time

Normally love this pub. Regularly visit with my Uncle. Good beers. Good range of whiskies. Good alternative music. Been in lots of times before, but this time a friend asked for the ‘dram deal’ with ginger beer and the barman shamed her for Daring to dilute a 12 year old single malt with a ginger beer. He wouldn’t serve her what she asked for and dictated she had to have a famous grouse etc. He did the same with a fella from Belfast later who asked for some lemonade in his Talisker. He seemed to enjoy flexing his power over customers to impress the cute girl at the end of the bar.

Lovely wee pub near Waverley station. Quite hidden, halfway up the steps towards the Royal Mile. Dinky and lots of oldie character. Good service. I'll be back.

Terrible service by absolute snob who wouldn’t serve whiskey and ginger or lemonade to customers. He didn’t know how to pour a pint of Guinness either so wouldn’t take any advice from me. Gutted as otherwise could have been a nice pub.

Great wee place. Fantastic Guinness

Delightful place. I visited with friends (first time) just a few weeks ago. I definitely recommend it.. I'm looking forward to popping in again on my next visit to Edinburgh

Good little pub with a nice selection of beers and very handy for the Waverly station.

Would give zero stars if I could. We were turned away for no reason on the day of pride at 4pm. Can only see that the bar staff were homophobic considering I had glitter on my face for pride. As soon as we walked in, we were told "not today". Unfortunately we went here as google said it was gay friendly, obviously not. Now I see other reviews of people where the same happened, staff obviously on a power trip. Don't bother. UPDATE - As everyone can see from your drunken ramblings at gone 2am, I am obviously the vile/hateful one. I had zero "booze" and you were never verbally abused. The irony of your response is hilarious. Good luck to you and your disgusting attitude.

We went to have a drink, we loved the pint of beer and the service too

Wonderful little pub. Bruce is a great bartender!

Good pub, good beer, close to the train station.

Once again not been in this pub. Need to fix this!!

Nice little pub and well located.

Only pies available,no hot food to order as the menu says...not for 4 years

Brilliant pub, welcome to anyone

Good working person pub with a selection of pies.

I recommend it, I haven't eaten it but the beer is great ;)

Stumbled (literally) across this fine pub after our Edinburgh Dungeon tour, a welcom sight as you climb the steps & a perfectly nice member of staff, Stella + pint of lime & soda (driving) and a substantial sausage roll, fair prices in a nice quiet that wasn't too busy at the time, I would definitely visit again the next time I'm in Edinburgh.

Really lovely traditional old pub packed full of character

Don't miss Halfway House, a charming pub mere steps from Edinburgh Waverley! This true local favorite holds the title of "Edinburgh's Smallest Pub," and its size only adds to its charm. While seating can be limited due to its compact space, the friendly atmosphere and constant buzz make standing room enjoyable. Admire the unique railway memorabilia while enjoying a pint – after all, you're practically on the platform! Whether you're a seasoned local or new to the city, Halfway House is a must-visit for a taste of Edinburgh's cosy pub culture.

A dram and a pint on the way from the train station to The Scotch Whisky Experience. Quiet, but at 11:30am mid-week what else would you really expect? Last time I was in, it was nighttime, and I was rather drunk. Shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of the patrons. Whenever you visit, Edinburgh's smallest pub is a must for a stop.

Was visiting Edinburgh with my daughter. The bartender was especially rude, refused to serve us, claimed we were drunk and kicked us out. We hadn’t had anything to drink that day except coffee. The pub right above The Halfway House was friendly and had great atmosphere. Never been kicked out of a bar, so at least now we can say we were and in Scotland of all places.

Just go. Great beer in a quiet nook with a friendly but not imposing bar keep/ manager. Stop by or stay for a bit...you won't be sorry! Sorry, no food here.

Very good pub, very nice, with good beer and good whiskey not very expensive! It’s a real change from the tourist pubs in the center!

Nipped in for a couple of pints. Not changed much since the last time I was in 20yrs ago.

For train lovers a short stop. Very small.

Great experience of scotch pub hidden in a very narrow street, very friendly service and great scotch whisky, totally recommend!

Bruce is a great bartender. We enjoyed his witty conversation. The cask ales were very good. Near the bottom of Fleshmarket Close.

Friendly staff. Decent selection of beers. Small beer garden

This is a proper Scottish pub. If you're lucky enough to find a place to park and enjoy good conversation with the owner and the locals, then consider yourself lucky.

A proper pub, really good ale, the Lia Fail was especially good, friendly customers, a welcome break from the many touristy pubs of Edinburgh.

Great railway themed pub, fantastic bar tenders

An oasis of peace & quiet in the centre of Edinburgh in tourist season. Bar snacks only. Pies, bridies etc

Great location and wonderful atmosphere.

What a tiny pub. 4 or 5 pumps for cask. 6 or 7 tables.... Great location halfway up the stairs.

A friendly welcome and a well kept pint of Stella

Made my day After disappointment with most of the bars this pub is how it should be: sincere, friendly, courteous. RECOMMEND!

Great service.... Great banter!

Lot older customers, being intimating towards other people in the especially tourist & younger members of the customers. Over heard lot sexist remarks as well. My wife felt very uncomfortable & afraid Won't be going bck there in hurry.

Cozy. Quiet. Away from the hell that is the tourist centre of Royal Mile.

Nice little pub located along an alley. Friendly environment. We had a good time for a drink! It's probably standard in UK/Scotland but they also sell regular and flavored peanuts...

Nice Small, pub good atmosphere, staff could be cheerier.

Atmosphere is so cool for watching the football or rugby

Friendly service and a nice atmosphere, only a small pub, but it's a great stop off when you're climbing the steps.

Close to Waverley Station, know Fleshmarket Close from Ian Rankin, happy to find that halfway up is a cracking cosy pub. Drop in for a pint or two. Recommended.

I don't write reviews but I had to for this place. I went in close to closing time and the beer and music was good but what made it stand out was the barman was giving customers the food from their pie machine instead of binning them at the end of the night. Good beer, good music and a steak pie, what more could you ask?

Amazingly close to another poor review. Went in yesterday evening, 4th Feb asked who brewed one of the beers on tap. Then the one next to it and barman said they wouldn’t serve us and leave. Absolutely no reason for it. Hadn’t been drinking beforehand. First time in my life I’ve ever been refused service. Ridiculous and embarrassing.

Love this place. Amazing ale. Great pies. Rarely crowded despite being tiny. Love, love love it. Secret hidden in plain view

Nettes Pub, sehr klein, nur über viele Stiegen erreichbar, kein Essen. Zufällig entdeckt, auf ein Pint reingeschaut. Nett.

Great bar, great beer, great music.

Great little historic pub with a fine selection of ales.

Decent pub but the staff were extremely rude and arrogant towards us who were clearly tourists.

Un rincón muy agradable cerca de la Royal Mile. Pequeño pero auténtico

Fantastic little pub, and I mean little. Great selection of drinks and friendly staff. Definitely coming again when back in Edinburgh.

1st visit. Convinced hubby to go to the Royal Mile and had a wee stop on way up Fleshmarket Close. Small, snug pub that's been around for centuries. Outdoor seating also available. Popular with tourists and locals alike. Definitely get a sense of olde worlde here. If only walls could talk!

Great pint of Guinness for brekkie this morning.

Great wee pub, cozy local experience in the centre of town

Cute pub. No more serving food :(

A beautiful pub full of taste and atmosphere. Lovely welcoming staff. Service great. Fab ye olde time pub full of character 👌

Lovely food and staff, highly recommend!

Delicious beer, bartender is real professional - recommended me best Scottish beer

Lovely wee pub, will be back to try their pies

A small comfortable city centre bar. A great place to have a quick pint or spend the entire evening in.

This place has very unique atmosphere. The space is pretty small. Had some drinks. We tried whiskey flight, very fun experience for us.

Really chilled pub, nice and cosy. Felt very local with really friendly atmosphere. Lots of choices for whisky. A must visit

Lovely cosy bar good atmosphere 👌

Wie der Name schon sagt, findet man diesen Pub auf halber Strecke der Treppe. Stimmung super, Bierauswahl gut, perfekt für einen Stopp auf halber Strecke.

Popped in for some drinks on our old town tour. Staff very friendly and helpful. We sat outside as it was a pleasant evening.

We was in with another couple having drinks when a couple came in and ordered at the bar, The bar man refused to serve them, his manner was quite aggressive and he raised his voice,he offered no reason for his decision when he was asked,he refused to give them his name and continued with his extremely unprofessional demeanor....we will not be returning to the premises again,this kind of service is not what anyone wants to witness when going for a relaxing evening out

Absolutely appalling service, the bar man claimed to be the manager, completely lost his temper and refused to serve us.... He would not give us his name or a reason for not serving us, the experience ruined our afternoon trip, it was totally embarrassing, however he made a bigger fool of himself

Super convenient and chill. Perfect place to stop in after getting off the train

Over £5 for the cheapest pint and rude staff who don’t want to be there. Interior is also dingy and dated. Avoid !

Beautiful pub and beer! Great atmosphere and the staff friendly! Definitely going back!

Went in for one, ended up having three. Great little pub with fantastic choice of music ( my kind of music anyway!!)

Small pub, cold beer, rugby world cup on TV. Five stars.

Great spot to have a wee tipple while exploring Edinburgh.

Durch Zufall gefunden und ein sehr schöner und authentischer Pub!

Great friendly banter from the bar staff, they were very knowledgeable regarding the drinks they were selling.

Great little place for a pint 👍

Fantastic cask beers and somehow they make microwaved Cullen Skink that's better than most anywhere in town costing three times as much. Great place, highly recommended

Beautiful space, small but very cosy! Nice variety of beers and the bartender was very nice to us explaining the different beers, and we had a great time there, not super crowded even it being a small bar. Not very easy to spot, and that is a big virtue! 100% recommend!

It may have been the day, but there was no food. When we asked about food we were told by Bruce "it's a pub there is no food" when all of the reviews had pictures of food. I also asked what his favorite beer was, and was told "I don't know, tennents? Order something" we were with family, and We were all paying together, so when I asked what they would want he replied "let's hurry it up I've got people waiting". There were two other groups in the pub and one of them wanted some water. The local man replied "no no it's okay! I'm in no rush". Needless to say it was the most unwelcoming expirience of our whole trip. We planned a pub crawl route and I picked this one because they had a gay pride flag in the window. Wanted to support welcoming open minded businesses on our trip and felt a little left in the cold on this one. Please do better.

Location is great. Nice atmosphere. Food is not what is posted in photos. Very limited selection. Staff (Bruce) not friendly, seemed irritated to be there. Recommend skipping on past this location.... so many other friendly places to choose from.

Never had any food, so can't mark it. Otherwise an excellent experience. Beer was exceptionally well kept. My favourite pub in Edinburgh.