The Hanging Bat in Edinburgh, City of

Here again 2/12/25 and kitchen is closed until March which made me sad indulging in a French cherry martini which is very delicious. Cherry liquor , vodka and pineapple juice shaken and served with cherries ice cold is prefect. Lively for a Wednesday. Only negative is no food available

The best craft beer bar in Edinburgh. Always a great selection on tap and in the beer fridge, the food never disappoints either.

Had great potential (cute spot, reasonably priced drinks) but an incredibly rude man came around and started yelling at all the guests (lots of tables still seated) around 11pm (closing is midnight). Of course completely understandable that a bar might close earlier if it isn’t busy, but this man was condescending and outright confrontational. Another group politely asked what time the bar would close (again - website explicitly says open to midnight every day, so this is an hour early) when this man first came around grabbing drinks from tables while patronisingly declaring “it’s home time”, he replied by aggressively pointing at an empty table and sarcastically asking “what do you think?”. This is out of nowhere and he doesn’t actually answer the question as to whether the bar is closing or at what time it’s closing. He does leave the full drinks for guests to finish so we interpreted this as his version of “final call.” When he came around again and told all the people “it’s home time, now get out”, we asked him for his name. He replied by stating it’s none of our business. We raised this to the management who were understanding and seemed aware of the issue with this employee. Would suggest avoiding this bar while he is working. Again - there would have been no issue whatsoever if he simply said “apologies, it’s quiet so we’d like to close the bar now”, it was the tone and aggression that made his behaviour inappropriate.

They have cheap cocktails (£7-£9) and they are really good

If you love beer you will love it here.

Not recommended, it looks nice but the staff is worthless. Very blunt and antisocial.

This is my regular stop whenever i’m in Edinburgh. The variety of craft beers they are serving, is the best choice. This place has lovely and cool atmosphere with friendly vibes. Staff were attentive and good in service. In this freezing weather, they create an amazing, cozy atmosphere. Visiting everyday while staying in Edinburgh.

What a shame! You wait obediently at the bar when the bar closes for 30 minutes on New Year's Eve so that the staff can drink? In any case, I had nothing to offend. Thanks for nothing.

Excellent craft beers, sadly wifi not working

Rude staff one member of which clearly hates the English. Who ignored me when he heard my accent, served others before me and was incredibly rude when I politely advised him that I had been waiting before them with the response "thanks for that". Luckily for him I've mellowed over the past few years!!!

Had the fish and chips. Very nice.

Great pub and lovely bar tenders

Another one that’s been on my radar and happy to have dropped in. Lovely Place and the Plum Ruby Mild went down nicely.

Pub slightly away from the city center with a good selection of beers on tap. Slow and somewhat chaotic service, you order at the counter and then the food is served at the table... if they don't forget. Even though it was a Tuesday evening and the place wasn't full, we waited more than 25 minutes for a portion of chips. High prices especially for beers but in line with the rest of the city

Quirky bar with a brilliant range of ales. Friendly and knowledgeable staff very nice atmosphere

Great little pub with a good beer selection.

Came in just for a few drinks before a meal elsewhere, and we were very impressed with the atmosphere and the very welcoming and attentive bar staff. Nice beers and ciders, well kept with a very big range - Also a nice whiskey selection, staff very knowledgeable and helpful with recommendations!

Nice pub with a little bit of old school feeling.

We arrived with 23 people and received fantastic customer service. The food came out before we even sat down. I've always wanted chips that tasted like they were from a castle cellar. The only downside was one of our party was a little too obsessed with the bare stone walls.

One of the worst restaurants I have ever experienced. Ordered food as a group of 23 people. This was served individually at regular intervals of 20 minutes, spread over 3 hours. It feels like fries have been dug out of the castle cellar. The only positive thing is the ambience. The wall behind us has some old stones...

The haddock sandwich was amazing, plus the chips are perfect for the vinegar girlies and lads. They are little potato moats where you can get the perfect malt vinegar to potato ratio.

Great selection of unusual beers! One of the best in Edinburgh.

Excellent selection of craft beers, albeit slightly on the pricey side. Friendly bar staff.

Great atmosphere and good service. Food was excellent. Bit pricey on the drinks but wonderful international selection. German Oktoberfest collection was great.

What a great find! Popped in to the Hanging Bat on the basis of the good reviews and to enjoy some craft beer. So pleased to see such a great choice of keg beers to try! The staff gave us the best welcome we've received in Edinburgh and were really knowledgeable. Following some great recommendations by the team and after a taste, we really enjoyed the NEIPA Otherworld Brewery's 'Huntress'. Delicious! We enjoyed a good, honest portion of dirty fries with our beers. They were served beautifully hot, with loads of topping and enough to share. Thank you for a top craft beer experience and welcome! ⭐

What a great find! Popped in to the Hanging Bat on the basis of the good reviews and to enjoy some craft beer. So pleased to see such a great choice of keg beers to try! The staff gave us the best welcome we've received in Edinburgh and were really knowledgeable. Following some great recommendations by the team and after a taste, we really enjoyed the NEIPA Otherworld Brewery's 'Huntress'. Delicious! We enjoyed a good, honest portion of dirty fries with our beers. They were served beautifully hot, with loads of topping and enough to share. Thank you for a top craft beer experience and welcome! ⭐

The Hanging Bat was mentioned in a book we enjoyed reading and therefore we went to try their Mac'n'Cheese. We were not disappointed, the atmosphere was great and the food was amazing! Throughout our stay in Edinburgh we went there multiple times and tried different things from the menu - all tasted great~ We can only highly recommend going there!

Great pub. Really good vibe and nice beer selection

Hanging Bat was a chill place for us to recharge during the day. We grabbed some food and drinks, and I was impressed by the beer menu. The food was only average, but vibes inside were great.

Great choice of craft beers but unfortunately no pints.

Great selection of local beer on tap.

Been two times now and atmosphere is lovely, it’s a nice level of busy where it feels comfortable and cozy. The cocktails are DELICIOUS. Staff are so unbelievably friendly and lovely. If you’re around, absolutely go here you’ll be looked after so nicely. Good pricing too, great student bar. Highly recommend.

Excellent choice for beer lovers, but expensive when they only serve in half pints! The pub is spread out over 3 split level floors and very few seats at the bar which robs the place of a heart.

The food was good and generous portions. No table service so you need to go to the bar and order. Very noisy in the evening which is to be expected.the bathroom was very dirty and no hand towels or dryer

This group of lads are fantastic. Wide selection of beers from all over! Even north America! Very friendly and chatty. Run a fine establishment.

As an ipa and overall craft beer enthusiast from Seattle, this was a great spot for me to drop in at. Barkeepers were awesome at making drinks and very friendly! I had a great time and when I visit Edinburgh again, I will be back. Cheers!

Very good craft beer pub. Great range of taps and cans.

An excellent place for craft beer lovers 😍😍. Very good service, excellent music, pleasant atmosphere and a wide variety of craft beers both on tap and in cans. Wonderful that they also have zero zero beers so you can enjoy several beers if you prefer not to consume alcohol. A marvel, highly recommended!

Visiting Edinburgh from the PNW of the States, Portland Oregon to be exact. I enjoy craft beer and trying to experience what Scotland has to offer. The Hanging Bat really hit the spot with tap selection, friendly people and great slightly funky atmosphere. Highly recommend a visit when your in their part of Edinburgh or just make a special trip. Cheers

I was brought here on my hen/birthday weekend for a meal, and did not leave disappointed! The food was fantastic, booze selection: excellent! And the staff were so much fun too. Some places kinda shun hen parties, but not this place! definitely eat there and don't be in a hurry. You won't regret it! :D

Just a great pub if you enjoy local craft beer. Food was solid too. Friendly service too.

Great beer and very filling food. The chilli nachos were a meal in themselves. The steak sandwich was ok but would go for a burger in hindsight. Amazing selection of beers!

A pub that doesn’t sell pints. Most likely to cover the fact they routinely charge £8 a pint plus pro-rated for some pretty standard “craft” beers. Limited cask options - not sure it’s stored/pulled that often as my Pilot-Sunny on latest visit was a bit musty for my tastes. If you’re looking for cask ale, my advice is to walk 5 minutes and go to Cloisters.

This place is off the Royal Mile and thankful away from the hustle of the tourist trade. We had the fish and chips and it was excellent. Good selection of craft beer as well. Found it a very relaxing, local pub with good food, beer and great service. If you want a nice local pub with good conversation, this is a must.

Enjoyed the bar, all the beers are ones you've never heard of but you are allowed to try them before you buy.

Great ambiance, great food, fair prices. Would go back

I’m from the Midwest, where we have a flourishing craft beer scene. This was the first establishment in the UK where I could get a proper taste of the craft beer scene across the pond. Also, the music they play is incredible, one of the songs I noticed over the stereo was Parabola by TOOL. Need I say more?

Beer selection is cool, pricing adequate for beers offered. service however very poor and unfriendly, no advice - beer menu hardly readeable, tables not cleaned, lots of fruit flys PLACE COULD BE SO MUCH BETTER

Good selection of beers and delicious beef stew

Great food and a good selection of craft beers and cocktails

Nice music and the beers are good. On the other hand, if you are looking for a pub to eat well with pleasant service, go your way... the burger I ordered was really not good (burnt steak, dry bread and non-existent sauce) and my partner's Mac and cheese Same. Note that it is often said that you can know the cleanliness of a restaurant's kitchen by visiting their toilets and that really doesn't make you want to come and eat there 🙃

It's giving big "out of business" vibes

Leans "modern" pub but has that classic vibe while still being vibrant and fun. Staff are young and friendly. Beer selection leans craft and food leans modern gastropub. Spacious with some great music playing. Great stop for a pint and even a proper meal.

Super cute little bar! 3 floors, cosy lighting and quick service. Quite a few cocktail options and lots of interesting beers.

Huge selection of craft beers in all styles. Friendly service. Cozy atmosphere.

Visited a few times now when I’ve been in Edinburgh. Firstly, it got to be said that the beer range and quality are second to none. That’s the only positive unfortunately. A couple of the staff are very good. However from recent experiences, most are miserable and would much rather be propping up the end of the bar on their phones rather than serving or clearing tables. There was a guy ‘working’ there on Friday afternoon that was the worst I’ve seen so far, he really didn’t want to be there at all. The food on Friday was dreadful, easily the worst burger I’ve ever had the misfortune to eat. It was stone cold and tasted of nothing at all, and that’s their ‘signature’. It’s certainly not something I’d want to be putting my signature on, absolutely terrible. Just a note regarding the state of the place. The smoking area outside is disgraceful, an absolute embarrassment. I’d doesn’t look like it it has been cleaned for about a year. The toilets are horrible, two urinals blocked and the hand dryer was broken. The small area that I believe is the brewery look like a junk store, if that’s where their own beer comes from I’m glad I didn’t try it.

Great beer, that’s the only positive. We visited on Good Friday. But for one of the staff, the rest were sullen and were all propping up the bar on their mobile phones instead of clearing tables. On a couple of previous visits the staff have been pretty rude, OK I’m 52 but I’m allowed to drink craft beer although I’m clearly not a cool hipster. I had a burger, it was absolutely terrible and stone cold. My friend had the pulled pork topped fries, it looked like baby sick. We had a few more beers after our food, nobody cleared our table, the plates are probably still there. The place is filthy, the smoking area doesn’t look like it’s ever been cleaned, two urinals in the gents were blocked and the hand dryer wasn’t working (it wasn’t the last time I went in about six months before). What I think is the brewery is a filthy mess. Just relies on its reputation, the manager needs a kick up the arse or sacking and replacing with someone who can make it what it was. The staff all need to be told that mobiles are banned behind the bar, to flipping smile a bit and be polite to the customers. I love the beer in there but I’m done with the place now.

Fantastic real ale pub, definitely recommend

Amazing staff, nice atmosphere and VERY good music!

A couple of drinks on a quiet Sunday night

Cool venue. Great beer. Can't comment on the food as I only had the ale.

Decent pub but their no pint glass policy is stupid and unpatriotic.

Loved the session pale ale I tried, pricey but worth it. Has a variety of beers from different breweries.

A good beer spot for local crafts, could sit for a few hours

Fantastic place for beers. They also have a much welcome selection of non alcoholic beers (including stout, porters, sours, etc) I'm not a regular, but when I want a nice pint, this is the first place I will go to

Brilliant bar. Great choice of beers and larger. Food good too.

Scott, the bar tender, was amazing. Friendly environment, drinks reasonably priced. The food was great and by far my best place of the evening.

5 stars and maybe starting to fade a bit. So many do. The bar is amazing. The beer is amazing...big kudos to the fabulous 6% house lager and American hop head beers. However, when you get to over £9 for a third of beer on the board that is not rare world class aged German or Belgium (or even aged Scottish) ...it risks becoming a bit silly. Stay strong Hanging Bat!

What a great little place this is. A really excellent range of local and not so local beers. Staff were really friendly and helpful and the food was really good. It was really busy when we arrived around 7pm but was a bit quieter from around 8:00pm onwards, although it was a Thursday evening. Would definitely call again next time we're in town.

Good selection of craft beers and nice location but a tad on the pricey side which seems to be the standard for craft beer in Edinburgh.

Very chill pub, music isn’t too loud and the beers are nice

The waitress at this shop was very nice, I had a cold and kept refilling my hot water and adding honey.

Creative beers that you don't get elsewhere. They were playing Disney songs. 5/5.

A fantastic bar - with both a great beer selection but also tasty food, and good cocktails. Mostly keg beers - craft beer. Not a huge place. The smoked meats are cracking.

Food is pretty good, wings are decent. Not sure how good the beers are, the staff were so unfriendly and miserable I didn't stay for more than one. Felt like I was imposing.

Great selection of beers; everything from sours, stouts and porters to pale ales. Friendly staff and vegan- and allergy-friendly menu. The kitchen accommodated my girlfriend's egg and milk-protein allergies with no issues. The Nachos with vegan cheese was delicious.

A cool dark atmosphere with a wide selection of beers and tasty, yet simple food. Kids were welcome and enjoyed the hotdogs.

I became a regular there during the five days of my stay in Edinburgh. The place bewitched us, we got addicted. Every member of the staff is super professional: they respect the customer, have a great sense of humour, they are super friendly, and they create an amazing, cozy atmosphere. I loved the food. Their fish&chips is extraordinary, their signature burger is delicious, just like the beef stew. AND the cocktails!!! Best taste, quality and value.

Lovely and cozy pub with a selection of craft beers, some of which are also from cask. Beers are a bit on the pricey side and drinks have to be ordered at the bar. Food is okay but nothing out of the ordinary. Loved that place.

A great bar / cocktail bar. Fantastic atmosphere and very trendy styling. Excellent range of draft craft beers which change regularly, but this is much more than al beer house. There is a good range of cocktails too, which is great because that invites a very different crowd from the typical bearded beanie hat wearing craft beer aficionado. Food is typical bar fare - sandwiches, burgers, wings - but made with care and at a better level than most. Someone has put a lot of thought into this place.

Great range of beers and cocktails too. Local beers where on when we went in

Scot (yes, Scot from Scotland) was such a nice affable young man that this oldster from New England & his missus were quite charmed. Our 30-ish son & daughter-in-law from fashionable London told us that The Hanging Bat was their FAVORITE spot in Edinburgh & we're glad we followed their tip. And to be 💯% clear, the other two men staffing the bar were a pleasure to chat with as well! The large fish & chips might have been the best that these we've had in our visits to England & Wales. Lightly battered, fresh tasting, and oooooh those fries (chips? potato thingies? pick your favorite idiom). We chose the double IPA which I think was served from a cask at UK temperatures. But have no fear, fellow Yanks - the slightly higher temperature than you might expect only ENHANCES the taste of the hoppy brew. You can just feel your synapses snapping happily as they step outside your comfort zone 🤔🙃🥳 Alrighty, that's quite enough. What a lovely welcome to a (for us) new city. Thanks Hanging Bat!

A brilliant beer bar in Edinburgh. Loved the selection of beers and the food was decent too. Will be back.

Needs more bats!! Great spot though! I wish the music was not 90s but a darker mix of goth/industrial/metal.

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Cool brewpub with a variety of beers on tap. A good place to grab a cold one.

Unfortunately, I do not buy the atmosphere of this place, which is not entirely clear what it should be like - a bit old, but also a bit new. Pretty good selection of craft beers but unfortunately due to the lack of atmosphere I wouldn't go back there again.

La comida estaba muy buena. Las mejores patatas fritas de todo Edimburgo! Fueron rápidos y trajeron todos los platos calientes. Tienen una amplia carta de cervezas. Como pega, el servicio fue algo antipático

Seat yourself. Order at the bar. Place was hopping when we got here and staff were bustling. Great atmosphere, great selection of beers and cocktails, great food selection. They were playing some funk and that made it even more better.

The Hanging Bat has a great selection of beer and whisky, and they make great cocktails. Bar was well themed. The food was delicious and had a good vegetarian selection.

The first time in a year since I could get here and as always great beers, helpful, friendly staff. Never disappoints coming here

Had the misfortune of visiting this place, ordered a beer, paid the man what was a slightly above average price for a pint and recieved a HALF, avoid at ALL costs, rip off merchants preying on the unwary, was only after ordering saw the signs saying no pints, pure con artistry, should be shut down

Pub molto carino ed ottima selezione di birre artigianali. Piatti buoni e a buon prezzo.

Really nice place with a fantastic selection of craft ales and cocktails. Not too OTT hipster or wine bar-esque; just chilled out friendly atmosphere and lovely staff. ♿ Accessibility: Although I entered on crutches it appeared completely level for wheelchair access - someone scooted past be coming from the toilets on a compact wheelchair which is a good sign. I'm pretty sure you'd be OK on anything other than a baryatric model wheelchair in here, at least for bar access, toilet and access to select seating. The raised seating area and downstairs dining area would be off limits and realistically I don't they could do anything about that.

Friendly staff…Amazing porter on tap!

Beer was good quality. Food was good too, but my beef patty was rare (which I didn’t like that much). The place is very crowded, we were here on a Thursday afternoon and could only sit to a table which had been reserved for later. It’s better to make a reservation just to be sure.

Friendly service, superb food! I think of myself as a bit of a fish and chips connoisseur, and this was in my top 3 F&b ever. My partner and I both agree also that the chips themselves were first class, none of your skinny fry McDonald’s nonsense - these were proper skin on, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and hot all the way to the bottom of the tub. I’m never fussed about peas with F&c anyway so it was a bonus they didn’t come with any. Very reasonably priced for these days and absolutely delicious. Great selection of non alcoholic beer and service with a smile at the bar. Love the decor as well, true to the name there are upside down bats on the beer taps.

Definitely the place is one of the local legends! Totally recommend when visiting Edinburgh, great atmosphere, beers and tasty food.

Wide range of craft beers and nice atmosphere. Maybe a bit noisy for people who are looking for a quiet place.

I would give zero stars but Google won’t allow you to. I’m not exaggerating when I say this was by far the worst restaurant experience I’ve had in my entire life. I was here on Friday 21st July for my friends stag do, ordered a beef burger at the bar to go to table 35. Time goes by and my friends are all eating and my beef burger is nowhere to be seen. There are however two chicken burgers that seem to have been brought to the wrong table (31) as no one ordered them. Somethings obviously gone wrong, no problem mistakes happen. I speak to the server first and he basically calls me a liar and claims it’s my problem as someone else has clearly eaten my burger. That’s clearly not the case as we’re all in close quarters I can see no one else has got a beef burger. I then go to the bar to speak to the manager/owner. Explain the situation. Same again he refuses to believe me. I’m flabbergasted at how poor the service is. I’m sure this tactic will work on some people, but I’m not giving in. After a few minutes of arguing back and forth he finally agrees to rectify the situation. Honestly though I wish I never bothered as it was such a hassle and the burger itself was so greasy and basically blue. I would never recommend this place to anyone. The owner/manager and the staff need a lesson in manners and would need to go back to basics with their customer service skills. The customer is always wrong in their eyes it seems.