The Piper's Rest Public House in Edinburgh, City of

While in Edinburgh, there were many restaurants we wanted to try, but after the plentiful restaurant provided at our hotel, we were not hungry at lunch time, and only ate dinner later in the day. We stopped here for a bite around lunch time, and to try a couple different whiskies. We got a smoked salmon toast and the fried sneakers bar with ice cream, along with our whisky. Great atmosphere. The salmon was very good. We'll definitely visit this place again on a future trip to Edinburgh!

I came in with my wife and was “greeted” by a very rude member of staff, bluntly saying there are “no tables.” She made us feel very unwelcome to the point of her coming across as rude. Thankfully another member of staff intervened and he managed to get us seated. I appreciate it was quite busy but she definitely ruined our experience. I asked another member of staff for her name and they told me she was called Victoria. After we were seated we received wonderful service from a small girl (sorry we didn’t get your name!) We enjoyed the steak pie and fish and chips, which were well worth the wait on a busy evening. As we ate we could see Victoria speaking to other customers the way that she had spoken to us and standing around on her phone as other staff around her were working hard. Despite this we had an overall positive experience thanks to the other members of staff, the food and music.

Lovely place, great atmosphere. Enjoyed every bit with excellent touch of positivity from server and rest of the team.

Sat in here for hours with a tab open catching up with friends. Great atmosphere on a busy sunny Saturday. Good selection of drinks and very nice food. Reasonably priced food, drinks a bit more pricey but then we were along the Royal Mile so to be expected. Clean and staff were a real laugh. Highly recommend.

Piper’s Rest was a welcome spot after visiting the National Museum of of Scotland. The staff were friendly and welcoming, in particular Eleanor! The food and cider were delicious.

We did diner. When we arrived no table available but we could do a drink at the bar and wait a while. After about 30 minutes we got a table. We ordered Salmon with greens and mashed potatoes. Great food. Staff was very friendly. We enjoyed the live music

The staff show a lack of respect toward customers, especially on Fridays. It feels like, because they know customers will come anyway, they don’t feel the need to treat us with courtesy or consideration. This attitude creates a very unpleasant experience and gives the impression that customer satisfaction is not a priority for them

Honestly an amazing place, loved the atmosphere! Food was good. Ben gave is great recommendations as well. Would recommend!

We had dinner at this pub last night! My partner and I had the salmon fillet, very good! (Although perhaps the vegetables should have been boiled a little more). The crunchy apple pie is delicious. Cozy pub and we appreciated the courtesy and friendliness of Craig who served us at the table 🙂 (I advise you to book, however, because it is always very full)

Beautiful culinary experience, excellent typical dishes

Cute and cozy cafe, and thoroughly enjoyed the live music. The only pity is that there was hardly anyone there, but people came in very late. It was also VERY expensive! Not normal. My girlfriend was shocked by the price when he asked if she wanted 2 large or small glasses of wine. Luckily he hadn't poured anything yet, but £26 🤯👋🏻 that's about €30. Totally cuckoo. That's why I buy 4 bottles of wine in the Netherlands, not 2 glasses of wine in Scotland.

Great place, good food, live music, friendly staff! Perfect for a good time in Edinburgh. We had desserts and the sticky toffee pudding was SO good, we also had a fried mars bar and it was also good!

Went for a few beers at Piper's Rest as all the tables were already reserved for dinner. Be sure to reserve early. There is always live music in the evening, it was super fun and had a great atmosphere. Acoustic Dave entertained us really well. We'll be back.

Very hungry and curious about typical Scottish food, we had lunch here and it was absolutely worth it. I really enjoyed the Cullen Skink and the salmon salad was also a dream. The staff is extremely friendly and accommodating. Absolutely recommended!

My husband and I got married in Edinburgh and we had a group of 18 people. We wanted something more casual than a formal dinner so we searched around and found The Piper's Rest. We asked to make a reservation for 18 people to have dinner and drinks and it was incredible from start to finish. The food was delicious, others in our party said it was the best they had yet while in Scotland. The service was impeccable. We were very well taken care of and my husband and I appreciate it so much! Thank you for taking such good care of us and our guests on our wedding day!

Fantastic Scottish food done justice in taste and presentation. Nothing over complicated ingredients treated with respect and care Great service quick and efficient

Nice pub with really decent food. A nice refuge for a hour or so during a busy visit to the city. All of us were pleased with what we chose to eat. Th Cullen Skink was great, being served in a cob of bread; very novel and delicious.

Great experience at pipers rest! Joe was fab and his colleague Callum were both attentive and friendly! The food was delicious, highly recommend the haggis stack, salmon salad and deep fried mars bar!! The live music made our night. Absolutely fabulous meal out in Edinburgh. Would recommend and hope to be back! X

I remember being here..that's a good thing.

Great place. Amazing staff. Great food.

We had cullen skink and freedom chips as well as a local brew, all outstanding 👍🏼

Just keep in mind that this is my first time dining alone in a pub, but what I feel is how I feel 😆 So I am an Asian solo-traveling in Scotland and I want to try some local cuisine. I did some googling and saw people recommending this place. Went there in early afternoon for a late lunch, no waitress on stand by in front, so I went to the bartender at the bar to let him know I need a table for 1. The weirdest thing is this bartender won’t even look at me/ answer me. He came closer to me to use his ipad and went on doing his business, typing the ipad away while I was just standing there for maybe a minute, but to me it was an uncomfortable seconds, until a waiter came by and i repeated i need a table for one, and only then the bartender said to the waiter the either empty tables is fine. I just don’t understand why the bartender won’t just tell me directly from the beginning, is it the dynamic in pubs in here? That bartenders don’t assist customers about stuffs outside bar area? Or is it to give the waiter more chances to exercise on handling customers skills? 🤷🏻‍♀️ And the second disappointing thing was when I was ready to order, I made an eye contact with another waiter and kinda waving my hand& calling him, but he just looked the other way, ignored me and went on his way🙃in this kind of situation, if a waiter see a customer looking at menu, table is empty with no drinks or foods, won’t they normally assume customers are ready to order? Maybe come & ask if they need anything/ have any questions about the menu? I don’t know, but the whole experience wasn’t good for me & left me feeling traumatized about dining alone in pubs in western countries 😅 But I am just sharing what I experienced, don’t let this deters you guys from trying this place out if you like to

Mega friendly service and absolutely delicious food. Clear recommendation: Cullen Skink (in bread) and steak pie. We'll be back!

I've come here this evening looking for a Scottish pie and found gold instead. The atmosphere is terrific, the staff laid back, and there is live music every Sunday from a girl who knows her notes! Thank you for giving me a great (semi)final memory of my first time in Scotland!

Delicious vegetarian breakfast and friendly service.

Smoked Salmon salad was the ticket after eating meals.

Very nice service Excellent fish soup

Fantastic pub with lovely service, good good and drink. Highly recommend 😊

Very accommodating staff, nice proper Scottish menu and lovely rock live music. Sums up a lot of the great things Edinburgh has to offer.

Had such a great experience at The Piper’s Rest! The food was so good! Everything we tried was so tasty. We tried the haggis tower and it was delicious. My ten year old got the fish platter and according to her, it was “the best fish and chips” she’s ever had. Our server, Grace, was so sweet and helpful. We asked for tips for where to go while in town and she was so helpful!

One of the best pubs in Edinburgh! Don't miss the live music!

The food was very delicious. The pub is very cozy and inviting.

We had dinner here on 10/04/25. We had the haggis tower which was nice but the whiskey sauce could've had a bit more of a kick, and the food was not piping hot. Our main meal consisted of one steak pie and one Aberdeen Angus burger. The mains were tasty enough. However, when I took our cutlery out of the quirky urn bru container I could smell tobacco. After a few minutes, when I could smell tobacco on my napkin, I looked inside the urn bru tin there was a the remnants of a cigarette and a small amount of ash. I brought this to the attention of our waiter who simply took the tin off me without saying anything, walked away and put it in what I assume was the rubbish bin. No apology was given. 🤨 I'm afraid the attention to cleanliness was dubious so we won't eat there again.

We booked after reading glowing reviews online, we were not disappointed at all! The service was wonderful, Joe was attentive and helpful!! The food was second to none!! The Haggis neeps and tatties with whisky sauce are a must!!!the whole experience was a 10/10!!

This is our second time here, delicious food and excellent costumer service from Joe!

I recently dined at a lovely restaurant in Edinburgh and had a delightful experience. We ordered two mains and one side: Oor Famous Steak Pie, Lemon Pepper Salmon and Chips & Gravy. The salmon dish had a mild flavor, but it was incredibly fresh, and the accompanying veggies tasted fantastic. The beef pie was simply amazing, I would highly recommend it! The fries and gravy were also delicious as a side. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant for its excellent Scottish food. Our server, Joe, was friendly and very helpful, making our visit even more enjoyable. I appreciated that he was clear about adding a service charge which will be divided between the whole staff that works at the restaurant and we can remove that service charge if we would like. Not many restaurants are clear about that. I would definitely return if I'm in Edinburgh again!

You can drink a beer and there is a good atmosphere

A delicious haggis but tiny portion for an exaggerated price. I asked for bread, and for 4 small slices I had to pay 3.75 pounds!

Great food. Great music and great service. Need I say more?

Cute little pub with decent food. My server was lovely (I forgot his name but he was great) and made great drink recommendations. Service was quick.

Our waiter, Joe, was awesome. He made some helpful menu suggestions.

We were in Edinburgh for 5 days and ate here twice because the first time was so delicious. The steak pie is amazing. The haggis tower (with neeps and tatties) also amazing. The cullen skink was to die for, and it being served in a bread bowl was the best part.

Visiting Edinburgh for the weekend and got peckish on the first evening. Thankfully we spotted The Pipes Rest. We stepped inside the place was buzzing, we looked for a table for two but were told they were booked out for the evening (sad faces) but they had some tables for walk-ins that were also occupied but we were welcome to wait. We decided to grab a drink and wait to see what happened. Luckily after 5 minutes a table was free a we quickly parked at it. Menu covered all options for us, fast efficient. service staff were on top of their heads but still had time for banter. We found our food 100%. Hot and seasoned perfect. Couldn't fault it. After dinner we developed a drought. Swiftly sorted at the bar with beers and a selection of whiskeys (had to try as many as possible) Live music playing away but we could still manage to chat. We had such a good experience we went back again on the Sunday. We were treated to the same high standards.

It was a typical dreich day in Edinburgh and we had walked from the Kings Gallery up the Royal Mile to the Pipers Rest,cold and hungry. We were greeted by a lovely young lady from South Africa,who took our drink and food order. Haggis,tatties and neeps hot and delicious,we were soon warmed up and enjoyed the banter from visitors either side of our table. Thank you,the Pipers Rest,true Scottish hospitality!

We had a brilliant time at The Piper’s Rest. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the live music was brilliant! A special shoutout to Craig, our waiter, who was excellent—attentive, friendly, and quick to sort out a small issue with our order. He made us feel genuinely welcome and never rushed. The food was great, the service was spot on, and the whole experience was just what we were looking for. Would definitely recommend and will be back next time we’re in Edinburgh!

A big shout out to Joe and the entire staff for the excellent service and delicious scran! Tapadh leibh. I dined at The Piper's Rest on March 25 and the steak pie was divine. I would definitely recommend this place to everyone.

First good food and then live music in the bar. Had a super nice evening

Great Scottish bar! There's also live music, but advance reservations are recommended.

Very good meal and very good time. Superb atmosphere!

very nice place yum yum lesgosky

We had a fabulous meal at The Piper's Rest prior to a gig, with excellent service from our waiter Joe who was friendly and helpful throughout. The food isn't fancy, but it's really tasty and there's lots of choice for everyone, whether you're an Edinburgh resident or a tourist looking for a taste of Scotland at decent prices.

Great place to enjoy their hamburgers.. simple delicious.

After touring the Real Mary Kings Close, it was time for a bite. For a Sunday night, Edinburgh had a pretty good crowd. We spoke with the barman here and there was an table open, but we only had 90 minutes, since it was reserved for later. No problem! Some good pub food, although my son ordered muscles....go figure. We all had a few adult beverages, which my son was excited about, since the legal drinking age in Scotland is 18, LOL. Everything was spot on.

After touring the Real Mary Kings Close, it was time for a bite. For a Sunday night, Edinburgh had a pretty good crowd. We spoke with the barman here and there was an table open, but we only had 90 minutes, since it was reserved for later. No problem! Some good pub food, although my son ordered muscles....go figure. We all had a few adult beverages, which my son was excited about, since the legal drinking age in Scotland is 18, LOL. Everything was spot on.

Had a proper lush meal at The Piper’s Rest! The Irn-Bru Chicken Pakora was next level—never had anything like it before, but I’m well chuffed I did. Service was spot on, big shoutout to Craig for being proper sound . The whole team were friendly, giving off great vibes. Deffo worth a visit if you’re about!

The steak pie was the best I’ve ever had, also a great fish and chips for the mains. The best treacle tart ever and a deep fried mars bar, mixed with great drinks and service made me know the 1 night we had in Edinburgh was spent well

Pleasingly busy, which was a good sign. Very friendly and helpful staff, especially our waiter Craig. Very much enjoyed the visit.

Good fish and chips for about €20. It was served with a very tasty sauce. The beer was tasty and well-chilled. However, the table could have been cleared; we sat there for 20 minutes at a table that had been ruined by the previous occupants. It wasn't wiped down when the waiter cleared it. Pay directly, which I'm also not familiar with.

We stopped at “The Piper’s Rest” to start our trip with culinary delights in tourist style. Feeling hungry, we called a place outside the restaurant to order fish and chips. The service was quick and friendly. Unfortunately, no care was taken to clean the table again, as it was left very unsightly by our predecessors. The first beer came quickly and was enjoyed in combination with a cigarette, which wasn't a problem and I really enjoyed it. Feeling: Indescribable! At 15°C in mid-March it almost felt like summer (by Scottish standards). The food we ordered was beautifully presented and the lemony sauce served with it complemented the taste of the baked fish very well. All in all a very good start. However, I wouldn't come back again in a hurry, because the prices were pretty high given the location of the restaurant ;) But the value of money changes on vacation, so a bill of £95 for three people was okay. I hope every reader enjoys this review and thanks for the food!

A great pub in Edinburgh, Hunters Square! Service was great! Nice warm feel inside! Would happily visit again!

Friendly pub with traditional dishes. We had fish and chips and a burger with haggis inside. Very good but a little pricey.

Out of all places we went to this was definitely our favourite (which says alot as we're massive foodies)! We started with the Cullen skink soup to share and man did we love it! the bread bowl was fresh and tasty and the fish soup in it was superb! Massively recommended! I had the steak pie and my girlfriend had the Salmon and both were some of the best food we've had during our entire trip (Just the mash wasn't entirely to our liking but it was still good).

Fantastic place, great music, great foot, awesome drinks, and perfect service. I would recommend to watch a game with them ❤️

Really lovely pub, great atmosphere. Food delicious.

Wonderful authentic Scottish meal. Friendly wait staff and great atmosphere. Steak pie and mac&cheese are 10 outta 10! 😋

This pub is definitely a lesson in not judging a book by it's cover! I was initially sceptical given it feels a bit touristy - but was blown away with how good the food is! The steak pie in particular was absolutely delicious. If you're in Edinburgh and fancy tasting some Scottish treats, I can highly recommed!

Service was outstanding. The server was very helpful and answered all of the questions we had. Sorry, we didn't catch your name! Maybe Travis? We had the Piper's Feast and Chicken pot pie. Definitely recommend both. The haddock fish bites were amazing.

The people who work there are great and it has nice atmosphere. But the desserts which we ordered was not good, panna cotta was very disappointing.

I have to admit, I was disappointed we missed the live music, but, as we came with kids we had to leave before the band started. Nevertheless we still had a good time eating away at some of the goodies on offer at Piper's Rest. I'm not going to bore you with the details of the food we ate but we all liked what we ordered and everyone had different favourites, which shows there's something in their menu for everyone. However, there were two that stood out, the macaroni cheese was divine, the sticky toffee pudding is recommended but the dirty fries were the winner. It's a cozy pub with good food so if you're in Edinburgh pay a visit if you're lucky you'll have as good an experience as we did but with live music.

Amazing Sunday roast and Craig, our server was amazing! So friendly and helpful - all the staff were so kind and the food was amaze!

Good traditional food! The mince and tatties was great ! Joe was a excellent .

Siamo entrati in questo pub solo per un pre-cena alcolico e ci ha piacevolmente stupiti! Hanno una grandissima varietà di birre senza glutine e un menù senza glutine molto ampio, inoltre la location è piccola ma merita. Non abbiamo assaggiato nulla ma i piatti degli altri sembravano deliziosi, con il senno di poi ci saremmo fermati.. sarà per la prossima!

Uno dei migliori locali di Edimburgo, cibo eccellente (da provare assolutamente la Cullen Skink), personale sempre accogliente e gentile. Ci siamo stati varie volte durante la nostra vacanza e non ci ha mai deluso. Complimenti !! P.s. Prenotate il vostro tavolo dal loro sito così non correte il rischio di rimanere fuori

First day in Edinburgh and a great place to end the night! Great food, chill atmosphere and top service. Actually had to comment to my Mrs that working in retail as management that's the kind of service you want from staff. Have to shout out Craig for that 👍

Came here during my first visit to Scotland, Edinburgh. Lovely food and fantastic staff.

The Piper’s Rest is a fantastic spot in Edinburgh! The food was absolutely delicious, and the playlist added to the cosy and welcoming atmosphere! The staff were super friendly and attentive, making the experience even better. If you’re after amazing food and a relaxed vibe, this place is definitely worth a visit!

1st time I've been here, very nice pub. Love the wee quotes and nostalgic pics on the walls. Will come again!!! Just had drinks

We always have a fantastic time at The Pipers Rest, and always make sure to visit for our favourite scran, every time we visit Edinburgh

Discrimination staff very rude and unwelcoming

You know where to go for a funny evening

Great place, nice ambient, Eleanor, six stars!

Great place to try local food and beer 🍻 Atmosphere 5/5 🤙🏼

Great atmosphere, great food, super friendly staff. Great evening in a great pub

The Piper’s Rest was my favorite meal in Edinburgh. The atmosphere is a local, historic vibe and the staff are exceptional (ask for Joe, he took great care of us!) The pie with mash was delicious (paired with a pint, of course.) Highly recommend!

Worked with Joe for hours!! Our first pub since getting into town. I would never think it was in the very middle of a city. Great pub. Felt like home!!

Very welcoming staff and the food is really yummy.We has the Mac cheese and was the best we had ever had,I just had to try a deep fried mars bar,very nice.

Great food and great atmosphere! The live music was great - lovely pub!

Wanted to give this place 5 stars all round but was let down by the roast beef which was tough (I managed to eat mine but the wife struggled). Veggies nice though and my first ever deep fried mars bar was a dream.

Great little pub selling a great variety and tasty food and drinks. Highly recommended

Didn't eat, so can't rate, great atmosphere and live music, really enjoyed our evening.

Fantastic place. Scram was delicious. Well presented, good choice, hot, good value for money. Single malt was awesome. Served quickly with lovely staff - we had Cam serve our table. Live music (a talented woman singing/guitar) that wasn’t too loud so we enjoyed listening & eating! Definitely recommend 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

I booked the Pipers Rest for a meal and drinks, only a short wait for our table. So we were able to get drinks at the bar, very busy, live music atmosphere was great. Fantastic service and Joe was greatly appreciated, friendly and efficient. Haggis neeps and tatties were top quality nice whisky sauce. Nice bottle of red wine, and myself being a malt fan, really enjoyed what was available, went down a treat, very busy place, final bill just under £200 with the service charge which is normal for a city centre bar/restaurant. Would certainly recommend, the live music is an added bonus. So glad we booked in advance.

We had such a lovely server, I believe his name was Ewan. Recommended two great whisky’s with our steak pie and deep fried mars bar.

Had the homemade steak pie and smoked haddock bites both delicious. We didn’t have a reservation but they made room for us. Friendly and casual atmosphere. a traditional pub in a very good area for tourists.

Everything about this place was fantastic! Our server, Joe, was extremely helpful and patient. He didn’t rush us, had a great attitude, and got our food out quickly. The area has great ambiance, and the live music is an absolute delight. I plan on coming back, and I’d recommend it to anyone coming to Edinburgh!

Live music. Enjoy your meal. Good service. Super!!!

The restaurant itself looks lovely, however the guy who attended us was rude and unhelpful. I can’t comment on the food as we decided to leave.

Even though we're from Edinburgh hadn't been in here before. We were expecting the usual tourist type trap just off the royal mile but the food and service was great. Reasonable enough prices for food and drink considering the location and decent sized portions. Delighted we decided to try it and Joe our server was brilliant

Great atmosphere, friendly staff always having a laugh and sharing their knowledge of whiskey. Great entertainment and music always a frequent visit from me!

A cute pub close to the Royal Mile worth stopping by for a pint. Highly recommended. If you’re lucky, you’ll get great service like Ewan which makes it even a better!