The Sheep Heid Inn in Edinburgh, City of

The location was beautiful and the historic presence was lovely. The host got us seated without a reservation (which I would strongly recommend) and was very pleasant. However our server was less than polite, and ignored us for almost 30 minutes, until the host went a fetched her (and because we did not have reservation, we only had the tablefor 90 minutes) .... even after that she was less than attentive. The scallops we had taste and smelled of ammonia. The lamb was mostly fat and very little meat, however had a pleasant taste. The drinks were the best part of the evening; They were made perfectly.

Portion sizes are less than half the calorie count advertised on the menu - without exaggeration the portions are ridiculously TINY. So while the food is not tasting bad it really feels like a rip off.

A lovely meal, cosy atmosphere and great service. Ruk was particularly lovely and went above and beyond to make it a lovely evening.

Ciara was great. Roast of beef, epic as always. Smooth Guinness.

it's not written anywhere that a reservation is necessary, we went with a taxi and got stuck because we decided to wait and we ended up with indifference ... I don't recommend it

Excellent service from Rhona and Harry!

All food should be on if you let people choose the all dining menu. Otherwise you should say : come in and eat what s going to be on on the day… don t put the menu on the website. And pictures on the website are not trustable. The Place is badly mantained . We found all pizzas off, running out of dough , no pie, plus other at least 7 dishes not available., even the only dessert I would Have liked wasn t on. The food we had was really basic level, hamburger meat nothing special, hamburger sandwich was like the supermarket one, my chicken liver pate didn t really taste like I expected. It was suggested like a fancy Place to have great food in a nice atmosphere. I would not recomend this place to anyone. Menus dirty, lights low, place not well maintened, sad atmosphere, waiters not really caring, no welcome atmosphere when we poped in, all experience was really disappointing.

Great historic pub, however constantly close early with little or no notice. twice I have been for a couple of pints to be told "sorry we are going to close early" if you plan on arriving at 9, don't expect to get time for 2 pints.

Very welcoming feel when we arrived. We were well looked after by our server, Harry,. Food & drinks were great. Got a chance to peek into the skittle alley where a big family was having a blast on the lanes. Looked like a lot of fun!

Sheep Hide Inn is a bustling place filled with historical and cultural charm; being there felt like becoming part of a rich story. Set in a beautiful location, the scenery added to the warm, inviting atmosphere. Although I was quite full to begin with—that’s on me—the food was still delicious and well-prepared. The waitstaff, while not locals, were friendly and attentive, which added to the experience rather than taking anything away. While I dined solo, watching others enjoy their meals together made me think about sharing a visit like this with someone special someday. Overall, it’s a memorable place I’d love to return to, ideally with a companion to fully appreciate all it has to offer.

Great Sunday roast in stunning little pub. Rhona was a lovely host, full of knowledge and patience. Only thing that could be improved was the raclette- the cheese was just melted cheese, a bit plasticky and not the type you expect with Raclette, and not enough bread but Rhona gave us some more from the kitchen.

Had a lovely meal tonight with a friend, service was prompt and attentive, I had the T-Bone steak from the chefs specials, was incredible and the price for the quantity of meat and sides was phenomenal, would 100% recommend, my servers name was Dave, top bloke.

Excellent Sunday roast for a big group. We were exceptionally well looked after by Harry - thank you.

Beautiful cozy atmosphere. Beautiful flavors in a pub steeped in history. It's worth the detour after a walk on Arthur's seat.

Stopped into the pup after descending from Arthur's Seat. Great cozy atmosphere, and even better service and food. Our waiter was very accommodating (Harry, I think) since we didn't have a reservation. Dinner seems pretty pricey, but we were there for lunch and they have amazing lunch specials! The fried squid and fish cakes were amazing! Sheep Heid is definitely worth a visit if you are in Edinburgh, especially because it is off the beaten track.

We went for lunch yesterday for my birthday and it was great! I want to mention Ruk and Harrys who served us wonderfully. I ordered vegan food and it was delicious. I really recommend this place

Awesome food, cool place dog friendly!!! Absolutely loved it .....was here today for a lunch Met this cool guy harry recommend me cask ale, would really recommend you to visit this place for a nice beer and great food 😁

My husband and I stumbled upon this quaint little pub after the grueling hike up to the top of Arthur’s Seat. It was such a find. While the restaurant was busy, Ruk found us a cozy spot to have a drink and grab some lunch. Our sever Skye was great. If you are in the area, pop in a grab a drink. You won’t regret it.

If you go to Edinburgh you absolutely must go to dinner at the Sheep Heid Inn, the oldest pub in the city, it is not in the center but it is a heavenly experience. The waiter Henry treated us like we were royalty! very chic mise en place and super refined environment. The dishes are truly spectacular. Let them show you the bowling alley, it's worth it. Super top!

This one of the oldest Pub in Edinburgh located at quite(but inconvenient) Duddingston Village. Served nice foods and drinks.

We visited the pub for food at 13:45 after a tiring climb to Arthur's seat. We asked for a table for 2 people and were told that they do not serve food at that time but only drinks. Where do you mention something like this so we know and don't go all the way? This is called disrespect and lack of hospitality to 2 people who came to see Edinburgh and leave their money in a local pub.

Came here with my family for dinner as we were trying to find a pub-style place in the area, and we were not disappointed! I got a little nervous while waiting for the food since I was reading the latest reviews of the place and they all seemed to be pretty negative... We didn't have that experience at all! The staff was friendly, the food came out fairly quickly and it was all very delicious! I would highly recommend getting the cheese fondue to share as that was the best dish by far! Also, their mini dessert and hot drink offer was cool when you're not able to eat a full dessert :)

Bit of dried up chicken £18. Not so great. Outdoors nice for a drink.

The oldest pub in Scotland. Very charming little jem hidden on the slopes of the Arthur's seat, in the characteristic burgh of Duddington. Nice food, beer garden and also a skittles alley 🎳 ! Highly recommended 👌

Ordered twice, both times the wait staff returned to say both were not available. Ordered again, food was cold. Vegetables had been cooked beyond any type of texture yet cold so obviously sat out for some time. Really underwhelmed. Wine not cold enough too. Staff super friendly though. Decor very tired. Such a shame that such an institution has deteriorated to such a degree. I think a smaller menu of really well made food is called for a d a little bit of paint to freshen up the tired, cold walls.

This was a review of a couple of weeks ago and we found exactly the same. Yorkshire puddings flat. Parsnips were rock hard and clearly they have hardly touched the oven. All the food was barely luke warm other than the pork. Chef needs cooking lessons. Such a shame a lovely pub.

Had lunch here with some Canadian visitors doing the Rob Roy Way. They were staying in Edinburgh and wanted some place that wasn't full of tourists. My husband immediately thought of here. My friend had her first real British fish and chips and thought they were great. I had the messy burger, which was very good. My husband had the pie, which they both enjoyed.

Booking online confirmed for 6.30pm Friday 11th Oct. No food served until 8.30pm. Sad to see the result on well meaning, no doubt low paid, staff trying their best. Yet another historic local pub owned by an enormous conglomerate. Bigger and bigger seems to deliver less and less reliability to the public and employees and more and more only to distant tycoons and shareholders.

It been quite a few years since I was last in the Sheep Hied, I guess 25. A few things I remember pictures on the wall etc.. Great bar staff, dog friendly, nice atmosphere. Quite a few tourists in, all good supporting the pub trade, but perhaps that's why drinks a bit pricey. Food prices looked ok but we didn't eat so can't comment on value for money.

We had a birthday celebration at the Sheep Heid skittles alley and had a fantastic time, the kids loved it! Big thanks to Ruk for being so helpful with the booking and providing great service.

Booked table for Sunday dinner. The roast was rather disappointing lukewarm with very little on the plate in terms of beef slices, also the Yorkshire pudding & roast potatoes were soggy, probably under a hot lamp for a long time. Very slow service….. think staff are trying hard not to rush , too long to serve though!.

Absolutely gutted the food was such a let down. The steak sandwich and salad was really poor. Although I will add we were told they were down to one chef on the day of our visit. But it was just so disappointing for such a lovely place. Would add as well it was pretty cold while we had our food which made it a little uncomfortable. The service was great and the staff were so nice just unfortunate about the standard of food. (This place is dog friendly)

This is 3 months old but I have to provide a review because our dinner experience was fantastic! We’ve been to Scotland about 6 times now (our son and his girlfriend for the first time) and the Sheep Heid Inn gave them a true flavor of Scottish cuisine and hospitality. The food was awesome! I’m back in December and will take my siblings there for dinner again!

Traveled from very far to eat here but Kitchen closed too early around 8.30pm

Had some food here. Lovely people, lovely food, lovely area

Turned up slightly early for our table booked way in advance. We immediately had mixups on our drinks, food, and timing of our food. The service was so slow we couldn't even finish our mains before they had begun closing up (we must've been there two hours with one drink ordered each). Drinks were underwhelming and tasted watered down, food was bland with others unavailable. What we can only assume was the manager (from her tone of voice) preemptively brought out my friends meal, before I had even ordered mine, and then thought it appropriate to reprimand a member of staff next to our table over what seemed to be a completely unrelated matter. I've no doubt they'll reply with the same insincere offer to contact them, as is the the case from other user reviews... I now know this isn't a one-off, but a serious drop in level of service that's been happening for a while now. It's sad, that a building with such a storied history is in incapable hands, but at least they'll still have their visit from the queen a decade ago to brag about. The staff came across as endearing but seemed to be under poor management. It's a shame I had to waste time and money there, £100 down the drain.

Wonderful atmosphere, but unfortunately the Sunday Roast was very disappointing. The plates were cold, as was the food, the beef was tough and the vegetables were undercooked. The gravy had a wonderful flavor, but it was cold as well, likely because of the plates. Overall, it is a beautiful pub, but the Sunday Roast was so disappointing, that I do not recommend traveling there for the food.

Visited with friends for lunch In entering the pub waited at least 5min to be attended to and that was because I asked the guy behind the bar for attention The service was exceptionally slow waited for ages to be served We wanted fish and chips but told no frier The food we ordered eventually came was just warm we wanted a dessert and coffee but because of the slowness of service just got the bill It will be a long time before I go back and I am a local resident Something has to be done immediately since this place had a wonderful reputation

Good food and service. Friendly staff. The only downside is that you have to get a cab to get there from downtown Edinburgh.

A real typical Scottish restaurant/pub, the environment is really great away from the city, the service is top notch, the waitress took the time to repeat several times because my English is not perfect. The food is really good and the price is right.

Enjoying a beautiful walk from the city and a nice beer in such a historic and charming place is just one of my greatest pleasures every time I visit Edinburgh.

This place feels super rural considering you’re only 15 mins away from Edinburgh’s new town. Absolutely worth the visit.

I haven't eaten so well in a long time! The starter was recommended to me and was delicious. I had the lunch menu with starter. There was a kind of goat cream with a kind of beetroot dressing. For my main course I had the buttermilk burger. I can highly recommend this combination; if I had still been able to eat the portion, I would have ordered more! :D Apart from that, the service was impeccable, super nice and helpful. If I go on vacation to Scotland again at some point, I'll come back! (:

My daughter and I stopped in for lunch while in Duddingston. The ambience and service were excellent, the food was also quite good. I’d return happily, lovely spot.

A really beautiful country pub in a phenomenal location. However, the staff were frankly rude and unhelpful, especially the ladies behind the bar.

At 13:15 on a Saturday. The lady at the bar was so rude 😳 told us we could not eat and would only serve drinks. There were people eating🤔 and there was empty tables. Avoid 😕

I’d be surprised if this lovely old pub survives another year under the current management. The story of our dinner last night (booked weeks in advance)…. Guinness? Off. Peroni? Off. Hophead? Sour and undrinkable. Chicken? Off. Squid? Off. Lamb? Off. Pork Belly? Off. Salmon? Off. Fish and chips? Off. Steaks? All off. The few remaining food options were … fine. As we left, they were still serving the Hophead hours after we took our rancid pints back to the bar (without refunds). The couple at the next table said “never again”. That goes for us too.

Frankly, it was awful. 6 of us had travelled a long way (Brighton, London, Lancashire) to celebrate a birthday, and had booked a table for the Drink &Dine promotion. The table wasn't ready when we arrived on time but that proved to be the least of the ssues we faced. Some of the starters were unavailable as were 3 of the 7 main courses, 2 of the available options were vegetarian which was of no interest to us. Of the 4 wines on offer, 1, the sparkling wine, wasn't available. The supervisor who was delivering this news was initially unconcerned how pissed off this made us. We eventually got over our great disappointment and we suggested we would order off the regular menu - but at the prices of the offer we had booked. Yet again we were informed that several of the choices from that menu were unavailable. The excuses offered were flimsy and hard to accept. The same disappointment extended to the drinks in the bar. No Guinness or Peroni and the cask ale we ordered 2 pints of were sent back as it was cloudy and tasted off. No replacement was offered by the bar tender.

Super cozy old pub - perfect for a bite or a wee drink!

I had a fantastic lunch here! Dave was wonderful and the staff was attentive and kind. The restaurant is very pretty and cozy. The food was amazing. I hope to return next time I'm back in Edinburgh!

I think that the restaurant deserves a solid five. The service deserves the highest rating. It's not often that I encounter such good service. The staff knows their stuff. We are delighted with the food. We ordered steaks and lamb. The meat was fantastic. We were very pleased. I recommend it. When I was planning my husband's birthday, I wanted something special. I chose The Sheep Heid Inn pub because it is the oldest pub in Edinburgh. But after reading the reviews, I was skeptical. Now I'm glad I chose The Sheep Heid Inn pub. Not disappointed at all. I recommend it to everyone.

Great food, service & ambience. Always. Never a disappointment.

They have an awesome 2 skittle lanes, so awesome

Supposed to be the oldest continuous running pub in Edinburgh

Great history, interesting decor and interior areas. The food was good. Service was a bit chaotic and lots of empty. glasses on the counter and tables. Food was arriving at the wrong tables and some bills were mixed up. Would be excellent with a sllick and tidy operation. Maybe needs senior management to oversee.

Delicious! Best place ever! Sheep’s Heid forever, baby! GO ON SHEEPS HEID!

Nice location, great service and the food is good. In Edinburgh's oldest Inn.

They said we would have to wait 15 min before we could eat, then after the 15 they said another 15 min, followed by 30 min so we had to wait for an hour.

It was our last night in Edinburgh and we picked the Sheep Heid Inn for our last meal, it was a bit our of our way but worth the drive. The location feels like you’re in a rural village, the pub and local area has some great history. The service and the food was excellent, we were well looked after, by all the staff. If we were locals I would eat here all time, it was that good. I highly recommend a visit, it's well worth it, thanks guys big thumbs up 👍👍

A chap we met near Arthur’s Seat told us about the Sheep Heid Inn. Having made our way to the picturesque Duddingston Village where the Inn has nested for nearly 900 years, we were lucky enough to score a table there. For a main course my partner chose fish & fries and I chose slow roasted pork belly with scallops and vegetables. We both ordered local lagers. All the food was memorable, with perfect seasoning, accompaniments and sauces. We particularly valued the simplicity of presentation, which was unfussy. The whole experience was satisfying and mellow.

Great food, great service!! Highly recommend coming.

A hidden pub. If you don't live nearby, you won't have many opportunities to visit. It was a great atmosphere. Next time I would like to have food instead of just beer.

Servers were amazing and easy going!

Had an absolutely lovely meal with my son. Service was top notch. Highly recommend.

My husband and I popped in for a drink with the intention of maybe ordering some food only to be met with no welcome from the bar staff and to be told by another member of staff we may not serve food for walk ins..I’m still waiting for her to come back to me..My husband decided to order billionaire fries only to wait at the bar until the girl finishes her spirits itinerary..when fries were eventually served I had to seek another server to ask for napkins ,forks and some side plates..we are both from Edinburgh and travelled many places which made me feel for the so many visitors that visit the Sheep Heid ..please do not hesitate for further disappointing feedback..

fun place to go bowling with a group. food was high quality & nicely presented. staff were very helpful

I was glad to return here a second time, and at 600+ years old, remind myself of the history of this restaurant. Great food, cozy atmosphere, and an attentive and friendly staff. Note that Sundays can get busy for their Sunday roast menu.

I popped in for a pint of real ale. I used to really rate this place a couple of years ago, when they sold beers like Titanic Plum Porter, but that was a couple of years ago. These days, it seems to be Stewarts focused. These aren't bad beers, but the Sheep Heid is a bit off the beaten track, so it's not somewhere I'd make a special trip to just for the beer. However, if you are walking in Holyrood Park, there's a path that leads right to it.

Lovely 600 year old pub, but let down by the food. We ate dinner here on a Thursday evening. I ordered the scallops for starter and they were okay. Nothing special but nothing was wrong with them. However it took over 30 mins from clearing the starter to being served our main. The Seabass was a tad overcooked, and felt like poor quality supermarket fish. The potatoes were a tad undercooked and the meal just didn’t work well together with this collection of ingredients. My wife ordered the burger and it was very overcooked. It felt again like cheap ingredients were used. For a gastropub, this was pretty disappointing. On the plus side, staff were friendly and apologetic. And the skittles alley was a fun after dinner experience.

Out of the way, but good to reach. Good atmosphere although the pictures on the website are a bit over the top. Good service and good quality food, although we found the proportions of Sunday roast to potato to be a bit off. Good selection of drinks and desserts. Parking at the rear can have you practice your parking skills when busy.

I have recently visited the Sheep Heid Inn for some food and drinks and I totally loved it. I ordered pizza with a side salad and it was delicious - well done to Chef Thomas as I happened to know that he prepared it! The pizza was beautiful and so tasty, lots of ingredients on it and very unique taste. Salad and drinks were also fabulous. Many thanks will be back!

🖐️😊.. I like this pub. The employees brought me the empty fish plate 🤪

Lovely pub but service was poor and our food was cold. The service/ food has very much deteriorated from our last visit. We waited a very long time between courses.Please take this review seriously and improve on your service.

Can not recommend this one enough! The food, the service and the atmosphere in here is beyond stunning! I can recommend the sticky chicken starters, the pan fried lamb rump, the sticky toffee was also beyond good. The drinks are superb and the wine they got is really really good. 11/10!

We visited the Sheep Heid Inn for a family meal. The location of the Inn feels like you’re in a rural village, even though you’re a stone’s throw from Edinburgh. The pub itself is really old but very well kept inside and has an amazing traditional pub feel. The service was excellent, friendly, welcoming and they made our children feel really welcome by providing colouring books for my youngest. When the food came out it was fantastic. We had a three course dinner and an each meal that was brought out was excellent. We were here on holiday and would highly recommend visiting this restaurant. If we lived nearer we would certainly come back.

The best bar with the best bartender I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Thank you for the lovely evening!

Ciara was the absolute best! The food was incredible. We had a 3 course meal including wine and it was extremely cost effective. I would recommend anyone who stops in Edinburgh MUST come.

Amazing service from Sabrina and sandy :)

rory and ciara were exquisite, their service was excellent, created a super positive atmosphere and gave us great recommendations for our food and drinks. overall had an amazing night, could not recommend this place enough 👍🏻👍🏻

Daren and Shanna were excellent, food was fantastic. Isla was wonderful at the bar. Great place!

We had been meaning to try the Sheeps Heid for quite some time and finally made it down for a Sunday roast. Sadly it didn't live up to our expectations. It wasn't terribly busy but the outdoor area and tables weren't the cleanest. I'm not sure how pubs offering Sunday roast work it, whether the food is prepared early on and is left sitting throughout the day, it seemed that way. The couple of potatoes were soggy and the veg and beef were dry, the plate was a bit sad looking. A disappointment.

The food was really good! Our server Ciara was amazing and gave us some great recommendations!

Rachael is AMAZING! Great service, friendly and super helpful. Food and atmosphere is great as well

Amazing pub, quick service, Sabrina, Sandy and lovely Lucy were helpful accommodating our dietary requirements. Food spot on, thanks kitchen, the trio of desserts was just lovely! Warm cheer from Miles made our day, definitely coming back

Was recommended this on my trip to Edinburgh, beautiful old pub but wouldn’t return for food again. I had the Sunday duo of beef which was half a cold piece of beef and half a chewy tough lump of fat, roast potatoes were essential par boiled potatoes, Yorkshire definitely not homemade. For £21 I expected more. Pudding was nice enough but again definitely not homemade. Service was good and wine was nice.

So special that a pub still exists from 1360! Had a lovely glass of wine in the "beer garden". You can even go bowling there 🥰

Excellent service from Rory and all staff. Great food too - a hidden gem.

Good food, friendly efficient staff

Good food, great service. Accommodated food allergies very well

Great change of pace and menu from the busy city. Great international staff there for every need. Ask for Rachael for the 1st class deal.

I have been going to the Sheep Heid for years but I think the standard of food has gone down in my last couple of visits. The menu used to be inventive but now it is pretty standard pub grub. There are fewer vegetarian options as well. I had the goats cheese and beat root to star, which was quite pleasant. However, the bread served on the side was standard thick sliced white bread. My husband had crab to start and that was meant to come with sourdough but again it was standard sliced whit bread. I had the no plant burger for main, really because the only other hot vegetarian main course was not appealing. It was ok, but no more than that. My husband had the sea bass, which again was ok, but not at all special. It’s not a cheap place to eat and for the money I expect more. The upside is that it is a lovely place and the service was excellent.

Can only speak of the food as I dined in the restaurant and didn't stay in the inn. Went with a friend who was visiting me from the states and she was very excited about this place. This was her only restaurant experience in Scotland and I was really disappointed by the service. We had a booking for 19:30, but got in half an hour earlier. They seated us as it wasn't busy. A server approached us after some time and asked us if we'd like to order. I said we have the drinks and started orders ready, but he said it'd be two checks so he'd only put in the drinks. Bit confusing of an explanation but it was fine except for the part where he didn't come back for 30 minutes. By then we were more than ready to order. The food though took about an hour to come out which seemed a little zany as we'd only ordered bread, soup and a pasta. My friend enjoyed the soup, but the prawn, scallop and nduja pasta was underwhelming. The sauce was oily, strangely sweet and watery. The pasta was overcooked and paying extra for two small scallops (burnt on one side even) wasn't worth it for the price. The servers are very kind so I have no complaints about them, but the speed of service and quality of food leaves much to be desired. I overheard the servers apologising to the other few tables around us for the wait on their food and observed they also had to wait a long time for food. After reading other recent reviews this seems to be a common experience so I hope the owners are listening and willing to work on improving. The building itself is lovely and has a lot of history.

Nice pub but be careful when booking the skittles. There was double booking and we were basically told tough and to come back another time. A long way for my family as we are from Spain. Plus the people before had already been there an hour already and we had 4 young children, several in tears because they thought they wouldn't be able to do it. Finally the people inside kindly gave us the space. The manager was inept and handled this situation poorly. If you go, triple check your booking and ask them to check for double bookings as it's not a well run system.

Awesome service and location! Highly recommended!!

Our server Alex was fantastic and so was the food. We came for our 60th birthdays and would recommend. Lovely pub thank you

Fish and chips for all of us. Really well cooked. Fish not greasy at all. Chips crisp on outside, soft inside.

After a tour of Arthur's Seat, we stopped by the pup for a beer. Beer was cold and good. Was worth a visit.

We only ate at the pub and did not stay at the inn. Our servers Lucy and Ciara were superb. Very friendly and helpful. The pub has a wonderful atmosphere and is great for this reason alone. Our food was also good (thought not overly great) and our beers hit the spot. The skittles alley in the back was a highlight as well as the garden area and surrounding community (incl. the loch and old church). The Sheep's Heid will definitely be recommended to any friends visiting the Edinburgh area.

Very kind and great food. Very cozy

The oldest inn in Edinburgh. Good place to eat! Rory was our waiter and he did an excellent service!