The Southern in Edinburgh, City of

'Kurt got a ** in the toilets' is sometimes murmured at the bar by customers in the know. The previous-life rock bar is low key famous for Kurt Cobain doing an impromptu short set back in the day. Excellent choice of craft and regular beers. Fairly decent pub grub, if a littl' pricy. Good tunes. Mixed quality of service - you might get a really nice warm welcome, or someone efficient/polite, or someone who seems they'd be happier at a funeral .....bit of a game of roulette. Has the potential to be a good local.

Modern bar with a good choice of beers and spirits.

the loveliest and sweetest people working here!!! shoutout to the person who made the student cocktail list (we love them)

Great pub with extensive range of quality ales. Good food and exceptional friendly service. If you want you can go along to a well organised fun quiz night too

After a lot of walking we popped into the Southern. We we welcomed from a lovely chatty lady behind the bar , we settled for a pint of Neck Oil and a pint of Tennants. Had plenty of time to study the menu, we both opted for the burgers. My partners was the Big Blue and I went for the Southern burger. I am very critical about food and I have to say that the burger was amazing the best I've ever eaten. Top notch. My partners burger was just as good if anything , could of been a bit more "Blue". The fries were crispy and soft in the middle. The background music is exactly what we love. Nice chilled place with lovely staff. Only one criticism is , we were a little chilly lap blanket would of been welcomed.

Nice pub, attentive and very smiling staff. Traditional fish and chips.

The food was excellent and the service was second to none, will definitely recommend and will most certainly be back - well done all of you

Well this was nice!! First time in this bar and the outstanding memories are of friendly helpful staff that welcome you with a Hiya as you come in. Great well thought out food and good choice of beers including really good alcohol free ones. Such a good vibe and right next door to Queens Hall so great for pre event dinner and drinks. Loved it

We arrived at 5pm last night 23/08 and fortunately got a table. All the staff were efficient and friendly. We all enjoyed our food - fish and chips were great and I’m told the Koftas were also. A lot of the tables were reserved for later on. The place began to get really busy by the time we left. We had a well behaved small dog with us and no problems. As we live locally it was a good early evening/drinking place.

This incident occured around 8pm last night (20. 08.24) The bar had been busy but had become less crowded. Despite the lack of activity at the bar , no one being served and 3 staff behind the bar, I twice tried to order food but the staff gave no indication of my presence. At first I thought they had not noticed but their behaviour continued. I went back to my booth and explained to my son what happend but he reasured me that they had not noticed so I returned there was still no one being served. The same occurred and 2 people who were drinking at the bar were shaking their heads and looked incredulous and indicated I should tap on the bar. I waved the menu to no avail and assumed that they were playing a game to see how I would responses. My son witnessed this and agreed that their behaviour appeard deliberate. We decided to go elsewhere and as we left they were smiling ar should I say smirking at us . I know it is difficult to get staff in the current climate but employing childern straight from nursery is a bit desperate.

Horrible Chef working there guy have 0 personal hygiene and 0 food hygiene knowledge. Wont eat there even for free

The food was good, especially the cheese plate and the starters, but unfortunately the beetroot salad didn't work properly. At first I didn't have any on my plate because I forgot, which can happen, but then I just got canned beetroot but not baked beetroot as written on the menu. The rest was tip top.

Enjoyed their guinness substitute brewed locally. Good value for money

Convenient lunch location between Fringe shows. Staff super friendly. Decent local beers. Food was good enough but was missing just a little special

Great pub, lovely staff and good food. Booked online, which was easier than I thought it'd be, plenty of beers and cocktails to choose from. Very decent portions of food. Pleasant afternoon had by all. Well worth considering if you're in this part of town.

Great food, staff were really friendly, great place to remanist about Nirvana.

The staff were really friendly; the vibe was really nice; and the food was good and well-priced. There was a wide range of beers on tap but some were a little pricey. All in all, would 100% go again!

Nice pub with good service and selection of beers. Staff were friendly. However, not a great experience at the pub quiz. Couldn't hear the quiz master despite booking a table ahead specifically for the pub quiz. Although the sound was put up it was very bad and hard to understand. Recommend going for a drink here but not for the pub quiz!

Never seen so many gluten-free draft beers. Very good!

Great cocktails, lovely atmosphere and lovely staff! Food looked good but didn’t eat here

Excellent example of how customer service should be. The gentleman behind the bar sadly didn't catch his name was extremely helpful! 10/10 will definitely recommend and be back!

The atmosphere was a bit dull because it was quiet but it seemed like a nice pub. I tried a nice pint but at 6.75GBP it's extremely expensive - almost double Canada. The food we tried was good, chicken in the tacos was super dry in patches. Sticky toffee pudding was good.

Lovely pub, friendly staff, and a tasty burger with triple fried chips mmm

I was really glad to find a place which took dogs good food and great back ground music. In a busy weekend I Edinburgh for 8.Thoroughly enjoyed it here. One of my quests avocado salad wasn't great but dealt with efficiently. Thank you 😊

Cold and no atmosphere , uncomfortable seating .

Kurt Cobain played here on December 1, 1991

Great bar with good, friendly service!

Came in for a drink to cheer up a bad day tried 3 cocktail options on menu each not available when asked what was not available got a very sarky reply. Couldn't leave as husband's drink was poured. Bad experience rude staff won't be back

The Southern Burger with real beef and onion rings. Variety of craft beers; They allow you to taste before selecting. Very friendly staff. Place to recommend. Further from the center but easily accessible.

Went on a Monday afternoon, nice little bar.

The calamari was missing in my calamari rings. £7.50 . Oooft . Nobody came to check on us. Unfriendly service

Dropped in after a show st the Queen's Hall. Nice, clean, and friendly place. Reasonable prices as well. Hood jukebox to boot. If you are in the area, it's worth a libation or 2.

Food was great and prepared quickly. Friendly staff made the experience alot more enjoyable. Wanst very busy when we first went in but soon became a very busy pub. It was cold, but it's such a large open space it would be hard to heat. Food and drink were both excellent and good choice of different beers to choose from.

Propped in for a quick pint (Guinness, was excellent) and a burger (was delicious) Guinness was very high standard Food was served promptly and was delicious (had a burger) Nirvana once played in this venue. If you know, you know.

Rude staff. Left before ordering anything.

Lovely staff and tasty food. The only thing I would change is the heating as it was a bit chilly. It's definitely worth a visit

Met others for a drink and was a nice space with a reasonably good atmosphere. Not too busy on a weekday night when we visited and a well split up space which meant it wasn't too noisy and some sense of being more intimate.

Cracking wee pub to take the weight aff and enjoy a wee drink

Toilets for men locked & no one interested in opening them service shocking advised to use ladies never go back

Great little pub with a nice cosy atmosphere, bigger than it looks from the outside. Fantastic range of beers, all about average Edinburgh prices. Went on a Tuesday afternoon and it was nice and quiet. Saw another table get food and the burgers look VERY nice, will be going back for one of those!

Very courtesy and welcoming staff excellent service, excellent meal ,most enjoyable experience

Great atmosphere, fab food! Nice friendly staff.

Nirvana played here once. No joke man. One of the best selections of local brewery beers up this neck of the woods.

Yum! Great fish and chips and decent Pinot Noir. Highly recommended!

I was slightly disappointed with my order that no chips came with my order tonight

"Porter" beer highly recommended

Great pub food, lovely staff and great service

Nice pub in good location for Queen's Hall and Festival Theatre. Table service was great and prices weren't bad for Edinburgh. Good vegan options and range of cocktails. We will return!

Traditionally-styled bar offers interesting beer selection - some locally brewed - with friendly and attentive service. Located on the city's South Side (near the Queens Hall). Clean, warm, well-managed, with great music and largely free of the curse of sports TV. Mixed clietele, suitable for different sized groups and ages. What's not to like? 😁

A place where you want to be. Right in the heart of the city, The Southern is a traditional pub with a huge selection of beers and drinks. The food quality is excellent and the price fair. The service is amazing, everyone was very kind and both girls showed a great smile for our kids. We’ll definitely go back there!

A friend and I ordered food one evening about a month ago and it didn't arrive, resulting in us missed the start of a show at the Queens Hall. The staff were very apologetic. I went back and ordered food on another occasion (giving them the beneft of the doubt) and again the food did not arrive. Lots of bar staff and waiting staff there but seemingly no staff member able to process an order correctly. Very Poor show. If you are hungey think twice about booking dinner here.

Nachos were so tough and baked on to the dish it was impossible to break some of them free. Peach crumble consisted of a few tinned sliced peaches covered with breakfast cereal. No way was it anything near a proper crumble. Very stodgy and not enjoyable. Altogether a disappointing experience

Was regular customer for several years,however after last visit recently it will change...service was terrible or better say no service-had to order second drinks near bar...with food got wrong items,they exchanged it later but in bill was still the food we didnt order.So watch your bills if go there.Waiters were very ignorant and never came to table.Sadly not same place anymore like used to be.

Great pre food before going next door for a gig at queen's Hall Chicken wings were sublime and Haggis balls a must

Absolutely wonderful food but massively let down by the delivery time. We ordered for a specific time as needed it here when we got home as we were going back out but was delayed by half hour just waiting for it.

Popped in to kill some time whilst my laptop was being worked on close by and thought id grab lunch. The food was delicious and the service good. A good selection of food & drink. I dont feel it fair to comment on atmosphere as Thursday afternoon was definitely not peak time and the restaurant was pretty empty but it did seem as though itd have a good atmosphere

The halloumi burger is usually brilliant. today I had the seasonal veg bowl - it was okay. They have Long White Cloud and Various other great beers on tap.

Excellent locally made pint. Friendly staff. Scotsman burger delicious. Looking forward to going back.

Can we talk about the price of a ping of T. £3.75? Firm handshakes 🤝

It's a nice place but we waited 1½ hour for our food which was a bit too long for us. No sauce to the fish and chips made that dish a bit of a dry experience, at least until the kitchen whipped something up - but the scotsman burger and the macaroni and cheese was tasty and they have a good selection of beer and drinks.

Great place, good choice of beers and tasty food.

Fabulous! Great ales on tap, good food and great people, a proper Edinburgh bar that’s not been spoilt , Katrina was a welcoming host!

The food is amazing, The staff are very polite and very nice and helpful, the pub is walking distance from town but not too busy a pub and has a nice feeling about it .

Nice little pub in a busy street

Awesome find my amazing Wife and I looked for a pub lunch after seeing Dunedin Consort at Queens Hall. Found this place. Doggie friendly. Loads of Beers that I like. Food including death by Chilli and not super expensive. Totally dig this place. Hanover Tap you should be like this 👍🏾

Macaroni cheese was dry and stodgy.

So this is a place with quite a lot of history, where Nirvana once played a secret show for about 50 people. So we had to stop by for drinks, and they were actually cheaper than in most places in this area. Good atmosphere too.

Burger was really tasty and chips were delicious too. Unfortunately onion rings were a let down though. Obviously wasn't expecting them to arrive fresh and crispy, but they looked like they hadn't been fully cooked in the first place. Won't put me off ordering again though

Had a Scotsman burger for lunch very tasty.

Great pub, Emma's service was fantastic

Popped in for dinner before a show. The staff were excellent, very attentive. Served very quickly and the food was very nice. Great start to a fab night

This feels like a fusion of Scottish and Irish pubs. Loved the style and the beer/food is really good. Especially fish and chips.

Vriendelijk personeel. Mocktail was wel ok. Nachos beetje teleurstellend.

A nice friendly bar and reasonable prices.

Excellent venison and haggis burger with an excellent beer 🍺 thanks

Went during a busy time when they didn't seem to have many staff on and had quite a few large bookings. Food was really nice, although took a little while to come (big bookings), and there's a varied cocktail menu. Staff were overrun but we're friendly and nice, just obviously needed a few more of them to service such a large place!

Amazing place, amazing food and amazing atmosphere

Shopping with the Wife on a Saturday afternoon. Pop in for a Bite to eat. Totally enjoyed it it friendly Staff and a good menu 👌

We happened upon this establishment after our first option to eat was fully reserved---we are glad we did! The waitress was nice and attentive. The food was well made, tasty and timely. We ordered starters and vegetarian and fish main courses. Moreover, the drink selection will make any alcoholic skip their AA class;)

Great pub which has been in South Clerk Street for many years. A good selection of beers and still about a fiver a pint, good down to earth atmosphere and friendly staff. Oh and Nirvana played there many years ago.

Ouch to the prices! But yay to the alcohol free selection and atmosphere. Doggo friendly and lovely staff! But please be kinder to the wallet. I can't return 😪 if you can't serve a pint under £5.

Ambiance sympa Super choix de bières Burgers très bon

Visited this place as it’s local to my daughter’s new student flat. Service was great and staff friendly. Food came quickly and was excellent and will definitely return.

Highly recommended this place . Very professional staff at this difficult time. Food was very good and service first class. Connor was a real star. Many thanks.

Visité dos veces para tomar algo recientemente. El bar está muy limpio y se siente recién decorado. Todos los procedimientos de covid implementados. Marcando un 4 en lugar de un 5 ya que los precios aquí son un poco más altos que en otros bares de la calle.

Faultless We were looking for a pre gig pub diner and came across this place by chance. Nice welcome, knowledgable fun barman, after viewing menus the chef himself came to take our order to check we got exactly wanted: superior pub food at its best. Most satisfied

One of the best, classy bars in old town. Great food, impressive selection of draft craft beer, exceptional prices for the location. We were lucky enough to come during a pub quiz which was incredible, I think they do them weekly. Well worth a visit as it was tricky but very fun. The staff were unparalleled, the perfect balance, they were there when you needed them but also weren’t intrusive. 10/10 experience, recommend for anyone in the area.

Estaba en una noche de Navidad con colegas y después de haber pedido dos bebidas, el gerente me dijo que ya no me servía más. al preguntar por qué me dijeron "porque dije"ella se negó a responder cualquiera de mis preguntasechó a perder nuestra noche de Navidad - No soy un joven que bebe demasiado y se cae - ¡2 BEBIDAS! ! ! ! !Evita este lugar si quieres divertirte: ¡el gerente hambriento de poder te rechazará! ! !

He estado aquí muchas veces y es uno de los pubs más bonitos de la zona. Siempre algunas buenas cervezas de barril (muchas cervecerías artesanales locales también, lo que es aún mejor), la música es buena y cuando las velas están encendidas es acogedora y tiene un ambiente agradable.Cuando como aquí, generalmente tengo la hamburguesa y no tengo ninguna queja: carne jugosa, papas fritas sabrosas y algunos buenos encurtidos al lado. La última vez que comimos tuve pescado y papas fritas y tengo que decir que estaba tristemente decepcionado.Todo el pez estaba plagado de huesos. Me abrí paso pero tuve que dejar la mayor parte. Le indiqué esto al camarero / personal y dijo que era porque era pescado fresco.Ahora, no soy pescadero pero sé que lo primero que CUALQUIER restaurante hace con pescado fresco es deshuesarlo. Parecía una extraña excusa para algo que se olvidó claramente.Estoy tan triste porque sabía increíble pero se volvió incomible y estoy triste porque normalmente le daría a este lugar 5 estrellas. Pinbone su pescado correctamente y volveré a hacer mi revisión!

Order a burger online. Arrived quickly and it was really tasty. I very much recommend it from Deliveroo, as a location for a beer it is excellent too. Nicely decorated with plenty of beers, upmarket and pricey but you always pay more for a nice pint.

Several areas for cosy dinner, did not require prior booking. Good music, decor and food. Service was great and fast.

Visited for a swift bite before a gig at the Queen's Hall. Managed to grab the last free table and ordered - food arrived not long after and was tasty. Pretty good Chicken Club burger with a nice chunk of brie in it - could have done without the brioche bun, but the house fries were good. Pricing is pretty good, not over the top. Staff were totally on the ball even though the bar was busy.

Sunday evenings without reservations tough in town. Wandered into this beautiful facade restaurant and they found the 4 of us a table right away. Decor interesting, bigger place than you perceive because of multiple rooms. Food really good and service fast. Off the downtown main street [not touristy] but worth a visit especially for the food and HUGE selection of beers.

First time visit here just for drinks and not food but was impressed and will definitely give the food a bash at some point. Came here with friends prior to a gig at Queens Hall and the range of drinks was excellent, service was great and the prices were reasonable. Good atmosphere and a decent crowd in and some of the dishes that were passing us by looked lovely. Never a pub I’d been into before but impressed and will return.

Cool, deceptively large bar with loads of beers/ales on tap to try. Found this little gem while waiting for a bus and ended up staying and missing three! Had the Smoky Bird chicken burger with smoky bacon beer jam....so delicious!!!

Popped in for swift half that turned in to three. Food was ace choice of beer was mind boggling. I had one of the lagers. Friendly and fun staff. My new southside favourite.

Jättetrevlig pub. Mycket god mat, väldigt trevlig personal, skön och avslappnad miljö. Bra läge mära gamla stan

We were a party of five, high on laughter post Henning Wehn's Fringe gig, looking for a meal. We went into The Southern, found a table, ordered basic pub grub, which was just average. The problem was the sound level. Music was blaring, people yelling across tables trying to converse with friends over their drinks and food...it was a cacophony. We ate and drank up, and left. Had we been able to hold a conversation, we might have stayed for another drink...

Great bar with super beers and great bar meals! I enjoyed the ambiance and bar staff were very friendly.

We’d looked on trip advisor and thought we would go to the Abbey but it was so busy and loud we walked down the road and stumbled upon this place. All our meals were delicious and the staff friendly. If you like different beers there are loads to choose from