Colinton Inn – Welcome to your friendly local

An unassuming pub which serves its local community? Yes please.

© Imran Rahman-Jones

“Welcome to your friendly local,” declares the sign at The Colinton Inn.

The rest of the interior is pleasant but fairly generic: Signs for Birra Moretti, Guinness, Pimms and Malfy Gin. It’s got a shabby chic feel to it, with wooden crates and framed pictures making up the rest of the wall displays, some fake ivy and a low, comfortable-looking leather sofa. Coldplay is piped through the speakers at a low volume. On the surface, this interior could really be anywhere in 21st-century Britain.

But the sign doesn’t lie. I visit on a quiet Tuesday evening just before people are coming back from work, and instantly feel invited. The lady working behind the bar greets me with a smile. There are two reliable, low-risk ales on, and I go for the Jarl. She takes her time to get the pour right. It tastes good: cellar-temperature, crisp and light.

I can tell the other patrons are comfortable here. Three old boys are putting the world to rights at the bar, while another is at a table enjoying a quiet pint. I take a pew and get through a couple of chapters of my book. It’s a relaxed atmosphere.

Then, the pub starts filling up with regulars, whom the staff know by name. A woman enters and is immediately offered her “usual”. She’s even brought her own pack of Mini Cheddars because she already knows they’ve run out at the bar – and called ahead to make sure they were OK with her bringing in her own snack. She also sits down with a book. Another man comes in alone, recognises a friend, and sits with him for a while.

I love this kind of stuff at pubs – observing the daily lives of locals who are perfectly happy coming in alone, knowing there will be a friendly face to make small talk with or catch up on neighbourhood gossip. A couple of mates meeting for a quick after-work pint before going home to their families. Or people like me, just passing by, knowing there is a public place open to anyone where you can stop for 45 minutes and relax.

The interior isn’t going to win any awards. The drinks selection is solid, even if it won’t blow your mind. But in the end, those factors aren’t the most important thing about places like this. The Colinton Inn fulfils the number one obligation of any pub: It’s welcoming, and is open to everyone.

The pub knows this too, and its owners have clearly made an effort to make it so: on its website, it describes itself as a “community pub, proud to serve locals, walkers and everyone in-between… We exist to share and create a happy and relaxing atmosphere for all our customers to enjoy.” Long may it continue.

Where is it?

• 12-14 Bridge Rd, Colinton, Edinburgh, EH13 0LQ

The chaser

A belated congratulations to the staff at The Joker & the Thief on Elm Row. According to Unite the Union, this is the first pub in Edinburgh to recognise unionised staff. Unite says this means the staff get:

• The real living wage

• Guaranteed hours

• Paid breaks

• 100% tips

• Taxis home after shift

• A proactive sexual harassment policy

Of course, most of these should really be the bare minimum standards expected by any hospitality staff. Unfortunately, they’re not. If it takes unionisation to guarantee these standards, then let’s hope  more pub workers are able to join.