Deacon Brodies Tavern - This took me by surprise
Not quite the tourist trap I thought it was.
What’s it about?
I was in the Surgeon’s Hall museum on Saturday (worth the entrance price if you’re not squeamish about body parts in jars) when some friends, visiting Edinburgh for a wedding, messaged me asking for pub recommendations in the centre of town. They’d already ticked off my suggestions. So by the time I got out of the museum and checked my phone, they’d taken matters into their own hands. I found them settled in at Deacon Brodies Tavern.
It wouldn’t have been my first choice. Situated right on the Royal Mile opposite St Giles’ Cathedral, just down from the castle, it surely has the highest concentration of tourists in the city. I’ve walked past it a million times and not once thought it was worth going in. I assumed it would be the usual bog-standard lager and overpriced G&Ts – the kind of thing you’ll pay top dollar for on holiday, but surely not a place a local has ever set foot in.
Nicholson’s pubs, of which this is one, can be quite hit and miss. I have had some horrendous pints in their other establishments around the country. Admittedly, I’ve had some decent ones too. But if you are going to play the cask lottery, just find a Wetherspoons where the risk of a dodgy pint is worth the gamble at about a third of the price.
Reader, I was pleasantly surprised. A good selection of cask – mostly from the reliable Stewart Brewing – was well kept and well poured. A wide range of kegs and the usual spirits complemented the selection. A couple more people behind the bar would have taken the strain off the busy staff and reduced waiting times. But they took their time with the cask to make sure it was served correctly.
The traditional pub food was good as well, with haggis, pies and fish & chips all on the menu. The stovies I had were just what was needed on a November afternoon. It won’t blow you away, and I’m sure you can do better elsewhere for these prices. You’re looking at £6 to £7 a pint and £15 for a main course. But it was better than I expected. I’ve certainly had a lot worse.
Every walking tour of Edinburgh will tell you the story of Deacon William Brodie. A well-to-do man about town, he was ingratiated with the gentlemen of 18th-century Edinburgh. By day, he was a cabinet maker and locksmith. But by night, he would use the keys he made to let himself into the houses of the gentry, and help himself to their valuables.
When his accomplices were eventually caught, they dobbed him in straight away. He was executed in 1788 at the Tollbooth, just opposite where the pubs now sits. It’s said that he had himself designed the contraption used to hang him. A century later, Robert Louis Stevenson would use Brodie’s double life as inspiration for Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Edinburgh itself has a similarly dichotomous existence. There are the tourists here for a stag weekend, a honeymoon, or for the festival. And there are the locals here all year round. Deacon Brodies Tavern is definitely here to serve the tourists – but it’s done a good job of keeping some of the old charm of a city centre boozer. I won’t be rushing back, especially at those prices. But I’ll happily take my next set of visitors there if we’re in need of a quick rest. I’ll point to the crossed keys on the sign outside, and as we wait to get served, begin the story of the naughty deacon who was caught stealing from his clients.
The chaser
I’d love to know of any pubs which have pleasantly surprised you – places you would never have gone to out of choice, but ended up enjoying once you got there. Leave a comment below.
Where is it?
Open every day from 11am.
Where next?
The Bow Bar, just a few minutes’ walk away on Victoria Street.
Hi Imran. There's a Scottish Substack meet-up next week if you fancy it? I tried to tag you in a post in my Notes but there was a glitch. See my Notes for deets. Hope to see you there. K