Iona Bar – A comforting corner pub
There’s nothing special behind the bar at The Iona. In front of the bar, though, the people bring the pub to life.
The Iona Bar is one of those places you could walk past day after day and barely even clock. It’s practically opposite the Old Eastway Tap, which this Thursday evening is far busier, with its running club meet-ups and its burger menu and its cocktail list. The Iona has none of those – but that doesn’t make it missable.
Walking in, the first thing I notice is the jovial mood of the four gentlemen and one lady sitting at the bar. I exchange a few pleasantries with one of them as I wait for my Guinness (£4.90), before I take a seat by the window. This small, one-room corner pub is not rammed, but there are young couples and groups of mates chatting away at the tables, with more outside. They’re catching up, laughing, and clearly at ease here. Normally, pubs like this are male-dominated, but The Iona has a fairly even gender split.
As expected, there’s no real ale here. In fact, I can only really see two drinks wherever I look: It seems we’re all either seeing to a portly, white-haired Guinness, or a rakish tower of Tennents, its loops of bubbles excitedly rising.
The lady sitting at the bar gets up to put something on the jukebox and Lola Young starts playing. The music causes everyone to raise their voices a few decibels and the atmosphere livens. It’s nothing too raucous, still being early in the evening before the football’s started on TV. But we’re all in a good mood sharing this living room-style space.
The decoration is limited to a dart board, a few tasteful framed beer posters on the white walls and a swirly red and yellow pub carpet. It’s the people here who bring the character to the place. And the community feel – little touches like the sandwiches on offer for free one Friday night a few months back. Everyone’s comfortable being here, and so am I.
Where is it?
Where next?
The Old Eastway Tap is pretty reliable for its Cross Borders real ale. But right at the end of Easter Road is The Percy, one of my favourites. Or Head across to The Harp & Castle on Leith Walk.
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The Chaser – More pub closures
The Port O’ Leith pub on Constitution Street has been shut the past few times I have been past. Last week, it was finally confirmed: It seems noise complaints may have prompted Craig Smith to step down from running it. Heineken’s real estate arm Star Pubs has now put it up for lease. On Easter Road, The Mash Tun has also been put up for lease by Star Pubs, too.
The fate of another Easter Road pub, Middleton’s is unclear. It appeared to be shut when I went past last week, and Google lists it as “temporarily closed”. But a friend has seen it open fairly recently, and the To Let sign seems to have been up for a little while. Get in touch if you have any info about this one.
& frothy guinness 😍