Kay's Bar – Dodging demolition
Kay's Bar – Dodging demolition
Once in the middle of a slum, Kay's is now one of the best pubs in the city.
I sometimes get asked what my favourite Edinburgh pubs are. In truth, I don’t have one, but Kay’s Bar is surely in the top five. Everyone who’s ever visited agrees. But I am surprised at the number of people – even locals – who haven’t been there, or haven’t even heard of it.
Not that it needs the trade. Despite being tucked away in a quiet part of the New Town, the tiny pub is regularly full. Often it’s standing room only.
Having said that, this particular review was written on a quieter afternoon. It was by no means empty – from memory I got the last available table which was in the snug at the back. But it had an easy Sunday vibe, with friends catching up or tourists taking a rest. It was a rare review where I pretty much wrote the whole thing while still in the pub, nursing my £4 malt of the moment.
Click below to read the original piece from November. Scroll down for the chaser.
I’ll be back next week with a brand new pub.
Where next?
The chaser
Spare a thought for everyone in hospitality in August. Rachel Mackie’s raw account of working 10 Edinburgh Fringes sums up just how difficult it can be.
At its height, it was pure and unbridled joy. Young, hyper, lively staff working until they bleed, then heading out as a merry clan after work, gossiping, laughing, dancing and causing utter chaos until the sun rose again. Making friendships that could last a lifetime, or just a summer. Living for the moment - a montage of laughter and love, nestled in our hearts.
At its worst, it was sexual harassment and assault, it was bullying, cruelty, belittling and demeaning. A real rollercoaster.
I think I have a pretty good idea of the pub with the “huge beer garden” Mackie calls the “toughest job I ever did, and will ever do,” but I understand why she doesn’t name it. In truth, staff are probably having the same experiences wherever they are working this month.