The Keller – A modern pub done right
A good selection of German and local beers mean this is worth a pint or two.
Hidden away just off Broughton Street is a pub you may have missed. You head through an arch, down a narrow cobbled street. There’s not much here - some bins and the backs of the bars up the hill. You might still bypass the entrance to The Keller – a sweet bar which is bigger than it looks from the outside.
Despite its hiddenawayness, The Keller is fairly busy on the Saturday afternoon I’m in. It’s a modern pub, opened by a young couple in 2021, and this first thing I notice is the dried hops hanging along the low ceiling. They are a nod to The Keller’s origins as a brewpub.
Unfortunately, its brewery next door – taking inspiration from German-style beers – is currently shuttered as they look for someone else to take it over. But the bar still serves a good selection of German bier on draught, alongside some kegs from local breweries. Cocktails also seem popular among the clientele here, which can sometimes result in a longish wait.
But it’s not a chore, as the bar is somewhere I’m happy to spend a while in. There are plenty of comfy armchairs, sofas, and in the window a couple of hanging swingy chairs which look like they would be a struggle to manoeuvre in and out of after a cocktail or a lager. Down the centre of the room is a long table with benches either side, evoking a German beer hall and provoking conversation between disparate groups sharing the space. The low lighting suggests this would be a good cosy winter spot – though I’m perfectly happy here in spring too.
Regular readers may have a sense of what I like in a pub by now: I like them old, with good real ale and preferably with some decent memorabilia dotted about the place. This pub has none of that, so the fact that I enjoy it anyway is a testament to its owners getting a modern pub right. It’s comfortable, convivial and homely.
A couple of black marks against its name aren’t enough to put me off. Snacks (pretzels and dips) cost £8. In a separate room is a pool table which costs £10 an hour to play (unacceptable). To be fair, the drinks aren’t extortionate. A good German lager costs me £5.90, which feels like the average in Edinburgh these days. I’ve certainly paid more for inferior pints elsewhere. But it probably means that if I want to spend more time here, it will be nursing drinks rather than settling in for a session.
Where is it?
Opening times: Tue-Thu 5pm-12am, Fri-Sat 1pm-1am, Sun 3pm-11pm.
Where next?
If you want a similarly modern pub, The Penny Black is not far away on Leith Street. For an older pub with a lot of history, Mather’s Bar is just round the corner.
The chaser – Some of the best alcohol-free beer in Edinburgh
A link to online beer magazine Pellicle this week.
It’s a feature on Jump Ship Brewing, which started in Leith and is now based in Pathhead just outside Edinburgh.
“I went through all three pregnancies without touching an alcohol-free beer, and it was pretty miserable,” Sonja says. “I thought I’d rather drink nothing.”
Sonja Mitchell is the brewery’s founder and was inspired to start an alcohol-free brewery after some lacklustre experiences going out while not drinking (including going to an event where the only alternative was orange juice). Luckily, the scene is now changing, with a marked increase in the quality of low and no-alcohol beer in the past few years.
When I went sober for a couple of months last year, Jump Ship was among the best of the 30-plus alcohol-free beers I tried. I commend it to anyone who’s curious about trying something alcohol-free but worried it tastes rubbish.
had no idea this existed - will have to check it out!