Old Chain Pier – This may be my favourite view in Edinburgh
This pub has one huge asset going for it – the location.
What is it about being next to the water that’s so appealing? I don’t know, but it’s got me back to The Old Chain Pier twice in the past two weeks.
Situated by Newhaven Harbour, the pub is the previous ticket office for ferries which departed from the end of a 200m-long pier, which was long ago lost to a storm. Now, it boasts glorious view over the water thanks to large picture windows facing Inchkeith Island and Fife. These views are stunning all year round, but in the summer the pub benefits from outside space which catches the evening sun.
I’m first here on a Friday afternoon during the pub’s so-called “freedom party”, celebrating the end of a contract with Heineken which meant they could not control their beer prices. Now, unchained from these constraints, pints are on sale for a fiver.1
When it gets a little too chilly outside, we move inside, though the windowside tables are all reserved for dinner. But high stools and tables – usually pointless and uncomfortable in most pubs – allow us to look out at rowers and sailors passing back and forth. It’s easy to become hypnotised by the mesmeric waves appear to lap at the base of the pub itself.
The view is more interesting than anything inside the pub, which is a little corporate-looking, but there are some nice details. An anchor from the old Trinity Pier sits next to the bar, while the ceiling is plastered with replicas of old nautical maps – a design choice the pub shares with its neighbour The Harbour Inn. (In any pub you go in, it’s always worth looking up for hidden gems, as anyone who has been to Leslie’s Bar or The Guildford Arms will tell you.)
The second time I come is on a whim, deciding to take advantage of the good weather and cycling along the routes of the old railway lines which used to serve this area. The pub, especially outside, is pleasingly busy given it’s a Monday evening.
A house lager, despite being served in a plastic cup, goes down far too quickly – though staring out over the water causes me to lose track of time and I’m surprised when I check my watch that I’ve been here longer than I thought. I resist the temptation for another, as much as I would love to stay. I’ll just have to come back again.
Where is it?
Where next?
Walk in the direction of Leith, and you will come across Dreadnought. If you like, stop along the way at The Harbour Inn.
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The Chaser – The Leith end of Ferry Road could soon make a decent little pub crawl
A third pub is joining Cross Borders Brewing’s portfolio, which already includes Portobello Tap and Old Eastway Tap. This one will be at the old Oceana Bar on Ferry Road in Leith, which will be renamed Coal Yard Tap. This, they say, is “a nod to the industrial history of the area,” which, as you might have guessed, included coal yards. They say their focus is on “craft beer and creating a neighbourhood space”. They hope to be open by the end of July – though there’s no concrete date yet.
It means there will soon be a nice little trio of pubs in this block again. The Fort opened at the end of last year, while The Lord Nelson is currently being refurbished and under new management. All are within 30 seconds of each other. And don’t forget to end at Gladstone’s just up the road, which may not look like much from the outside (or the inside) but you won’t feel more welcome in any other pub in Leith.
For some operators, trade has been closer to break-even, or even slightly below expectations, depending on the type of business they run and their customer base.
How have Edinburgh’s pubs fared during the World Cup? Well, some matches have been very busy, according to publicans interviewed by Deadline News, but the late timings of many matches hasn’t helped. It seems the effects of business rates, supplier costs and a minimum wage increase are still outweighing the impact of the past month of football.
That deal has now ended, but the Old Chain Pier’s house lager is staying at £5.