Ryrie's – A beacon in the West End

The Haymarket Station pub has few competitors on its doorstep.

© Imran Rahman-Jones

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Living on the other side of town and with little need to use Haymarket station, I don’t often get to Ryrie’s. But it continues to be a standout pub in the area, in a part of town which isn’t exactly swimming in top-notch pubs.

Its owners DM Stewart (who apparently paid a whopping £2.9m for the pub) are good custodians, and the quality of the pub is reflected in their other offerings: The Abbotsford, The Guildford Arms and The Cumberland Bar.

(Got a pub in the area worth recommending? Leave a comment or email me on edinburghpubreviews@substack.com.)

I was interested to read the entry for Ryrie’s in my trusty 1979 Edinburgh Pub Guide. Unfortunately the mince pies have been replaced by a fancier menu and cocktail bar upstairs. It also sounds like the multi-national windows have been replaced by new stained glass - possibly part of the renovation which took place during the pandemic before the pub reopened in 2022.

Situated next door to the railway station at the busy junction of Haymarket, Ryrie's attracts its customers from many different walks of life and gives a guid welcome to them all. Even from the outside it looks a pub well worth visiting with its solid wood frontage and stained-glass windows depicting the national emblems of Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales. Painted maroon, the wood tells its own story of a certain Edinburgh football team whose ground is not a million miles away from this fine old establishment, and whose supporters pack the bar of a Saturday when there is a home game on the programme. This is also one of the best times to sample the delights of a mince pie, the greasiest and hottest of its genre it has yet been my misfortune to encounter.

A good "working man's" pub, Ryrie's has met the demands of the modern age with dignity and grace, resulting in little of its original character being lost in the occasional murmurings of the television or musical protestations of the jukebox. If they could miniaturise pubs, Ryrie's should be put in a canister beneath the good earth to be dug up and recreated for the benefit of some future age.

Have a read of my original review below, and stay tuned next week, where there will be a new addition to my occasional Train Beers series.

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The chaser – Some local pub news

Some contrasting news on two Edinburgh pubs I admit I have never been to.

First, the Mid Yoken in East Craigs has shut after its landlord of 19 years ended their time there. In a heartfelt Facebook post, Tam summed up what pubs are all about.

From the laughter and stories shared over a pint to the friendships formed and unforgettable moments we’ve experienced together, this pub has been so much more than just a business – it’s been a second home, a community, and a place of belonging.

Let’s hope an equally passionate landlord can come in and reopen the pub which clearly means so much to its local community.

In more positive news, The Royal Mile Tavern (no points for guessing where it is) has reopened for the first time in two years. The pub experienced a devastating fire in February 2023 and underwent extensive renovation. The owner, Bruce Taverns, is a pubco which has 15 venues in the heart of touristland, including Whistle Binkies, The Halfway House and La Belle Angèle.

And finally. An Edinburgh pub has landed itself on one of those spurious lists made up by marketing companies every now and then. Normally, I ignore them, but this one gives me an opportunity to talk about a pub I probably won’t do a full review of.

This one concerns The Scran and Scallie, Tom Kitchin’s gastropub in Stockbridge. It’s appeared on Estrella Damm’s list of best gastropubs in the UK. Why a large Spanish lager corporation is an arbiter of quality eateries, I don’t know. Anyway, here is my review: Overpriced, kitsch, disappointing and a weirdly cartoonish depiction of Scotland from a man who should know better.¹

1. I am an Englishman who moved here two years ago. Tom Kitchin was born in Edinburgh, and won a Michelin star at the age of 29. I stand by my comment – he should know better.