The Windsor – Don't take this for granted
Among a plethora of nearby options, this one is your best bet.
What’s it about?
If you’re feeling thirsty and are around Leith Walk, you’re spoilt for choice. There’s Leith Depot’s excellent selection of craft beer, Mother Superior’s mix of modern and classic charm, more down-to-earth venues such as Robbie’s or Harp & Castle, or student prices at Brass Monkey. But most of these are further towards the Leith side. So, if you are on the Edinburgh end, your best bet is The Windsor, a late-nineteenth century boozer on Elm Row.
I enter on a relaxed midweek evening. While I wait for a friend, I look around. Like mine, many tables are occupied by solo drinkers, comfortable spending some time after work over a novel or a notebook. One man takes off his hi-vis jacket and starts on the daily crossword. Another takes off his blazer and scribbles in a diary.
The barman quietly chats to a couple of regulars perched at the bar. Two mates come in wearing sports kit, enjoying a quick pint before a kickabout. More patrons enter, waving to friends they’ve arranged to meet after work. The venue slowly fills up.
The pub’s irregular shape means there are plenty of of separate nooks in which to enjoy your pint. A raised platform at the back hosts a Chesterfield sofa alongside some high tables and stools; banquette seating along one wall allows for a row of small tables for intimate conversation; round the corner are the larger tables for bigger groups. Like any good pub, it plays host to a cross-section of society, allowing conversation to grow between strangers, while affording privacy for those who want it.
An impressive stained-glass fleur-de-lys adorns the back wall, while an etched mirror tells us that this pub used to be called The Windsor Bar and Buffet and opened in 1899. Beyond that, nearly every one of the wood-panelled walls is plastered with posters for current and upcoming local events: Live music, DJ nights, comedy, theatre, pop-up craft markets… it has the potential to look really tacky. But The Windsor pulls it off. It manages to situate the pub as an important contributor to its local community.
Then there’s the beer. I appreciate the amount of care the barman takes on my Newt Brew (£5), giving time to settle and getting the head just right. I was dubious by the haziness of this organic pale ale, but it’s a lovely pint. While it’s one of only two casks on offer, you’d much rather the pub focuses on serving two good pints than overstretch on a wide range of cask. (Some places even struggle to manage with two.)
The Windsor won’t blow you away, but it does the basics really well. Well-kept pints? Check. Welcoming atmosphere? Check. A sense of history about the place? Check. These aren’t to be taken for granted, especially given the current state of the pub industry. Every time I am up this side of Leith Walk, it’s my go-to venue to pop in for a quiet pint. For that reason, it should be cherished.
The Chaser
I would love to know your equivalents of The Windsor: Somewhere which does the basics well, which may not be top of your list of places to go, but which you’d be sad about if it shut down. Somewhere where, if you were being honest, you probably take for granted a little bit. Comment below or reply to this email.
Where is it?
Open Mon-Thu from 4pm, Fri-Sat from 12pm, Sun from 2pm.
Where next?
I’ve created a list on Google Maps of all the pubs I’ve reviewed so far. So you can see the closest options here. And hit save on Google Maps to add the list to your profile. I’ll update it every time there’s a new review.
Having said that, you could easily do a little crawl along Leith Walk and end up at Newbarns Brewery Taproom.
And the Roseleaf in Leith
The Cask and Barrel and also Mather’s on Broughton St