Argyle Bar

Maybe we caught them on a bad day, but we paid £25 for wine that belonged over fish and chips and burgers that was tiny, dry with a small portion of chips, no fillings and definitely not worth £8.50. I advise you to eat at the local fish and chip shop and then maybe go in for a pint.

As a local pub goes, it’s quite good. But I’m here mainly to review the Argyle Bar club sandwich (which I used to LOVE). Guys, what happened? My first gripe is that they placed the sandwich on a panini press with the lettuce inside. Ughhhhh. This made the lettuce all soggy and inedible. Second, there also used to be cheese on the sandwich, which although not a typical item on a club sandwich, I thought this was an excellent addition. Third, what happened to the skinny frites? Perhaps it was the time of the week/​year and they were out. Either way, my personal preference was the skinny fries, cheese and toasted bread. I’ll still frequent the Argyle, since it is my local and as far as drinks and atmosphere go, it’s great. However, i’ll be hesitant to order my favourite club sandwich again.
At least they have burgers!

The Argyle Bar has recently become a ‘Brass Monkey’ bar, in that it’s owned by the same guys. Downstairs they have The Cellar Monkey (a bar in and of itself) and The Argyle upstairs. Attached by stairs, barmen, and the same food on offer.
Compared to The Cellar Monkey, The Argyle feels a lot more traditional. I was here when it first opened, and returned again recently and I can tell it’s really settling into itself. There’s a bit more décor, in that cool, eclectic «we didn’t try but we really did» way. I liked all the lamps that are scattered about the top near the ceiling.
I know it’s a quieter area than the other Monkey bars (Drummond Street and Leith Walk) but it has that nicer, local feel to it. I can tell its settling and growing into itself though. The Monkey bars all have that ‘old familiar’ feel to them, and that can’t happen over night. I get the feeling that, like a good cheese or whisky, The Argyle is going to get better and better with age.
The burger I had was fairly good: a nice big, hand made beef patty, some cheese and BBQ sauce, and crispy onion rings. Nice crispy-​on-​the-​outside, fluffy-​on-​the-​inside chips. And not too bad a price at £6.
For the area, there aren’t that many bars. It fills the ‘cool, laid back but fun’ local hole (moreso than other bars in the area). I like it, and can see myself coming back more. I really should. They have board games and I spied a poker night board too! Will need to look into that…

I come to the Argyle Bar fairly often these days. It’s near a few bike shops I like, it’s got some good space and they have some great cask ales on.
I even managed to try the food a few times and it’s always really spot on.
Not much else to say about it other than if you don’t get there early don’t expect to get a seat. It’s petty tiny but that works for the type of bar it is. Friendly regulars and bar staff so it’s pretty ace.
When it gets really busy there is always Cellar Monkey downstairs.
By far the best bar in this area of Marchmont.
Bike parking over the road too.

It’s hard to put my finger on one thing, but this pub has transformed from being a boring and soulless bar which I preffered to avoid, to my favourite local hang out since it was taken over last year. They literally raised the roof on this place (well the cieling, by a couple of feet)! And with it, the atmosphere has lifted, making it a much more sociable place. It’s a warmer vibe now, with indian style rugs and comfy sofas. An array of random lamps and clocks add to the character, and fortunately the bar staff have good taste in music as I’ve enjoyed the tunes any time I’ve been in. The selection of drinks is good. On my last visit I sampled a pint of their guest ale, The Birds And The Bees which I can highly recommend, and the fridges are well stocked with various bottles. They also do nice burgers now and everything is very reasonably priced.
Downstairs there is the Cellar Monkey which is a great wee hide away with candles and armchairs, and the bar is laden with monkey decorations which locals have contributed so you don’t forget where you are! It has an almost jazzy vibe to it and I always thought this place would make a nice live music joint, and now it is, with a weekly open mic and occassional live band.
So all in all, I’m thoroughly digging the new incarnation of the Argyle.

This is a great bar, well worth a visit. Upstairs is pretty chill axed, shows live sports, and a decent back bar. Staff are friendly with good banter.
They have started shifting a lot more ale, which means they can make the use of their 3 taps, which is complimented by an awesome selection of bottled beers. Stacks of daily papers and board games, with a good mix of locals. Don’t be put off of it looks full of students, that’s not the case at all,
Downstairs Cellar Monkey is good at weekends, good music and not particularly judgemental! Thursday night pub quiz starts at 7.

I love the Argyle. It’s my neighborhood pub and I always pop in. Recently they started advertising a breakfast deal during the six nations and I had to check it out with some friends. 2 for 1 breakfast (with both meat and veggie option) and a bloody mary tossed in for good measure. It was really tasty. Nothing extraordinary, but a tasty Scottish breakfast for a fiver. Can’t beat that! Plus the bloody mary was perfectly spiced. Not sure if the breakfast deal will continue after six nations but it’s worth checking out regardless.

Nice little corner pub, with the cellar monkey below …
Good seating and friendly staff.
The french martini and Strawberry Daquiri are my favourite cocktails here. The house red is good too!
Haven’t sampled food here though!

I was waiting a while to re-​review this place to see how the recent new ownership and renovations sat with me, due the length of time I have been coming here and I am a fussy sort about pubs changing… and well tbh I love the place. The pub is now under the same ownership umbrella as the brass monkey pubs, but has a very different vibe for the better I might add.
The renovations have really made a difference to the place. No more broom handle propping up the fan in the gents… actually I kinda miss that. The new managers and staff are friendly and well informed in terms of booze. On that note they do keep a well stocked bar here with lots of vodka etc and pints available. No food on offer but they do keep a fine line crisps and other bar snacks. :D

Recently refurbished and under new management the Argyle is an appealing mixture of old and new. Part old man pub and part student pub somehow the combination works to give a winning atmosphere.
With a fair range of spirits and 2 rotating cask ales and a selection of lager the beverages on offer are more or less exactly what you want, they are also reasonably priced. In short a good hybrid of the modern/​traditional pub.

This seems to be a sweet small pub in the heart of Marchmont, but unfortunately is really too small for anything. There is a good selection of beer and the staff are friendly but you can’t escape the feeling that everyone else can hear everything you are saying. In summer it is a bit better, as they have a few seats outside, but due to the nature of the pavement, there is not a lot of space for many.
The biggest disappointment is that they have a downstairs area that would add considerable space to the pub if it were used, and didn’t remain constantly with the lights off. However they do show all the big football games, and as there are few pubs in Marchmont to choose from, this is a good bonus.

The Argyle has a special place in my heart. Because it’s exactly what it looks like it should be. And because I’ve lived around the corner from it for 3 years now. My friend’s dad is a regular. I find that endearing, though, it might very well just be me. And yes, it’s an old man’s pub. When I go there, there’s always the risk of being cornered by someone I can’t get out of a conversation with. I just look like the kind of person people are dying to have a conversation with, obviously. By people, I mean old men. And the former statement was actually very much false. I apologise.
They’ve started food at the Argyle now. There’s a hilarious sign that reads something along the lines of: «Stop by for a healthy meal! Paninis, Nachos, etc.» I don’t know what their idea of a healthy meal is, but that’s not mine. I did have a great recent experience watching the World Cup there recently (Germany v. England), where everyone in the pub was really into the game, rooting for opposite teams and not killing each other. Brilliant, aye?
Go there for a cheap pint. For some quiet. For interesting jukebox tunes.

The Argyle Bar really doesn’t look much from the outside, and even inside it doesn’t seem to offer a lot. It is quite small with a lot of crammed seating and a little traditional wooden bar. The the stafff are friendly enough and the customers are usually locals who use it as their standard drinking hole. I pre-​drank here with my flatmates a few months ago on a Friday night and, whilst it was busy, there wasn’t the great, vibrant atmosphere that you get in some other smaller bars.
They do have wall mounted TV screens which show the latest matches and the drinks are pretty well priced, but it’s just not really my kind of pub.

This is a really nice pub. It’s a wee bit out of the way, so it’s nice for a quiet pint and some banter. The location is really picturesque as well, it’s just around the corner from the Meadows, and is situated in the grocery district. It’s quite green.
It also has a small venue downstairs called the hide, that somebody has to do something cool with. We wanted to put a night on there, except their license only runs until one a.m.