Frankenstein & Bier Keller

Un samedi soir d’hiver entre filles à Edinburgh: après avoir commencé la soirée à écumer les pubs du centre, nous avions une folle envie de danser jusqu’au bout de la nuit ! Le bout de la nuit en Ecosse étant 2h du matin. Vous vous doutez qu’on a fait la fermeture de la boîte.
Frankenstein est un bon club pour sortir sans se prendre la tête. Tout d’abord, l’endroit en lui-​même est atypique: il s’agit d’une ancienne église (ils sont fous ces écossais!). Nous né nous sommes pas attardées dans les étages, le seul qui nous intéressait étant celui du dancefloor !
Nous nous sommes donc retrouvées à danser au centre de l’église, le DJ dans sa chaire, des écrans au dessus de nos têtes et le bar devant nous. L’ambiance était déjà électrique, à 23h. 1er arrêt au bar (consos très peu chères) puis direction le dancefloor. J’ai adoré la musique très variée: hits du moment et les classiques pop/​rock, hip-​hop, rap… il y en a pour tous les goûts.
Bref, on a fait la fermeture et testé la chaise électrique de Frankenstein avant de partir !

‘At 5, Frankenstein will come out.’ We had small children and we had been warned. What did this mean? We soon found out. Frankie was prompt, joining us five minutes early. The lights went down. The spooky novelty music came on. Everybody is looking around for something. And then above us we see a mechanism slowly come out. There he is. Robotic Frank slowly sits up. Head turn to the right, head turn to the left. And then he’s retracting in again, back in his cave. We were underwhelmed.
One of the weirdest bar experiences I’ve ever had, no doubt. So, Frankenstein is an a-​okay bar. We were drawn here because it was child-​friendly (yes, really!) and spacious enough for my friend to bring in her pram. I wouldn’t make a point of going out of my way to come here, but it’s fine for a one-​drink stop.

Eglise reconvertie en Pub! Rien que ça, ça fait frémir! Véritable ambiance gothique du 19ème siècle! On dirait un manoir avec plusieurs étages à thèmes. La salle principale est truffée d’électrodes et de machines pour alimenter en énergie la bête! (le monstre de Frankenstein).
Le restaurant est original, les plats sont bons (surtout les macaronis au fromage). Les cocktails sont bien pensés et portent des noms mythiques, comme me «Frankenstein» qui est vert par exemple. Vraiment un endroit que je recommande fortement! Pour preuve, j’y suis retourné ;)

Don’t waste your time. This is the tackiest place on the planet. The mood is desperate. The DJs cut into the music at the most inopportune times so that it’s virtually impossible to dance. Even if you wanted to try having fun, you can’t. Also, the bartenders are complete assholes who can’t make a decent drink.

First off, this place is pretty mediocre. The ambiance is meh. There’s no point in going more than once unless you want to hear the exact same playlist over and over again. It’s consistently way too empty despite the enormous size of the venue. And a lot of the bartenders don’t actually know how much they’re supposed to charge for the drinks – one overcharged me and was about to tell me I hadn’t paid enough, and was going to ask for more money if the manager hadn’t been standing being him digging him in the ribs.

Bar à touristes et étudiants du centre d’Edimbourgh.
On y vient pour l’ambiance Frankenstein et les consos pas chères.
Pour les amateurs de boîtes de nuits et soirées burgers donc.
Le plus: 3 étages avec un bar à chaque niveau.

If you enjoy halloween, horror films, or themed entertainment — this is a must. Swung by on a recommendation from a coworker who said to make sure we were there at midnight. Once the clock struck 12:00am, a Frankenstein animatronic was lowered from the ceiling with lights, smoke, and fantastic score. Very fun, would high recommend.

Originally I was going to rate this place at least 4 stars because I loved the environment and the type of music they played! Lots of old alternative classic hits and awesome dancing kind of songs and catchy tunes. I actually had a great time at the club because it was a lot of american music and things I’m used to. But then the security guard kicked my friend because she was dancing the way american girls who love music dance. And then he kicked her out. I thought that was so rude because you can’t just kick people. Never in America do people kick people, it was just rude. And I think he should have at least gave her a warning if she may have been dancing inappropriately by respectfully tapping her on the shoulder or something. So after, our whole group of Americans just left. Besides the security guard, the place itself was great.

Well… it isn’t bad, but I’m not sure I would be a «regular» here.
I have had the experience of meeting up with classmates at Frankenstein’s on a few occasions last semester (not sure why it keeps getting suggested), but in any event I have to say the the décor is remarkable to say the least.
The full-​size Frankenstein that wakes up and loudly lets you know that it is coming to life as comes down from the ceiling is pretty interesting the first time you see it. The second and third time? Not so much. Like I said, it is loud and it WILL interrupt any conversation you are engaged in for several minutes. That gets annoying.
The drinks? Not so bad. My female friends like the cocktails and they make some interesting ones from what it looks like. The beer selection is pretty dismal in my view, and not the cheapest in town either.
As the night wears on, the music gets continually louder until it is in «full club mode». That isn’t a bad thing necessarily, but it is something to note. This is not really a Scottish pub by any means. There are some local folks who stop in amazingly, so it isn’t exactly a «tourist trap» either. Something in between I suppose.
In the end, I would only come in if a few friends were stopping in. I would not make this the first recommendation to friends who come to visit either. But with that being said, it is a clean and decent place to chill if you like horror-​themed stuff and don’t mind a not-​so-​great beer selection.

This used to be a regular hangout when I was 18 year old student. This chain pub is pretty much what you’d expect for a themed drinking establishment. The horror vibe is quite fun, featuring a dummy Frankenstein that makes an appearance when the clock strikes the right hour.
I’ve only ever been here for drinks, never food. The space is quite large, the bar is adequately stocked and service is fine. They have wine on tap here — it’s that kind of place. In the evening the music is really loud so it’s a shout-​in-​your-​ear joint, and there’s a central space downstairs for dancing and merriment.
I’d never choose to come here, but if you’re in a large group or need an inoffensive pub that’s centrally located then this should suffice.

Why do I like Frankenstein’s?
It’s been here since like my student days — and in today’s terms, that means forever.
It’s part of a chain of horror pubs (seen in Edinburgh and Nottingham… probably elsewhere too) with cheesy cocktails that I used to knock back when I were but a lass, and cheap beer/​wine that I knock back now that I have earned my flat cap and pipe. I was a wannabe goth as a teenager, so the vamp in me can never resist a visit.
It has easily accessible toilets that you can get to without having to endure the stares of the barkeep (honest, I’m coming in for a drink!).
I’ve never, repeat, never not been able to get a seat. Trying to get a booth, however, can be a wee bit more challenging, but I am happy to report, challenge accepted on many a time.
I don’t think I’ve ever spent a full evening here, or in any of the theme pubs, but it’s a bit of cheesy, cheap fun to throw into an evening, and great during a rainstorm.
Now, do I really want to go to one of their theme dinners? Hmm, maybe not so much…

Don’t know what’s up with all bad reviews. Maybe I came at the wrong time. When I stopped by for lunch, I was the only customer. The food was good and the service great.

Eh, Kind of a tourist trap. I mean, it is entertaining and all your first time out, but once you’ve seen the cheesy décor, it is just another club. No, this is mainly for the college and the tourist too confused to realize that this has nothing to do with Mary Shelley’s classic tale published in 1818. I have a hard time imagining any self respecting local or Unilocaler, saying, «Yup, this is my bar.»
However, I could be wrong, for the strange and unusual thrives in every country, I once spent an evening in a Russian Ice Bar in Nha Trang, Vietnam, so anything is possible, I guess. No, for me, I would much rather explore the hundreds of authentic bars in Edinburgh, Still, to be fair, I had popped in hear alone, so this bar might merit another star if I had been with a large group. Next time, I am in Edinburgh, I may drag the whole clan down here and see what they think,

I’m going to go on a limb and guess that red neon bulbs probably weren’t around in 1818. That’s not saying I wasn’t excited about visiting, but I had doubts about many of its claims. Its full name is The World Famous Frankenstein 1818. World famous? I know the novel, The Modern Prometheus, which for me is a more ominous title than just Frankenstein, but world famous? Is the novel world famous or is it the pub, because I’m pretty sure I can ask ten random people in my home town and they wouldn’t know anything about it. Can you just call yourself world famous? And its title, «The World Famous Frankenstein 1818», was the pub was founded in 1818? That’s somewhat hard to believe considering the novel was published in 1818. And that really is its full name, The World Famous Frankenstein 1818. That’s a mouthful, so I’m just going to call it Frank from here on.
When I entered, instead of some dated dungeon-​like pub replacing walnut wood panels with roughly interconnected cobblestones, I found that Frank had red faux leather chairs, iron girders, and… what do you know, walnut wood panels. This is not to say that I was disappointed with Frank. As pubs go, it’s breathtaking, except it feels more like a night club than a place people would gather to eat. Frank is very dark, almost shadowing the details of an establishment which probably cost millions to construct. It blends old-​fashioned and décor with modern accents though I felt the latter overshadowed its attempts to be dated.
I can’t hate Frank… I can’t. It looks too good; I just wished it looked… well…older. As it is now, it’s more of a tribute to the films than the novel, a snapshot of some fantasy we wanted the world to look like in 1818, not as it actually was. Frank is a collage of movie sets slammed together into a pub. Not bad, just not what I expected. It’s part steampunk, part gothic, part modern nightclub. I would even go so far as to say that your opinion on the décor can radically change depending on which angle you’re looking at.
As for the food, we opened with a shared plate of nachos, towering taller than the red cuillins. This would be enough as a meal for two, but we were foolish and had already ordered mains. I had the Franken-​furter (oh I saw what you did there) while my girlfriend enjoyed the haggis, neeps, and tatties. These are huge plates of food for surprisingly reasonable prices. One would expect huge markups given the location, but no. I keep getting reminded that most pubs don’t offer good food, but so far, this has not been my experience.
If you ignore the borderline menacing décor, is Frank a worthwhile location? I would say so, but I would also say that its intimidating nature may frighten away people looking for something a bit more mundane. Don’t get me wrong, Frank must rock during Halloween, and I would rather return here than to The World’s End for the simple fact that I can stretch out my arms in Frank without taking out an eye of someone at another table. But it’s also obvious that Frank is not meant for anyone older than 40. It’s not where men in tweed jackets gather around for a pint after a long day’s work. It’s for students after exams are over, and they become possessed with an overwhelming desire to get so inebriated, their gait and mannerisms would make the famous monster articulate and agile. The truth is that I would not be caught dead in Frankenstein after 10:00 pm given the obvious demographics that would congregate within it… but until then, I would definitely love to book it for my next birthday.

DECOR: 9
PLATING: 7
SERVICE: 7
FOOD: 8
VALUE: 7
OVERALL: 7.6 out of 10

Staff are not very helpful, place was dirty when I went in, couldnt even get a table to be cleaned for me and my friends. Pretty sure there was no booze in any of the cocktails. Also had a different very bad experience in this pub and the staff wouldnt even help out or anything. The only thing going for this place is the music that plays which is ok. Otherwise I will never be going back and neither will a large group of my friends.

Such a fun place to eat! the food is good, comparable to most pub food in town. Its really the atmosphere and old «monster movies» playing in the background that really make it. If you’re going to take a guest to pub food, then you should go here!

Went in for lunch and had a really good cheese and bacon burger. Love the Frankenstein theme with Bride of Frankenstein playing on the big screens

A converted church, Gothic style interior, Mr Frankenstein making an appearance, fancy lights, nice whiskey and beer, Edinburgh center alcohol prices… this pretty much sums up this place.
My colleagues and I strolled by this place on a Thursday evening around 7.00pm and it appeared pretty much empty. We grabbed a high table in the center of the room and got ourselves some drinks. First it felt like we were the only people in there, but after half an hour the «Church» started filling up (people nestling into the comfy booths around the dance floor) and Mr Frankenstein came our from his hiding place. Loved that appearance. Spooky!
I did not see much of a dance floor, and at the same time you don’t really need much space to have a good time. There is plenty of «boogie space» if you don’t try to outmaneuver other people, just to look good :-)
It appears there is an upper floor, which would be suitable for private parties. Always a good one to celebrate your 21^st BD!
Shame I was there only for a short time, but it’s definitely a place I would like to go back to.

Dropped in for a quick pint the other afternoon, relatively quiet apart from a few people watching the early kick off Europa League match.
Really liked the look of the place from the outside, and they’ve done the theme very well so that the inside doesn’t disappoint.

Frankenstein memorabilia everywhere inside, looks like a church on the outside, check. Have beers on tap with loud music on, check. This is definitely a place for you to stop by and have a beer and take a look around, even once. This place is unique and one of a kind.
First came here on a pub crawl one night, and we came back the next day for a later afternoon beer just to make sure it wasn’t just weird when I have had a couple of drinks already.

I actually liked Frankenstein a lot more than I thought I would, given my outrageous aversion to all things bar or club shaped. I loved the atmosphere of the Frankenstein bar most particularly – what a commitment to a theme! All of the windows with scenes from the story, a wide array of formulas and lights and crazy music videos.
I stayed for several more pints than I meant to, chatting with friends in increasingly horrendous Scottish accents, while enjoying the view from the mezzanine bar. I liked a lot that you could be down on the main dance floor or choose the higher, more casual upstairs area. Their pint selection was limited upstairs, but still sufficient to encourage the purchase of more.
Built inside an old church, it’s just an entirely unique experience. The place is marked as «World Famous», and I’m not sure how they come by it, but it’s certainly not the kind of place you’ll forget.

What in the name of Mary Shelly is going on here???
MAYBE it was just the Night I was there, but. the Décor and the Music went together like Angelina Jolie with a huge Herpe-​Sore. Gothic Décor + top 40 American hip-​hop?!? WTF.
Half the patrons were Men in Business Suits, the other half looked like rejected extras from The Crow or Insane Clown Posse groupies.
The Frankenstein-​theme is also a bit like a ridiculous funhouse… ridiculous in a bad way.
The novely soon wears off after the first three sips of your Drink.

Oh hell no girlfriend, uh-​uh.
I don’t know what that drooler in the white shirt was thinking, grinding up on me like that without introduction, but I’m pretty damn sure my punch in the chest got my message across. Look-​look-​no-​touch, thank you.
This place was, meh, average, kinda crappy music, DJ didn’t play requests and kept pausing the music in all the wrong places to scream shit about Jagerbombs. Every. Five. Minutes.
Had to run around the dance floor a bit trying to avoid the rather grab-​assy «gentlemen» that were present, and yes a wooden doll got lowered from the ceiling that vaguely resembled Frankenstein’s monster. To their credit, they did play Michael Jackson’s Thriller, but then again, what else would you play to go with that?
Keep walkin’ people, if you’ve got to set the bouncer on the chavs to keep off your body (for their safety really, I would’ve done them more harm), you know it’s not the place to be.
Frankenstein, somehow that name is oddly appropriate…

Infrastruktur: Unser Hostel lag ca. 15 Minuten zu Fuß vom Frankensteins entfernt, ist an sich recht zentral und kann man, sofern ich mich recht erinnere, auch ganz gut mit dem Auto erreichen.
Ambiente: Kitschig-​gruselig. Wirklich schaurig ist hier niemandem, aber lustig wars auf jeden Fall. Überalll hängen typische «Gruseldekorationen», inklusive einem elektrischem Stuhl und viel Lichterfirlefanz. Als Jugendliche fand ichs irgendwie interessant und cool, heute eher peinlich.
Service: Die Mädchen in ihren «böse Krankenschwester-​Outfits» waren sehr gut drauf und freundlich. In damaliger Ermangelung ausgefeilter Sprachkenntnisse wars das dann aber auch.
Qualität und Quantität: Sehr wenig für viel Geld. Zwar lustig präsentiert, Shots aus Reagenzgläsern zum Beispiel, gabs leider nicht viel her, vor allem, weil der Pfund damals recht teuer war.
Preis/​Leistung: Für einen Abend mal ganz witzig, aber nichts, was man öfter in Betracht ziehen sollte.