Joseph Pearce

So sad to have to write this — used to LOVE JP’s! Was a total «old faithful» brunch spot, you always knew you were going to get decent food in a cosy, friendly environment…
… What happened guys? For one, they must have a new chef! Menu has reduced and the food was sub-​standard. If it had been served with a smile I may have given it 3 stars! I didn’t even eat my main it was so rubbish.
Go for a drink-​still a central venue to meet for a bevy, but certainly do not bother with food. WAY better options now down Leith walk. Joseph Pearce-​please sort this out I would love things to go back to the god old days!

Downgrading after being expected to pay something ridiculous like £4.00 for a side of thyme fries which were what you would expect from the bottom of a heap, with a sprig of thyme on top. Even these had to be closely defended as staff repeatedly came to take them away. This paired with over £2.00 for a half pint, left us pretty unimpressed.

I’ll be honest, this will constitute quite a generic view for all the bars these guys run (Boda, Victoria and Joseph Pearce), but as it’s closer to my house (and as such, more likely to find me inside) it will still be quite JP-​centric…
All the bars have a very laid back atmosphere — it’s nice and effortlessly cool in all of them. Many places try this, but end up falling into the «trying too hard» category; always a pet peeve of mine. (Treacle, I’m looking at you…)
There’s even outdoorsy bits in them all too — great for our 3 days of sunshine a year. The space at JP’s is quite large as well, perfect for people watching down the Walk.
Beer selection is great, and doesn’t leave you feeling the need to take out a mortgage part way through the evening too, always a bonus in places that steer clear of the general Fosters-​vapidness. They always have Tunnocks Wafers on all the bars as well, which I feel finally constitutes adequate compensation for the total lack of Vimto I’ve encountered since moving up a few years back.
Best of all though, is the epic brunch menu, which served up steak, egg, black pudding and hassleback spuds all on one plate. Winner! There’s a very Scandinavian bent to all the dishes here, so makes a great change to all the repetitive Scottish/​British hybrid menus we get elsewhere (don’t get me wrong, I love the food, just a bit of variety is always welcome).
Overall, great bunch of pubs, with JP being the best for diners. Cue weekend beer-​crawl

We came here for brunch and were not disappointed! DELICIOUS eggs royal! Lovely smoked salmon and on yummy bread from the manna house!
Cute and Funky bar and Resturant. Very friendly ! Will go back again for sure.

An all round lovely pub — hugely spacious but really cozy at the same time. Next time I’m snagging one of the comfy looking sofas! Great casual venue with a great mix of people. Reasonably priced drinks and a full food menu to boot. Will be back to try one of their boards, or for brunch!

Love the atmosphere. It was snow storming last night and I ran in to this place. The fish was like butter. Delicious Goodness!

out of all the swedish bars, i have to say that Joseph Pearce is my favourite. it has a really convenient central location, loads of seats (mostly at proper tables), a good space around the bar if you do have to end up standing, friendly staff, good food, and a good list of reasonably priced drinks. it’s also a great place to sit outside on the few sunny and warm days that we get in Edinburgh.
i’ve been to Joseph Pearce a number of times, both for food and drinks and have always left happy. my latest visit was just for a few drinks, and i can confirm that the Rioja is both well priced and a quality red to enjoy on a cold night. while my review may be short, this bar is definitely worth a visit!

I am a fan of Joseph Pearce. It’s a great place to meet up with friends and catch up. Plenty tables and space to grab a seat, music isn’t loud and overpowering so you can actually hear what people are saying and the bar is well stocked with friendly staff. A winning combo.
I also like the décor and feel of the place — it’s got a community vibe to it even though it’s a boozer. Outdoor seating along Elm Row to boot. Haven’t eaten here so can’t comment on the food, but for a watering hole it’s a good option for the area.

What can I say, as every other pub run by the Swedish owner Jo Pearce delivers great service, live music, interesting wall art and relaxing deco. There is that hard to describe feel about all his bars that makes you instantly feel comfortable. Whether it’s a date, after work catch up with friends or a night out you won’t be disappointed choosing Jo Pearce. Their beers selection is pretty decent too. But be aware that this is a busy place and sometimes it’s difficult to get a seat.

A truly wonder place and atmosphere. Unpretentious and genuine customers and staff. Staff help choose a beer. Lots of choice. Ooo and nice tequila. Lovely food. Especially salads. Perfect actually. Also they let you sit with a coffee or tea.
Love the higgledy piggley chairs. Because they don’t match they match!
Can’t wait to go again. I’m pretty sure free wifi and fabby prices.
Warm inside too!
Definitely have free wifi and even dog friendly. So pleased. I love dogs!!!

It is a Friday night in Auld Reekie, Sun is shining, working week is over, you hop on a train at Edinburgh Park and are in a grown ups Disneyland of Bar Options before the Waverley Clock hits ten past. So where do you go?
Being YF&S (well Y’ish’ anyway), balmy nights like this would naturally lead me to George Street but I wandered down past The Omni and remembered a long lost love that didnt have a flat on Albert Street and a cat that hated me. This forgotten gem was of course a bar called ‘Joseph Pearce’.
It had been 2009 since we last met and ‘Joseph’ had gone all ‘Sven’ since then. The essentials remain the same though, cracking location especially on a night like this, a ‘cool without trying too hard’ interior and staff who are on the ball without being in your face. Perfecto.
I ordered a bottle of House White which was Spanish, under £13 and perfectly quafable. Ice Bucket in hand, I settled onto a Stool by the window to wait for my hastily texted friend and watched the party unfold in the outside seating area. It is such a lovely space to do this, as airy and laid back a bar as you could ever want to visit with a clientele so mixed and interesting you should be barred if you dare web browse your smart phone rather than wonder what their stories are?
So why only three stars? Well, two reasons for losing two stars. Firstly the Gents Toilets are Grim with a capital Grim. I appreciate that it is a limited and rather restricted space but it is just not good and a broken cubicle lock when there is only one anyway = fail.
Secondly the food just didnt rock my boat at all. To accompany the second bottle of vino we had a selection of 3 starters to pick at, Tigers Prawns, Hasselback Potatoes and the obligatory Meatballs. The ‘tatties’ were the highlight simply because they were cooked properly and had nice garlic mayo. The meatballs were ‘yeah whatever’ no better or worse than any supermarket could knock out. The ‘mint and cucumber yoghurt’ however reminding me of something the aforementioned cat might regurgitate. The texture was more ‘cucumber and mint in milky water’…which, whilst being no ‘chef’, I suppose is bound to happen given the water content of cucumber? The Tigers were ‘fine’ but I do object to getting mine ‘Headed & Whole’ and therefore having to perform the equivilant of a crustacean autopsy just to get a mouthful of prawn.
In conclusion, a winning place with friendly staff to meet friends for drinks or hang out alone and watch the world go by. However if you want to avoid the loo, you might also want to avoid the food!

Still going strong and I am now seeing that they made this bar a very valued member of the community. The terras is as sunny as ever, and if there is a chilling wind the colourful Ikea blankets are a great warmer and wind breaker.
The bar is always busy, but many of them are familiar faces — they truly live up to the moniker ‘local’. The prices have increased since last year, but so have those over many other establishements.
The beers served are global brand and local brew side by side, so a Kronenburg 1664 and a Blue Moon is perfectly possible.
They also have their own Swedish ciders called Iduns and this is a joy to drink over ice when catching some sunshine.
This is to me a friendly neighbourhood pub & restaurant with some international allure.

In here at the weekend for the first time in a few years. Rammed so it was, which meant manouvering past the bar was a tad tricky. Only in to meet folk then move on so paid little attention to the wares on offer although apparently they have a lot of different gins. Getting in early seems to be the idea although the service wasn’t too bad given the amount of punters but I bet the staff have to work like trojans.

Central and Comfy!
One of my favourite pubs in Edinburgh, if not the Favourite.
Why I only give 4 stars? I actually never have tried the food there, such something to catch up on.
It’ a place for all occasions: After work, Christmas, New year, Birthdays, General celebrations — simply enjoying time with your friends.
The inside provides a very comfortable atmosphere. The staff is very friendly.
Sometimes it takes a while to get served, but considering that the place is very popular, it’s still within an acceptable time.
The drink and food prices are in alignment with city life.
In the summer you have the opportunity to sit outside and watch people passing by.
I especially like the rocking chair in the back room. Funny one.
It’s a good place to take a group and share stories around or across the table.
Just lovely!

JPs, part of the Edinburgh Swedish bar empire! Other bars include Victoria, Sofis and Boda (all in Leith) plus the newest member, Hemma, off the Cowgate.
Exciting, trendy bar with beautiful décor. Floral, oriental-​looking pillars, birdcages hanging from the ceiling, nice relaxing music on the stereo, free wifi, bright coloured cushions /​sofas and interesting artwork for sale on the walls.
By day the pub is geared towards families, with a child area located on a raised platform to the left of the bar, which is filled with child’s toys and places for them to draw. And by night the bar is transformed into a funky social drinking night spot with dim lighting and groovy tunes. Serving their famous Iduns Swedish ciders and speciality spirits and beers. It has a laidback atmosphere and the staff are nice but maybe a bit impersonal at times?
There is always events on as well and they have a real community atmosphere much like their other bars. And the best bit… they give bright green blankets for when you sit outside.

Any one who knows me knows I spend a lot of time here. It’s great for meals, the JP’s Steak brunch being a favourite. And the beers are Quality. No Tenents or Carling to be seen, no Barcardi, no Grants nor Smirnoff. Imagine all the negatives that come with those beers and Liquors now imagine you’re favourite bar without them, Welcome to JP’s. it is an expensive bar, but it is nicely done.
Oh and by the way if you don’t agree with me, I don’t think you’ll fit in, that’s cool, see you at the Windsor when JP’s closes at 12 (weekdays)!

Bar only…
I do like the laid back vibe this place has. When you first enter your eye is drawn to the humongous old-​school bar that fills the bottom level of this pub. Heading up the stairs to your left, you come upon the bulk of the seating in what looks like a small alcove… that gets bigger and bigger!
The mood is relaxed, the décor helps with low lighting in the evenings. Artwork that’s all for sale adorns the walls and there’s some kitschy cushions scattered around. The selection at the bar is pretty good and the usual drinks associated with the chain are, of course, available (hello elderflower cider!)
In the evenings you need to get there earlyish if you’re with a group but if there’s just one or two of you there’ll be a few chairs knocking about. A definite ‘meet your friends for a few mid-​week’ type of place.

In Edinburgh fühlten wir uns hier am wohlsten. Charmante Atmosphäre, aßen Suppe, die uns empfohlen wurde und waren begeistert. Der Laden ist gemütlich eingerichtet, aufs Detail wird großen Wert gelegt und man kann sogar das Dekor ortsansässiger Künstler kaufen.
Die Bedienung war superfreundlich und machte den Nachmittag perfekt.

MEATBALLS. ARE. AWESOME. (decent portion size too — Jenny L: P)
In fact so awesome that they tempted one of our dining group who had eaten dinner beforehand and went in for seconds.
Where as I would not *normally* go for potato salad and (normal) salad with my meatballs, J.P. did and it works well. Other meals on the table included an aubergine steak and a chicken-​with-​chorizo dish (which actually looked small compared to the other mains served). Of note is that even though we had a dinner reservation time of around 7pm, many of the mains (three out of the six or so on offer) had already sold out — annoying to say the least.
Service was OK, a little hit and miss. One waiter was awesome, the other one disappeared at random and we ended up having to go down to the bar to order drinks back up to our table.
No kids-​books-​disguised menus during our visit, just (not enough) drink menus. had to track one down on many an occasion :|
But, all in all, good food … service _​could_​have been better, but it’s a pub, so…

A popular post-​work drinking spot, Pearce’s, part of the Boda, Victoria, Sofi’s chain of Scandinavian places, is always enjoyable. The stylings are relaxed, and the food is tasty.
Overall, we said: «Pearce’s does a really nice line in upscale pub grub, with their menu covering your needs from snacking to full meals with equal elegance. It’s quirky, airy surroundings, full of arty character make it a really nice venue to sit and have a relaxing meal. We’ll be back, no doubt, and would recommend you consider paying it a visit, too.»

So I came back. And I like it a lot.
In my previous review I was disappointed that I could only give J.P. 3 stars due to a measly portion of duck in my duck salad. And that still stands. But upon returning, I purposely tried something different and boy I was impressed.
I had the Jamaican Chicken, with bombay potatoes. I was actually dining with a genuine Swede who told me it’s a joke that Swedish portions are quite small. And this certainly wasn’t overflowing on my plate. But you nkow what? It was enough and I think it’s symptomatic of bad dining out culture that we expect enough food to make us uncomfortably full. Unlike my duck salad, I had a full chicken breast, and a medium size serving of potatoes.
And boy, that chicken was goooood. And the potatoes. Num. All of it. It was the perfect portion, full of flavour, and just great. Three boys in our company ordered the steak and cheese sandwich. If you can call it a sandwich. It was so overflowing with chunks of steak, onions and gooey cheese that it wasn’t really able to be picked up. But forks and knives at the ready, it was demolished.
I really like the vibe in J.P. I like the kids-​books-​disguised-​menus. I like the DJs. I like the staff. I like a lot about it. I can now see myself becoming a regular. It’s got such a great community feel, and when there I noticed them advertising their crayfish parties and a BBQ. Seems they like to play host to a cool crowd of people.
So far I’m still hesitant about the menu and will continue to avoid the salads in case of tiny portions, but everything else is spot on.