The Cumberland Bar

Nice pub. Good service. Nice garden area when the sun is out. We had there Sunday Roast and it was only okay. I admit it was later in the day but the food had obviously been sitting for awhile. So that was just so-​so. I’d definitely go again for some drinks.

Came to the Cumberland Bar after reading the 44 Scotland Street books. Lots of good beers and ciders on tap. We had the Sunday roast which was pretty good, but we really liked the atmosphere and the staff.

A nice proper pub. Good beer and plenty of choice with a few real ales always on tap. Food is ok with some choice. Nice place to meet for friends and best it’s dog friendly.

Good place to chill and grab a beer. Low key with a good selection of beers on draught. Good place to read the paper and get a good drink. Yesterday was my first trip, and I will be back for sure.

I haven’t tried the food, but their beer garden and the selection of single malts are the best things this side of town. Especially on a sunny day. It’s a shame we’re in the middle of Autumn now…

Went here for an impromptu lunch the other day with my mum who has been raving about it for ages. It’s absolutely gorgeous inside. It manages a wonderful balance of light and airy but also cosy and snug.
We sat outside in the garden, and both ordered the same: a special of calamari and a side of chips. The calamari was so flipping good, the batter was really nice and it came with a salty salad and homemade garlic mayo which was incredible. The chips were really great and came with homemade mayo (this time plain) as well which was just brilliant.

I really enjoyed coming to here during my 3 day visit. Great neighborhood type of pub filled with friendly locals which I didn’t have any trouble starting up conversations with. There is a «huge» selection of beers here with perhaps my favorite being Black Isle. The food was also really good here too!
If you happen to be staying at the Walton, this is a great place as it’s just one short block away.
A great place to finish off the day after walking about Edinburgh.

One of my favourites — Fergus loves a visit here too. It’s a great local, on our park route — and we get to walk home along the cycle path, through the old railway tunnel, which is always fab.
Great range of beers, with Black Isle always on tap (Blonde — stay away from lagers and try this beauty!) and a good range of wee cubby holes to sit in, the big room at the back if you want a more typical pub vibe, or the garden if the sun’s shining.
For a real treat, I get a bowl of chips (classic chips, not curly fries) and douse them in vinegar (there’s proper bottles of Sarson’s — a good detail) to enjoy with my pint — and if Fergus is lucky, he gets a couple too.
The staff are regular (isn’t it lovely, to see familiar faces?) and really friendly — they love Fergus and always welcome him with a wee biscuit, the lucky boy.
There’s always a great selection of people — and dogs — in the Cumberland; it’s a real slice of New Town life.

The Cumberland Bar, made famous in Alexander McCall Smith’s, The World According to Bertie is one of the many New Town bars dedicated to serving really good beers in a relaxed atmosphere. In the past I have been a regular at the Monday night pub quizzes which are always well supported, helped by the free entry and the prize of a bottle of wine or a t-​shirt for the team that finishes next to last.
The bar has a good array of beers, including my own personal favourite, Black Isle Blond. However, there are always a steady flow of guest beers from small breweries which makes going back to the Cumberland a pleasure to try something new.
There is a selection of pub food available which is OK in quality, nothing to shout home about but nothing you would complain about either.

A very good pub, especially on a fine day to make the most of their great beer garden & a wide array of on-​tap ale/​beer.

I have no idea how many times I walked by the Cumberland thinking «man that place looks cool, I really need to go there some time» before promptly forgetting where it was located and what it was called.
Fortunately for me, I have a friend who is very well versed in bars with great ambiance and great beer, so when he took us on a pub crawl one night, we ended up here.
The Cumberland lived up to every expectation I had. It is much bigger inside than you expect, without feeling too big, if that makes sense. As others have said, it is divided into several different rooms so you have a bit more privacy but there is still plenty of space to accomodate the large numbers of people who flock here on the weekends.
It has a wonderful variety of beers which the bartenders are more than happy to sample out so you are sure to get a pint you will enjoy. It also has a fantastic beer garden which inevitably ends up packed at the first hint of sunlight, regardless of the temperature.
I actually walked by on my way home today and felt a bit sad that my stoatin’ hangover prevented a visit. There is always next weekend …

Just off the beaten track in New Town, you will find this gem of a pub. Inside is pretty large, stretching back quite a way and divided into little segments, offering a bit more privacy. The bar has a ridonkulous amounts of beers and spirits, including some great single malts. There are all the regular beers you’d want, including a healthy supply of Crabbie’s, which has become my beer of the summer. To add to that they have rotating guest ales, adding a bit of variety. The last time I went they had Timothy Taylor’s, always a favourite, and some Mexican beer with a gun wielding Speedy Gonzales-​esque mouse as the logo. To be honest that sold it to me, but as an added advantage it was really good, like a limier Corona.
If on the other hand, you’re not an idiot and the image of a little Bandito mouse doesn’t cause you to immediately buy whatever he’s flogging, the barman is exceptionally helpful. With a sound knowledge of all the beers on tap he can instruct you which ones are for you, occasionally proffering a free taster if you’re lucky.
The real jewel in the crown of The Cumberland though is the garden. Shielded by a weeping willow, it completely cuts out all sounds from the street and is a nice peaceful area for a few summer drinks.

One of the best pubs in Edinburgh.
PRICE: Reasonable for what it sells, expensive in comparison to other pubs.
SIZE: Plenty of alcoves and rooms, giving the place a big feel, but it is in fact not that big.
FEEL: The pub is decorated in a tasteful, traditional manner, and is lit warmly.
RANGE: The pub stocks a regularly replenished supply of real ale, and they also have a wide selection of top class whiskies and spirits. They often have some surprising delights on tap, such as Aspall cider.
TOILETS: Drop down some stairs and find the excellent toilets, well fitted and clean.
I first started coming here a couple of years ago with the Grampian Speleological Group (a caving club), where they have their regular meets. We as a large group are well catered-​for, and a large space is set aside for us.
The staff are friendly, helpful, and always have a drink-​related bit of advice to give if you are stumped for ideas as to which of the many real ales and ciders to buy. Prices are not cheap, but equally are not unreasonable for the quality of ales they offer.
I love the design of the place too. It has a higgledy-​piggledy arrangement of alcoves and rooms that give the place a really interesting feel. Not their choice in particular, simply what happens when you set a pub under an old New Town building.
The pub is quite a way away from the city centre or indeed the student south, which has its advantages and disadvantages. It means that it is empty of Forest Café crumpets and rowdy rowers, but it also means that it requires a long trek to get to.
Well worth it though. I would give this fine establishment two thumbs-​up and a shiny gold sticker.

There are few places finer on a sunny evening to enjoy a pint than the Cumberland’s beer garden… although you might struggle to find a seat! Although, having said that, I’ve never had to wait long to get served here, no matter how busy they are, and the staff are friendly as well as prompt. Great selection of beers here, and also great for a mid-​afternoon sarnie (well-​priced and well-​made) after a long walk through the New Town.

My boyfriend and I stumbled across this place during the winter and have since been back quite a few times. It is a lovely traditional pub tucked away on one of the streets in the New Town. It has a cosy wee snug that’s only really got room for two or three people, so you can snuggle up to your love with a pint in private. The bar has a fantastic range of single malts and a good selection of real ales, the helpful barman will helpfully talk you through things if you’re having trouble making up your mind. There’s also a beer garden, so if the weather’s nice you can enjoy a fag and a drink at the same time (what luxury!). This place feels like a little haven in the new town.

Another place I’ve been coming to for a large number of years and I currently seem to be in a cycle of going a lot more than usual (every night this weekend for example).
They have a great range of well priced ales, knowledgeable and pleasant staff, an interesting original interior and, having finally eaten there last night, a good solid range of well priced food — I opted for salmon fishcakes which were just the right side of crispy outside and amply moist within whilst the thick chips were as good as I’ve had anywhere.
A classic «local» if ever there was one.
Ate here again at the weekend — haggis, neeps and tatties was well priced and well proportioned.

I went here for a christmas lunch with my admin team. The staff were very good, and very helpful, especially one woman that worked there. They had already e-​mailed my boss with the menu and xmas menu and we got to pre order our food so that they knew what we were wanting and what time we were coming at to save us waiting.
We had a small area to ourselves as there was 10 of us.
The food was lovely as i had haggis to start and then i had salmon fishcakes, which were great piled with curly fries, as they had changed these from chips to curly fries for me. The food is very reasonably prices and the portions are very good. Would recommend. A Nice traditional pub.

The Cumberland bar is a great little bar, hidden away in the depths of the New Town. The thing that the Cumberland is probably most famous for is it’s lovely beer garden. Huge (by Edinburgh standards) with big round benches and trees to shelter under, it’s a lovely space to spend a Sunday afternoon in the summer chatting with friends.
Inside the pub, it’s a bit more traditional Edinburgh with a cosy feel and warm open fires in the winter. The selection of drinks is pretty good and the bar is surprisingly large, so quite easy to find a seat. All the tables are hidden in little nooks and crannys of rooms, so you can easily fit a large group of friends in. The bar staff are friendly and there’s a good mix of locals, suits, students and tourists.

Fantastically varied staff, drinks and drinkers in this well sized pub.
Frequently filled with it’s more aloof nearby residents and to avoided on a Friday post-​work, unless that’s your intention, the barstaff always ensure service is swift whether it be a pint of a pie.
The quiet beer garden is a fantastic addition that is too easily enjoyed on a cold Edinburgh Sunday or a warm summer Saturday.
Watch out for the local’s dogs though!

The wackiest pub quiz master I’ve ever seen here rules the roost here on a Monday night. He’s a rather eccentric gent –mumbling into his mic, changing the rules halfway through etc. but puts on a good show and is part of The Cumberland Bar furniture.
This New Town pub is famous for its ales, and has a great selection on tap. I really like Waggle Dance, made with honey. Youngs ales seem to have a residency here, so if you’re a fan you’re well in.
As well as ideosyncratic quizzes and quality ales, you might be drawn here as a fan of literature. No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency author Alexander McCall Smith writes a series called ’44 Scotland Street’, based on the goings on in a nearby fictional tenement; and many of the characters stop by here. In the books, the Cambridge Bar is known for its camaradarie, a melting pot for the New Town characters to mix and share their problems.
It’s true that the odd annyoying ‘yah’ (posh English) may surface, but this a pretty, relaxing place with a lot of soul and it takes more than a few burks to keep me out.