Villager

We came to the Villager thinking it was an upscale pub, but it’s really more of a cocktail bar/​lounge. For dinner, we were seated on sofas around a low table, which would have been comfortable for drinks but was a bit awkward for a meal. I tried one of their many cocktails, a play on an old-​fashioned with smoky Scotch.
The food was fine, albeit a little expensive for something simple like the vegetarian platter, with good fish and chips. We had better pub food in Edinburgh, but it was certainly nothing to complain about.
The real problem was the service, which was sporadic and inattentive. I think we came in during a shift change, because our original waitress disappeared and was replaced after a period of time by another waiter. When we tried to pay, the credit card reader couldn’t read our cards — another frustration! Overall, it was a fine meal but I’d say this is a better spot for cocktails and snacks than dinner.

Lo mejor de este sitio ha sido el servicio, que fue genial. Llegamos a bromear con los camareros e incluso me dejaron mezclar una cerveza y una sidra (con sabor a fresa) en un solo vaso.
También picoteamos y pedimos el Sharing Platter no vegetariano — 16,50£ — que estaba muy rico. Lleva rollitos de primavera, buñuelos de haggis, tortitas de garbanzos, piccalilli, pan con aceite de albahaca, e igual alguna cosita más que se me olvida.
Varias cervezas a muy buen precio, unas 9 o 10 variedades de grifo. ¡Qué gusto estar en el Reino Unido! Hablando de precios, bien, normales por la zona.
Si vuelvo a estar por Edimburgo, seguro que volvería aquí. Un acierto.

Cute intimate ambiance. Delicious cocktails — came here for a quick dinner & drink with some friends and we got about eight cocktails total, all of which were great. The food was tasty but the portions were small.

Pretty nice bar/​restaurant on George IV Bridge. Villager has a great drink selection– international beers, wines, cocktails. The choice is huge and everyone will find something to suit them.
We came for dinner and luckily got a table for 2 on a busy Saturday night. We both had burgers, Mary the vegetarian one. To be honest, the food was not quite as good as I expected. The burger was bland, and the portion of fries was too small. It wasn’t a bad meal, but nothing special for the price paid. However, some of the other food I saw people eat, including salmon, looked very tasty indeed. Maybe I need to return to try something else.
I had beer and Mary had wine with the meal. Both were nice. I enjoyed Sierra Nevada ale from the US– it was cold and refreshing. Service was fine, though it wasn’t always easy to get attention. However, it was busy so that can be forgiven. Overall, a decent bar worth checking out.

This, somewhat accidentally, seems to have become our go-​to place in Edinburgh when meeting friends. This is partly down the location, with George IV Bridge being central to most of our city adventures — but also because it’s simply a good place to be.
It’s predominantly a cocktail bar; or at least has always been marketed that way for as long as I have been going — sporadically over several years now. It’s a big cocktail menu; each one made with care by an experienced and energetic staff — and I’ve not had a bad one yet. Real highlights include the Burntisland Iced Tea and the Lychee Rose Martini. I’ve had some other nice drinks from here; there’s usually an interesting beer or two (at least in bottle form) and in the winter months I’ve been treated to warm, spiced cider.
They do now have a big focus on food; with the back area now sectioned off exclusively for those hoping to dine with their wine (or cocktails). I’ve only eaten a couple of times; but both times were fantastic. The first, I enjoyed a winter warmer of chorizo and chickpea stew, in a really delightfully rich sauce. The second was good old sausage and mash, but jazzed up a bit. No complaints there, everything is very tasty and leaves you wanting more. Even the tap water, brought in a jug full of mint and cucumber, is instantly refreshing and better than your standard bar fare. Great stuff!
The only downside is that it’s a little small, especially now since the majority of space is reserved for eating. If you want to meet friends for drinks only, there aren’t many tables and the long bar reduces standing room — and then of course the «background» music is often blasted out at a volume that means you can’t hear your friends anymore. But that aside: if you come when it’s a little quieter: the staff, food, and drinks will make you want to return. Brilliant!

I visited here recently for the first time in years, and I was pretty impressed.
We popped in for a drink and something to eat before going to a show next door. The service was great, really speedy and the food was lovely.
I had the mussels and went for the small portion, I wondered if I would regret it not ordering the large portion until it arrived. A huge dish of mussels in a lovely coconut and chilli sauce with wedges of warm bread. It was perfect and I struggled to finish it!
The only thing that lets this place down and stopped me giving it 5 stars was the attire of the waiting staff, I wasn’t impressed by their sweatshirts and jogging trousers — especially when they were so low we could see their pants! It didn’t feel smart or like work clothes at all.*
*maybe I’m just getting old if this is the kind of thing that bothers me now!

My family and I stumbled upon this place when headed to the museum and were in for a treat! We enjoyed each dish, my mother having an eggplant dish, I having a salad with chicken, and my father having a fish dish (if I remember correctly).
This place is very near a lot of local attractions and being in the middle of many other eateries, it makes a statement. I really enjoyed it and would go again when in Edinburgh.

The place is very interesting! Big windows (superb light when the sun is shinning) and high ceiling, art, wood and mirrors everywhere. My seat was very confortable and the couches looked very nice! The place and the staff are lovely, our waitress was very nice and smiling. First thing she did was to bring a wonderful water pitcher with minth-​cucumber-​watermelon … so you can imagine that we enjoyed refreshing-​tasty water. But… there is a huge but… The food was disapointing, we had a vegetarian share plate (a lot of bread, 2 small fresh salads, olives, 3 small falafel balls and a mayonaise) and the brocoli and bette pastry as starter! We didn’t like it at all… but the green tea and the Pino Grigio was good. Take de big one because the small glass of wine is tiny! The bill was 24 pounds if I can remember… it is always expensive when you don’t like your meal! But again a but… I remember the lovely German waitress who really make the experience not that bad!

Warm and cozy place. Delicious lunch. I’m not a drinker and the bartender made me a fantastic mocktail. The crispy lamb is out of this world! Made like pork belly. Warm and wonderful staff. In fact, it was so yummy, we came back for dinner the next day!

Ich gebe ja zu, dass das riesige «Free Wifi» Schild am Eingang nicht wenig an meiner Entscheidung für das sonst fast unscheinbare Villager beteiligt war. Es regnete in Strömen, ich hatte Hunger und etwas Zeit totzuschlagen. Meine Erwartungen waren irgendwo zwischen «Hauptsache warm» und «Essen, egal was» angesiedelt. Dementsprechend war ich beim Blick auf die Karte doch überrascht. Was zunächst nach buntem Küchenwirrwarr ausschaut, hat sich dann als echt toll überlegte Karte herausgestellt, die zugegeben nicht ganz in eine Schublade zu quetschen war. Ich entschied mich für die Springrolls mit Rotkohl und Walnüssen auf Rote-​Bete-​Apfel-​Sauce. Wow, das war doch mal was anderes als das übliche Burger-​Sandwich-​Salat-​Einerlei. Geschmeckt hat’s super, mein Mittag war gerettet. Nur das Bezahlen hat dann ewig gedauert, obwohl ich direkt neben der Theke saß. Aber gut, geregnet hatte es immer noch und das Internetz sorgte für Kurzweile. Ich würde wiederkommen.

My cousins and I stopped in here on our first evening in Edinburgh after reading the good Unilocal reviews. We were looking for something with healthier food, good wine, and a fun atmosphere and Villager delivered on all accounts. We were shown to a cozy booth and had an excellent (and very cute) server who took great care of us. I love how they serve the water here-​in pitchers infused with fruit and herbs, very tasty and refreshing. I thought I ordered the smoked chicken salad but our server heard that I ordered just the straight smoked chicken, and I am so glad he made that mistake! The chicken was amazing and served with perfectly roasted root vegetables, the entire dish was filling without being too hearty. It looked like there were a fair amount of locals at the Villager as well, and it didn’t feel touristy, which was a nice change from the restaurants on High Street.

To me, the Villager feels like a regular bar that thinks it’s really cool, except it isn’t. The staff have a bit of a wannabe hipster vibe. The food is standard gastro-​pub fare and does the job without too much problem. The last time I had food I had a burger, which was a bit dry and just alright.
The staff were pretty snobby on my most recent visit; they came over as proper draconian on the whole «you will definitely have to move from this seat because someone might want food at some point in the near future even though this table isn’t booked». Five women drinking cocktails over the course of two hours is apparently not a priority for the bar, despite the likely higher bill for £8 per drink. We got hassled quite a few times about where we were sitting and it was irritating to feel that as paying customers we weren’t as important as people eating.
On the plus side, the location is excellent and it’s often chosen as an inoffensive place to meet up with friends for catch ups. Don’t expect anything exciting — its hipster vibe feels a bit tired and obvious.

I remembered Villager from the last time we were in Edinburgh about two years ago, and the amazing Banoffee Martini’s that they had!
So I was pleased to see that whilst wondering around looking for a bar, Villager was still here and still making Banoffee Martini’s. We came here after dinner but they do serve food, and it looks very nice, next time maybe I’d give it a try.
The Villager has lovely staff and given my problem with decision making and staring at the cocktail menu for quite some time the barman offered just to make me whatever I usually drink, which bought me some time to have a proper look at the cocktail menu whilst drinking that one. After much consideration I stuck to my Banoffee Martini, it’s just so tasty!
It’s very chilled here and they have a nice atmosphere of which I could (and did) spend hours in. In fact we even came back the next night for more drinks!

Lugar bien cool, justo frente al The Outsider, para hacerte con un par de cócteles después de cenar. O antes, que tampoco es plan de ponerse muy tiquismiquis… Las bebidas tienen buen precio y están muy bien preparadas, además hay que decir que casi no se demoran en la preparación pese a la cantidad de gente con la que suele poblar el local.
Mi recomendación es intentar hacerte fuerte en uno de los sillones Chester y de ahí dejarse llevar a lo que diga la noche. Tienen un cóctel con Kraken Rum muy similar al Kraken Stormy que está increríble de rico.
El personal, eso sí, es un poco más seco que de costumbre, pero se les perdona.

Villagio
This place is so cool, it’s almost too cool, but not quite. The perfect amount of cool.
Cool cocktails but keep your sister away from the Berry Flirtinis or she might get thrown out of a taxi for being too drunk.
Cool food also, modern pub stuff, nothing too extravagant and well-​priced. The music is pretty good also. Popular among the after work crowd but also a very busy late night spot.

A little nicer than your average beer and a burger I’m coming around to The Villager.
I’ve frequented this place and am usually swayed to stay by the bar and the music. I heartily recommend the mojitos. Last week I went for food for the first time and I was a happy Sara.
The water was gereat, cucumber, watermelon and mint made it deliciously refreshing! I had the mussels with bacon, tomato and pine nuts served with some delicious bread, and a blue cheese and walnut salad. Everything was cooked perfectly and the tomatoey baconey sauce was absolutely delicious. Yum. I was so happy with the food I just had to attempt dessert which was served in the form of a coconut and passion fruit panna cotta. The panna cotta was a little on the very sweet side. I was expecting flavour in the the actual panna cotta but it came with a slaver of sauce that was just too sickly for me.
Across from me a cauliflower and tallegio risotto was scoffed in roughly twenty seconds, so I’d say watch it if you expect larger portions (though maybe my OH just needs a smaller spoon ?!) And beside me the vegetable burger with chips received a glowing report.
Yes I was the only one who got dessert. Don’t judge me!
The staff were lovely although a bit slow, even though there weren’t many people in we did have to chase them down a few times. The layout is very swish, the bare walls with graffitti-​esque paintings and cool light fixtures are pretty impressive.
For me this will be a Sunday lunch when I’m feeling fancier than usual.

Had dinner here a couple of nights ago with a group of friends and had a great time. It’s been a while since I’ve been, but I’m glad to say the food is still as good as I remember and the cocktail list is still fun and really has something to please everyone.
We’d only booked for 5, so were given a booth by the front door. but we ended up being 7, and they were very accommodating and let us move into the dining room so we could sit along the back on the bench seating.
The only reason I’ve not given 5 stars was because the service got a bit sporadic nearer the end of our evening. Not to say it was bad at any stage and the girl managed to remember a massive ad hoc order we threw at her without writing anything down, so kudos!
All in all, a great night was had by all and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back and take company with me!

I was in Edinburgh on business for a week and stopped in at the Villager on my last night to toast the end of a stressful week. From outside the place looked cute. It’s split into a bar area and a quaint yet trendy sitting area. The menu had limited options but was very creative. I opted for a super tasty risotto that was a real pleasure to the senses. The cocktail menu was split into different personality types. Apparently I was nailed as a real girly drink type. Oh well, guess that’s me. I started with a Berry Flirtini but it didn’t thrill me. I moved into this awesome gin and elderflower liqueur concoction that was out of this world good!
Everyone in our party found a drink on the menu that we loved.
To sum it up: excellent food worth even better drinks!

We had the nicoise salmon salad, and the Moroccan stew (veg) which were both great! We got two different local beers which were yummy ! Super cool place a mix of old and urban. Love the screen art graffiti on the walls! Definitely will be back. Their mix drink list looked awesome!
p. s. loved the water jug that had melon and cucumber in it! refreshing

I used frequent the Villager in my uni days and this week as I had one of my old flatmates visiting for the night, we went back here.
It is full of happy memories for us and the staff are always welcoming and totally makes you feel relaxed and at home.
As we hadn’t booked a table, the waitress offered us one of the sofas which was perfect for a girly catch up with a bottle of wine and a mezze sharing plate.
All in all a great evening and I struggle to find negatives about the Villager. Oh apart from the toilets, they are in DESPERATE need of a refurb!

One of the coolest bars it the city it has to be said.
Freidnly staff, good tunes, great drinks from beers to cocktails and some decent seating areas this place is a must. Great for a Friday night and great for chilled week night its just one the top bars in town.
Massive fan of their cocktail list, there to be enjoyed and sampled :)

Ooh dear, I think I came here on a bit of an off night.
I came here for a bite and a drink before Unilocal’s May elite event because it is perfectly placed between my work. When we arrived there were loads of tables available and the friendly waitress brought us some of their famously tasty water with cucumber, watermelon and mint.
We all ordered drinks and they’d been advertising their «cocktail of the week» online, which I thought sounded pretty good. The waitress didn’t know what I was talking about and though the bar seemed to know, they ended up charging me more for it than was actually advertised. Admittedly I didn’t point this out because I was in a bit of a rush by then and it seemed petty to squabble over 60p, but I did find it an unfortunate oversight.
Two of us ordered their tasty cajun potato wedges and we agreed that we should have ordered one to share. That didn’t stop us from finishing both bowls, though.
My other friend ordered a burger which, when it first came out was undercooked to the extent that he had to go against his cardinal rule of never sending food back, and send it back. The waitress was very nice about it and the kitchen recooked the burger and reported that some of the red colour came from the spices used. This is fine and they handled it perfectly fine but it does seem odd that a place that makes burgers daily would actually churn one out that was SO undercooked.
So all in all a pretty «meh» experience. Having said that, I would definitely return because as I said I felt that I’d caught the Villager on something of an off night.
It has an impressive cocktail list, nice staff, great location and good ambiance. I look forward to trying a proper meal here and reporting back.

Sometimes you do judge a book by it’s cover… and in this case, it served me well! I happened to be wandering around on a bitter cold day in Edinburgh, searching for some place to have a warm and filling lunch… or just a pint to tie me over and get me out of the cold. I was drawn in by the trendy, retro-​esque décor… but noticed they had a menu as well.
I noticed that it was buzzing, but the staff were very quick to get me seated. I sat at one of the tables across from the bar, which looked wonderful and in reading the cocktails menu, I’m going to have to go back just to try one. The waiter was quick to take a drink order, so I asked for a pint of a local ale, to which he gave me a choice, but I channeled my dad and said, «Surprise me.» Whatever it was, it was very good.
In reading the menu, I discovered it was going to be very difficult to choose something as just about everything on the menu sounded absolutely delicious. However, because it was cold and I was having a pint, I decided on the Pork and Chorizo Stew served with crusty bread. The waiter came by a couple times before my order arrived to check on me, which I don’t know that I have experienced a lot of that while here in Europe. Some people might feel pestered, but it is nice to not have to wave someone down to get another pint.
The stew came out and it looked and smelled wonderful! It was a large portion, but it looked like the right dish for a cold, winter day. While I would’ve liked a little more chorizo, the stew was great! The pork was tender and it was a little on the spicy side, but it was just the right amount and the pint helped soothe the heat. And the crusty bread was a great touch to sop up any of the stew I may have missed with my spoon. Loved it and hope to stop in again!