Guildford Arms

Pub Details

Address: 1-5 West Register Street

Edinburgh

Scotland

EH2 2AA

Telephone: (0131) 556 4312

Opening Times: Weekdays
11 - 11 (12 Fri and Sat)
Sundays
12.30 - 11

Location

Good Pub Guide Recommended

Busy and friendly, with spectacular Victorian décor, and a marvellous range of real ales Purpose-built in 1902 and with an elaborate façade, this is always reliable for well kept and unusual ales. The interior is opulently excessive with ornate painted plasterwork, dark mahogany fittings, heavy swagged velvet curtains at the huge arched windows and a busy patterned carpet. Served by knowledgeable, efficient staff, the fine range of ten quickly changing beers might include Caledonian Deuchars IPA, Fyne Avalanche, Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted, and Orkney Dark Island with guests like Atlas (Orkney) Golden Amber, Blue Monkey BG Sips, Dancing Duck Gold, Isle of Skye Black Cuillin, Spire Dark Side of the Moon, and a beer from Stewarts on handpump; there are regular beer festivals. Also, a good range of wines by the glass and two dozen or so malt whiskies; board games, TV, a silent fruit machine, piped music. The snug little upstairs gallery restaurant, with strongly contrasting modern décor, gives a fine dress-circle view of the main bar (notice the lovely old mirror decorated with two tigers on the way up).

Good Pub Guide Food

Tasty food includes lunchtime open sandwiches, haggis, neeps and tatties, sausages of the day, pasta in a tomato, mushroom and courgette sauce, breaded haddock, chicken supreme stuffed with black pudding with a whisky glaze, and venison casserole.