Auld Reekie

Dear (UK) WATMMers,

So a couple of friends and me are spending a few days in Edinburgh soon, the weekend of Feb 21-23.

We're staying near the Grassmarket and I'm not really kidding myself that we will end up doing anything else than bar crawling at night. But on the off chance, I'm wondering whether there's anything more interesting to do there in terms of nightlife, either good clubs or just fun non-electronic-music-related places to go out to?

As for the daytime, any must-sees and and must-dos, any good record stores?

Thanks in advance!

I went in 2009 and there was a fantastic desi-food student kitchen at the uni. I can't remember exactly where it was but it was the bomb and it was always busy. ask at the uni, someone's bound to know.

Scotland play Italy away in the 6 nations rugby on the Saturday, definitely find a pub and soak up the atmosphere! They may even have big screens or something special on at murrayfields

Definitely Underground Solushun for records on Cockburn Street, it's right next to Waverley station…10 mins walk from Grassmarket.

There's Avalanche in the Grassmarket, but they've gone seriously downhill unless you like second hand 80s/90s pop and indie.

There's a few other shops but they're scattered about and US should cover your brain/footdance needs, to be honest.

A walk up Arthur's Seat on a brisk, wintry day is a MUST for some classy views…or Calton Hill if you're lazy/hungover to fuck.

Scottish Gallery of Modern Art / Fruitmarket Gallery / National Museum of Scotland are my faves…there are smaller galleries dotted about too.

I've been liking going out in Leith a lot on my last few trips hame…some great pubs down that way.

Maybe see if Frog Pocket's playing somewhere, I always miss that cunt when I go back to the homeland. Every fuckin time.

Fun TIp: Buy some megaphones and wander around the Pentland Hills mimicking chickens. #boc

FINALLY…you must have a pint of heavy.

Enjoy yer trip min!

Nightlifewise Caberet Voltaire and Bongo Club are two of the more decent clubs for dance and acid, etc. although they're a bit eclectic/hit n miss so do check the line up beforehand or it could be a folk singer or something. There are a lot of clubs to avoid, you should be able to gauge whats good and bad by the crowd hanging around outside the doors. Theres a lot of embarrassing chipmonk techno places and some really bad pop clubs which even Jimmy Saville would avoid, you'll probably just laugh when you see them. Theres some Jazz bars aswell if you're into that thing. Bit of porn groove. Best thing to do is just wander around and see whats nice.

  On 2/4/2014 at 9:03 PM, ravedamage said:

A walk up Arthur's Seat on a brisk, wintry day is a MUST for some classy views…or Calton Hill if you're lazy/hungover to fuck.

yes this

Arthur's Seat and the rugby match are now definitely on the list! Cabaret Voltaire's website looks like they have a decent house night on the Saturday. I'll try to squeeze in a visit to Underground Solushn but I might have to go solo on that one.

Not too sure about the Pentland Hills megaphone chicken business, lol.

  On 2/4/2014 at 1:54 PM, usagi said:

I went in 2009 and there was a fantastic desi-food student kitchen at the uni.

the mosque kitchen on nicholson st? so good, and great value. there's also the punjabi women's refuge kitchen on leith walk which i'd say is marginally better. proper home cooking, huge portions, great service, and cheap!

some good boozers....

the hanging bat, lothian rd. - non-ponsy, huge craft beer selection and amazing pulled pork and ribs.

under the stairs, merchant st. - highly recommended, shabby, comfortable. go for drinks, probably not food.

brauhaus, lauriston place - non-pretentious craft and imported beers galore.

brewdog bar - good beer but expensive and normally full of knobs.

definitely head down leith (22 bus from princes st) and go to...

the vintage - craft beer and charcuterie... if you've got money to spend get a few quality brews and big wooden platters with an assortment of tapas style dishes, in-house cured meats, cheeses, etc.

nobles bar- great looking traditional pub, always busy, blues/folk/rock/indie bands on fridays and saturdays. decent beer selection.

king's wark- legendary scottish breakfast.

port of leith - spit and saw-dust, salt of the earth, colourful leith institution... drugs.

clubs...

the bongo club - ruff and ready, bass heavy, dubby techno night on friday.

caberet voltaire club - cool dingy basement club, house & techno nights every weekend.

voodoo rooms - impressive looking bar/club/gig venue - son of dave's playing the saturday you're there. seen him before, really cool.

definitely walk up arthur seat one morning to blow cobwebs and get great views to pentlands and across to fife on clear days.

the camera obscura and world of illusions at top of royal mile - great fun, kind of a museum of optical illusions, 5 floors of sillyness with the old camera obscura at the top.

the pond and the tourmalet (also both in leith) for huge selection of german & austrian beers.

  On 2/7/2014 at 12:30 PM, keltoi said:

 

  On 2/4/2014 at 1:54 PM, usagi said:

I went in 2009 and there was a fantastic desi-food student kitchen at the uni.

 

the mosque kitchen on nicholson st? so good, and great value. there's also the punjabi women's refuge kitchen on leith walk which i'd say is marginally better. proper home cooking, huge portions, great service, and cheap!

might have been one of those two, can't remember now

  On 2/7/2014 at 12:49 PM, usagi said:

 

  On 2/7/2014 at 12:30 PM, keltoi said:

 

  On 2/4/2014 at 1:54 PM, usagi said:

I went in 2009 and there was a fantastic desi-food student kitchen at the uni.

 

the mosque kitchen on nicholson st? so good, and great value. there's also the punjabi women's refuge kitchen on leith walk which i'd say is marginally better. proper home cooking, huge portions, great service, and cheap!

 

might have been one of those two, can't remember now

 

the women's refuge isn't near the uni and a bit of an unknown gem but the more renowned mosque kitchen is just round the corner. both are great.

  On 2/7/2014 at 12:53 PM, keltoi said:

 

  On 2/7/2014 at 12:49 PM, usagi said:

 

  On 2/7/2014 at 12:30 PM, keltoi said:

 

  On 2/4/2014 at 1:54 PM, usagi said:

I went in 2009 and there was a fantastic desi-food student kitchen at the uni.

 

the mosque kitchen on nicholson st? so good, and great value. there's also the punjabi women's refuge kitchen on leith walk which i'd say is marginally better. proper home cooking, huge portions, great service, and cheap!

 

might have been one of those two, can't remember now

 

 

the women's refuge isn't near the uni and a bit of an unknown gem but the more renowned mosque kitchen is just round the corner. both are great.

 

yeah I just looked it up, it was the Mosque Kitchen! def remember this spot

thanks, kelts

edit: seems like they had a bit of a split in 2011, according to wiki

  On 2/7/2014 at 12:57 PM, usagi said:

 

  On 2/7/2014 at 12:53 PM, keltoi said:

 

  On 2/7/2014 at 12:49 PM, usagi said:

 

  On 2/7/2014 at 12:30 PM, keltoi said:

 

  On 2/4/2014 at 1:54 PM, usagi said:

I went in 2009 and there was a fantastic desi-food student kitchen at the uni.

 

the mosque kitchen on nicholson st? so good, and great value. there's also the punjabi women's refuge kitchen on leith walk which i'd say is marginally better. proper home cooking, huge portions, great service, and cheap!

 

might have been one of those two, can't remember now

 

 

the women's refuge isn't near the uni and a bit of an unknown gem but the more renowned mosque kitchen is just round the corner. both are great.

 

 

yeah I just looked it up, it was the Mosque Kitchen! def remember this spot

 

 

thanks, kelts

 

edit: seems like they had a bit of a split in 2011, according to wiki

 

it started off serving food out of the mosque, word spread pretty fast and i'm not sure they could keep up with demand from the small kitchen there... so they moved it to a much bigger separate premises on nicholson st. (just a block away from the original mosque kitchen) and continue to do well. they still only serve 1 meat, 1 veggie curry, rice and samosas or bhajis. about £3.50-£4 for a hearty meal.

ok i just read about the dispute/split. wasn't aware of that.

seriously go and see son of dave...

[youtubehd]h3hcpttINNo[/youtubehd]

lol at that huge list of boozers by the kelt. hahaha, well doon son.

cheers d. it's my town. i miss it.

if you've got eating and drinking covered in edinburgh, the rest of the time you just spend wandering and taking in the views.

have fun manmower!

yeah, i would like to visit one day. Apart from the midges, that whole country appeals to me in some deep way. Probably the rain and the cold and all those islands and the green. And edinburgh with it's architecture, although aren't they planning on shoving some high rise on the edinburgh skyline? I was shocked when i read about that.

Ive lived 40 minutes away from edinburgh for 5 years now and still never been. need to pull my finger out my arse.

  On 2/7/2014 at 6:19 PM, delet... said:

yeah, i would like to visit one day. Apart from the midges, that whole country appeals to me in some deep way. Probably the rain and the cold and all those islands and the green. And edinburgh with it's architecture, although aren't they planning on shoving some high rise on the edinburgh skyline? I was shocked when i read about that.

i read about a development in a derelict plot down near the parliament buildings... not sure if it's to be high rise.

Thanks guys! Obviously two and a half days is too short, but with all the options you gave me I'm sure we can make the most of them and still keep things spontaneous and not like some kind of awkward sightseeing tour.