Deacon Brodies Tavern, Edinburgh

Famous tourist pub on the Royal Mile run by Nicholsons. A square room downstairs with a dining room upstairs. Bench seating all round the edge at normal tables with chairs, there's a posing table in the middle of the room. The counter is off to the left and has seven pulls of the kind of range found in Nicholsons pubs throughout the city. Decorated down one wall with scenes from the life of Deacon Brodie, the noted corrupt councillor burglar, and possibly an inspiration for R L Stevenson's Jekyll & Hyde. The ceiling is a very loyal unionist one with Scottish thistles and a few English roses.

Another Nicholson outlet in a city that seems to boast more of them per square mile than London. Another Edinburgh pub named after a local character (look him up, he’s quite a wag). It’s a long single bar with intricate rose and thistle ceiling and impressive dark wood and mirrored bar back. The large C18th-style wall decals are of interest. Seven pumps at the bar with a decent selection; Hop Back Winter Lightning (very good nick), Stewart's 80/-, Deuchars IPA, Trumans Yule Star (very good) and Roosters Fort Smith (though on a busy Friday all pumps should have been on?) Loud music blarting out pretty incongruous with the surroundings. There’s a fair bit of character here so it’s worth popping in for a swift one – the quality of the ale was a happy bonus. Things aren’t as bad here now as some previous reviewers found.