Cask and Barrel (Southside), Newington, Edinburgh

Official site of Cask and Barrel (Southside) - ocrpubs.camra.org.uk

Official site of Cask and Barrel (Southside) - www.caskandbarrelsouthside.co.uk

Official site of Cask and Barrel (Southside) - ocrpubs.camra.org.uk

Official site of Cask and Barrel (Southside) - www.caskandbarrelsouthside.co.uk

Attractive ale-house, converted from two adjoining buildings with rather different facades so it looks a bit lopsided from the street. Inside, there is an imposing 'U'-shaped bar, partly open to the rear to form an island. Dark furniture with much breweriana. Excellent selection of local and regional ales from seven of eight handpumps in use that day, with my pint of Hadrian & Borders Porter (£3.50) being in very good form. Well worth the longish walk (or short bus ride) out from the city centre.

A plain but pleasant Victorian styled pub catering to the ale-house market. Very nice horseshoe bar with two sets of four pumps however bar-blockers make it hard to see the clips but there's a blackboard at the far end of the pub where you'll not see it till later. Naturally the beers are mainly from smaller Scottish breweries. Bench seating round the walls with a couple of high tables, one converted from I think a hogshead. Four big screens and one wee one in a small pub might be overkill but hey ho this is as inseparable from Edinburgh as brown sauce on your fish supper. There's a small lounge at one side. Decent staffing, great beer quality and pleasant surroundings - it all seems good to me.