The Last Drop, Edinburgh

An old pub on the rather nice Grassmarket, there is a lot of stone on show inside. Its a little bit touristy and arty farty, but still retains character. Staffing was mixed, some enthusiastic some not so! Whilst it was on the Camra real ale pub tour, there are better examples of pubs and beer but its ok for a visit.

The pub name is in reference not to the remnants of your glass but to the more macabre process of public hangings that took place on the open area in front of the pub. The pub was built using the same materials from the demolished 17th Century tenements that once stood on the site. The pub has a double frontage that joins up at the back forming a horsehoe interior. One side appeared to be more for dining although this was fairly empty and several people were diningin what was more the bar area. The bare floor interior is quite dim with candlelit tables and barely an inch of wallspace that escaped from the copious posters, pictures and plates, many of which depict nooses. The ceiling near the bar is plastered with (presumably worthless) bank notes. There is a small TV that looked quite ineffective thanks to a pillar obscuring the view for all but a handful at the bar. The music was also a bit intrusive. The pub has numerous ghost legends attached to it and is the the meeting point for the local ghost tours, probably not the most convenient time to be there unless you are participating. There wasn’t a particularly extensive range of ales, just the 2, Deuchars and Rev James, the latter reasonably priced (for Edinburgh) at £3.20. The ales were poured from a traditional air pressured tap rather than hand pump. Food was priced around £7-£9 with top end steaks around £15. The pub does have a lot of history and a decent atmosphere but feels too much like a pub made for tourism for it to have any long reaching appeal for me. The ale range was hardly a big draw and whilst I was happy to tick it off, I wouldn’t make it an essential addition to any future itinerary.

The Last Drop refers, I am told, the final execution carried out on Grassmarket rather than any paucity of beer. It's a fine old pub, with stone floors and an atmosphere of history, and is reputably haunted (as are so many places in Edinburgh). It was built as a pub in the 17th Century on the site of the tenements which were here before and has recently been taken over by Nicholsons. There was a good range of bar food on, although no real ale was available for somne reason. The staff were enthusiastic and friendly,and the clientele were quite jolly. Normally worth including in a crawl and worth a visit for the history.