The Regent, Abbeyhill, Edinburgh

Quite a diversion in my Guide to the best of the Royal Mile. I found myself in a previously unexplored part of Edinburgh. A couple of handpulls on with an excellent Deuchars IPA. Took me a while to twig it was a gay bar - with some rather striking art work. Good beer and worthy of its entry in the 2018 Guide. Visit blogged at http://bit.ly/2DFiNcF

The Regent feels more like a private club than a pub, a feeling which comes from both the esoteric nature of most clientele -mostly couples in quiet conversation - and the decor. The presence of a strange vaulting horse adds to that, while the various literature scattered around the tables provides details of other local establishments of interest to the main customer base. The staff were a little unwelcoming, which contributed to the feeling of being an outsider. What makes this place good is the beer - four ales and a cider on draft. I had the Caledonian Deuchers which was in excellent condition, while I know from previous visits that the GBG entry is well justified. While it might be difficult to tie this in with a crawl, it is worth a visit for its beer quality alone.

This is one of Edinburgh’s foremost gay pubs although there is little to advertise the fact and it should be noted that it it has a very open approach and is quite welcoming to all. It was only the subheadings on the menu drawing to my attention that this was CAMRA Gay Pub of the Year 2008 & 2010 that I even noticed and, as a straight person, I certainly didn’t feel at all uncomfortable once I realised. The interior has a central main bar with bare floors and orange walls (not as bad as it sounds) and dried hops drapes around the ceiling. The general décor is a decent mix between modern and traditional, with pubby furnishings and a green chesterfield. An angled wall separates the main bar from the Lounge Bar with its tartan carpet, banquette seating and a further sofa. A piped mix of old time easy listening and 60’s music was a suitable background for the relaxed atmosphere. Beer wise there were 3 ales available, Caledonian Deuchars, Shepherd Neame Spitfire and Hop Back Summer Lightning as well as Old Rosie cider, The Summer Lightning was quite pricey at £3.40 but quality was decent enough and the selection isn’t too engrossing for a CAMRA Award winning pub although I would imagine there isn’t too much competition in its particular field. This part of Edinburgh is a bit shy of pubs let alone ones with any decent beers so for its beers alone, it is certainly worth noting and popping in even if you are a little wary or shy of such places.