Henry Hall's Carriers Quarters, Edinburgh

A traditional looking stone-built building just off Leith’s main thoroughfare, you could easily pass on by if you weren’t looking for it, with little obvious appearance of it being a pub. Even the name is a little unusual perhaps, apparently the carrier’s were the porters who worked at the nearby docks, and they would often stay here for the night after imbibing a pint or two too many. The main room as you enter is fairly non-descript, with plain white plasterwork on the ceiling, sanded wooden boards on the floor and a wood panelled bar counter taking up a not inconsiderable amount of the floor space. Fitted black banquette seating was off to the right, with the remainder being small tables and bar stools. Two TV’s were showing a sports channel, although at least the volume was not on so this was not too intrusive. An extremely small snug was off to the left with one small round table practically filling it. The main feature of interest though was the much more attractive rear room, with exposed stone walling, black joists in the ceiling, Chesterfield sofas, church pews and a good collection of old brewery mirrors and advertisements. A stone chimney breast was off to one side, and all in all this seemed to be a much more attractive place to sit, although it was perhaps lacking much in the way of atmosphere as for some reason all the punters were sat in the front bar and this was deserted. Beers on tap were Collaboration’s Fresh on The Horizon and Born Brewery’s Blonde. The solitary cider meanwhile was Stowford Press. Overall, not at all bad, but it could have done with a more appealing front bar and a little more in the way of atmosphere.

Quite tiny inside with a small front bar, a tiny snug just off it and a back room of exposed stone furnished with sofas. Only two pulls both with beers from Loch Leven brewery, well kept but not outstanding beers. A couple of T-Bars have the usual standard/non-standard mix seen in Edinburgh and Leith. Bench seating and Britannia tables with broad board flooring and a curved wooden counter and bar back give an early Victorian feel. The only decor is old photos of Leith. There’s a couple of big screens; one on sports news the other showing a German football match and a machine lurks in the corridor to the gents and back room. Somehow they find room to make pizzas.