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Beer of the Week (w/e 15th June 2025) with Tris39
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
The Last Drop, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
EH1 2JR
Pub Type
Nicholsons (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about The Last Drop
Nicholsons pub near the old place of execution hence the name and some of the decor. Fairly touristy and old worlde in part. The counter is near the back with a range of keg solos and three hand pumps, two with Stewart beers the other with the Nicholsons house beer brewed by St Austell. Bench seating and chairs at low square tables but only the right hand end through some arches is designated as a dining area and folk were eating all round. A couple of screens were showing Bargain Hunt silently so as not to interfere with the piped music.
On 28th January 2025
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3648 recommendations about 3327 pubs]
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Last Drop
One of several bars and pubs along the popular Grassmarket strip, this is a Nicholson’s outlet although somewhat smaller than the majority of their establishments, which perhaps goes some way to explaining the limited choice of both food and drink on offer.
It’s a fairly compact, inverse ‘U’ shaped pub, with the bar counter at the rear and a dining area, complete with a “Please wait here to be seated sign” through an archway to the right. Décor wise it’s quite traditional, with a few black beams on the ceiling as well as some chunky black painted supporting pillars and dark wood strip on much of the floor. Walls were mostly plain cream paintwork with some small areas of exposed brickwork, along with very dark, almost black wood panelling down below, and there were also some partitions in a similar colour to segregate the space somewhat. One of these contained a glazed panel, witched with the pub’s name and a hangman’s rope. A number of pictures were dotted around the walls, several relating to the nearby gallows from which the pub takes it’s name. Seating was a mixture of fitted red banquette seating around the permitter along with regular chairs and a couple of high tables.
The food menu was somewhat smaller than usual for this chain, and I opted for the Balmoral Chicken with bacon, whisky sauce and mash. It was tasty enough, but the chicken was dry and overcooked, so not really that great.
Unfortunately there were no real ales on tap due to a problem with some unspecified piece of equipment in the cellar. Aside from this, there were only three hand pumps on the bar, one of which would have offered their own Pale Ale, whilst the other two were unclipped. The solitary cider meanwhile was henry Weston’s Vintage. Overall, I was a bit disappointed with this, I generally find Nicholson’s to be pretty good for a chain, but I’m not sure I’d bother with this one again, although the barman was certainly friendly enough.
On 4th October 2024
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2070 recommendations about 1970 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about Last Drop Tavern
A pub well described by previous reviewers and I found it a pleasant place with its wooden beams, stone walls and brick archways leading to a back room covered in fake and real ( a lot signed) foreign banknotes and colourful event posters. Although I will agree it does have a slightly touristic manufactured feel to it.
Like all the pubs on the north side of the Grass market it does have decent outside seating from which to enjoy the Grassmarket atmosphere on a fine weather day.
Probably the most significant change from previous reviews is that The Last Drop is now part of the Nicholson chain, bringing the number of their establishments in Edinburgh up to seven. And as such all the hand pumps (I think I counted 4 but won’t swear to it) were on the go and dispensing beers from the current Nicholson Summer list and had to go for the Inveralmond brewery Homecoming Scotland.
Nicholsons seem to be looking after their other Edinburgh establishments on the evidence of a couple of the others I utilised over this weekend, so hopefully they will continue to improve the Real ale offerings in The Last Drop.
On 4th August 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2245 recommendations about 2105 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Rydings left this review about Last Drop Tavern
Like all the pubs down the Grassmarket worth a visit
On 24th July 2014
- rating: 8
[User has posted 948 recommendations about 917 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Last Drop Tavern
Interior as described by roger button below. Food and 1 real ale served.
On 27th May 2013
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2945 recommendations about 2878 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about Last Drop Tavern
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.
On 25th April 2012
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1556 recommendations about 1533 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about Last Drop Tavern
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.
On 14th December 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about Last Drop Tavern
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.
On 19th October 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3547 recommendations about 3511 pubs]