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Ryries Bar, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
EH12 5EY
Pub Type
Punch TavernsReviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Old Boots left this review about Ryries Bar
A well known pub outside Haymarket station, a brown building in vaguely Scottish baronial style with its crow steps, the lower part with wood and stained glass. A long counter in the first of two rooms as you enter from the very busy crossroads outside, its fairly narrow with tables at banquettes down the outer walls. The counter is home to 8 pulls, 1 Thistley cider, 2 blank, Taylor’s Landlord, Vocation Chop & Change, one each from Swannay, Fyne, and Orkney. A couple of low T-Bars have the usual keg stuff. Plain decor apart from the thistle wallpaper and the odd mirror, a fair bit of old wood is still in situ. Very busy on my Friday afternoon visit with bar blockers and at the tables, maybe discerning drinkers or those just waiting for a train, there’s a train describer screen in the main bar. Famous it may be but I found it lacking in atmosphere and warmth. Cocktail bar and dining upstairs which is for hire.
On 27th January 2026
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3859 recommendations about 3526 pubs]
David Walton left this review about Ryries Bar
Visited 05/11/25
Cask was quite impressive here with Jarl from Fyne Ales, TT LL, Orkney IPA from Swannay Brewery, Mothership from Ascencion cider, Dark Island Dark Ale from Orkney Brewery, Snake Eyes Pale Ale from Two-by-Two Brewing, Nonchalant Shark XPA from Lost Pier. Keg was Cromarty Raptor pale ale, Cold Town Lab Doddie Bier, Leith Juice from Campervan Brewery, Hazy IPA from Stewart Brewing, Tennent's, Paolozzi Helles lager, San Miguel, Staro, Caledonia Best, Thistly Cross and Guinness.
Very lively pub on my early evening visit. Impressive stained-glass windows. Herringbone patterned wooden block flooring. Bar counter with tall, backed stool seating along its length on the right-hand wall starting from near the entrance. Banquette serving regular tables in front window to left of entrance and then down the left-hand wall opposite the bar counter. There is an area down a step at the rear with a fitted leather banquette around the rear corner. The venue has plenty of standing space in both the front and rear part of the venue. There is an upstairs bar and dining area that I didn't check out. A single screen was showing train departure times from nearby Haymarket station. Thought this one was high in the pecking order on my two-day visit to Edinburgh Central.
On 8th November 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 942 recommendations about 935 pubs]
Will Larter left this review about Ryries Bar
This has been one of my go to bars in Edinburgh for a number of years, and I helped improve its heritage interior profile by reporting the removal of the "clutter" above the bar back. But I've not written a review before. Too busy enjoying the beers, or - the last time I was here - being engaged in conversation by a couple of bar hangers from England. This is a tremendous pub, with eight hand pumps offering beers from some of Scotland's independent breweries that don't always get a look in (plus Timothy Taylor). I usually go for Orkney Dark Island, and on this occasion I even swerved it in a previous pub because I was so sure it would be on here. Not so. I went for a different Orkney beer, Thor's Hammer and one from Swannay, the "other" Orkney brewery. Both were in the region of NBSS 3 to 3.5 and my two halves were £5.85.
On 27th March 2025
- rating: 8
[User has posted 4598 recommendations about 4212 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about Ryries Bar
GBG 2025 - right outside Haymarket Station and the pub has a train information board inside, so you can plan your return.
Impressive external view - a detached building, almost castle-like. Inside, its a long bar with bench seating opposite an impressively long bar. You can watch the bar staff. They can watch you. Plenty of cask choice and I went for a rather lively Fyne Jarl - a pint that varied in quality over my week in Edinburgh but was fine in here.
Bit of a transient feel with the punters - with most quickly coming and going.
On 26th January 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1751 recommendations about 1724 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Ryries Bar
A really traditional tiled exterior,this pub is very close to Haymarket station and has a departure board inside.The interior has a very long bar in the tap room and a smaller rear lounge.The stained glass windows are a real feature ,the tap room seating is mainly a long bench clad in red leather.
There were 8 handpumps on my visit with 7 ales and a real cider.Fyne Talus,Swannay Orkney Best,Brew York Calmer Chameleon,Northern Monk Little Faith,Loch Lomond Southern Summit,something I failed to note and Orkney Red MacGregor (NBSS 4).
I was impressed with the range and quality of the ale and was surprised to find it hadn't made it to the 2023 GBG.Hopefully the local CAMRA branch will consider it next year.I would happily return.
On 19th November 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3112 recommendations about 3112 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Ryries Bar
A traditional an attractive looking pub almost adjacent to Haymarket train station, it seemed quite enticing from the outside with it’s stained glass windows and welcoming appearance.
Internally it didn’t disappoint either, being again quite traditional in terms of décor with a wood strip floor and dark wood panelling on the walls, although much of the walls were in fact the aforementioned stained glass with just dark wood timberwork in between the windows. A couple of very large black beams were on the white painted ceiling, and there were also a few flags pinned up here. This may be in relation to the current rugby world cup, and a large Guinness rugby ball also affixed from the ceiling tended to support this view. Three TV screens were showing the rugby, although fortunately the volume was off so this was not too intrusive. The bar backdrop was also made of ornate carved wood and had a row of barrels perched on top, although I suspect these were more decorative than functional. A smaller room was down a couple of steps at one end, and this looked to be broadly similar in terms of décor along with a collection of clocks showing the time in different geographic locals including Tokyo, Warsaw and Istanbul.
Beers on tap were 80/- and Jack Back from Stewarts along with Pentland IPA and Deuchars IPA. The solitary cider was Strongbow, unfortunately. Whisky also seems to be a big thing here, with a sign proclaiming that there were over fifty available, and a printed menu for them on each table. All in all, a great little pub and well worth checking out.
On 30th October 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2107 recommendations about 2006 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
peter ashworth left this review about Ryries Bar
Situated close to Haymarket rail station found the pub to have a fair selection of real ale albeit a tad on the pricey side.There were a few impressive features in the pubs interior in particular the stained glass windows and so to the carved wooded decorative back of the bar complete with inlayed clock.
On 30th June 2017
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2439 recommendations about 2392 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Ryries Bar
Very handy for Haymarket station. Old style interior with stained glass windows suspect it's had the refurb David Ross was asking as for as I had no issues with the decor. 6 real ale taps serving 3 doublers during my visit.
On 10th May 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3028 recommendations about 2961 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
David Ross left this review about Ryries Bar
I walked into something of a real ale enthusiast’s nightmare here today: a pub with six hand pumps, but all of them off! I was therefore reduced to ordering a pint of Belhaven Best at an expensive £3.50. Budweiser, Staropramen, Carling and Fosters lagers are all on draught, at similar prices, as are Guinness and Strongbow cider. There is also an impressive array of whiskies in glass cases above the bar. Despite banners outside advertising “Nino’s Trattoria” (which presumably occupies the upper floor), Ryrie’s IS still principally a pub, conveniently located next to Edinburgh Haymarket station. It’s a notably attractive building, outside and in, with ornate stained glass windows and wood floors and panelling. It is, however, seriously in need of a makeover, with much of the upholstery badly torn and the foam padding spilling out. There is a limited food menu, with meals arriving by dumb waiter from upstairs. One member of staff dealing with both food and drink orders on a Thursday afternoon was less than adequate, however. This is a lovely old pub, with potential for a much higher marking if the above shortcomings were rectified.
On 10th May 2012
- rating: 6
[User has posted 769 recommendations about 683 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Ryries Bar
Traditional looking pub filled with foreign tourists and the lower end of Edinburgh's social spectrum. Close to Haymarket station and beware this is a typical station pub. Celtic on the TV when we called in for one, so quite few football fans in. As soon as the match ended some live acoustic music started up. 6 handpumps but only 3 on, but the Caledonian seasonal was in good nick. The main problem was the totally clueless east European girl behind the bar. Only 2 of us waiting and she served the wrong person and then disappeared for 5 minutes leaving the bar unmanned. A blonde girl appeared a few minutes later and she seemed to know what to do behind the bar. She banished the other girl to collect glasses which was more in keeping with her level of ability. There are far too many good pubs in Edinburgh to waste time with this one. We won't be calling again.
On 6th January 2012
- rating: 4
[User has posted 3333 recommendations about 3243 pubs]