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The Standing Order (JD Wetherspoon), Edinburgh
Edinburgh
EH2 2LR
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
David Walton left this review about The Standing Order (JD Wetherspoon)
Visited 06/11/25
Cask was Belhaven 80/-, Abbot, Doom Bar, Tyneside Brown, Secret Kingdom & Northumbrian Gold the trio from the Hadrian Border Brewery, Schiehallion Craft lager from Harviestoun, Keg was Angelo Poretti, BrewDog Punk IPA, Budweiser, Stella, Corona, Innis & Gunn lager & Mangoes on the Run IPA, Tennent's, Bud Light, Guinness, Carling, K1664, Leffe Blonde, Carlsberg, Joker IPA from Williams Bros, Hazy IPA from Stewart Brewing, Stowford Press, Worthington CF, original and Dark fruits SB and Coors.
Typical JDW in terms of beer offering but this is one of the most impressive actual physical JDW venues I have ever attended. The main bar area is in an incredibly ornate, high ceiling baronial hall. The bar counter is down the left-hand side with a boarded skirt, the rest of the space is carpeted in typical JDW fashion apart from a grand patterned tiled area around the entrance to this area. Typical array of JDW seating options, and there are multiple smaller rooms off the main bar area. Thought the beer option was average regional plus a few national offerings but the pleasure was being in such a grand location. Realised also here and other JDW Edinburgh Central venues that they all tend to have a good craft offering by bottle and can in the fridges. Can't imagine that Tim would ever let go of this one, one of the Crown Jewels of his pub empire. V high score of venue, reduced somewhat by an average regional cask offering.
On 8th November 2025
- rating: 7
[User has posted 957 recommendations about 950 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Standing Order (JD Wetherspoon)
A real haven after just visiting the Booking Hall JDW, plus a more relaxed atmosphere after the bedlam in the Booking Hall. The splendid heavily embellished sky light was a sheer marvel to take in, almost forgot to look at what beers were on the bar. Eight different beers across three banks of six handpumps. The line up on our visit was Belhaven 80 Shilling, Doombar, Abbott, Dargavel Brewery Haud Ye Wheasht, Theakston Old Perculiar, Shepherd Neame Spitfire, Orkney Brewery Tidal Bay and Golden Ale. Our favourite was the Orkney Tidal Bay at £3 a pint.
On 13th July 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3733 recommendations about 3733 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Standing Order (JD Wetherspoon)
A former banking hall,there is also a back entrance on Rose Street making it an easy target for Rose Street crawlers.The interior is impressive with a huge sky light in the main body of the pub ,two quite seperate formal rooms and some good mosaic flooring at one point .The marble columns are a feature,as are the frosted glass panels on a rear wall.Outside that it's all very corporate and despite three ranks of six handpumps the ale choice on my breakfast trip was confined to GK Abbot,Doom Bar,Belhaven 80/-,Harviestoun Schiehallion ,Alechemy Charisma and Kelburn Goldihops.
Typical 'spoons offering but a good interior.
On 19th November 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3112 recommendations about 3112 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Standing Order (JD Wetherspoon)
A large and impressive looking Wetherspoon’s with the main entrance on George Street but also a further back entrance in Rose Street, it’s very impressive architecturally and is certainly worth popping in for that alone.
Internally it’s largely all one open plan room with a very high and ornately decorated ceiling which is certainly the main feature of the pub and wouldn’t look out of place in a National Trust property. In comparison, the rest of the pub is fairly unremarkable with a mixture of dark polished wood and blue patterned carpet on the floor and lots of tables that were quite tightly packed in. Some alabaster pillars at one end might have also made for an interesting feature if it weren’t for the large projection screen slung between them that was showing a football match. On one wall were a number of segregated seating booths with dark wood panelling on the adjacent wall.
Beers on tap were Hobgoblin Gold, Belhaven St. Andrews, Bishop’s Finger, Cerveja Curitiba, Thornbridge Jaipur, Orkney Northern Light, Jenning’s Sneck Lifter, Deuchars IPA, Wildcat, Abbott Ale, Orkney Dark Island, Doom Bar, Titanic Plum Porter and Strathaven Fat Santa. Ciders meanwhile were Strongbow, Strongbow Dark Fruit, Thatcher’s Gold and Magners.
On 30th November 2018
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2107 recommendations about 2006 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Standing Order (JD Wetherspoon)
Grand Wetherspoons that should be visited for the architecture alone. High quality beer at bargain prices.
On 19th January 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1751 recommendations about 1724 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Standing Order (JD Wetherspoon)
As noted below this is a rambling and ornate bank conversion and is probably the best of the four Central Edinburgh JDWs. On my Thursday afternoon visit there were no Stag or Hen dos.
The clock was ticking towards the time my train back to London was due to depart so I didn't have time to take in all that much. I did note that the standard guest price was £2.89 so went for a festival cider (£3.35). There are three banks of six hand pumps that had a good range of Scottish beers but with some doubling up.
I thought this was a good but expensive JDW and I have to say that overall I preferred many of the smaller town outlets in Scotland.
What Pub informs us that they serve pints from 09:00 so there is hope for Scotland yet!
On 27th July 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Standing Order (JD Wetherspoon)
Large spoons in an ornate former bank. The large main bar area has two rooms leading of it and a big screen for live sport. The toilets are a bit of a trek into the basement. The pub has an entrance on George Street and also on Rose Street.
On 24th February 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3028 recommendations about 2961 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Standing Order (JD Wetherspoon)
As described by others a very impressive neoclassical interior sympathetically converted by Wetherspoons. The old banking hall is in a Robert Adam style with pink granite Corinthian columns, coffered and gilded ceiling and etched glass in the skylights and side windows. In addition there are two side rooms, The Thomas Telford Suite and the Robert Louis Stevenson Suite, which is actually at the front. The counter zig zags along one side wall and carries three sets of six pulls, I saw only two from the "coming soon" brewery and the less exciting beers were on the last set of pulls furthest from the door. I had no trouble getting served but then it was 9am but sadly for that time of day the choice of lower ABV beers was restricted. The staff were great but then they often are when they're not overstretched, the beer quality was good too, well worth a visit there is also apparently a back entrance in pub and bar filled Rose St.
On 25th January 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3859 recommendations about 3526 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Standing Order
On the busy, bustling George Street, this vast Wetherspoons pub is a really impressive example of a bank conversion. The main bar area is located in the left hand side of the building, with the servery running most of the way down the left hand wall. This room boasts an amazing high ceiling, with intricate colourful decorations and some beautiful curved glass skylights. The decorative touches manifest themselves throughout the room, with something eye-catching in just about every direction you care to look. Stout marble pillars add to the grandeur and it’s only when your eyes eventually lower to seating level that you start to realise that you’re in a Wetherspoons. There are plenty of seating options, as you would expect, including in several partitioned rooms off the main bar area, which sadly I didn’t have the time to properly explore. Visiting on a scorching summer’s morning, I was somewhat surprised to find the place already packed, including several large stag/hen party groups. The skylights had the unfortunate effect of creating greenhouse-like conditions which forced us to take our drinks out to the front steps, where a few pavement tables can be found. There is rear access to the pub as well, although I’m not sure if additional outdoor seating can be found on that side.
I counted between 15-18 hand pumps, most of which were taken up with ciders from the ongoing festival, but there were a few interesting ales available alongside the usual ‘Spoons suspects. I tried an excellent pint of Roosters IPA, which slipped down very easily for a 5% ale.
Our enjoyment of this pub was spoilt slightly by the unbearable heat, but I appreciate that Edinburgh doesn’t always hit such baking hot temperatures, and all things considered, this is a worthwhile place to visit. I’d certainly like to try it again to soak up the interior a bit more and as with most ‘Spoons, it seems like a fairly good bet for an interesting and well kept pint.
On 12th September 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3387 recommendations about 3387 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Standing Order
Grand old banking hall having a splendid ceiling with curved glazed panels letting in a good amount of natural light, even on a cold, wet, grey Edinburgh day. A total of 18 handpumps, including an excellent selection of local ales from Stewart Brewing, etc. in addition to the usual suspects, but on this visit I opted for the Harviestoun Old Engine Oil porter (just £1.99, and first class). Definitely one of the better 'spoons.
On 27th January 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 9017 recommendations about 9017 pubs]