Not already a member?
Join our community and - Rate & review pubs - Upload pictures - Add events JOIN for free NOW

Chat about:
Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat on the Pub Forum

Image posted by Blackthorn _
Submitted on Friday, 29^th March 2019
With picture contributions to 5604 other pubs
View all this pub's pictures (12 more images)

Only members may add pictures, click to receive free membership

Detail Pages

Pub map
Pub reviews (6)
Pub pictures (13)
Page updates

Ensign Ewart, Edinburgh

523 Lawnmarket
Edinburgh
EH1 2PE

Phone: 01312257440

Correct details

Pub Type

Punch Taverns

Served areas

Old Town, Edinburgh Central

Reviews of Ensign Ewart (Average Rating: 5½ of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Will Larter left this review about Ensign Ewart

A tourist pub with far too many people in it on a quiet Monday evening in January. Every table occupied and some loud conversations going on, so I thought I'll just have a quick half then go. Easier said than done, as the three pump clips were in almost total darkness. One was a coffee and vanilla stout called Not Milk (yuck!) and another was a session IPA, so I went for the house beer, Ewart 's Gold, brewed (of course) by Stewart Brewing. At 4.8% and £3.30 for my pint, it was another strong and expensive beer on my first night out in Edinburgh for a few years. My fault for going to a tourist pub.

On 6^th January 2025 - rating: 5
[User has posted 4273 recommendations about 3935 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Old Boots left this review about Ensign Ewart

Small two room bar near the top of the royal mile. It reputedly dates from the 17th Century but internally it’s fake medieval stone and plaster walls, black ceiling beams and a bit of half timbering. There is a nod to the Royal Scots Greys, Ensign Ewart was a member of the regiment and single handedly captured a French eagle at Waterloo as described before and in the menu. An angled counter is to the right with four hand pumps, only a Stewart beer and Banks’s Amber on today plus a T-Bar of six usual and unusual beers and cider. Banquette seating and traditional wooden furniture with a few casks in the middle. The smaller back room is decorated with humourous enamel signs and prints. The toilets are here but difficult to see for the unsober. Frequent folk music.

On 28^th January 2024 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3599 recommendations about 3279 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Blackthorn _ left this review about Ensign Ewart

A reasonably small and traditional looking pub at the top end of the Royal Mile just down from the castle, we found it pretty much full to capacity on our recent Saturday evening visit, which was perhaps on account of the live music that they host every night from 9:00pm, although on this occasion it consisted only of a few fiddlers sat around one of the tables in the front bar.

Internally it’s divided in to two rooms, both of which are quite cosy. Seating was limited in both of the bars, and a large barrel was provided in the front one for vertical drinking. There were plenty of black beams on the ceiling as well as some inlaid timberwork in the walls, and rough white plasterwork elsewhere. A stone archway led to the rear bar with an illuminated stained glass picture of the ensign set in to the wall and making something of a feature. The rear bar was actually an L-shape, but the end of the “L” was so narrow as to only have enough room for one table to be squeezed in. A large stone fireplace with a selection of old whisky bottles on the mantelpiece was in here, although unfortunately all it contained was a very tacky looking electric wood burning stove. A few old brewery mirrors were dotted around the walls, including Guinness and Scot’s Grey.

Beers on tap were Edinburgh Gold, Broughton Old Jock and Top Out Staple, whilst a fourth pump for Broughton Dark Dunter had apparently run out. The solitary cider meanwhile was Addlestones and there was also an extensive selection of Scottish gins if that’s more your thing, with a menu listing all the available options. All in all, I thought this was a decent little pub, and would happily pop in again if in the area.

On 5^th April 2019 - rating: 7
[User has posted 2060 recommendations about 1962 pubs]

View more reviews of Ensign Ewart (6)

External web links for Ensign Ewart

Pubs Galore is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.