The Bow Bar, Edinburgh

One of the pub highlights of my visit to Edinburgh. Located on one of the most spectacular streets in the Old Town, it hides behind an unassuming frontage and is easily missed, which is a good thing as most tourists do, leaving it to the knowledgeable. If you are into traditional pubs focussing on real ale or whiskies then The Bow Bar will fit you like a well-worn pair of slippers from the moment you enter. Inside this single room bar has no modern frills but a very traditional décor (ceiling especially) an impressive collection of old advertising mirrors, and then the magnificent original gantry on the wall behind the bar for the malts. And as Roger mentions below it still uses the Scottish tall air pressure dispensers for the real ales. With over 150 Malts and 20+ nonstandard beers (including the keg and bottle offerings) on the relatively small serving bar, it’s a place where you are actually thankful for someone in front of you to be served, so that you have some time to take in what’s on offer. And to make it slightly easier, there are signs on the bar detailing the “malt of the day” and “the malt of the week” to aid the uninitiated. And on the beer front a wooden chalk board to the right of the bar gantry lists out all the available beers giving their ABV, price, and country of origin, so if you are after a pint this is where you should look first. For the record Sonnet 43 Steam Beer, Out there brewing Co Valentina Pale ale, Kelburn Cart Noir, Fine Ales Highlander and Rune, Tryst Brewery Stars & Stripes and Alechemy Bohemian Pale were the ales on offer for my visit. Could have easily stayed here all day.

There are several pubs in Edinburgh that are hard to leave out on a visit and the Bow Bar is certainly up there with them Situated in the Old Town in the shadows of the castle, the façade is quite unassuming. The interior is small and simply furnished with the bar in the far right corner and a series of small built in shelves/tables along one side and bare floors. Much of the interior actually only dates back the 1980’s when the pub was refurbished but using reclaimed bits of other pubs that were themselves being modernized so it does still have an authentic traditional feel. There are several old pictures, adverts, old brewery mirrors, a pendulum clock and other oddities that include a cross section of the flagpole that stood at Murrayfield from 1925-1990. The 8 ales are poured directly through air pressured taps, atraditional Scottish thing but now quite rare. The selection included Caledonian Deuchars, Stewart Edinburgh No. 3, Bragdy Conwy Shipwrreck IPA, Tempest Elemental Porter, Cairngorm Wildcat, Fyne Avalanche, Green Jack Excelsior and Brentwood Pacific Pale Ale. There is also a collection of 200+ whiskies and a very knowledgable barmaid to steer you through it all. Naturally it can get busy but if you can bag a stool, this is a place that you can while away an entire evening. One word of warning though if you intend to visit as a group, they do not allow stag/hen parties, fancy dress or football colours and the place is all the better for it.