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Detail Pages
The Conan Doyle, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
EH1 3JD
Pub Type
Nicholsons (Mitchells & Butlers)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Conan Doyle
A traditional looking street corner pub run by the Nicholson’s chain, it’s located towards the eastern end of the town centre and is reasonably compact internally with the left hand side designated as a restaurant complete with a “Please wait here to be seated” lectern.
Décor wise it’ quite traditional too with wood strip on the floor, dark flock wallpaper on the rear wall and dark green paintwork elsewhere. A small tiled fireplace was at the rear, although this appeared to be unused, along with a large and ornately carved bookcase. Various old black and white pictures of the locale were dotted around the walls, along with a couple of portrait photos of the author from which the pub takes it’s name. A TV screen was up on one wall showing a terrestrial channel, but the volume was off so this was not too intrusive and the picture was badly breaking up in any case.
The menu offered an extensive choice of pub grub dishes, and I opted for the Smoked Haddock and Kedgeree fish cakes. These were tasty enough, but the rice had certainly been used to bulk them up with little sign of any fish.
Beers on tap were Stewart Jack Back, Hook Norton X Ale, Stewart 80/-, St Austell Summer Anthem, Nicholson’s Pale Ale, Titanic Plum Porter and Vocation Cooler Shaker which was apparently a Passion Fruit Milkshake IPA! The solitary cider meanwhile was Mortimer’s Orchard, which went down very well. Overall, a decent enough bet if in the area.
On 28th June 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Conan Doyle
The Conan Doyle is another of the Nicholson pubs in Edinburgh, but due to its position in the New Town at the east end of York Place it is well positioned to service locals and workers utilising the nearby St James Shopping Centre, Omni Centre and the Playhouse Theatre and as such had much less of a feel of being a tourist pub. And as it was the nearest decent traditional pub to our digs on the Royal Terrace we utilised it a few times for both food and drink.
And another difference I detected with this one over the other Nicholson outlets we tried in town, was that this one was staffed by locals, both in the efficient waitresses and the bar manager, who seemed to all know what they were doing on the service front.
Internally, the usual Nicholson’s décor is over two split levels with the bar on the higher level and the dining section down some steps to the exterior windows overlooking Broughton Street.
The bar supports a row of seven hand pumps and alongside the ubiquitous Deuchars IPA, Doombar and Nicholson’s house Pale Ale, these included Xingu Brazilian Gold, Hop Back Summer Lightning, Artisan Amarillo, and Harviestoun Natural Blond. Unluckily on two occasions the pint I was poured was on its way out, but was replaced on request with a different one without fuss on both occasions and the pump clip reversed, so can’t really complain about that.
On 5th August 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2111 recommendations about 1992 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Peter Rydings left this review about The Conan Doyle
Bit quiet when we went in never come across this pub before all the times we have been to this city you dont get many bad pubs in the Nicholson concept and this was no exception had a good pint of Natural Blonde 4% WILL CALL BACK
On 21st July 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 948 recommendations about 917 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about The Conan Doyle
Nicholson's pub named after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who was born across the road. Up to 7 real ales & food served.Interior as described by roger button below.
On 28th August 2012
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Conan Doyle
Having previously had a bad reputation, the Conan Doyle has been turned around by Nicholsons and is now one of the better chain pubs in the area. A weekday early evening visit showed it at its best - calm, mature clientele (no tourists this time), excellent pub food and first class service from a very pleasant, helpful lady. Its main fault is that it is just a little too corporate with its image, and some of the otherwise wonderful staff are just a litle bit Stepford in their approach. However, that said the beer was excellent and the food wonderful. Five ales on, I was encouraged to sample them all, and finaly had a pint each of Cairngorm Flying Dutchman and Gunpowder Mild. Both were in perfect condition and most enjoyable. Based on my last two visits I have to say this pub is a real success story for Nicholsons and well worth visiting for lunch, an evening snack or as part of a crawl.
On 12th October 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3285 recommendations about 3250 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Conan Doyle
Previously part of the Mitchell & Butler group, the Conan Doyle is now owned by Nicholsons and honours one of Edinburghs literary greats who was born virtually opposite (the house has long since been demolished).
The pub looks straightforward enough from the outside although the previously drab paintwork is now a bright shiny black and houses a mass of flower baskets. The interior has a bizarre triangular layout across split levels. From street level there is a set of stairs that lead to the main bar off to the right and a few tables around the far walls. Off to the left is a sunken area with elevated window seats overlooking the busy street. The décor was fully refurbished when Nicholsons took it over but still has an old fashioned feel with bare floors, bookcases and patterned wallpaper. As one would expec, theer are various Conan Doyle / Sherlock Holmes displays among the old pictures of the city and there is a flat screen TV in the bar area and piped music. My Saturday lunchtime visit found largely a tourist customer base, many of whom were dining.
Beer wise there were 7 hand pumps with the selection on my visit being Caledonian Deuchars, Harviestoun Natural Blonde + Bitter & Twisted, Thornbridge Jaipur IPA, Cairngorm Highland IPA and Brains Young Rev. Prices were pretty steep for a chain that always used to be very reasonable, the Young Rev clocking up £3.45.
Overall the place is a bit too touristy and pricey for my liking but is a fairly safe option for a couple of beers in what appeared to be civilised surroundings. I would certainly make it part of crawl if I was out this way again.
On 3rd October 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Conan Doyle
You wouldn't guess it from the exterior (due to the lack of obvious branding), but this is a Nicholsons pub (a fact which, however, soon becomes apparent once inside). Unusually, you have to go up a flight of stairs to enter the bar, but about half of the seating - including the best window tables in the dining area - are back down a few steps again. Plenty of Sherlock Holmes memorabilia, but thankfully not that twee. Seven handpumps, mostly usual suspects such as Landlord but a few locals such as Caledonian 80/- at £2.95. Overall, quite civilised, if unremarkable, with most of the clientele being lunching ladies when I visited.
On 13th February 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
david turnbull left this review about The Conan Doyle
popped in recently.worst pint of deuchars i have ever had.food rubbish and staff ignorant.probably the worst pub i have been in for years.
On 8th August 2010
- rating: 4
[User has posted 13 recommendations about 12 pubs]