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Poll for date of Halifax crawl. with ROBCamra
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Detail Pages
Milnes Bar, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
EH2 2PJ
Pub Type
Taylor Walker (Spirit Pubs)Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Milnes Bar
Owned by Greene King,circuit drinkers will pop in at busy times. There is a corporate feel here but some interest with small two seater booths dotted about,some raised at the rear.High tables predominate along the pedestrianised street frontage,while the semi circular bar is quite attractive.Several flatscreen but all on mute and the late evening crowd weren't blasted out by loud muzak,all was calm on a Wednesday evening.
Real ale on my trip GK IPA , Yardbird and a decent Edinburgh Rock (NBSS 3).
As a tied GK house dont expect exciting real ale and their offer of craft keg should be sampled with caution.There is a downstairs bar but it looked unloved and was musty.There are too many great pubs closeby to warrant another visit here.
On 19th November 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Milnes Bar
This easternmost Rose Street bar reminds me of the former 'Olde London' Spirit pubs down south, with low lighting, plenty of dark furniture, downstairs bar/ dining areas, etc. The similarities don't end there, because this is now a Belhaven (Greene King) pub, with IPA and Yardbird available, along with Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted (£4.65), from three of the five handpumps.
On 30th December 2021
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Milnes Bar
One of many pubs on the popular Rose Street strip, this one is quite traditional in appearance with dark green paintwork, gold lettering and a few tables and chairs outside for the warmer weather.
Internally it’s surprisingly large and also quite traditional with dark wooden boards on the floor and black and white chequered tiling around the semi-circular bar counter. Painted cream wallpaper was on the ceiling along with some very thick, black beams and there was some newspaper style wallpaper on the wall at the rear, with dark green paintwork elsewhere. Seating here was unusual with high backed benches being fitted at right angles to the wall, creating almost the feel of individual booths. Along the front was black timberwork to create further segregated seating areas with high tables and stools. One table was on a slightly raised, semi-circular platform with balustrade around the edge, which I thought was another unusual feature. Three TV’s were showing a couple of sports channels, although the sound was off so this was not too intrusive.
Beers on tap were Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted, Greene King IPA and their own “handcrafted house ale” Edinburgh Rock – which if you read the small print is not actually from Edinburgh, or even Scotland, but Bury St Edmunds! I think we can guess who makes that. Two further pumps appeared unused. The solitary cider was a rather disappointing Aspall’s Suffolk, for which they charged me £2.50 for a half. Overall, a pleasant enough boozer, but the poor cider choice and the process, mean that I’m unlikely to rush back.
On 28th October 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alastair Barter left this review about Milnes Bar
So as Rob Camra previously said, Milnes Bar, 35 Hanover Street, and Milnes of Rose Street, 21-25 Rose Street are all part of the same pub. So I suppose listing Milnes of Rose Street separately would be confusing. Certainly looks a large pub with its two entrances.
On 30th March 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 259 recommendations about 231 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about Milnes Bar
A single room pub with a cellar bar called the Little Kremlin also entered from Hanover Street, in spite of the name just the same stuff as the ground floor and not a vodka bar. The main bar counter is to the right against the back wall, six pulls here two of which were Greene King, an unattributed Edinburgh beer (probably Belhaven), two from Strathaven and one from Edinburgh brewery Friendly Fire. There are the usual clutch of Scottish kegs with Peroni and Stella thrown in. A nice enough old style bar but there are better on Rose Street, it does food but it's overpriced and fairly poor. The beer was ok but short measured, common enough in Edinburgh, but the Italian barman with all the charm of a dispeptic Rotweiller didn't help either. Seems to be used as a public toilet as they're in the basement, no idea why as JDW is just round the corner.
On 1st February 2017
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3269 recommendations about 2978 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
hondo . left this review about Milnes Bar
A Taylor Walker pub with a crescent shaped bar serving 5 real ales and food. I didn't visit the downstairs bar.
On 21st December 2012
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 2883 recommendations about 2820 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Milnes Bar
Another visit and I'm pleased to say nothing has changed. A friendly greeting and a decent pint still makes this a good watering hole when on a crawl.
13/05/2010
Two floor bar with the ground floor entrance on Rose Street and the basement bar entrance on Hanover Street. Both floors have old dark wood covered walls. Old stone floors in the basement and wooden floors on the ground floor bar. Fairly standard range of beer from Cally, Deuchars & 80/- plus a guest or two from a fairly short list of beers. They sell decent food in platters as well as main meals. Try the Sausage Platter, we did and very good it was too. The two pints I had were both well kept. It gets a bit touristy in the ground floor part, so try the basement and you'll find quite a few regulars in here. It's a good pub.
On 19th May 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3223 recommendations about 3134 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about Milnes Bar
Probably the best of the Rose Street pubs, Milnes appears to be two separate businesses catering for different crowds. Upstairs attracts the more lively, younger drinker whereas the basement, with its ample seating and calmer atmosphere, is better for food and quiet drinking. The food is good and reasonably priced. The beer is very good - five ales on, I had a pint of the Deuchres IPA, which always seems to taste better here than elsewhere. There are only two things I don't like about this pub - the jukebox is intermittently too loud and can be quite intrusive, and the staff can be more difficult than is necessary. Overall, though, worth coming here to eat, drink and socialise at any time.
On 1st November 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3283 recommendations about 3248 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Shawn Watson left this review about Milnes Bar
Basement floor is better than ground level. Staff are always friendly and approachable. Good range of whiskey and a good menu. But there is a loud, slamming door leading to the kitchen that distresses every time someone comes and goes. They really ought to get that sorted.
On 16th October 2010
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5 recommendations about 5 pubs]