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The Alexander Graham Bell (JD Wetherspoon), Edinburgh
Edinburgh
EH2 4JZ
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 5½ of 10) see review guidelines
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Alexander Graham Bell (JD Wetherspoon)
I found this JDW to be quite respectable with a decent set of customers enjoying a bit of serenity away from the tourist hustle and bustle only a few streets away. The service was excellent and we did manage to find a couple of decent ales. The line up was Sky Brewery Young Pretender, Stuart Brewery Amarillo, Frome Funky Monkey and the usual suspects as per Abbott and Doom Bar.
On 14th July 2023
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Alexander Graham Bell (JD Wetherspoon)
A good-sized Wetherspoon’s pub in a prime George Street location, it has little in the way of any distinguishing features or historic character and struck me as being a rather poor relation to some of the company’s other nearby outlets.
It consists of one large, open plan room with blue and cream patterned carpet on the floor and a plain whitewashed ceiling. Dark wood trim was used to clad some of the pillars and also formed balustrade to segregate the space in to different areas. A small raised area was up a couple of steps to the left. Walls were mostly plain with some flock wallpaper in places, and a number of local pictures were dotted a round, some of them with historical interest. There were also more extensive facts about various aspects of Edinburgh such as the Royal Mile and Holyrood House, as well as a couple of very old telephone handsets mounted on the wall presumably in a nod to the pub’s name, although there was no explanatory notice here that I could see for anyone who is unaware of who Alexander Graham bell was. The only feature of any note was some Art Deco styling behind the bar, but overall I found this quite bland and depressing.
Many of the pumps were doubled up leaving Radical Road Reverse, 80/- and Jack Back from Stewarts, Orkney’s Dark Island and Doom Bar as the beer options, with Abbott Ale having apparently run out. Ciders meanwhile were Strongbow, Strongbow Dark Fruit, Thatcher’s Gold and Gwynt Y Ddraig’s Black Dragon.
On 15th November 2022
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1948 recommendations about 1861 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Alexander Graham Bell (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a fairly typical more recent JDW. The single room has been well described below and on my Thursday afternoon visit was quite busy with more people eating than drinking. Many of the male diners looked and sounded like Radio 2's Ken Bruce and were just as boring.
The ten hand pumps had the JDW Scot Trio Of Doom with Deuchar's IPA and Abbot doubled up, Kelburn Jaguar doubled up, Edinbrew Friendly Fire and two I couldn't get to read. I noticed the standard guest ale price here was £2.69 so went for a festival cider (£3.35). I thought the Standing Order down the road was miles better than this one.
On 27th July 2016
- rating: 6
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Alexander Graham Bell (JD Wetherspoon)
Quite a large 'spooons of no real character. The low ceiling avoids too cavernous a feel, but it is rather gloomy inside once you get away from the fully-glazed facade. Ten handpumps, usually including a fair selection of regional beers (mostly on the stronger side, though). I opted for the Skye Skyelight (£2.45) on my latest visit which wasn't in very good shape, unfortunately, but this isn't a problem I've experienced here previously so hopefully just a one off.
On 21st September 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Alexander Graham Bell (JD Wetherspoon)
Much as others have described it, small by JDW standards but low ceilinged and comfortable, it's at the Charlotte Square end of George St. Two sets of five pulls with the standards and beers from further away, a different selection to the Standing Order up the road. I thought the service and beer quality weren't as good as the Standing Order and the breakfast was definitely much worse. Once again apart from Doombar no beers lower than 4.5% ABV, not good at breakfast time.
On 25th January 2014
- 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 The Alexander Graham Bell (JD Wetherspoon)
Existing bar that was taken over by wetherspoons.Walls decorated with framed pictures/information on great scots eg Sir Walter Scott, Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson and of course Alexander Graham Bell. Certainly done the job on my early morning visit.
On 4th February 2013
- 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 The Alexander Graham Bell (JD Wetherspoon)
Decent enough JDW near enough in the centre of the city. It's got very few distinguishing features, but it's nicely decorated. We called in for a drink late one afternoon and found it to be very busy with shoppers and OAPs. Several guest beers on the bar and the one I had was in good nick. We called in the following morning for breakfast. Nice to see a full Scottish breakfast alongside the full English. We often have breakfast in a JDW and the service in here was some of the best we've ever had. Well done guys.
On 26th November 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Alexander Graham Bell (JD Wetherspoon)
A modern Wetherspoons housed in a building that was originally built late in the 18th Century as a pair of period houses before being used as shops and offices. The façade was rebuilt in the mid 1970’s and prior to it opening as Wetherspoons in 2010 it was the Ivory Lounge and before that Bar 38.
The largish interior is a total contrast to the Standing Order ‘Spoons just down George Street with none of the elegance and any architectural merits having been ripped out under the various former transformations. What is left is a modern open plan interior with low ceilings and, despite the pub’s size, some quite cramped seating, in oparticular in front of the bar wher the proximity of the tables make it awkward getting to/from the bar without having to breathe in and squeeze between two seated people
The stairs to loos contain some quite stunning photos of 19th Century Edinburgh, some dating back to the 1850’s, as well as displays about two of Edinburghs more renown citizens, Conan Doyle and of course Alexander Graham Bell himself. On the subject of toilets, they are the current Loo of the Year award winners for those who revel over such things.
Whilst you generally know what you will get product wise with ‘Spoons, the choice of beers on my visit was quite poor with not much in the way of any interesting guest beers. Service was quite sluggish although to be fair it was a Saturday night and the pub was packed with the usual tourist element boosted by fringe festival goers.
Overall, this is probably one ‘Spoons that is best left to ‘Spoons collectors and it would be a shame to miss out a more essential Edinburgh pub to fit this one in.
On 2nd November 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Alexander Graham Bell (JD Wetherspoon)
A fairly busy new JDW on George Street, the Bell lacks the character of the Standing Order, just along the road, although its smaller size makes it more intimate. Staff are fairly inefficient and apathetic, but the clientele is nice enough. Of the ten handpumps on the bar, 7 had ales on and one a cider. I had a pint each of Red House and Otter, both average and both served too cold. It's not the best pub in the area, but equally well there's no reason to avoid it. Worth including in a crawl.
On 5th September 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 3285 recommendations about 3250 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
William Purnell left this review about The Alexander Graham Bell
Originally this was the South of Scotland Electricty Board showroom and was converted into a pub, Bar 38, a number of years ago. Bar 38 was unique, as far as Edinburgh was concerned, having unisex toilets.
Further change took place and the venue became the Ivory Lounge.
Earlier this year it was announced in the local evening paper that Wetherspoons had taken over the property and that it would open under the Lloyds No1 banner.
This is not now the case as the pub is due to reopen on Friday 4 June 2010 as The Alexander Graham Bell under the J D Wetherspoon banner. Named after the man who is credited with inventing the first telephone, who's birthplace is around 100yds away in South Charlotte Street.
On 22nd May 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 218 recommendations about 205 pubs]