Bar Alba

Thought this could do with an update! Bar Alba is now good!!! Was in there the other night and they’ve refitted the entire place (milk churns for bar stools = cool) resulting in a lovely warm, fireside kinda ambience… Went in for a few beers on the way past and they had a live folk band (on a Thursday, not sure if this is a regular thing) and was a great place for a few tasty cold beers… Admittedly its surrounded by less than beautiful pubs but its well worth a revisit — I reckon good spot for an evening week-​night beer, unless you’re one of these masochists that enjoys grassmarket at the weekend :)

Bar Alba is undoubtedly one of the most attractive looking bars in the Grassmarket. Its sleek, striking aesthetic is a step away from the traditional, broody look of the other boozers in this area. It steers away from the cosy tavern appeal, opting for flashy style instead.
It certainly looks gorgeous and very upmarket, but I am unsure of exactly what atmosphere it exudes. We might’ve just been there on a quiet night but there weren’t that many people in the bar which was a bit awkward. I liked the low lighting and it looked very swanky but I felt sorry for the barmaid who must’ve been getting really bored without people to serve!
It’s pricier than some pubs in Edinburgh, but due to its location I’m hardly surprised. It’s got the old town tax, but my friend who is from near Edinburgh thought it was reasonable for booze so I can’t complain. They had a lot of high end whiskys, including Highland Park which I would recommend.
Bar Alba is nice but it didn’t feel very alive despite the fact it was the middle of the Fringe. There was something quite eerie about drinking in a deserted bar, so although the staff were very polite and the bar was lush, I can’t award any more stars. I’d be willing to give it a second shot since it’s a nice place to drink, but preferably on a night with more of a buzz.

Bar Alba looks really nice and fancy from the outside, but to be honest, I wasn’t all that impressed with it. I came here several months ago for a drink in the evening with friends, and we were planning on staying here the whole night, but when we saw the prices on the drinks menu we definitely had to think twice.
It looked really modern inside, but you kind of get the feeling that they are trying too hard. The bar had a limited selection of drinks and it was vastly overpriced — costing about £8 for a large glass of house wine — I don’t think so! There is a pretty standard menu here, offering the usual suspects of meals on the menu such as sandwiches, fish and chips, burgers and baked potatoes, but I would have expected something a bit more exotic and out there for a bar which tries to be modern and contemporary.
The staff were friendly enough, but the clientele who drink here are horrendous — local drunks who are really sleazy — really not appealing. It is such as shame as Bar Alba looks great from the outside, but it is a massive disappointment when you go in.

I agree with the some of the other reviewers that Bar Alba stands out a bit from the other pubs in the Grassmarket. But this has more to do with the rest of the pubs being all the same rather than Bar Alba being particuarly unique.
Located on a well situated corner of the ever busy and touristy Grassmarket, Bar Alba is one seemingly endless pubs in the area. However instead of being a «traditional» or particuarly «Scottish» pub, Bar Alba (which ironically means Scotland) has a more contemporary aesthetic. It’s clean and neat. However Bar Alba didn’t really have any atmosphere. It’s great that it stands out, but it needs to stand out for its one merits, not on the failings of others.
To top it off it’s pretty pricey, both drinks and food. The latter isn’t particuarly wonderful either.
Bar Alba needs to add some more atmosphere and lower its prices. If it does so then it has a recipe for a great pub.

One of the more modern watering holes in this area, which is a nice change as one pub just seems to merge into the other around here.
It’s trying to be classy and modern, which it does to a degree, with the décor, but the clientèle aren’t anything special and I think this place appeals to everyone. I can’t really think of any defining factor about it though, so it looses a star for that.
Nice pub, good cold pints, great location… but lacks a certain something.

Of all the bars in the Grassmarket, Bar Alba is my favourite, probably because it doesn’t seem to attract the millions of tourists that flock to The Last Drop, Biddy Mulligans and The Bee Hive like flies to poo. The décor is modern and unfussy, it is definitely more bar than pub and there are a couple of sofas facing each other which are pretty good for chilling on and having a chat. Drinks aren’t extortionate, but the bar is definitely lacking in something — there is no buzz about the place, so while it’s alright for a quick drink, I can’t imagine spending a whole evening in here.

I am undecided as to whether I actually like this place or not.
It has all the right ingredients — a large selection of drinks, nice food, friendly staff and a pleasent enough atmosphere. Its even nicely decorated on the inside.
Yet something is amiss — the vibe of Bar: Alba is a stunted one — its not quite the most happening pub in the area, but nor is it the most boring. That feeling of uneasiness must have been around some time, as Bar: Alba has tried desperatly to move itself towards the ‘hip and happening’ side of the scale, making the place feel awkward and unpleasent.
Never the less, the ingredient are all there for a good pub, so if you can deal with the lack of atmosphere, its a good place to head too.

It’s difficult for a Grassmarket pub to fail given the sheer amount of volume (boozers, stag and hen party-​goers, and tourists like myself) passing through its streets. Enviably, Bar Alba, located at the end of the ‘market, is able to offer stunning views of Edinburgh Castle while still being in the midst of booze-​filled revelry. It aims for class and respectability, given the décor and high prices, but ultimately ends up resting on it’s Grassmarket, high-​traffic laurels. Overall, it’s not the worst pub out there, nor is it the best.
In your own drunken revelry, don’t let it’s name fool you as it did me: this place has nothing to do with Jessica Alba; rather, as has been pointed out to me, Alba is Gaelic for Scotland. However, Bar «absent Jessica» Alba did have a rare feature, of which I’m sure Ms. Alba herself would approve: easy wheel chair access (including the loo). So, I recommend this place if you have friends with special access needs or if you just like a little extra leg room when you are recycling the evening’s beverages.