Finnegan’s Wake

Fun pub with live music and a great selection beers on draft. Gets really packed on weekend nights so get there early if you want a seat!

One of my favourite places in Edinburgh.
Live music every day, reasonable prices (£2 pints for students and backpackers). What’s not to like?

Great spot to grab a pint and dance to some live music! Classic pub in décor and offerings, with a massive rich wood bar, warm lighting, and a decent list of drafts and whiskies. Can get quite packed on weekend nights, but I’ve never been here where it was uncomfortably so. Maybe can’t spin your friends around but certainly room enough to enjoy yourself! All of the bands I’ve seen here have been very solid so far as well, generally providing a mix of covers, their own top songs, and dance-​enhancing folk diddies. Happy times had by all!

Not bad bad pub, went in for the first time too see a few free comedy shows during the fringe.
This place gets quite busy on a weekend but had a lovely atmosphere and the drinks are decent.

I’ve met up with friends here a few times for some post-​semester festivities and I have to say that there isn’t much great about this place, which is sad to me.
I say that because it could be a decent place to enjoy a pint, listen to some music, and enjoy time with friends.
Here’s the rundown on what occurs at Finnegan’s based on my experiences there:
1. The live music is fine, but talking to others at this pub is tough to do because it is so loud. This makes the pub less enjoyable to me. It is hard to talk to people there.
2. The doorman is a bit rude. He was decent toward me and other white people at the door, but to my Asian classmates, not so much. He seemed to take pleasure in giving them a hard time before letting them in. Or turning one away for something minor, while letting the «local lad» in who violated the same «rule» in with no qualms just a few seconds later. That isn’t right.
3. Getting attention at the bar is quite a task. This place WILL serve locals first, no doubt about it. You will get served, but it will be last. At least that’s my experience.
4. The seating is sparse for a pub. A few stools, some tables, but really the booths are the best place to sit. That is, if you get your hands on one. Also, they are closest to the music, so yeah talking when live music is playing will be hard to do.
5. Aggressive local drunks putting their hands on me or trying to bait me into a fight, telling their friends that I am «talking about them» while pointing to me. (For the record, I NEVER talk about anyone, let alone someone I’ve never met). Mind you, this situation has happened to me EVERY time I have been there.
No kidding.
Luckily, I am able to defuse the situation, but the local lads must not be fans of any non-​local folks «taking over» their pub.
In the end, this is a disappointing pub to me. I hate writing reviews like this but feel like I have to be honest.

The doorman at this place was terribly rude. My friends and I came here after our dinner to begin a bit of a bar hop in Edinburgh. We took a taxi as we were across town when we set out. After arriving, the bouncer refused us entry as ‘someone in our party looked as if they’d already had too much fun…’ Ummm, no! We had literally just come from dinner and split a bottle of wine between 3 people. I can honestly say I’ll not be back there on my trip, nor will I recommend this place to my friends. I understand watching out for your patrons, but abuse of power by your doormen is ridiculous!

We were in Edinburgh from the US on vacation and stumbled on this place. The bar staff was awesome. Very friendly and after a couple visits they greeted us by first names. Only downside is I wish they served chips or something, actually the salty snacks make for more beer sales. This is my favorite bar/​pub in Edinburgh and hope we can make it back there soon.

My band recently played as part of a music night here and I’d say that it was suited to the event. Based on the night alone, I’d say it was excellent but I’m not entirely sure there’s anything calling me back. Although, I did like the wide open floor feel which gave the pub a friendly vibe and the stage with barriers was a nice touch! They did have a Unilocal sticker at the bar which made me smile! Not a bad bar at all!

Also known as «the loudest busiest place on earth during rugby» I have been to Finnegans a fair few times. I went along for the rugby again this weekend.
Since it’s redesign due to the fire next door it’s lost much of it’s «old edinburgh» charm — however it’s now a much better space for the number of people that they like to cram into the bar. They have a room out the back which you can book and that’s actually a pretty nice space.
Beer — a very important thing… but not something that they do well here. It’s pretty dull — Guinness is the pint I’ll be drinking in this pub I think. They have it in cold and EXTRA COLD.
All in all — a good atmosphere for the rugby and the band they had on afterwards were not too bad also. The singer had funny tattoos and was wearing a silk waistcoat and a wife beater which basically makes him either a legend or mental.

I’ve been in a few times for the rugby and such, never in the evenings, but I’ve never seen it too full. It looks like it could be some craic if there’s a crowd in as it’s quite open plan and not so much a ‘sit down’ place.
I’ve heard good things and had a few laughs here so it I have it pegged as a decent spot…
However, the bar staff in here have never been nice to me. I always get the cold shoulder and very little banter. Now, I’m not the type to chew your ear off but a friendly chat while the pint is poured is expected in an Irish bar! At least from this girl!
Most recently, the barman slagged my ‘North Dublin accent’ (think ned-​ish) and let me tell you something about Dublin girls, if you’re not going to banter with them you do not get to slag them!
It seems nice and I’d like to go a bit more but there are much friendlier bars about, who will accept my ‘North Dublin’ accent!

Very nice place with live music almost every day. Drinks and beers are cheap although the quality is nto very good. Guiness for example at this place is awful! apart from that a nice place to go with friends for a pint and listen to some good music.

I don’t hate tourist spots. I don’t.
I like meeting a rogue Aussie or Spaniard on the Royal Mile and getting to be the oh-​so-​knowledgeable local that can give them the details of ‘the best pubs’ or whatnot.
But this place is Prague in Edinburgh. English/​Irish Stag-​dos a plenty, backpackers under 21 and Canadian girls on the prowl. A line about 200 miles long for 1 pound pints of piss and 200 people I never want to meet or talk to in ever.
Not individually (I’m sure you’re all a nice bunch of people), but it’s one of those places where you think to yourself… this place would be way better if everyone in here dissapeared off the face of the earth.
I don’t often say this about Irish pubs because, being from Boston, they’re like home away from home… but if this is home — I am never going home.

Went here last night and had a great time. Live music was very entertaining and exciting. Everyone got up and started to dance, it was very friendly and fun. The price of drinks are okay, not great but if you are a student and have the little booklet that they sell you can get good deals. Overall, first Irish pub I have been it and I will be back asap because it was such a great atmosphere. I felt like I was in Ireland.

I was in Edinburgh for some time and one of my favorite places to go was Finnegan’s Wake for live music. Although a small stage, the music was great to listen to and there are booths for sitting so my group of friends were able to get some reasonably priced drinks and relax to the music or stand stage-​front and dance.

I spent a great new year in here a few years back. The year when Princes St. was closed because of the wind — ²⁰⁰⁶⁄₇ I think it was. Since then Finnegans Wake has been through rather a lot.
A couple of years ago I remember waking up to the news that Kushi’s (my favourite Indian in Edinburgh) had burnt down and the buildings either side were ruined by smoke and water damage. One of those was my favourite club in the world, The Liquid Room (which has now reopened and is EXACTLY the same — hooray!), and the other was Finnegans Wake.
So it’s nice to see that both those places are back on their feet. And Finnegans Wake is just the same — it’s an Irish bar that has a live bands and sports and Guinness and stag parties. It’s a fun place. Everyone’s your mate in here. Not a place to go for a quiet drink, but great fun if you’re in a big group.

Finnigans Wake has recently reopened after a long and frustrating year. It was closed down and had to go under a major refurbishment after a fire in restaurant next door. Alas, the bar, full of Celtic memorabilia and coloured in green décor and wooden sitting areas was no more.
However, this week I entered the new, reincarnation of the pub, and it has gone under a radical transformation. The old pub, full of history and memories is gone, replaced by a pub which is full of wood and fits into the categories of Irish themed bars that are alike in every major city in the world.
Instead of the bar being in the middle, the bar is now on the right hand side, looking modern and fresh. In the middle there are large high tables for groups, with padded seated areas on the left hand side of the bar. Further seating is in the back.
The pub has live music every week it claims, but even though it has this, I feel with this refurbishment, Finnigans has lost its old looks and atmosphere. The bar is lacking that individualistic character that makes pubs what they are.
The place was quiet and empty; the staff were new and obviously will improve with time. It was quite bland compared to the bar before the fire.
Its due a visit though, after this long closed, it will be visited by people who often paid Finnigans a visit. So raise your glass to the memory of Finnigans of old!

It’s nice to see that this place has managed to finally reopen, after the building that houses it burned down a few years ago. In fact, it’s the only one of the units that has managed to open its doors again so far.
But as much as it’s nice to see businesses staying afloat in the current climate, that’s as about as excited as I can get about this place. It’s got Guinness, it’s got TVs showing sport, and it’s full of irish tourists. But so are so many other pubs in Edinburgh.
It’s ok if you’re in a huge group, or you’re on a pub crawl and are just popping in for one, but I wouldn’t spend a whole evening here. The drinks are pretty pricey and there’s hardly anywhere to sit.

Sadly another victim of the Vicoria Street Blaze, shut for the forseeable future (July ’09).
Ess

Finnigans is a very popular pub in the Centre of Edinburgh, an Irish themed pub (hence the name).
They have bands on sometimes also, the place is very big and also very busy. The bar staff are very friendly though and they serve you rather quickly.
Not a popular place with myself, but nothing to do with the place, i just prefer things with cheesy music :)
Unfortunately this place could be shut upto another year now due to a fire in the building next door.

Possibly too popular at the weekend (stag parties etc.) but mid-​week not a bad option for watching football as they’ve a large projector screen as well as a few good sized tellys. On the down side it’s one of these places that feels the need to drum up custom after 22:00 by hosting too loud covers bands of varying quality. Nice & central though so at that point you can easily make your way to an alternative establishment.