John Leslie

This is a very traditional Victorian ‘locals’ local’ located on Ratcliffe Terrace just down the road from The Bell and Swanys. When you enter, you are immediately struck by the dark wood interior which is classic Victorian. There is also the ornate ceiling of course and a feature clock in a wooden surround. Real ales are served at Leslie’s and there is a decent gantry too. The clientele are very male dominated of an older generation, but are not unfriendly!
It really is difficult to find a better example of a classic suburban Victorian local. It is a gem of a pub, and well worth a visit!

Having explored the premises further it’s clear this is one of the city’s great untouched bars & that it also has some of the friendliest bar staff and characterful customers to boot. Simply a great place to go for an ale.

The John Leslie has been around since 1896 and it’s a gorgeous place, with ornate wood carving everywhere. It’s very much a ‘local’, filled with older couples and guys on their own. And its own peculiar quirk is the saloon bar where ladies were served — it only has little hatchways through to the main bar and apparently these used to be closed with curtains.
It’s a gorgeous bar, well worth visiting for a look and a pint of real ale.

Great beers on tap. Very nice décor. An incredibly friendly owner. I loved it. Definitely caters to an older crowd, but I don’t see how that’s a negative.

One of my favourite pubs and also my local. Good selection of beers including real ales. Redecorated in the past couple of years, it has kept it’s traditional style décor. One slight niggle is that many of the clientele congregate at the bar — but a minor issue. Worth a visit if you are in Edinburgh.

This is a quintessential old man’s pub but is still really good fun. Despite the fact it is almost entirely populated by old regulars, you don’t get that ‘local pub for local people’ feeling, you know the one where everyone goes silent and turns around when you walk in so you slowly back out before they gather up their torches and pitch forks. The old guys in here are all really friendly and with a combined age of well over 1000 they all have stories to tell and are quite happy to tell you them. That’s not to say you will be mobbed by people narrating their life to you, just quite nice that they are a chatty old bunch.
The pub itself is pretty standard really. It is inoffensive but nothing particularly stands out. There is a good selection of beers and spirits and it is moderately priced. If you are a poker fiend but can’t really be bothered to trek off to Vegas every week, on Sundays there is a poker night starting at 7.30 with a £5 buy in. Not quite the same stakes as the huge casinos but it’s a bit of a laugh nonetheless

The best aspect of The John Leslie pub, for me, has the be the staff. They are extremely approachable, friendly and open besides serving you great pints quickly. The décor also contemporary, yet still manages to retain that feel of a traditional, old pub. The clinetele are almost all locals and they seem a friendly and eclectic bunch. This isn’t a standard boozer with fruit machines and gassy, frothy pints of cheap lager, but a proper pub with a good atmosphere and a great range of alcohol.
They have a wide range of real ales and beers as well as a decent selection of spirits, including specialist whiskeys from the Highlands. This a good pub with a hearty atmosphere — well worth a visit.

Something of an institution in south Edinburgh. A fine example of the traditional Scottish bar. The ale is kept to the highest standards — a fine pint of heavy. The surroundings are late Victorian/​Edwardian and in excellent condition. The clientele varies a little between the two sides — on the south (right) side it’s mostly standing room and the drinkers are mostly male; they can be a little boisterous. The left side has more seating and tends to attract the ladies. Light food (crisps, sandwiches) is usually available, but this place is basically about the beer and company.
Strongly recommended.
Disclosure — I wouldn’t regard myself as a real regular, but I’ve been drinking in Leslie’s a couple of times a month for thirty years, so I like the place.

Authentic, comfortable bar, with Victorian mahogany gantry; nice selection of beers and spirits, and great atmosphere.

There is something that I find compelling about Leslie’s. It has a central enclosed bar that basically seeks to divide the pub in two — you can’t see through from one side to the other. So, obviosuly you have to claim your side. I for one always go to the left-​hand side and it would now feel entirely wrong to drink on the right. It is a traditional, gloomy and old-​fashioned style pub — all antique wood and worn-​out floral carpets. But it is cosy and obviously like a second-​home to many of its customers. And you’re practically guaranteed a little bit of rowdy banter at closing time. It’s THAT Scottish!