Last Drop Tavern

Cuentan las historias que a las personas que iban a ser ejecutadas en la plaza de Grassmarket se les concedía un último trago en este lugar, por eso el nombre de Last Drop (la última gota). Dentro hay fotos e ilustraciones de horcas y otros artículos empleados para acabar con la vida de supuestos delincuentes, pero me parece que en este pub una mano modernizadora y chic está acabando con lo clásico y temático que pudo ser algún tiempo atrás. Me pareció curioso que algunos platos del menú vienen en opción entrante, además hay una carta de cervezas, no muy extensa comparada con otros lugares de la ciudad. De precio me pareció correcto y la atención es buena!
En conclusión, pienso que debería sacarle más jugo a todo ese tema de las ejecuciones y los últimos tragos de los condenados y que no quede en un simple nombre para otro pub medio modernillo más.

The Last Drop Tavern is located in the popular Grassmarket area of Edinburgh. It acquired it name due to the fact that condemned prisoners were permitted a last drink here before they went outside to the gallows in the Grassmarket. With a traditional interior, The Last Drop is a comfortable cosy pub with several alcoves, a low ceiling and subtle lighting. Food is available. Due to its location in Edinburgh’s trendy Grassmarket, The Last Drop is prone to becoming rather busy, although it does not feel too touristy. The clientele tends to favour the younger drinker, perhaps due to backpackers hostels in the area.

A lovely little pub on Grassmarket. The place is quite small, so finding a seat might be difficult on weekends in particular. We came in to eat at about 19:30 on a Saturday evening, and were lucky to find a small two-​person table tucked away in a corner. The ground was uneven at this place, so keeping the table level was a challenge, but not the end of the world!
Server was quickly there to ask if we wanted a drink, and happily gave us a few minutes to decide. We noticed on the menu an excellent deal! The «Guilty or Not Guilty» deal includes a burger, chips, and a beer for only £7, so we were delighted to take advantage of this! Mary had a vegetarian burger, which was made of chickpeas, aubergine, and other such things. She found this very tasty, and nicer than many black bean burgers she has had at other places. The chips were excellent! I had a chicken burger, with bacon, and was also very happy with it. It was a big size, and combined with the chips, I was not hungry at all for the rest of the night.
We each had a pale ale to drink, which I enjoyed a lot, but Mary didn’t as much.
Service was generally fine, although the server did not return at any point after serving the food to see if we were okay or needed anything else. The price was excellent– cannot complain about that part at all!
Will probably be back to Last Drop at some point, although it may well be a gamble as to whether I’ll succeed in getting a table next time!

I liked the vibe. The nooses are creepy/​cool and as far as pubs go, they all do relatively the same thing and the last drop does that thing (serve you booze in a cozy atmosphere) well.

I was in here for a light lunch on a dark and rainy Sunday afternoon. It provided comfortable and warm shelter from the gloomy Edinburgh November, though it was quite busy. Despite the throngs of human traffic it didn’t feel too «touristy» and managed to retain a smidgen of character (though the wall decorations are rather macabre).
The food was good, there is large selection of whiskies, and non-​alcoholic beverages for fans of coffee or tea. The staff were also quite pleasant. Helpful but not intrusive. Why on Earth the TV was stuck on a show about fishing in stormy seas I’ll never know, but it’s better than football.
As for the pricing, it’s maybe pushing its luck and I can think of other places that are cheaper and cosier, but it’s a minor gripe and worth it if you get a good table and plan on staying for a few hours.

Such rude service we left. Only pub in Edinburgh that would not give us a taste of beer that we had never heard of. Then was rude on top of that. We left without ordering.

The Last Drop is decent enough. The staff are nice, and the location is absolutely ideal within Edinburgh. However, my one and only meal here was probably the worst I’ve had in Edinburgh, and I can’t say the Beer list was particularly inspiring. Not one that I’ll be likely to return to anytime soon.

Mikhail the barman is awesome!
My husband and I are visiting Edinburgh from Vancouver, Canada, and wanted to find a place to learn a bit about Scotch whisky. We went into the Last Drop Tavern and talked to Mikhail, the barman, and he could not have been more helpful.
We ended up making a video about whisky at the last drop, and you can see it on Youtube :) –

Delicious and decently priced food and great service! Loved my time here :) the staff was very friendly and its location is great being right in the Grassmarket neighborhood

Desperately in need of a toilet, my husband and I stopped into The Last Drop. The toilets are just OK — typical pub toilets.
Same with the beverage selection — typical pub beverage selection. And by typical, I will note that The Last Drop is a Nicholson’s pub (chain). The ceilings are low, the place was packed (with people eating dinner oddly enough), and, well, it was just a typical pub.
In short, a good stop for a toilet break and a half pint but nothing more. Cheers!

It used to be my favourite pub in Edinburgh for quite a while. It has an ambiance that you don’t find often, old style, low ceiling, lighting…
Food prices seem reasonable, typical pub menu.
However, changes took place with the new owners (Nicholson pubs) and they put up new sofas with … spot lights on their back!!! I mean… Really??? You buy over an old traditional pub and you put modern sofas and spot lights?
Cadbury hot chocolate? It all seems more corporate to me now…
Thatt ruined the experience… I wonder what other old customers of it think about it now!

I wasn’t in here long but did run in for a hot drink on a cold day while exploring the city. The service was fast, the place is a good old traditional pub without loud obnoxious music or televisions. I really loved that folks walked right in with their dogs in tow — not something we get to do often here int he states. Seemed like a nice enough place and it was very busy. Would like to go back again.

The history behind the building/​name is awesome! I visited this place while in vacation in Edinburgh was not disappointed! Very cute and cozy inside with good beer and food! Definitely try their haggis! Loved it!

This was one of my favorite pubs in Edinburgh, The food was warm and tasty and the ale was crisp and inviting, but the key to the Last Drop is its cozy ambiance which is perfect. This bar has a lot of alcoves, which makes for some nice privacy if your in for a more intimate pub experience. Also, the lighting in the Last drop really warm and soothing. I realize it seems like a strange thing to notice but so many pubs can be either too dark or too bright; The Last Drop has an eerily magic feel to it so that you can almost hear a whisper from one of Edinburgh’s many ghost, Ok, that might have been my buddy’s plea for another scotch but the pub does take its name the gallows that use to stand in the square.
All in all, a fun time, and I can’t imagine that anyone wouldn’t have a fun time in this pub ;)

Great pub atmosphere with good traditional fare and a morbidly fun history as the last stop for those about to hang in the gallows a few feet away. Mix of locals and tourists alike. Had a pint of local ale, the Steak & Ale pie with a delicious and generous puff pastry and mixed veggies. Like a beef stew in America.
The Mince & Tatties was a minced beef and mashed potatoes dish that tasted better than it looked, almost a ground beef taco consistency. All in all, a charming pub on a charming street in old town, Grassmarket.

This was a great little (–ish) pub. It was very touristy — well-​worn dark woods, dim lighting, and close walls emphasize the macabre theme — but somehow was comfortable in a ‘local’ feel as well, which is a hard balance to keep. The tight space in the U-​shaped restaurant means you’ll meet your neighbors, which can be a lot of fun. The food is excellent — especially the steak pie, to me – and the selection of beer and whisky is very good.

I feel as though I’m going against the grain here, looking at all the other Unilocaler’s 4 star reviews. And in fact, when I first settled in here for an evening of hardcore tea drinking and Scrabble playing, I had in my mind that it was a pretty nice pub.
Well, for a start they have Scrabble. I have already decided I will create a new Unilocal list of pubs that have board games. Although not all pubs that have board games have Scrabble it turns out. Anyway, I digress. The fact that The Last Drop has many, many boardgames is a big plus. It’s a Wednesday evening, you fancy staying out and maybe having one cheeky drink but also working the grey matter. Perfect.
It’s also central, in the Grassmarket, and had a nice mix of locals and tourists. I once heard someone comment that only tourists walk down the Royal Mile. I was thinking ‘eh? How on earth do you get from A to B then if the Royal Mile is ‘tween the two?’ And sometimes it can be the same at the Grassmarket. But the Last Drop balances the tourist appeal (have a look for the many, many different currency notes pinned to the ceiling) with still being a good traditional boozer.
The food looked quite decent too. Giant pies. That’s about all I could see.
They’ve also got loads of hot toddys, irish coffees, hot port and the like. I went for the hot port. It was more like hot ribena, super sweet and didn’t really get me buzzed at all. But nice all the same.
So, COMPLIMENT SANDWICH TIME. Why only three stars? I hate to say it, I really don’t like it when its the service that lets a place down. But here it was. One particular incident of a pot of hot tea being spilled on an arm, and not so much as an apology given. When the customer visibly jumps back, yells (or Unilocal?!) out in pain and all you say is «oh, did I spill it on you?» and then smiles in a dopey manner… Not cool.
Accidents happen, I get that. Usually its me accidentally bumping into other people. But it was the manner of apology, or lack thereof, that riled me up quite a bit. The staff seemed ok, friendly enough, but that particular staff member looked really dopey the whole night and his lack of apology was so rude it kind of put me off a little.
I would probably come back here, to play scrabble, and maybe try an Irish Coffee this time. But just wear long sleeves.

It’s a Nicholson’s pub, so the food is only average. But the ambiance and location are fantastic, and really earn this place its stars. A great place to sit outside on a sunny afternoon and enjoy the passers-​by.

I almost didn’t make it to the Last Drop on my trip to Edinburgh but thankfully a last minute change in plans had me heading here for my evening meal. It was a Sunday night and the place was busy. It wasn’t packed but most tables were occupied as well as the bar.
Once we found a table, we didn’t have to wait long to be served. Our waiter was very attentive and friendly. Drinks came out promptly and as did the food once it was ordered. I have to say, the food was good. I can personally vouch for the chicken curry but no one in my group had any complaints on the food or service.
Now there is history here as well as a supposed ghost. Again, there’s only one spirit I’m hunting in Scotland… ahem… They had several varieties of this spirit there too! I really wish I had dropped in some afternoon and just sat at the bar for a beer or whisky. Sadly, I only had the one dinner but if I ever make it back to Edinburgh, I’ve got this on my To Do list.
If you’re looking for a casual and fun place to grab a bite or a drink, I don’t think Last Drop will disappoint. Check it out!

As confirmed by a local the Last Drop Tavern is a bit touristy but a few, maybe more than few, of them still make it for a pint or a pub meal. The grub here is pretty good but a bit bland; its still a pub after all I guess.
I’ll always remember the Last Drop as the place where I first had Haggis and I think its pretty good. (For anyone who hasn’t had it I say its like blood pudding but only better because it contains more flavor.) It was a nice option to have a haggis tasting as a starter. The bartender confirmed for me that the beef on the menu is locally sourced. The fillet steak was cooked simply but was nice.
I’d recommend coming in here but just keep in mind that its a pub.

Until last night, I hadn’t been in the Last Drop for years. It’s a friend’s favorite pub but when I was younger and my tastes were different, I was never terribly fond of it. I think that’s because it’s small and has the tendency to get mega crowded. Now, that is still something which would put me off, but I know enough now to label it a week day pub.
When I walked in I remembered how much I did always like the interior. It is a funny shaped pub which means that about half of the tables are tucked away in a corner. From memory, they also have board games, which is very good fun.
The toilets –the ladies, at least– are clean and graffiti-​free due to the chalk boards which are made available.
The absolute stars of the place are the bartenders. I walked up to the bar and was within minutes asked where I’m from, how long I’ve lived in Edinburgh, what I do for a living. The bartender was so good for a laugh I hardly noticed that my friend was 15 minutes late.
Another big plus is that, even in a very touristy area, my pint was £2.95. I feel hard pressed to pay less than £3 for a pint these days and this made me very happy.
I can’t comment on the food because I’ve never eaten here, but I imagine it would be standard microwave fare.
All in all, I’m really glad I gave this place another chance. I am definitely sorted for where to go for after work drinks.