Malones Irish Bar

What I like about Malones is that balcony, that’s awesome, but I can never get a damn seat there, hardened drinkers always beat me to it. Toilets are in a maze deep underground, you could risk running into a dinosaur down there or too. It’s a fab place for meeting up with friends to start a night off, but hellishly busy as a Saturday night draws on.

Yeah, so this is my fifth 5 star review of Malones, what of it?
I had a brief «de-​phoning» and considering I went from Malones to taxi to home-​with-​no-​phone, there was a good chance it was here. I sent them a mail using the contact form on the website and within a few hours I had a reply from them stating they had checked and had no phone handed in but if I told them where I had been sitting they can check the CCTV and find it for me.
Personally, I thought this was fantastic. Malones is jammers, constantly, they don’t need good publicity as I’m pretty sure their location, live music and decent prices will bring in the punters regardless. However, the quick response, offer to help me further and the kind reply when I told them I’d found the phone elsewhere is enough to make me bring my friends here again and again just because the staff are clearly so nice!

Seemed to be a very clique-​y crowd. That, and the bartender didn’t know what was in an old fashioned. Really?

It’s your standard pub. Drinks are average and the prices are similar to what you would find at nearby establishments.
It can get pretty rowdy at times though, especially since a lot of uni students like to congregate here. It’s fun! Worth stopping by but I probably wouldn’t plan my night around it.

I love this place so much. It’s almost always a stop on student pub crawls so on any given day you will find some club or society acting silly, which is great. It’s a lot bigger than other pubs (2 storeys) and has lots of drink deals. My friend Garret and I loved going there in the middle of the afternoon for the free wifi to drink and do work.
If you want to see a sports game it’s also a good option. And once a week it has live music. The drinks can be a bit expensive when you’re on a student budget, but it’s not a dive bar so don’t expect the prices to be super cheap.
Do check it out! From the outside you wouldn’t expect much but head inside and you will be pretty impressed. You walk in and see a seating area for about 10ish people and a bar up ahead, but once you hit the bar you see the massive interior in the back. Upstairs there are big booths with a gallery view down to the main floor, which is a great place to see the live music if you aren’t dancing.
When I was in Edinburgh for uni I was here at least once a week, and for good reason!

It’s been a while since I reviewed Malones — just under 2 years ago. I’ve been quite a few more times since, but not much has changed from my first impressions. But I do feel it’s only fair to give them an update and since my first chicken burger here, I’ve been to Malones for football drinks, Fringe festival venue drinks, drinks with a big group, drinks with one or two people, and each time it’s been totally a-​ok.
It is an Irish bar, first and foremost. (See Sara C’s review excitedly stating they have Tayto chips. When I was last in Dublin I failed to try Tayto, although I did try King’s Cheese n’ Onion as recommended by a Dublin Unilocaler. Not bad at all). Anyway, it’s an Irish bar and it plays up to that theme. Tayto chips, lots of Irish decoration, big on the ol’ St Paddy’s, and hosting a Father Ted night: Tedinburgh.
I’ve never had any problem here NOT being Irish, and I think it’s a place that lots of Irish folk go. So if you want to meet the man /​woman of your dreams, and in your dreams they just happen to be Irish, you could try here.
It definitely feels like an ‘institution’ or at least a chain, rather than a traditional, old-​man, Irish boozer. It’s got ‘student bar’ and ‘sports bar’ even written all over it. It also has lots of live music, that is perhaps played a tad too loud.
It does, however, have lots of space, lots of booths for big groups, and an upstairs and downstairs. So it’s highly recommend for big groups who want somewhere to go, drink and potentially eat. Food isnt great but it’s not terrible. There is better nearby but hey, it’s grub all the same.
I don’t think I’d choose to come to Malones unless I had a craving for Tayto’s or an Irishman. But it’s got a charm all of it’s on, so it does.

This bar gets stars because it has Club Orange and Taytos. It has all the usual Irish road signs around the place, which always makes me laugh as this seems to be a staple for Irish bars abroad. Other than that it’s an OK bar. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I’m not that bothered. This is probably more personal preference as I seem to like smaller, cosier bars, but also I have found in the past the service can be a bit slow, and this was when it was quiet not at night when you expect it to be hectic. This might have changed though as the last time I was there it was my friends who went to the bar. I did go to their Father Ted «Tedinburgh» event which was great fun, and I would recommend. I like that it’s full of Irish and if I feel like I’m missing Ireland a bit I can go in there and hear all the irish accents around me.

I was here on Sunday for their St Patricks day celebrations. I had an excellent time however this was more due to the company than to the venue itself.
I have good things to say about it though!
Guinness is very good.
There is lots of room
The staff are fairly good craic.
The live music is good.
They have lots of TV’s for sport if you’re into that sort of thing
The music they played was good (if on repeat)
It’s the best of the 4 bars that have been in that location since I moved to Edinburgh.
I have a few bad things to say about it too
The toilets are rank and got worse and worse throughout the day
It gets REALLY BUSY sometimes.
They have tables in really stupid places that make it hard for people to flow past the bar.
They seem to apply completely reactionary and mad one in one out and bouncing policies rather than using NUMBERS TO COUNT HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE IN THERE
Other than that I it;s a touch expensive for what it is. £3.80 for a guinness. £6 for a double vodka coke… Touch on the expensive side for location.
Still I enjoyed it — maybe you will too…

Nice Pub, good live music, and also the typical bar food is much better than in a lot of other pubs.
the volume of the live sport TVs is a bit to loud, even if there just some people watching.

Me-​likey.
I was having a great time at Malones, listening to music through the speakers, having some fun conversations, getting a pleasant little sugar-​rush off my cola (hey, no judgy lil’ eyes there, we were going dancing and I needed my head about me!),
What can I say, it’s a rather lovely bar, there’s a balcony upstairs where you’ve got some uncomfortable teenagers eyeing each other from the darker corners (awwww), and the odd predatory man in a shirt that’s too white and too tight (ewwwww).
The public looks decent, the only downside was that they started playing live-​music. Why? Well, because it was a. not very good, b. too damned loud so all pleasant conversation had to be stopped (and we were upstairs from the band) and, c. it was well, Saturday night. I don’t want live-​music on a Saturday night before dancing. I want cheesy pop-​chart music that makes me giggle inside.
Yes, you can start ripping my a new one for that, but careful there, I have dance-​moves that I’m not afraid to unleash on the next Gaga song, fair warning! I will use my powers of awesomeness against you.

Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to sample their offerings as the ‘doorman’ asked myself and my two friends if we wouldn’t mind ‘going some other place’. On asking why, we were told we were ‘too drunk’.
An interesting observation given we hadn’t been drinking!!! On informing said knuckle dragger of this slight flaw in his argument, his response…“arh, ummm, arh… urghh”.
Too many great pubs in this town who readily welcome sober, responsible folk, as such will not bother with this venue again.

Quite probably the best Saturday night venue I’ve found since my return to Edinburgh! Never even knew about the father pub, The Fat Cow, but when last I graced the floors of the now-​grandad, Oddfellows, the atmosphere was sporadic dependant on day of the week and time of the year (aka. whether or not the students were around).
And the early hours of my first visit to Malones found it to be no different, in fact I was largely unimpressed because a) I don’t do Irish bars, and b) they took away the biggest, bestest, most extensive video jukebox I’d ever laid eyes (and hands) on… gutted!
However after about an hour or so a funny thing happened… a pub crawl of American tourists came sauntering in. About 40 of the blighters. And suddenly the place was livened up. Hallelujah! However, knowing these jollied-​up visitors were on a pub crawl, I thought best to prepare for the come down of when they were to leave again, headed for their next stop on the crawl, and Malones to come off the boil again…
…only an even funnier thing happened…
…when they left… Malones had somehow got BUSIER! Like an army of students, tourists, backpackers and locals alike had snuck in amongst this horder of pub-​crawling Americans and set up camp right under my nose! where had they come from? I didn’t even know Edinburgh had this many people!!! How could this be? What had happened to this accursed venue in the year I had been absent to suddenly skyrocket it’s popularity?
And then the guitarists came on…
Now I’m quite easy when it comes to live music. I love it. I’m also aware that not all others share my open-​mindedness on the subject, however for sheer atmosphere, banter, liveliness and fun, Malones has succeeded spectacularly in the wake of its failed predecessors. And the large majority of neighbouring venues.
HIGHLIGHT: Revolution is still close enough to suck in all the chavs like moths to a flame, keeping Malones relatively ned-​free!
LOWLIGHT: The nearest and most easily accessible after bar venue is Dropkick Murphys!!! ‘Nuff said.
Note to Malones: Must obtain late license!

As everyone else on here has said, I was very pleasantly surprised by this place. I remember the days of Odfellows (when it had this annoying huge open un-​used space), The Fat Cow (when that space was broken into equally annoying hidden booths), and now Malones (which has combined open space with booths which aren’t hidden).
The only time I’ve been here was during Fresher’s week when a friend was playing a gig. I’m about 10 years older than anyone who could even consider attending a fresher’s event and despite feeling quite out of my element, I was still able to see and enjoy the bar for what it was. It was full of people having fun in what has turned out to be a well-​used, well-​decorated space. You can even get away to the upstairs tables which seem to be always available, even when the main bar is rammed.
My friends have eaten here and have reported well done pub fare, so I’m now looking for an excuse to come back here for a bite and a pint.

This pub has taken on many guises over the four years I have lived in Edinburgh and this is probably my favourite.
I usually find Irish themed pubs horribly over the top and cheesy but Malone’s has got the pitch just right. You can definitely tell that you are in an Irish bar but no one is wearing a Guinness hat, or forcing you to wear one!
I think it also helps that it is a great venue; it’s really spacious, loads of seats and all the staff are cheery even when it’s packed out.
There is an upstairs level that looks over the bar and the lower level which is fun for people watching and when there is live music on (which is every night!) you get a good view of the stage.
A couple of times I’ve been the glass collectors come round and ask if you need another, then you just pay them and they bring drinks to the table– no queueing or effort requires– excellent!

Irish theme pubs are seldom places I really want to be, usually presenting a stereotypically twee picture of the nearby country which in all honesty I often find a bit patronising towards Irish people themselves.
Malone’s is a bit more respectful in it’s Oirishness, and feels a bit less tacky and contrived than 90% of the Irish pubs you’ll find littering street corners as far away as Sydney and Tokyo. They should have kept the old venue’s name of «The Fat Cow» though, you can’t go wrong with that one.
Standard selection of drinks, standard prices, standard crowd. Nothing to write home about but does the job.

This place has changed hands (and names) 3 times in the last three years, so when Malones took over from The Fat Cow I really didn’t see it lasting that long. But I was wrong!
The inside looks like the standard Irish pub, with lots of dark wood and green and beige décor, but they’ve quirked it up a bit by painting famous quotes about all things Irish all over the walls which kept me entertained when my friend had nipped off to the loo. We perched in one of the high booths in the window, which offered a prime people-​watching vantage point, but they have a whole load of sofas and tables throughout the huge downstairs area to choose from.
Drinks are roughly £3−4, which is more exensive than a lot o other bars in the area, but the service was fast and the beer was cold, so I didn’t mind. We were only there for a few quiet afternoon drinks, but I’ve heard that it gets really lively in the evenings and from what I saw advertised they have regular ceilidh nights and live music evenings, which I will be sampling soon…

Malones is a great Irish pub which offers friendly staff and comfortable environment for you to relax in. The drinks are reasonably priced with most pints costing less than £3 and so it’s an ideal place to go for either a quiet drink with friends or a good session before hitting the pubs.
The décor is interesting with lots of maps, pictures and Irish memorabilia to look at whilst you enjoy your drinks. The staff are lively and are perfectly fine with you getting (slightly) rowdy before heading out. Whether you’re just chilling out with some friends or properly going for it, Malones is the place to come.

Malones is an Irish bar and unlike many pretenders to this title it follows through. The main drink here is Guinness and compared to other drinks it is reasonably priced, both because Guinness is slightly cheaper here and also because other pints are slightly more expensive — there’s only one pint they really want you to drink and it’s with a sigh they’ll pour anything else. That said they do offer a good range of shots and the barmen do know their spirits.
If you’re lucky enough there might be live music on and if this is the case you’re in for a treat. I’ve never seen a bad band here and more often than not they’ve got strong Irish roots. For the experience it offers this has to be one of the best Irish pubs in Edinburgh.

From the outside, Malones looks like yet another typical Irish themed bar in Edinburgh! However, once inside, Malones has plenty of surprises in store!
The bar, which, at first seems to offer nothing apart from Guinness and Guinness Extra Cold offers a range of drinks and delicious themed shots! On top of this, Malones, sells crisps from Ireland, crisps which are a cut above your normal Walkers!
From the bar, you are struck by the size of the place! Upstairs, Malones offers several booths while on the ground floor you won’t be stuck for any seating! The place has been indulged with Irish themed décor which in a large bar makes it seem quite warm and cosy!
This bar has had many different faces in recent years, however the thing that makes Malones stand out from Odd fellows or Fat Cow is that it has a energetic atmosphere which is created by the fantastic music on offer! Every night bands play live, with traditional folk music too quick paced Irish songs on offer!
Malones goes beyond the typical Irish themed pub with its energetic atmosphere and music, and adds to the already legendary pubs on Forrest road.

Malones is a brilliant new Irish themed pub with booze and banter in plentiful supply.
From the street it looks relatively small, but looks can be deceiving. Once you’re in and past the bar, the place is massive; there are booths to sit in and high tables with stools, if you look up the ceiling must be at least 50ft high. They have live music every night, and it’s surprisingly good — so good in fact that my friends and I thought it was a CD playing until we clocked the band on the stage. The staff are all friendly and welcoming, and will happily ply you with shots (tequila, sambuca and Tabasco — definitely not one for the fainthearted!).
As those with some Irish in them might say ‘it’s great craic’!

Irish Pubs are not my thing at all — so it seems odd then that this particular one was easily one of the best nights out I have ever had!
Having decided to show up simply for a quick drink before heading to the cinema, myself and three friend ended up staying all night and completly missing the film.
The staff are funny and fresh — drinks are cheap (ish) and the décor is modern and yet still distinctly Irish Pub-​esque. However, these are not the reasons we ended up staying for as long as we did — the atmoshpere is fun and energetic, one of the most relaxing and comfortable places I have been to in a long time.
Needless to say, I will be back to Malones — hopefully before the next St. Patricks day!