The Banshee Labyrinth

I loved this place. I felt like I was in a cave. What a unique and amazing structure! The lighting was dark and atmospheric, the crowd was rowdy and listened to metal and rock. Reminds me of the Hells Bells pub in Czech!!!

Still my favorite bar in Edinburgh. Did you know that they also have a cinema? Great atmosphere. Unfortunately they stopped selling food.

Brilliant place for gigs!

Even if the Banshee Labyrinth isn’t my favourite hangout spot, personally
(I think I am getting too old for it)
it is definitely worth a visit!
Edinburgh’s most haunted bar in the caverns of Old town has a certain uncanny charme.
You need a certain tolerance for Heavy Metal and might not agree with their horror-​themed decoration but hey, which pub has enough corridors to get lost in AND a cinema room with free access? Exactly.
Being dedicated to rock music, the Labyrinth also hosts a lot of Rock bands so get lost in there for one of the gigs — beware of the ghosts though, many claim to have had appearances down there…

This is one of my favourite haunts (more of that later…) in Edinburgh.
Being of the rocker persuasion, anywhere that promotes live rock music, and even plays rock music over the music system gets my eternal gratitude and some custom. The Banshee Labyrinth has a lot of dedicated rock nights, and hosts many a metal band in their many caverns.
Yes, caverns! The pub is a collection of caves, nooks, crannies and little hidey holes that you could — and probably will — get lost in at some point. There’s more than one bar, so you can take your pick of where to drink, where to sit, and even what to do.
Check their website, and you;ll see listings of what bands are playing, and even what movies they show in their dedicated big screen room, usually themed and always free. Why not watch a movie with a pint?
Oh, and metal ale lovers — they have the Iron Maiden beer Trooper on draft, and it’s gorgeous!
As for the haunting? They claim that they’re the most haunted pub in Scotland. Yeah, really! Still, as the movie said, I ain’t afraid of no ghost, so it’s a place that I return to time and time again.

Plenty of space and cozy corners. Kind if Gothic interior design. Two or three interior pubs and cinema inside makes this place very unique. In spite the fact that I’ve never watched movie there i thing it’s brilliant idea. Can be a bit chilly sometimes so have to be ready to order something strong at the beginning…

awesome pub that has really nice and watchful bouncers, plays metal, screens movies and has a downstairs ‘cave’ bar for private parties that used to be apart of the old city! i also had a spooky personal experience here.

Two reasons to come here, you like metal music or you are still hankering for more drinks late at night or early morning when the bars are closed. If you a fan of metal and want drinks late at night, this place is the place for you.
This place a labyrinth, rooms into corridors, into more rooms and more surprises. We ended up in a room with a pool table, and its own juke box, I found of the bars and I just kept going back to it because I didn’t want to get lost. Everything would have being fine but the pool cues were as crooked as a NY politician and the juke box started getting pricey and the bar I did fine was always packed. They served drinks but the prices were slightly higher than the other bars I visited my time in Edinburgh.

Everyone has that ex. You know, the one you ‘accidentally’ text when you are drunk, then one you can always ‘rely on’ when you have had one too many and are feeling pretty lonely. I find Banshee is the Bar equivalent of that ex. It totally seems like a good idea at the time, you know you will enjoy yourself, it usually ends up pretty messy and you wake up in the morning wondering — why did I do that?
At the same time. I lose count of how many times I have frequented Banshee after a few drinks in the evening, purely on the basis it is open til 3, drinks can be cheap, music can be good and there are always tattoos and beards. If all this sounds appealing to you then you should definitely go. If worst comes to worst you can always delete Lady Banshee’s Number in the morning.

The Banshee Labyrinth is an odd one, part gig venue, club, pub, cinema and tourist trap depending on what is going on your millage will vary… Owned by the same folk that run the Black Rose Tavern it is essentially a rock/​goth bar and I have had some great nights in the Banshee, however these are often interrupted by large groups of bemused tourists marching in (and occasionally geting lost) for a whisky on their ghost tour.
I have also had some fairly unremarkable nights, where the staff have just seemed bored and not even the film in the cinema looks interesting. Beverage options are essentially your standard options, not overly expensive but also not Opium cheap. So The Banshee is a decent place but it has so many personalities I am never sure exactly what to expect.

£5.95 for a burger and a pint that you eat in the cozy theatre, watching Shallow Grave followed by a game of pool followed by some dancing, followed by a hardcore show, followed by a drink in another bar in the labyrinth.
Friendly bartenders, variety, and a medieval torture device all in one place.
Get to Nidry and visit the BL.

If I get to drink in a pub at 2am while watching The Goonies, you explain to me how I’m *not* going to give that a good review on Unilocal.
The bar truly is a labyrinthine structure — several small rooms, corridors, and stairways on different levels. You can actually get a little lost in there. It seems like the structure is built into the vaults, which is definitely where it gets its architecture and likely where it also acquires it’s haunted reputation.
Among the rooms you will find a small bar room, a seating area, a movie room, a pool table room, a tiny live music club and some others I cannot recall.
The crowd here is definitely on the younger/​student side and tends towards the alternative/​goth/​punk set somewhat. I got to see a great hardcore show featuring some local Scottish bands while I was in town, so I dug that.
In addition to the live music, movies, and décor — the crowd is likely drawn by the fairly cheap drinks and the fact that this is one of the few places open until 3am in the area.
The Banshee’s Labyrinth seems like a great place if you’re out with a group of friends. Maybe not the place to spend your entire night, but certainly a stop on your pub crawl.
The tiny rooms and general lack of seating, combined with the fact that one small bar seems to service the entire establishment makes the Labyrinth feel like its always really crowded, even when its not. As such it’s not as comfortable a hang-​out as some other places. Also, if you’re the type of crazy person (like me) that enjoys getting to know random strangers at bars, the noise and chaos of the Banshee’s Labyrinth makes that more challenging than it might be in other places.
Still, the coolness of the structure and the variety of available activities makes this place worth checking out — especially if you’re at all of the «alternative» (whatever that means in 2012) persuasion.

You’re in town, it’s just about 1am and you hear that dreaded sound of the bell ringing last orders? Not quite ready to call it a night but can’t face a club? What other options do you have??? …
The Banshee Labyrinth is a good choice for those wanting to have another one for the road without having to subject yourself to cheesy tunes. This bar is open until 3am and has many different caves depending on your mood. Downstairs they have a room where live bands play so head on down to check out Scotland’s local talent. There are various other rooms with tables to chat, movies playing on the TVs and even a pool table through the back.
The drinks are reasonably priced with lots of special offers and some pints for £3 on the button. Basically the only place to go in Edinburgh after 1am where you can still hear yourself think:)

I’m not sure it’s fair of me to write a review of this place but life isn’t fair, right? I was only here one time on my trip. It was Friday night and I was out by myself trying to soak up some Edinburgh night life. I mean any place near where I’m staying that advertises itself as the most haunted bar is going to get my attention. Although, that night I was after a different sort of spirit.
So back home I think this place would be in danger of being categorized as a goth hang out. If you’re all tatted out and have brightly colored hair, you probably won’t stand out very much. That’s fine with me being a shaggy red head. The place was busy on a late Friday night. I mainly stuck in one of the smaller rooms that either could have fit in well as a Dracula parlor or a brothel parlor. I couldn’t decide-​Dracula brothel parlor I suppose works. The crowd seemed pretty chill and they were definitely getting their drink on. Some of the guys were a bit wild but nothing too extreme. Basically, people were just having fun which is the whole point of being in a bar on a Friday night.
The bartenders who served me were polite and possibly a little bored with their crowd at the moment. I’d probably be the same by midnight or before in all fairness. In any case, no complaints about the service I received. They didn’t even get upset when I mistakenly paid with the wrong coin. (I was still learning my way around the currency and it was dark!)
They had several of the standard beers on tap that you’d expect along with the rest of the bar. The other reviewers are not joking about this being a maze. If you’re wanting to dance, you can do that here if you find the right room. You can also watch a movie-​a horror movie to be specific. At least they were playing one on this Friday night in their theater. Yes, they have a theater room. I don’t know if this is the most haunted bar in Edinburgh. I don’t know if vampires hide out there as one person on Foursquare stated. I do know this is one of the most unique places I’ve ever been to. Although I never quite felt comfortable here. I sort of felt like I was just shuffling around with no particular spot to hang out in and get comfortable. Maybe this was because I was alone, it was late and it’s more of a club than a bar. I’m more pub than club typically.
I’m giving 3 stars but that’s not because this place is bad. It’s definitely A-​Ok. I would go back again.

Oh dear. I’m writing a review with one less star than a lot of my fellow Unilocalers whom I usually agree with.
Ok, The Banshee Labyrinth is really unique, distinct, different and worth a visit. Apparently Edinburgh’s most haunted pub, this could be because it’s in the vaults. You enter at street level but some of the rooms are underground.
And yes, some of the rooms. Because there are many rooms. Many, many small rooms. And narrow corridors. Yes, there’s some novel, ‘ohmygodlookhowCOOL’ type things: like shackles (wrist and neck) affixed to a wall that make ideal comedy-​photo-​opportunities. And there are many rooms, including a small cinema. This is great, really. (It was showing Indiana Jones when I was there).
I’m just not sure if maybe it’s because it’s a victim of its own quirky success, but on a Saturday night past midnight it was a bit… hmm…yeah let’s leave it there. The sort of crowd you’d expect from a quirky, haunted, alternative venue. And I normally fit right in. But I just couldn’t settle into the place. It was really cold in some parts, it had ghost tours of completely sober tourists and OAPs circulating randomly at 1am, mixed in with really, really drunk tattoo-​convention folks. Maybe I came on the wrong night, but like I said, I just couldn’t settle.
I would come back again but given I have limited drinking time, it’s not somewhere I’d choose. In fact, on Halloween you can guaranteed find me here at one point. But if I want a less-​than-​swish bar I’ll probably opt for one with pool tables and brighter lighting than shackles and ghosts.

Now, this is a story
All about how
My life got flip turned upside down.
I’d like to take a minute just sit or stand
And I’ll tell you bout the weirdest night I’ve had in Scot-​land.
Take a right on Nicholson to this Niddry St. Pub
It’s not quite a bar, and it’s not quite a club.
It’s got about 8 rooms — oh wait there’s more!
10 rooms that I know of… but I can’t be sure.
We were — Chillin out maxin’ with no real goal,
Bad music on the jukebox, wrapping ’round the stripper pole.
When a couple of guys, they were French and were Swiss,
Found my friend a mopin’ for a big birthday kiss.
There was this one dance off — And the Scotsman got scared.
The Eastern European won… but is that really fair?
It was dark and it was dingy but I could hear myself talk,
You could dance, you could drink, you could sit, you could walk.
There were ten hidden chambers, and I got lost twice.
For a weird evening in Edinburgh, this place will suffice.
*thanks to Jenny L. for the suggestion to rhyme stripper pole with goal.

Simply awesome. We came here at the very end of our trip, and spent the rest of the night lamenting that we didn’t come at the very beginning instead of following the coursemates to nearby Whistle Binkies (Americanized, loud, crowded, dull). The Banshee Labyrinth is a labyrinth indeed, with more rooms than I could count (granted, I’d been drinking for some time when I’d shown up there), a cinema, a room with a pool table and a room with a pole.
It’s atmospheric as all getout — underground, the rooms hidden in cavernous vaults over several floors, cold stone walls, even a set of manacles hanging at the end of one candlelit hallway that looked pretty authentic. It’s fun, but a bit creepy if you’re not in a big group and the area you’re in isn’t crowded. I happen to like creepy, so I loved exploring the place and having a pint with the resident ghostie. Oh, yeah — it’s also haunted as all getout, if you believe in that sort of thing (and I do).
We came on a Sunday night, so it was quiet, but busy enough that you can see it never really get dead (pun not intended) but I can imagine how crazy the Labyrinth would get on a weekend. This place has it all, though it’s not for the faint of heart! *witchy cackle*

You know when you infrequently visit a town (Edinburgh) consistenly over years and years, you get it into your head that you are a ‘local’ and ‘know the places to go’. Well, forget it girly, what is a nice little secret to you is well known to everyone else in the vicinity.
Now, take Banshee Labyrinth. Love it. Cavernous, with rooms stretching left right and centre — I got a bit lost trying to find the room where my friends were — eventually they had to find me. It’s hosting as a Fringe venue, with free shows taking place (actually, that’s how I found it last year).
The nice thing is that even on a busy Saturday night, with roller derby girls milling around, and drunk people (me) demanding sambucca, queues to get to the bar were ok and the toilets were not too horrific. Oh and it plays good, honest rock music. It’s nice to escape the busier areas of town but still be in a place with a good vibe. Oh, Banshee Labyrinth, you are so cool, it makes me hurt.

This place is so cool to wonder around in! It really is a labyrinth and allegedly the most haunted one in Edinburgh. I have so far located 2 bars, a dance room with a dance pole in the middle and a cinema room with free screenings of thrillers. (yay free stuff!)
Admittedly I haven’t had a drink here yet, more kept company to my drinking friends (lame I know– tough times!). And the fact that some sort of ghost tour of Edinburgh comes through here is a bit of a put off, as your sitting there and all these tourists come by snapping photos.
However you can’t ignore the fact that this place is unique and certainly what you would want to find in Edinburgh with such a Gothic past. Last Sunday they held an alternative fair in here, with deli stands and jewelry and clothes. It was a lot of fun to browse around in, but because space was limited for such an event it got quite crowded at times.
The room with the dance pole is a lot of fun, with a little private juke box to choose music from, make it great to dance around in with your mates!

Reputedly the most haunted pub in Scotland and hidden in the underground vaults of the capital, the Banshee Labyrinth has it all — dance floor, three bars including a hidden back-​bar, a cinema dedicated to showing horror films (from classics to modern day frights), and even its very own set of ghostly regulars!
Drinks are cheap in comparison to other bars in this area, and the atmosphere wont leave you feeling like you’re in a room full of the undead, rather a relaxed and fun vibe. Music wise, think rock and punk, but dont be put off by this if you arent a long haired rocker, as Banshee caters for all with a mixed clientele — many using the Banshee as a watering hole before heading up the road to The Hive night club.
The Banshee Labyrinth is most certainly an excellent place for a night out, whether you plan to dance the night away or simply to frighten yourself in the cinema with a drink.
The Banshee Labyrinth will certainly have you seeing spirits — if only on the back wall of the bar!