The Potting Shed

This place confuses me. The chalkboard isn’t a chalk board its paint. They sell Corona along side craft beer. The cocktail menu looks designed by a school kid. It lacks real character yet has comic style characters in its artwork. The interior design has spared no expense but looks a bit cheesy like Disney land. This bar has an identity crisis! Anyone into craft beer or good food can probably see through the fake façade quite easily. Still tho selling a bar tenders home brew is very exciting and hopefully a bit of back to basics with a genuine craft beer experience and craft cocktail menu it has a lot of potential to be a great bar. Didn’t try the food only had a couple of beers on Saturday afternoon before swiftly moving on.

The Potting Shed is that handy place to get some dinner before pre-​theatre/​ballet and the food is good too.
It resembles a potting shed inside and holds lots of pots and other garden implements with a shed feel. It’s quite quirky!
The food has been simple and tasty on the last two occasions, but the service has been quite slow, especially when trying to pay for the bill. That’s only my one quibble. Otherwise everything ticks the boxes. The staff are always professional and friendly (yes you can get both!) ;)
I’ll be back as I’ve said the food is good, and the location is just round from the Edinburgh Festival Theatre!

We decided to take the in-​laws out for tea at The Potting Shed. I have visited a few times and I am a definite fan! With it’s quirky interior and great food it’s guaranteed to be a winner with guests.
The five of us were seated in the back section that resembles a lawn, including park benches. So quaint! I ordered a coffee and David selected from the wide variety of pints they have on offer, settling on the Vital Spark. They feature local breweries and well as more random and unusual brands and can be ordered in the more sophisticated size of a schooner (²⁄₃ pint).
Service was quick and efficient and we were soon ordering our food. Going straight for the mains I selected the seabass with paella, calamari and gazpacho. David went for the burger.
Not long passed until our food arrived and it came beautifully presented, definitely more refined then your usual pub grub. My fish was cooked beautifully and the gazpacho dressing was very zingy and flavoursome. David’s burger was good and hearty and came with a fantastic coleslaw! I was slightly jealous I hadn’t ordered the lamb as Jen’s looked magnificent!
We managed to squeeze in a dessert and I’m glad I did. The Potting Shed Windfall. It featured chocolate soil tumbling out of a terracotta pot and was packed with nuts and raisins. The sour cherry ice cream it came with complimented it beautifully.
A definite favourite for me and I’ll be back again soon!

We arrived quite late for a dinner and were shown a nice place by the windows. The big, wooden door we entered through hinted at the lovely interior inside. It had a nice atmosphere and the garden-​y décor certainly does it name honour. A huge board hangs by the door showing a selection of beer with fascinating titles (thought I spotted «Dead Pony» somewhere on it) but the staff is more than willing to help if you can’t pick one.
Service was quick and the staff nice, although it wasn’t extremely full so not sure how it’d be then. Still, food was alright although some of it felt a little overpriced. There was live music that really gave it a nice feel, as well, which I appreciated.

This was my first time to the potting shed. Very pleasant welcome from enthusiastic staff. However as soon as we were told of the ‘concept’ myself and my fellow diners all rolled out eyes. The waiter tried very hard to describe how to order (ordering food not generally something I have struggled with) and how much he thought we should order. Then one of my pet hates «the food can come at any time as its all cooked freshly» this resulted on our ‘nibbles’ coming after our food! He then advised that one of the dishes took four days to prepare. The food itself was beautiful, but small tapas portions served on giant plates. Throughout lunch I was aware I wasn’t sure what I had tried or how much lunch was costing. I was sure though that I was still hungry on departure. On the upside the £4 cocktails were great and the staff earned their 10%.

I’ve been to The Potting Shed a couple of times for a drink and always had a really good time and thought the food looked good, so decided to pop in for dinner.
I really like the interior; the gardening implements, ‘shed-​y’ props and shrubbery adorning the walls and rustic farmhouse style crockery really gives the feeling of being in a big shed. It’s original and oddly comforting. Additionally, the staff are very friendly and chirpy, helping to create an awesome, relaxing atmosphere.
They have a huge selection of craft beer, rotating frequently. Jock’s Homebrew (house beer) is a tasty, refreshing beer. I also sampled one of their impressive cocktails — ‘Rosie and Gin’ which had a fantastic flavour with a hint of rosemary.
The menu is set out in a sharer/​tapas style, recommending 3 – 4 dishes per person. Despite this, the portion sizes are not stingy at all. They have a lot of GF and Vegetarian/​Vegan options, all listed as such on the menu. I ordered squid and a couple of the veggie plates. The dishes are quite creative, our food had some absolutely delicious flavour combinations and was cooked to perfection.
In all, it is a fantastic place whether you’re looking to just have a drink, a quick bite or a leisurely lunch or dinner. It’s run by the same people behind the fabulous Sun Inn and it shows! The same quality, great atmosphere and faultless customer service are all evident. I look forward to returning!

Listen out good folks of Edinburgh, if you have not yet discovered the Potting shed then go along tonight. It kicked off a good while ago and having had food there again recently… it’s still good.
Go for locally brewed beer, or love their small awesome light bites, coffee or cupcakes. Is kinda themed but not strictly aimed at gardeners named Ted.
Sometimes your favourite place from home is a comfy spot in a bar like the potting shed. Overall it’s seemed fairly quiet before 6pm the day myself and partner were in.
We tried the homely tomato soup, awkward to handle prawns, skinny fries from a tin mug, barney’s rye beer, coffee and cupcake and we were both filled up nicely thanks to the PS.
How great is it to have original places in town you can chill out in; don’t you just love it?

I’ve only visited once, and only for drinks, and found myself torn betwen three and four stars.
On the pro side, the staff were incredibly attentive and lovely. We were greeted when we walked in (not common for Friday night in a bar but I’ll take it), served by a very friendly bartender, and later visited by a very friendly and understanding waitress who brought us menus so we could have a look at the options but wasn’t put out when we decided against ordering.
Another pro was the beer selection. In the spirit of the Hanging Bat, their beers (and their ABVs were written up on the wall) and offered sometimes in pints and sometimes in schooners.
It’s spacious and with a much warmer/​friendlier feel than previous pubs at this location, and has loads of tables. When I was there it was full of people without feeing overly busy.
All pros so far.
The cons were found in the menu which didn’t look terribly exciting to me — though again as I didn’t eat I probably can’t judge on that factor.
The décor is pretty annoying, with the cookie cutter «rustic» look that someone decided was oh so fashionable and has resulted in every new opening being fitted with wood panneling and tungsten lights.
The low low low were the toilets. So smelly that you were treated to a real slap in the face when you approached them, I don’t know how anyone could sit near them and eat. It was the mens, though the ladies wasn’t exactly pristine, and honestly you would think the space had no actual toilets in it and the men just pished all over the floor. Based on the fact that this was Friday night at around 6:30 (eg, not exactly 1am after hours of heavy drunken use), it really makes me question how well the toilets has been cleaned (ever) which of course leaves to wonder about the state of the kitchen. But maybe that’s just me.
So, really good venue for a group, good selection of beers, good ambiance. Bring smelling salts to get you through the toilet experience and possibly consider eating elsewhere for hygene purposes.

Not great for vegetarians, and definitely no vegan options. The mac cheese is more cheese than anything else

Revisited a few times now since my initial review and I am really not impressed. My previous list of cons still stand.
— there is no atmosphere, even when its really busy
— the music was strange
The reason for dropping a star is due to the service. We have been in when the place is quiet and a busy both times yielded a similiar experience where you cannot get served.
First time we were the only people at the bar we had to interupt a couple deeply engaged in discussion to order a drink, which were promptly shoved towards us with disdain and a roll of her eyes. Great, waited for 10 minutes while you chatted each other up and generally ignored us. The other times we have popped in for a quick pint have resulted in similar waits at the bar normally due to 50−60% of the staff actually doing nothing. The bar had people around all talking about what are these other guys were up to and why it takes so long to get served. They were pretty much walking up and down and talking to each other.
Previously the staff seemed quite used to the bar and its stock, in recent visits this hasnt been the case. There was issue with knowing that Aspall was Cider recently. Erm…
Also this really put me off. They had ran out of pint glasses for some reason, so new boxes of fresh glasses were brought in. These were straight out of the cardboard boxes they are delivered in. The glasses werent washed and were immediately filled and handed to customers. It has been a while since I worked in the bar trade but I was under the impression these need cleaned before being use.
The place has so much promise but it reallty doesnt work for me.
Plus side — pints are kept well, selection of booze is good, décor is still cool and has been reworked to make the seating more effective. Food wise still not eaten here, but I keep hearing good things.
I dont dislike the pub, but I find it a hard place to like.

The Potting Shed is interesting for its interior design.
I find it hard to have a clear opinion on this one as it is not my personal favourite style of a bar. They have a lot of space and it is hard to create a warm atmosphere with as much space and as little windows but I would say they did their best.
The menu is interesting but the portions are not exactly big and I am not overly thrilled by the food I ordered. I would go there for a couple of drinks with friends — if they insist we go there … sorry.

This place is warm, big, and pretty quiet even when full. It’s pricy, my drip coffee was 2.50. I mean, what? Food is about £10 unless you get the lunch special for £5. Their beer selection is pretty good– check the bottles out. Apparently hey do hard liquor, as I rarely drink beer, so I will have to order a manhattan and judge them fiercely. Tons of my fellow students come here, but if they weren’t, I prob wouldn’t frequent. They have maybe one veggie option on the menu, and it’s just a bit pricy. I do Ike the staff and atmosphere, so they get an extra star.
I have not checked out their wifi situation, being so close to school I still pick up that network.

The Potting Shed is a take on the same idea as The Hanging Bat and with that goal in mind it is a success. However like the Hanging Bat the building itself has always had some issues, the Potting Shed hasn’t really resolved these…
It is a large box of a building with a raised area which seems designed as a sobriety test. If all the tables are full it can be loud, but somehow it never has atmosphere. Despite the bar being large, it isn’t suited to standing or sitting by and having a beer. In short it is a little awkward and not really somewhere to stay all night.
The reason it gets an A-​OK from me is down to the beer selection and helpful staff, hopefully with time the bar can find an atmosphere to match the products and the staff who serve them.

Aaah this reminds me of my dad’s haphazard garden shed. A quirky collection of garden books sit unevenly along a rustic timber shelf, rough patched up walls, furniture appears to have been flung together in a rough and ready style, plant pots posing as lampshades and hessian sacks line the walls. I love it! Themed bar as it’s best! There is a wide range of seating depending on what you’re in the mood for. Comfy patched-​up couches by the windows; a long bench tables for large groups, plus smaller tables dotted across the split-​level rear area for diners. The Potting Shed have a wide range of bevy, but they have really bought into the craft beer craze! Location wise there are situation in the middle of studentsville, although it does attract a wide range clientele.
We went here for a bite to eat, ordered the chicken kebabs (don’t worry, it’s nothing like what you’d get in a late night kebab shop) with big chips covered in garlic oil. Service was a bit slow and had finished our drinks by the time our food came. Yes, they were a bit busy (Friday night) but not many folk were eating. On arrival I was thinking the kebab looked small and I’d be needing dessert, I was proven wrong! It was nicely filling. The rest of the menu is a notch above the standard pub fare. Other food available includes typical Scottish snacks like haggis and black pudding fritters with chip shop curry sauce. Or on the other scale you can have classy crispy prawns and oriental salad.
Love quirky, thrown together style of this place — I will be back! :)

This is one of the classiest, hipster-​ish places in Edinburgh … The décor is great, very vintage/​bohemian and demonstrates extraordinary attention to detail. Prices are a bit steep, but special cocktails are great! I’ve never had a problem finding seats, but it’s never dead either.

Sadly, I need to revoke a star.
During my last visit (one of many) the place appeared to be underheated and we were all a bit chilled.
This time I ordered another hanging kebab, beef. Unfortunately it was a bit dry. Definitely recommend the chicken and haloumi cheese version.
The Mojito as good as ever. It’s the only one so far with crashed ice.
Still an awesome place to hang out!

The Potting Shed on Potter Row is a really good place to gape at the details they put in to the ambiance. Reclaimed wood and allotment construction materials are everywhere.
The pictures speak for themselves, but I like to add that the designers have done the theme immensely proud!
I am pleased to see this place (and more like these) has opened. I serves as an inspiration to others.
We were here on a voucher — don’t ask me which one. I use too many to remember. We got to choose from chicken or beef kebab. And a choice of a cocktail or a Schooner of craft draft beer
I chose the beef and Anita A. the chicken. To be honest I found the chicken a lot tastier, but the beef was well cooked, though a little lacking on taste.
Minor thing is that the place feels drafty, a bit of a chill is there when you sit close to the Windows. I am sure that if the place fills up the combined body heat will nullify that, but when it not busy you will notice it.
The service was friendly, knowledgeable and efficient to start with, but a little lacklustre later in the evening.
I am still going back as this is quite a place to drink and dine in and I will recommend you to visit when n the neighbourhood.

My first visit to The Potting Shed was during midweek. Came here on a voucher deal which included «hanging kebabs» and either a schooner (²⁄₃ pint) or a cocktail.
The décor reminded me of Hanging Bat, but this place seems to have more space. Same dimly lighted atmosphere, though. You enter through a wooden shed door to a quirkily decorated space with wood, lots of wood and an old piano. Sofas by the windows. We sat here, but went to the upper level to a table, as it started to be a bit chilly.
I enjoyed the food. I had a chicken kebab with chips, accompanied by a small pot of melted garlic butter which you drizzle over your kebab. Other kebabs on the menu are beef, king prawn, halloumi and cheese. The food was good and well on flavour, tender chicken pieces — and for me it was quite a portion, I was definitely full afterwards.
For drinks I had a ‘schooner of Orchard cider’ which is a craft cider.
The staff were friendly but I felt perhaps they could have been more forthcoming. I would definitely return, though. They have a nice menu with some interesting options and it’s been a while since I had a kebab like this!

First time here and I really liked it. It was Tanya’s birthday and we were popping down here to have some food. Y and J were taking advantage of a voucher for kebabs, chips and a cocktail and myself and Caz were joining for full price.
Although it is never nice when one of the party is under the weather with some dreaded lurgy, this worked to my benefit. Craving comfort food in the form of a roast dinner, myself and Caz opted to share the full roast chicken dinner which came with yorkies, roasties, veggies and gravy. Being gluten free, the gravy and yorkies were off limits but everything else was fine for consumption.
It was £18 so £9 each and it was fantastic! The chicken was amazing — I had been offered some alternative sauces on the side (mustard, etc) but the chicken was so beautifully moist and the veggies cooked perfectly. The meat just fell of the bone and it was so easy to carve that there was little mess. Myself and Caz were both stuffed and the remainders were wrapped for Caz to take home. Y and J both enjoyed their kebabs — both the king prawns and the halloumi and veg looked lovely so next time, I’ll possibly go down the kebab route.
I actually like the rustic interior. I know many places are going with themes — chrome/​dark wood then the inevitable wooden chopping board, but here there is lots of wood, the gardening theme continued throughout and our chicken came in it’s own little veggie box. Staff were really friendly and our server was lovely — even bringing Tanya’s sticky toffee pud complete with a candle. I’ve given it four * but this may be revised to a 5 soon — I was on soft drinks last night so I’ve yet to try the wine list or cocktail list but the range of beers looks good. Just something a bit different from what other places are doing. So although the Potting Shed is in the heart of student land — opposite Edinburgh Uni, I think there will be a mixed crowd and I’m already looking forward to popping back :-)

The last time I was in this building it was someone else’s pop-​up location. Suffice to say this is no pop up, and they’re here to stay. The make over is a unique take on shabby chic, but it’s clear there’s been nothing shabby about the budget.
Food fusion is the menu — with an emphasis on spicing up the simplest of things and making them into hot little numbers. The onion bah-​gees — accompanied by onion rings — is a dish that’s definitely for onion lovers.
I’m a lover of quips and quirks. Hence the chalked up sign with an arrow pointing to «Lavvys» made me chuckle. The cleanliness made me smile too. Wash your hands and return to the bar. It might be the Potting Shed, but there’s no emphasis on elderflower and burdock wine, though I wouldn’t be surprised to find home-​made nettle soup one of these days. A bit short on the soft drinks front, but no complaints from the beer drinking and cocktail quaffing clientele.
If spicy isn’t your bag, check out the burgers. I did, and I’m happy to recommend. The management tell me they may be spreading their wings, so watch out for a Potting Shed near you. They’re friendly enough — and didn’t even bat an eyelid when the lethal combination of paper napkin, candle, and Simon came to it’s inevitable climax. I can confirm, all that garden shed styled interior is completely non-​flammable.