The Priory

The OH spotted an itison voucher for 5 tapas to share & a drink each. neither of us had ever tried The Priory before we decided to give it a shot.
Service was good but the tapas was a bit of a letdown. We went for the haggis dumplings, meatballs, calamari, fishcakes & the croquetas to share.
The haggis dumplings just didn’t work. The haggis filling was nice but the dumpling was too chewy & too large & not a good match the strong flavour of the haggis.
The rest of the tapas was mediocre. There was nothing bad about the other dishes but nothing great either. In a city with lots of tapas restaurants they need to up their game to compete.
Maybe the other food on the menu is of a better standard. I wouldn’t rule out popping in there again if I was in the area but I wouldn’t be making a special trip across town to visit.

Either I’m missing something or the Priory is missing something because whatever it was just wasn’t entirely right on my visit to the Priory Saturday night.
Were we too early? We arrived just before 6 and left just before 7 so maybe that was the case, but I’ve never before been in a bar in Edinburgh on a Saturday night and had it effectively dead. I mean, I think there may have been four other people (two groups) before we arrived?
The Priory is decorated in that standard way of wood meet industrial meet quirky accents. I like it, but it’s not exactly clever anymore is it?
It also looked like they had a function room downstairs (the Priory is surprisingly massive) which comedically contained bright purple upholstered booths.
The other reviews talk about a good cocktail menu and while I love a good cocktail, boozy drinks aren’t exactly on my radar at the moment so I gave this a pass. I did wish they had a few interesting non-​alcoholic options as those on offer were pretty bog standard — Schweppes ginger beer, fountain soda, probably some juice, not much else.
Flip side, the boys seemed happy with the small but adequate selection of draught beer and we were able to get a table no problem. Additionally the girl who served us at the bar was very lovely and chatty.
So, all in all the Priory was a-​ok for getting a pre-​dinner drink but with all of the great bars in Edinburgh, I probably won’t be rushing back.

Found this on Unilocal and decided to give it a go. Service was friendly and fast. We ordered the sea bass, which was delicious, and the beef burger, which was very good though the chips had a little too much salt on them. However, that was a minor gripe. I would definitely eat here again and would recommend it to others.

Hit upon this new venue by accident. A lovely bar which serves excellent food. The staff were welcoming and friendly and there is a casual feel. There is a fully stocked bar with a wide range of Gins and Vodkas on offer as well as a nice wine selection by the glass. There is also an extensive cocktail list.
The food was fresh, very well cooked and packed with flavour. It was also notably well presented.
The meal was extremely good value for money and I would definitely return if in the area again.

Décor reminds me of ha ha bar and kitchen which was in Glasgow many moons ago. Brick walls, wood, just the same kind if vibe really.
Popped in for a quick drink. My cocktail was a bit meh but Jenny and Laura’s choices were lovely. Menu looks great and I do plan a return visit to try as lots of tasty options and I would like to further explore the cocktail menu…

Well wasn’t this a pleasant surprise. I dont often pass down Morrison Street, but when I had dinner at The Atelier with a lovely bunch of Unilocalers, and Laura D suggested drinks here beforehand (it being directly opposite) I thought it might be a wee, old-​man type bar. How wrong was I.
For a start, it’s massive inside, stretching from the bar to the back upstairs, then a room downstairs. It’s only been open 2 weeks, and whilst it doesn’t have that fresh-​paint smell, it looks very new and beautiful. Although the style is more old-​fashioned, with exposed brick work and dark wood.
All the tables were laid out for food, which I thought was unusual. Usually in bars there’s a dedicated dining space, then the rest is just for drinks. But when we asked to take a table just for drinks it wasn’t a problem.
The cocktail menu is really quite fun, and I enjoyed reading it a lot. I went for the «Misery is Optional» cocktail that has a coconut-​water icecube, and quite fruity. It was really sweet, I couldn’t really taste the alcohol, but it was fun nonetheless! Claire, Laura, Julie… well everyones cocktails (we must have ordered 6 different ones between us) all seemed quite fun and went down well too. The cocktails were quite well made, and felt less serious than the likes of Bramble, but still held their own. I’d come back here to try a few more, that’s for sure.
It’s really very new, and it was quite quiet when we were there mid-​week. Time will tell what sort of crowd they attract, but I would like to go back. And I am curious about the food too…

Very good cocktails from an extensive, creative menu. So many kinds of bloody mary! Makes my heart smile. Will definitely have to go back and try the food sometime soon.