The Stockbridge Tap

No nonsense when it comes to ale in Camra’s Edinburgh pub of the year 2015. That award in itself pretty much negates the need for me to write any more.
The pub does all the current ale-​related stuff of Meet the Brewer events etc., is dog friendly, has a good regular turnover of ales as well as an inviting selection of whiskies and other spirits and enjoys the atmosphere of a well patronised & well-​loved local establishment.

Stockbridge Tap is an above average pub in Edinburgh. The food is at times brilliant – the chips are hand cut (not the frozen yellow freak chips), steak and ale pie is smothered in cheese and out of bounds in flavour town, and the burgers are all great (Wednesday is £6 burger night).
The beers are a good mix of Real and standard. The real ales are changed all the time, so if you start going regularly for burger night, you will likely have a new range of brews to choose from.
The seating can sometimes be dodgy, as it tends to be a hopping spot for the locals. The price is ok, pretty much in line with other pubs (but with better food). The staff are sometimes nice and sometimes not so nice, depends on who you get. The whisky selection is on point. They allow dogs, which adds a nice charm to the place. Free wifi!
All in all, I am a huge fan of Stockbridge tap and make trips there at least once a week.

Visited this bar last night, nice wee bar with a cosy feel good selection of ales and beers and like previous Unilocalers have said a great whiskey selection prices where ok verging on the pricey but if you are near the place I would recommend stopping by.
Never had time to try the food but the smell from other peoples food certainly made me hungry!

The Tap is more of a drinking pub than an eating pub, but has a proper selection of beers, wines and spirits to please the discerning drinker. There is a long line of ales on tap giving you more choice than the typical pub, especially if you’re bored of the usual big brands. And if it’s whisky you’re after, there’s a comprehensive selection, as with most pubs in this part of the world, but I really liked the small educational board standing on the bar that helps you pick your whisky depending on when you like it light or rich, smoky or delicate. Very helpful for those still learning their whiskies! This is more of a blokes pub really, a bit spit and sawdust, full of locals and sport on the TV. There’s not been much spent on the décor for a while, but the atmosphere is good and I get the impression this is just how the locals like it!

Watch out for the broken sofa in the back — there’s a reason why it’s the only seat left available.
Sofa aside, I’m a big fan of the Tap. Great place to try a variety of beers (many local), and their whisky list is user-​friendly. I’ve found the staff to be quite welcoming and happy to help with your decision-​making if you’re stumped for what to order.
The kitchen seems to be closed frequently and on a schedule that I am unable to predict, so I have not yet tried the food here.

Good beer, mixed service
Ok, so I do enjoy drinking here, its probably my favourite bar in Stockbridge, but I live in Newington so I don’t go out over this end of town much. They have a good range of alternating beer. It’s a cosy enough place, and you can watch the sports, or sit by the window and watch the world go by.
I think the service is mixed here, on my last visit it was pretty rubbish. The bar tender grunted mostly and got restless when we took our time to order, nobody else was waiting to get served. The Rugby was on and they all seemed more interested in that or chatting to each other.
Saying that, I have been there at times when the service has been great, but normally when it is dead — the place just seems a bit too drab and lifeless.
They do occasional tap takeovers which are the best things a beer lover can attend — unless it is on a school night, in which case they are quite risky.
They also do food, but I have never eaten there.

I have been here a few times now and I have always been very happy with the drinks and the quality of service.
As well as having a few local Stewart Brewing beers on tap there is always a good selection of other craft beers/​ciders from across the UK every time I have been in. The staff are very knowledgeable and always make good recommendations depending on what I or my friends have been after.
It’s a cosy atmosphere in the place, lots of locals (who come from many different countries I should add) who appreciate good drinks. I haven’t tried the food yet, but it looks good.
if you are after good craft beers, this is a place for you. If you want the usual drinks you’ll get everywhere else, this place is not for you.

I have visited this bar quite a few times, after spending a bit of time at the Stockbridge Market on a Sunday afternoon «The Tap» is just a minutes walk down the road for a refreshing pint or two.
The décor is fairly basic, with mostly plain wooden chairs around plain wooden tables with a couple benches and sofas. On an average day you’ll find that most of the customers are locals/​regulars and the bar itself can get a bit crowded while the regulars chat with the bar staff and each other, but the bar staff are friendly and efficient and will serve you as soon as possible. On a sunny day the large windows at the front of the bar give it a bright and open atmosphere, the evening we visited it WAS chilly (perhaps about time to put the heating on in the evenings?).
The Stockbridge Tap is an independent bar and not being tied to a specific brewery it has an excellent range of beers with about 7 cask and 4 kegs on tap at any given time you’ll find a variety of beers from mostly smaller breweries around the UK. The bar staff are knowledgeable about the beers on tap and will happily tell you about them and let you have a wee taste to help make up your mind. The bar also a menu with a wide range of Whiskies which the bar staff again will be happy to help you select from.
Food is served all day and is of a high quality, ranging from open sandwiches and a variety of burgers to chicken, fish and steak pie (mostly around the £8 mark). The sandwiches and burgers are served on a wooden platter (bad idea in my personal opinion) main courses are served on normal plates. They also do a daily special and homemade soup.
Four of us visited on a cold and wet September evening for their «Autumn Real Ale Festival» (which ran for 10 days between 13^th Sept. to 23^rd Sept 2012), it was busy all evening but not overly crowded. After a couple pints of ale we all ordered food which included: Steak & Chorizo Burger with hand cut chips, Steak pie with Black Isle Porter gravy and mashed potatoes, Fillet of Haddock dipped in Black Isle Blonde Batter with hand cut chips and Roast chicken stuffed with Haggis and wrapped in bacon served with chive potato cake and steamed greens with a whisky honey glaze. I had the chicken which was good, not spectacular, I’ve had better, but I couldn’t really fault it. I suspect everybody at our table was of a similar mind, everybody said they enjoyed their choice and that it was good but nobody «raved» about their choice.
Stockbridge is a nice part of town to visit with a variety of shops and cafes to browse, Inverleith Park and The Royal Botanic Gardens are nearby, The «Stockbridge Tap» is worth a visit for a drink and/​or something to eat, I’ll certainly be returning soon.
It is dog friendly and has a TV for major sporting events.

Dogs are allowed inside (no judgment, just an observation). We had two open sandwiches, a pint, and a ½ pint and it cost us £15. The sandwiches came with 6 chips each and were served on cutting boards. We were both pleased with our sandwiches and the portion size was probably just right for lunch. There was an odor (from the dogs?) upon entering but by the end of our meal it no longer bothered me. The service was friendly.

Plenty of real ale on tap and being in Stockbridge are the 2 things going for Stocky Tap. On their own, big positives.
On the downside, service can be a little snooty and there is definitely a preference shown to locals when queueing for drinks… or at least that’s what I’ve experienced… too many times now not to comment. Lift your service Stocky Tap.

The Stockbridge Tap is clearly a bit of a popular institution with Stockbridge locals, and it’s been around for a while to prove its worth. The Stockbridge area has become, or probably always was, a really effervescent and hip area to go for a drink, although I think more people are body swerving some of the over frequented bars in the centre of town, to come ten minutes down the road to Stockbridge for a more individual experience.
The Stockbridge Tap sits at the more traditional end of the bars and pubs in Stockbridge, with its wooden barrels, classic wooden décor in general, and the no frills, straightforward drinking feel. This is a decent place to have a chilled drink and a chat, and it has a huge whisky menu, which is great for cold nights, when you need some traditional banter and that warm, fuzzy feeling (otherwise known as the onset of tipsiness). I like my traditional pubs slightly cosier than The Tap, as I don’t feel quite as comfortable as I would like in here, but I would still recommend stopping here for a beverage if you’re doing the rounds in Stockbridge.

When I walked into the pub, my friend called out to his friend «Hey Alice (or insert here appropriate name)!» and all the locals pretty much just looked like they’d tolerate him. But barely. I mean, he’s a funky looking kid with long hair and a rucksack. But they’ve seen him enough times to tolerate him.
So, that’s the kind of attitude you’ll get from people in the Stockbridge Tap. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. I mean, I always tend to look down my nose at people who’ve decided to make their way into my regular pub. And be loud and obtrusive. I mean, they’re drinking my ale. Sitting on my seats. Etc.
And their choice of beer more than makes up for the initially intimidating atmosphere. It’s a matter of holding your ground, you see. The regulars are just testing you. So grab a good pint of ale and seat yourself for the long run.

Hang on a second? Where did this place come from?
I remember it being a total sh… I remember it being not so good. After wondering in and looking in the menu I realised that perhaps it still wasn’t the most exciting place on Earth.
The lick of paint and the Ikea-​esque surroundings have disguised it from being the dirty old man pub I’m sure it used to be but really it’s not got much else new about it.
The menu, not hearty enough to be pub food and not exciting enough to be more upmarket let it down and I still automatically ordered a pint because that’s what the atmosphere dictated me to do. The regulars were still gathered at the bar and when I walked in and asked to look at the menu one muttered under his breath «hmmf. tourists». What? because I don’t look as Scottish as you with your tartan cap and Scotty dog outside, hmmf. regulars…