The Wee Red Bar

Lovely little student bar which fiercely guarded its independence from Edinburgh University and EUSA after the ECA and UoE merged. The Wee Red Bar largely operates on an events basis, so there is often an entry fee, but the events are great. I recently attended a Twin Peaks themed Hallowe’en event, and it was excellent. Everyone made an significant effort to dress up, cherry pie and coffee were provided, and the whole place was decorated like the famous Red Room. I really had a great evening, and the bar deserves immense credit for the effort put into the event.
The prices are expensive for a student bar, in my view (cheapest beer is bottle of Peroni at £2.90), but the place is great. I’ve attended everything from German language poetry nights to Abba-​themed music nights. Definitely worth a stop if you’re in Edinburgh.

Club For Heroes has long since bitten the dust in the last 6 years. The Egg has now gone monthly but everything else still stands, although bar prices have somewhat caught up with those of the outside world.

Open really late…
Fun little hole in the wall…
Drinks limited, cheap!

TWO… only TWO… yes that’s right, you did hear me correctly, TWO pounds for a Corona!!?
The Wee Red Bar totally takes me back to being a student in Glasgow, and I friggin’ love it! I went here to see a band, and for this you cannot go wrong, great acoustics. I managed to perch up on a rather comfy couch near the bar but could still see most things going on.
Oh yeah and I did mention how EVERYONE here is ridiculously good looking?
And that they were giving out free sweeties?! (That may have been more to do with the band than the venue… but STILL!?)
Oh yeah and the Corona is only TWO POUNDS!
And they have a pac man retro game machine?!
This bar is a total gem. I would happily go here every night. Find me some cheap corona, good tunes, a tattooed, bearded lovely chap… and a comfy sofa. That, plus it makes me feel cool. And that takes alot!

This is a 50% bar.
There are only 2 or 3 of these in the world.
This is a bar where when I take a good look around, and I rate the potential bachelors (singleness, and actuality of it happening are completely irrelevant) and I agree (with myself) that I would probably, if prompted, sleep with 50% of them. There’re beards, black rimmed glasses, sleeve tattoos and guys that play drums.
There’s Red Stripe in a MFing CAN.
All the booze is 2.50.
There’s PAC-​MAN, do you need me to say it again — PAC MAN.
There’s swanky leather seats UNDER cheapo red christmas lights.
They have amateur bands, and sometimes they’re pretty decent.
It’s hipster, but it’s in Edinburgh so HAHA, you don’t feel self-​concious.
You know how some people dream of swimming in a bathtub of dark chocolate or chai tea lattes or something? I want to swim in a bathtub of this bar. Friends who I have dined at far classier and swanky places with me, you might want to get to know the REAL ME… and by entering The Wee Red Bar, you will understand my universe.

It’s been a while since I’ve ventured to The Wee Red Bar, and I actually think I’ll schedule a night out there soon, as I had a whale of a time the first time round.
My friend who was in an Indie band (we all have a friend like that, right?) ushered me along to this bar when a local band were playing. They seem to have a lot of nights like that here, more-​so now than ever, with bands playing every Friday or Saturday, and Indie themed nights called ‘The Egg’ which always seems to go down a storm with the locals.
The booze was fairly priced, and the atmosphere was rousing. I expected it to be a bit student-​snobby pretentious, but it was the complete opposite. We ended up sitting with a group of girls who were so cool, and having a fab night with them.
Definitely one to try for a bit of a different night on the town.

When I first moved to Edinburgh, the local bars bombarded us new students with a million fliers to get us to go to thier pub. Most of them failed by handing out crap bits of card with pictures of half naked women on it. The Wee Red Bar however was special — it gave out bags of corn with the promise that they would pop it for you if you turned up that night. An excellent idea, and it did indeed get us to the Wee Red Bar.
The Wee Red Bar is a pretty small place with cheaper drinks than you might expect. It does the standard spirits and mixers and beers/​wines etc — but also something called Red Stripe beer, which I had never heard of but found to be rather enjoyable — which is a compliment as I’m not a beer fan.
There seem to be some regular indie nights, and over all the atmosphere is very, very studenty — but that might just be the fact Wee Red Bar is so close to ECA.

The ECA’s student bar is actually pretty cool. They do put on some really good gigs here, and it’s monthly club night ‘The Egg’ sometimes has some awesome tunage.
And of course, all at student prices.

I used to come here for The Egg, an awesome indie music night that played all of the New Order, Smiths and Belle and Sebastian that I could handle. We would get hot and sweaty and jump around like crazy people to «Common People» and «Bohemian Like You.» Truly a fantastic time, I miss having a really great down and dirty indie night that always delivered.
Once I snogged this skinny gangly hipster there. He looked like just the kind of adorably awkward indie boy I so enjoyed. He walked me back to my flat and walked up the 6 flights of stairs to get in there. We made out in my kitchen and he used the bathroom on the way out. After he left I went in there and he had dropped a really smelly deuce. Nice.
I was totally wrong about him being adorably awkward. I saw him out again and he asked me out on a date. It turns out he was GORGEOUS, like unbelievably attractive. Wtf he was doing making out with me I have no idea. So I built this date up in my head like no other. He was like a 10 and I was maybe a 6 and it made me really nervous. We met at a pub and he showed up like 30 minutes late. Meanwhile I’d already had a pint and was having a delightful time flirting with the old Scottish men in the place and I told them I was potentially being stood up. When the guy actually showed up, he got a standing ovation from the old men!!! Turns out he was pretty stupid. He claimed he had spent like 20 minutes standing outside waiting for me, because of course I would want to meet him outside the pub in a city that is perpetually raining? This kid was actually one of the dumbest people I have ever been on a date with. He and his friends once staged a «riot» in a burger king, which is retarded but the one interesting fact about him other than impressively good looks.
Anyway, go to the Egg for some great indie music and to snog gangly men, but probably not worth going on a proper date with them.

As the student union of Edinburgh College of Art the Wee Red Bar is home to the usual art school characters– think asymmetrical haircuts, dresses your granny would wear for the girls, brogues for the boys, and dashings of attitude. Which makes it my kind of hangout. The club nights here play a variety of musical styles, from 60’s swing to noughties indie via all that came in between. With a lot of morrissey. Because who doesn’t love a bit of Mozza? The space itself is pretty dingy, although the low lighting and twinkly tinsel hanging from the ceiling distract from this, and the flea-​bitten sofas near the bar add a certain charm. Bar prices are reasonable as one would expect from a union, which makes up for the rather over-​inflated door price [normally at least £6, a bit steep for a student night if you ask me]. All in all a great place to see and be seen while having a bit of a dance.

The Wee Red is a quirky little bar attached to the Edinburgh College of Art. As the name would suggest it is wee. and painted red. But it’s main attractions are a cheap (but slightly limited) bar and perhaps more-​so the interesting music that is usually playing — often from live bands or DJs. The Wee Red offers a relaxed and unpretentious night of drinking and socialising. And make sure to have a check on their myspace page and see what music and club events they have lined up, as they rarely disappoint — especially the long-​standing Egg on a Saturday night.