Jekyll & Hyde

I’ve been visiting Jekyll & Hyde since I’ve been visiting Edinburgh, but I’ve sadly neglected it since moving here. Trying to rectify that!
It’s part of the (sadly dwindling) Eerie Pub Co chain — fun Maggie fact, my husband and I had our first kiss in an Eerie Pub — and probably my favourite, although I’m yet to visit Aberdeen’s Slains Castle.
So with a slightly gothy theme, this pub is surprisingly chilled out (although I’ve not been in on a Saturday evening), and I’m as happy to go here for a beer & burger with family as I am to crawl up to the bar and drunkenly order «a pitcher of LUST» with friends. The prices are fairly low, the quality of food and drink is great, and the staff are lovely.
Good luck finding the toilets though!

Went here for a quick drink before heading for the bus back to Glasgow. They have fabulous cocktail lists with drinks named after sins and virtues, and they offer loyalty cards — 7 different drinks from a particular menu and you get a free t-​shirt. One of my friends went for ‘Abstinence’, a long blue drink which apparently tastes like sweets, and I went for ‘Patience’. Both £5.50. (Eek! Quite a normal price but why I usually drink beer when I’m out.) They do have cocktails at £4.50, too. The Patience drink took a few minutes to make but that’s often the case with cocktails and I took the opportunity to do a phone check as I hadn’t been getting a great internet reception at the table at the back which we had selected. Didn’t take any photos this time as it was a flying visit (I thought about it, decided not to bother as I wasn’t going to be eating, and now regret not taking any) but the staff were friendly, interior is worth a better look on a next visit, and drinks were tasty and nicely presented.

It’s easy to give this place 4 stars. It’s not 5 but it’s definitely not 3. The character of the place is great. Lots of spooky, kitchy, funky decorations and touches. I love the organ pipes behind the bar and the book case doors to the bathrooms are SO awesome. I started to go into the ladies because I didn’t realise there was a second door for the men’s.
Food is a step above typical pub fare, but not quite gastropub. The prices are quite reasonable. Beer selection on tap was so so, mainly big names. There was one cask ale that I didn’t have because I’m not a wheat beer fan and that’s what they had tonight. They had a few microbrews in bottles behind the bar and an extensive cocktail menu.
The staff were plenty friendly and nice. The food was served pretty quickly. I was really glad we found this place. I’ll come back when I’m here next.

Ate here twice while in Edinburgh. Quaint, tasty, comfortable. Delicious chocolate lava cake. Our kids loved the secret doors.

J&H is a decent pint (not many ciders — actually next to no ciders!) and a decent night out.
The drinks menu is decent. I quite like the 7 deadly sins and the range of other cocktails (Death anyone?). The bar staff are in complete chaos at times getting those fancy concoctions together but they do their job well and you’re never left standing too long for a drink.
The crowd varies from hipsters to students to hard-​core goths (I have seen a full PVC body suit complete with hood, it was amazing). This isn’t a fancy George Street type place. Expect people to be beyond merry and still drinking.
The décor is the real pull of the pace. Think Dracula, think Frankenstein, think gothic and you’ve got it. Don’t be fooled and keep heading towards the back if you can’t find a table, there’s plenty of room — including some awesome booths that look like converted confession boxes.
The toilets are hilarious, mainly because once you find it you no longer care if it’s the ladies or the gents — you’re just glad to have a toilet!

This pub manages to strike that perfect balance between Adam’s Family kooky, goth-​punk slick, quality food and drink (for a rather reasonable price), and an atmosphere that is comfortable for family but relaxed enough for friends on a weekend out. Loved it!

A trusty city-​centre meeting place if you want to catch up with folk with a drink and a bit of grub. The themed bar is quite fun, with dark wood, booths and monster-​themed bits and pieces throughout. Loos are hidden behind a book case; can’t go wrong with hidden bathrooms! It’s also considerably bigger inside than its front would suggest, with a downstairs section that works perfectly for the monthly film quiz (no mobile reception for quiz cheats, joy!).
I’m not a massive fan of the place, probably because I’m not very into themed bars, but it does its job well enough. Prices are about what you’d expect for a city centre bar and the food menu is basic pub grub — cheap enough and reasonably cheerful.
I do like that the Jekyll and Hyde isn’t pretentious — you can come here and feel quite at home.

quite an interesting place, thought i might be in the wrong place, as this bar looks a bit strange with its halloweeny decoration (does someone get what i mean?) drinks and food are nice and reasonable priced for edinburgh!
PS: the 2 meals for £8 is nice, try the fish & chips or yorkshire pudding

I knew about the Jeykll & Hyde for a while, however they housed one of our «rival» events and so I tended to avoid it. Ironically I ended up here during the Fringe with our event and I can’t believe my pride kept me away for so long! I only manged to see the main bar are and The Ariee were we were performing but that was enough!
I’m a huge fan of horror and anything a little dark and so this venue totally won me over not to mention the prices are incredibly low for Edinburgh. I didn’t eat however the people in our group who did were complete raving about it. The only issue is it took me ages to deal with finding the ladies toilet (behind the book shelves) and we had to scream «NOT THAT ONE!!!» to those who accidentally stumbled into the wrong one. After locating they also followed the venues theme although they could have done with a good clean. I’m putting the mess down to it being Fringe season and would highly recommend popping by to any one.

This is one of my favourite places to come in Edinburgh, and a great place to take people if they’re new to Edinburgh.
It’s a little off the beaten track being on Hanover Street, but not far enough that it’s a hassle to get to.
The big plus for me is the décor. It’s done up like a reject from a 50s B-​movie horror… think Hammer Dracula flicks, all leather upholstery, pointed Gothic furniture, and even the odd bubbling beaker full of weird and wonderful potions.
Then there’s the toilets.
They’re behind a bookcase. If you know where they are, or look reeeeeal close, then it’s no problem. Take a few people in after a few «adult beverages» and it becomes a war of attrition, watching people pushing blindly at the wall in desperation.
This amuses me, and I approve.
The bar itself is pretty good too, a nice selection of beers and ales — try the Trade Winds, it’s groovy — and all sorts of shots, cocktails and shooters. The staff seem to genuinely enjoy working there and always have a smile and time to have a wee joke while they serve you.
During the fringe, there’s always free comedy on as well, so check that out while you can.
I honestly love this place, it’s well worth checking out.

A little run down these days and wine choice a bit limited.

Waren bei unserem ersten Besuch sehr oft in der Kneipe und auch begeistert von dem Ambiente und dem Essen und Trinken. Doch leider hat das nachgelassen.
Das Bier wurde geänder und das Servicepersonal ist nicht mehr so freundlich wie früher

I like themed pubs and I am very pleased a sinister themed pub like this is in Edinburgh. Though I am struggling to give this place 4 stars.
They have loads of room up in the back and down the stairs — it is like a vault or mad scientist laboratory — which is the theme.duh. They have torches outside above the door and a library on the indoor veranda. There is no corner or table that is the same.
They play rock music and not your usual background muzak. For me it is a little loud and does overtake the conversation. But on being an interesting pub stakes it gets a star. Another star is the toilet. — if you can find it. When I take new people to this place I always let them try to figure it out — most hilarious. ah well — easily pleased et al.
The beers and wine and spirits are all your usuals and they serve up themed cocktails — which sometimes are serves in testubes and a full rack is available — nice touch.
I’ve been here on birthday parties, just a group of friends and on HALLOWEEN (!) — yup that last one was a nice night out .
Just a word of warning — it is busy from Wednesday to Sunday — so take that in mind.

We were glad we stumbled upon Jekyll & Hyde in our afternoon of searching for a place with their kitchen open. On top of serving food on a Saturday afternoon it tastes good, they have a fun atmosphere, decent prices, and friendly staff.
With the name Jekyll & Hyde you must expect a theme and themed it is! Love the atmosphere. Love the secret bathrooms even more.
We had the Yorkshire puddings — yum (yeah, it was our first time ever having Yorkshire so we having nothing to compare it to but it tasted good to us!), the fish & chips — yum, and chicken — yum and cooked right.

The Jekyll & Hyde is a theme bar, but don’t be put off by this. It plays to the gothic designs of Dracula and Frankenstein, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. For the most part it is essentially a rock bar with chandeliers, gargoyles and toilets hidden behind fake book cases.
For the most part… There are other attractions, on a Sunday they generally have live music from 8 and Monday brings a B-​Movie screening from 7 (both free). Then there are monthly events and the odd random gig, it s one of those bars that tends to have something going on.
To sum up, good pub with some fun quirks, give it a try!

Jekyll and Hyde is the ONLY place I’ve drank Innis & Gunn all night, from start to finish, from woe to go, from crack to thump. For those of you who haven’t tried Innis & Gunn, it’s REALLY potent and tastes so good you just fly through them. This was a problem at Jekyll and Hyde.
The night in question wasn’t a busy one and there were plenty of staff on, but for some reason service was SLOOOW. Mega slow. I was waiting 5 — 10 minutes in a one-​person-​deep line. This was not cool, my pal and I were commiserating a dirty break-​up and needed alcohol swift and constant, not slow and sporadic. So I started buying two drinks each per line-​up, then eventually three each. I don’t like to do this because I can’t control myself; I drink quick and hard and get too drunk too early. Which is precisely what happened.
After a few hours our table was COMPLETELY covered with empty bottles. Completely. When the glass dude came to clear them away he was all like «Are these all yours?» and we were like «(unintelligible sounds)».
And then the guy was like «Impressive!»
In one passive action, I stopped caring that the service was slow, the tables sticky and the music not to my liking. We had impressed the staff at a heavy-​drinking establishment with the amount we had drunk! Bar-​cred for us!
If you don’t mind your bars a little bit sticky and scrappy and with a ‘who gives a fuck’ attitude, give Jekyll and Hyde a whirl. Just make sure you know where the bathroom is before you need to break the seal.

I study Forensic Anthropology… there was not a hope in hell I was NOT going to like this place. I mean really… skulls! Skeletons!!! I wonder if I could use the excuse ‘I’m studying the bones they have on display’ as a reason to go here more often!
The drinks were a little bit more expensive than I had expected, but nothing too ridiculous. Although I was told the Carling was a bad choice, a bit watery. I thought as soon as I walked in here I would stick out like a sore thumb. But I didn’t there is a good mix of people and quite obvious regulars.
I actually came here to see some bands play in the little bit right out the very back. I was informed it was a bit of an odd/​different space for a gig and that was spot on. Not necessarily in a bad way. It is pretty small, but I liked it. I also liked the music, which I did not expect. Judging by the image of the bar I would have expected screamy/​shouty stuff that I would hate. Not at all. I also ended up staying til… I dont know, pretty late, but they were not in any rush to chuck us out which was greatly appreciated. So it is first metacarpal’s up for this place… that is bones talk for a thumb’s up!

What a fun wee (well, actually quite big) pub this is. From the burning flames outside, the progressively rockin’ tunes (not progressive-​rock. Music that progressively got heavier as the night wore on). Dark wood, the Seven Deadly Sins cocktails, a cavernous expansion of tables and booths to mull a pint over, and friendly, edgy bar staff. A perfect place or a post-​Elite Event drink or three.
Around 30 Unilocalers descened on Jekyll & Hyde at 10pm on a Thursday night, and the bar staff weren’t phased, served us our drinks aplenty, and there was more than enough room for all of us and the other punters.
The Seven Deadly Sins cocktails are quite fun, but not really connosieur cocktails if you know what I mean. I tried the green one (envy?) with cream, milk and mint. Basically like a mint milkshake, if you like that sort of thing.
As Kerrin R has so eloquently put it, the toilets are somewhat of a mystery. Literally. They’re hidden. Try and find them before you feel the need. I saw a few pained looks on people’s faces who had returned, being unable, and had decided to try and avert the need. It’s not gonna happen. But it’s fun to find them when you’re not in dire straits.
This bar plays off the gothic, melodrama theme well. It’s fun, I can see it being somewhere I would happily hit up regularly for a drink or two despite not being the sort of bar that would serve me endless margaritas. I think it’s a Scream pub (?) or a one of those chains but it doesn’t really show. Great for groups, great for drink, great for some SOAD to Korn to full on shouty-​shouty angry music (in hindsight maybe that’s how the bar staff were trying to shunt us all out in the end?)

Yes, it’s kitschy as all getout and it’s morbid, dreary, cliché, what have you. I don’t care. I love this bar. Maybe I’m slightly biased towards the Gothic and macabre, but I love the ever-​so-​slightly tacky décor of the Jekyll & Hyde.
It’s fairly cheap as far as bars go, and the drinks are good. The Seven Deadly Sins cocktails are quite delicious, and there are test tube shots for the punters who aren’t quite so concerned with sophistication. It’s good old fun. There are big booths in the back for bigger groups, or you can squirrel yourself and your significant other in a cobweb-​mired alcove and sip your blood-​red wine until the clock strikes midnight. I enjoy it.

Just to start this review off with a small rant, am I the only one, that despite having been here a number of times, still fails to locate the ladies toilet on every occasion? I know it is kind of hidden away for banter purposes and to link in with the décor, but surely after several imbibing visits here, my sense of direction should have improved? Anyway, this New Town pub is a steady contender on the night time scene, always filled with locals and a bit of a tourist crowd, and its novelty interior is always a fun environment to have a few bevs in, with the dark booths and potion like substances running up the walls.
For those who know the term Jekyll and Hyde refers to a person with a split personality, but aren’t sure why, I shall explain. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was a book written by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, about a man called Dr. Jekyll, who had a good and evil side of his personality, but in a physical sense too, as his sinister scientific research had led him to drink potions, which transformed him into the evil Mr. Hyde. If you’ve ever been keen to read the book and I’ve just spoilt some of the plot, then apologies.

Edinburgh, along with its inhabitants, suffer from many a crap rainy day accompanied by dull clouds and limited sunlight. What I can’t quite fathom is why anyone would want to drink in bar that replicates these conditions.
Ok, the Gothic theme does come hand in hand with black walls, cobwebs and morgue esque surroundings but to be accompanied with flat watery beer and weak lifeless cocktails makes the place a little depressing.
It’s hard enough battling SAD throughout the dreary winter months let alone exacerbating the condition by going out of your way to have a depressing social drink in here.

trop bon pub — belle déco — bonne ambiance
y aller d’urgence