Red Squirrel

***** place
***** cuisine
**** staff
*****location
We stopped for a tea and local hamburger. They don’t serve lunch until 12 o’clock but it was worth waiting. The place must be nice in the evening too!

Empty plates mean good things. There was not a crumb left on either of our plates at the Red Squirrel.
The tangy falafel burger in a sweet brioche bun and the delicious, generous serving of sweet potato fries was so very satisfying. Dare I say it: the best sweet potato fries I’ve had.
Service was fast and friendly, and there was no real wait time for food.
I’m looking forward to uncovering more of what Red Squirrel has to offer. At the moment: ‘Yay! I’m a fan!’ has me covered.

Kris B. and I were hungry and on the hunt for somewhere to have dinner. We passed the Red Squirrel and enticed by their delicious-​sounding burger menu, we went inside and ordered up.
I went for the Blue Murder burger (beefburger with Blue Murder cheese, bacon and mushroom) and Kris opted for the Chilli Death burger (pickled jalapenos, fresh chillies, applewood cheese, sour cream and habanero ketchup) because he is nuts
Everything was perfect, the beef itself was juicy and not tough, crispy bacon with mellow mushroom and the Blue Murder cheese was salty, creamy and deeply satisfying to eat. The fries that came with the burger were also treated with due deference and weren’t an afterthought on the plate; they were seasoned beautifully with a hint of chilli powder and cumin asburge well as the usual fixings. Kris was equally impressed with his Chilli Death burger, describing it as: «Fucking awesome… Right level of über spicy with the sour cream cutting through it with a nice balance.» He also loved the obviously homemade pickles and gherkins.
Both burgers were reasonably priced as well, I would definitely return and recommend. I want to work my way through all their burgers!

While out walking and looking for somewhere nice to eat, Christina M. and me stumbled upon this restaurant/​bar. I only had to give the menu a glance to realise this was the place for me.
They had a great selection of craft beer both draft and bottled. There was wide choice of burgers on the menu and I ended up picking ‘Death by chilli’ which was a beef burger with jalapeños, habanero sauce, sour cream and tomato. The burger was amazing, the hot chilli’s gave it a real kick but the sour cream cut right through it and balanced it well. My burger came with fries which had been coated in cumin and chilli power which complimented the burger well. It also came with large home-​pickled gherkin which was skewered to the top of the burger. This was all washed down with a Brewdog 5am saint :) Christina went for ‘blue murder’ which was a beef burger with blue cheese, bacon and a flatcap mushroom. She described it as «creamy and delicious».
Would highly recommend if your looking for a great beer and even greater burgers.

On a recent visit to Edinburgh we stumbled accross the Red Squirrel and I’m so glad that we did as they do ammmmaaazzzzzzziiiinnnnngggg burgers. Usually I’m a tomato sauce on just about everything kinda gal but the burger tasted so good that it really didn’t need anything else. House fries went down a treat too.
Service was top notch and the atmosphere was petty chilled. All in all the Red Squirrel was a good find.

The Red Squirrel is a pretty solid gastro-​pub towards the Princes Street end of Lothian Road, not far from the Usher Hall. I’ve been here quite a few times and the atmosphere is lively, the food is tasty, the beer selection is excellent and the staff are not bad either!
The Red Squirrel is part of the Fuller Thompson chain, who own a handfull of charismatic pubs in Edinburgh and Dundee, including the Holyrood 9a, The Southern and the new OX184 down on the Cowgate. Not only do I totally rate all of those pubs, but each has their own unique character and focus and The Red Squirrel is no different.
If you’re into trying new and craft beers, The Red Squirrel is a great shout. It doesn’t go as crazy and off-​piste as The Hanging Bat, which is just up the street, but they always have a decent selection of real ales on the pumps and an outstanding array of quality bottled beers.
But it’s not just beer! The bar is very well stocked and this is not a beer-​only pub by any stretch. I’ve been here on a Friday and Saturday night and it gets a mid-​trendy and post-​work clientèle with a lot of fashionable young people, so not just old men, neck-​beards and beer nerds sipping at their unblended lambic beers through pursed lips. I was here on a stag night one evening years ago and the bar lady was extremely patient with us and was an absolute star with sorting us out with a dirty pint.
In terms of food, there are some long, Bavarian-​style wooden tables and benches near the front of the place, which are excellent for big groups. There are also more conventional 2 and 4-​person tables elsewhere in the pub. The food menus are not massively exciting and extremely burger-​centric, with loads and loads of different types of burgers to choose from (including three different veggie burgers!). If you’ve been to a Fuller Thompson pub before, expect more of the same food-​wise at the Red Squirrel.
Unfortunately, The Red Squirrel hits me right in the pet peeve in that it serves chips in small metal buckets and everything else on slabs of grotty wood instead of actual plates. WHY? Why can’t we just have plates?
Also counting against The Red Squirrel is that there’s no real separation between the eating area and the standing-​around-​at-​the-​bar area. If you’re unfortunate enough to end up in the wrong seat on a busy night, expect a loud corporate wanker with a loosened tie and rolled-​up sleeves standing right next to you and gabbing loudly about his jaunt back to Sussex in the Landy with Rollo and the chums while you try and wedge that haloumi burger in your gob. Also expect people to continually push against your chair as they squeeze past to go to the toilet.
On the whole, The Red Squirrel is an excellent pub and great for a bite to eat, but avoid the busy times, especially Friday and Saturday evenings, if you want to eat your food in peace!

Discovered this little gem while visiting the city, I fell in love with the place. Good music, great food with plenty of veggie options, and plenty of good beers (I recommend the very fruity Chieftain!)

I’ve been to the Red Squirrel a few times now, and can say with confidence: the Squirrel is a solid joint. When you go to a place that’s owned by the same people who created pubs such as the Southern and Holyrood 9A, you know you’re in good hands.
So let’s break it down:
Food: Four stars. You’ll get a darn decent meal here, complete with several scrumptious veggie burger options for those of the persuasion. Toss in the option of sweet potato fries, and you’ve found my happy place. The price is on the mid-​to-​upper end of reasonable pub grub fair, but worth it because it’s consistently yum.
Drink: the Squirrel has a decent rotational tap on hand, and also offers a pretty decent selection of bottled fare, making this an excellent joint to meet up with friends for a pint.
Atmosphere: I dig it! It’s plenty spacious on weekdays, though I can’t vouch for it on busy Edinburgh weekends. The interior is all wood furnishings and dimly lit, but clean as a whistle and nicely laid out.
Service: no complaints here! I’ve never had a bad run-​in at the Squirrel. Service with a smile, and the servers and bartenders are always helpful and friendly.
This is a good shout if you’re looking for a place without needless amounts of flash, or aren’t feeling the old-​man-​pub vibe. Sure, it’s missing a little bit of the personality that you may get from such places, but it’s got plenty enough to stand on its own. (And it’s close to my neck of the woods, so I’ll certainly be back!)

First visit yesterday for a bite to eat and a drink. The food was awesome, I had the dirty bird, already dying to go back and try something else. Great place with a good atmosphere, prices were reasonable too!

Beer selection is certainly solid — check the rotating taps if you visit — bottles too. Atmosphere and music are enjoyable. Food is decent but not memorable or noteworthy. Wait service at the bar and at the tables is not friendly and not helpful. I would choose another pub next time.

This place is amazing. Best granola ever. Scottish breakfast was insanely good. People are nice, place is clean, will probably come back here for dinner

Yeah ok… I’m in.
Red Squirrel is a solid option for most things. It has never blown me away, nor do I think that’s their mandate. They don’t strike me as a place aiming for «spectacular» but one that’s reaching for «comfortable and accessible» — which is just fine with me. They make pretty dang good food, alongside a pretty dang good drinks list and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg for either. Is it the place that I bring folks when they’re visiting because it’s a «must have» meal. No. Do I head here when I need to just kick my heels up, drink a beer and face plant in some nachos? Yup.
The halloumi burger is great, the nachos are passable, the wine pour is generous and they have Blue Moon on tap.
Yeah ok… I’m in.

A very laid back place to eat that is perfect for traveling Americans craving some comfort food that is almost just like home but different enough to make it special. The Mac and cheese rocks my world, but is DEFINITELY not a small dish! The waitstaff is very kind and friendly. Would definitely recommend this place to a friend.

Yum yum! I am not a vegetarian but I tend to love vegetarian burgers, and the shroom one they have is amazing!
Good portions, good prices for the quality.
Quite a big place! We got seated close to the front door right against the counter for paying which was quite annoying as the waitresses kept standing there. Just unfortunate seating, looked better a bit further in with couches and boots etc.
They have a lot of beers on tap and gladly let you sample as many as you like! I personally liked how many different sizes you could get your beer in, the ¹⁄₃ was just perfect for me just wanting a bit of a taste with my dinner.
Nice staff, lovely food, will gladly come back!

I liked this place from the get go and actually wished we were looking for food rather than just a drink, it was a Sunday afternoon and there was a chilled, fun atmosphere and seemed like the perfect place to catch up with friends for lunch or drinks or to nurse a hangover! There were also a couple of dogs chilling out with their owners which always pleased me!
We had a glass of Chenin blanc each — nice, chilled and reasonable price and sat and watched the world go by. Saw a few people get food and got to say the burgers looked awesome! Would definitely go back when in Edinburgh again for lunch or drinks.

Lovely food with great service. Nice relaxed atmosphere and perfect place to chill with some friends over nice food and drink.
Would recommend to all my friends and family.
Can’t wait to go back.

The bar is very open and light, but staff can miss you when you walk in.
Having been to several places recently where the food was disappointing, I finally got a better class of gourmet burger. My only problem was that I went for halloumi and I’ve since discovered I’m not so keen on halloumi — perhaps not the best choice but at least I now know I won’t eat it again. The burger was a decent size with plenty of filling. What let them down was the skinny fries. What is it with skinny fries! I want a chip. A real substantial, fluffy on the inside crispy on the outside chip, not shoelaces masquerading as chips.
I had some sort of pineapple cocktail to wash the food down, but quite frankly I should have had beer, not the place to get a cocktail!
As mentioned by other reviewers the staff seem to be quite social with each other which could be a little annoying to some customers.

Hallllooooooooooooumiii!
You guessed it, the halloumi burgers here are fantabulous! I am yet to waver from ordering one in my 3 visits here, although I’ve heard great things from my friends who have have sampled the other dishes available.
Besides the name, another reason I like the Red Squirrel is for the cider and beer — there is great selection of yummy beverages, from Thistly Cross to Blue Moon, and it is a great place for after-​work gossiping with friends.
It is also a really handy location and is spacious so I’ve never had a problem with it being too busy (on week nights).
Lastly, the sweet potato fries are the bomb!

Since the Red Squirrel opened I’ve been in a few times but even though I lived nearby it was never my first choice. Why? It just doesn’t have the atmosphere of Holyrood 9A or The Southern. The menu is all right but the service, the feeling and the chairs are, for some reason all wrong.
Lemme give you an example.
I headed here last Friday as I had some friends staying in the West End of town, I figured Lothian road was a good, easy spot for them to find and a beer and a burger is a casual enough for a ‘hey I haven’t seen you in 3 years!’ catch up. I booked in advance and found this my first obstacle. Any time I rang the person on the other end couldn’t hear me. It took me three goes and afterwards I felt a need to check my booking had actually been taken.
When I arrived my friends had been seated and had their drinks. It then took me 15 minutes to catch a waitress and get a pint. When I say catch, I mean literally, at one stage I hopped up and legged it after a girl because we hadn’t seen one in so long (a waitress, not a girl). When I caught her and said we were ready to order food when she had a minute I was told ‘Yeah hang on I’m just doing something’.
Our order was eventually taken and the food was delicious, ginormous nachos fit for a king, venison burger for me with sweet potato fries, delish! Finally we had ‘The Kitchen Sink’ between 6 of us. You need more than 2 to finish it I reckon!
Although The Red Squirrel doesn’t have the cosy comfort of it’s sisters the food is just as good, but the service and atmosphere really let it down. It always feels more crowded than the other two (maybe it is!)
It’s not my first choice for a burger but it’s alright.

I’ve only been to Red Squirrel once before, and haven’t been back since until a hungry tum for breakfast brought me here. And now I realise why I’ve not been back.
It’s a lovely bar to look at. Big and spacious and bright. I think I like the décor in here the most out of all three ‘Holyrood 9a bars’. The service seemed a little ‘meh’ though. You know when you pick up that staff are taking it easy? And their friends come in and banter with them right in the middle of the floor, and make you feel awkward for being there as a customer? Yeah that.
I notice Laura D compared their burgers to Holyrood 9a. Whilst it is the same style of menu with near-​identical burger options, I can say that the Holyrood 9a is far, far superior. The buns are the same, the toppings are the same but they just aren’t as good at The Southern. I can’t put my finger on it but just… they’re very meh.
So for breakfast. My dining companion had the full breakfast and I asked for the blueberry pancakes. They’re out of pancakes. Oh. Ok, I’ll have the granola instead then.
What turned up was pretty much a full-​box-​worth of granola in a bowl. SO. MUCH. GRANOLA. Luckily I’d asked for it with the compote that would have come on the greek yoghurt as I find granola alone a bit boring.
And it was. It was just dusty, floury granola. Not the Red Squirrels fault, a lot of granola is like this. But when you get enough granola that would last a small family a week, it just gets so repetitive and dull. And they’d packed it into the bowl like whoah, so it went really soggy when I covered it in milk.
Overall I just didnt really enjoy eating the granola. The price was £4.50 or so and I’m guessing they gave me that much granola to justify a higher price. I’d rather pay £2 for half the size. I also heard that the full breakfast was ‘meh’. There was one small rasher of bacon that was very fatty, a really big slice of dry white toast, and it just didnt live up to the normal feast of Scottish breakfast style.
I know I“m ranting a bit about breakfast. I think I’m just upset that Red Squirrel isn’t on the same standard as Holyrood 9a (the Southern is close) which is a shame. I’d maybe still pop in here for a drink, although given the new bars opening in the area that are really pretty awesome, Red Squirrel may have to up its game a little.