The Three Sisters

Ancien hôtel, le Three Sisters est un grand pub sur Cowgate situé dans un bâtiment traditionnel écossais de pierre au cœur de la vieille ville. Lorsque l’on rentre on est impressionné par la taille de l’établissement. On y est allé en plein après midi donc difficile de se rendre compte de l’ambiance qu’il peut y avoir ici le soir. Il dispose également d’une grande terrasse sur laquelle sont diffusés les match de rugby. Ils ont un choix de bière pression et également de quoi se restaurer. L’endroit doit attirer beaucoup d’étudiants. C’est un endroit idéal pour faire la fête et sortir le soir à Edimbourg.

The Three Sisters is located on the Cowgate in the city centre. It is a very large pub with a huge courtyard out the front. I have only ever been here when the Fringe is on and it is pretty chaotic! They erect a huge screen in the courtyard at this time of year, which acts as a magnet for football fans and it gets way too crowded. You can here the cheering when a goal is scored a hundred yards down the road! It gets so busy that bouncers are placed at the gate to regulate the number of punters trying to enter the courtyard!
Inside, it is a bit dark and the music is way too loud for me (may be my age!). It is not my cup of tea to be honest, and I am happy to leave it to the youngsters!

You cannot miss this place. Big outdoor space, huge canopy and massive screens outside and inside.
We took a delegation of 6 Fins to enjoy a drink and show some studenty way of Edinburgh life.
Bearing in mind these 6 Fins were all in their 50 and 60’s they did seem to enjoy it.
We were well attended to and promptly served.
Shame about the loud music as this stifled the conversations (with already not so talkative Fins)
The table was big so it was not possible to hear the other’s. Then the live band started playing outside and were duly blasted out of the speakers indoors. This was our cue to leave. It was just a bit too loud.
Prices are reasonable and it may be a good idea for them to ‘employ’ a cat as we did saw a mouse scuttle over the main floor.
Great place if you are a student, not so great if you take OAPs

The Three Sisters is one of THOSE places. Going seems a great idea, and you wonder why you don’t go along more.
Then when you get there, you remember.
Although it’s big, and has a huge open air area with an outside bar and food stalls, and the bar inside is quite big and pretty well stocked, getting served in under 5 minutes is usually impossible.
I don’t know why! It just takes an age to work your way to the front of the queue. The staff are by no means slow, it’s just one of those things.
With the huge courtyard always full of people, there is a bit of a «meatmarket» feel to proceedings, and even as a usually single guy, I feel a bit uncomfortable here with the amount of guys who just stand and ogle anything in a skirt, making usually unrepeatable comments. Not much the place can do about that in a huge courtyard, though…
During the Fringe, there are free shows all through the day, so it’s worth checking out what’s on while you grab your drink (eventually) and then head off elsewhere, as you always invariably do.
Unless there’s a big sporting event being shown on the HUGE screen, this is very much a meet-​and-​move kinda place for me.

So I have ZERO idea what this space is like when it’s not a Fringe venue, but when it’s a Fringe venue, it’s pure chaos.
Purse, freakin’ chaos.
First off, the outside, which is a giant patio area with a screen for football and rugby matches. Everyone crowds together, especially as it gets later in the day, and things go to hell. At some points, you can’t even move from entrance A to door B in the back. Yikes.
And then the venues themselves to see shows, small and filled with people. We had to line up at least 15 to 20 minutes before any free show to make sure we can see it, and even then sometimes it wasn’t enough.
And in the spots, the bars were almost never manned, so you had to go back outside into the chaos to get a drink. Yikes. No thanks.
But I will say this: their selection of Fringe shows was top notch and easily some of the best ones we’d seen! What a lineup here. Whoever curated this one deserved a pat on the back.
And it is a fun venue. There is so much energy and life here and it’s kind of contagious. So know what you’re getting into and enjoy it, it’s a ride.

Sharing is name with one of my favourite playwrights most famous plays… The Three Sisters was somewhere I had to come and check out. A friend and I came to watch the Scotland vs England game… I’m not a football person but I was being a good friend and I have to admit watching this on the huge outdoors screen was quite special. the atmosphere was amazing! they also do a lovely hot chocolate!

The three sisters… or «Free» sisters during the Edinburgh fringe festival is a great pub. Its centrally located and has a diverse offering no matter what time of year it is. It has a massive outdoor front area you can sit outside, but they also put a cover as well. They have multiple bars and venues that open up when the fringe festival is on and I absolutely love that they have free shows on, plus its cheap — about 3£ for a pint.
It can get pretty messy at nights, as it is also next to a hostel, so loads of backpackers, plus locals plus general chaos. Whenever I go to edinburgh I always hit the three sisters, just for the good craic and you can easily get around anywhere else in the city from here. I do have to say the food is a bit on the expensive side though.

Went on a Saturday night and had an excellent time! So many good looking men it was ridiculous. A kid in a candy store I tell ya.

It’s a fun pub, usually full of hen and stag parties.
It’s probably more expensive than what you would normally find on Cowgate but definitely rowdier and more «loose» than what you would find on Grassmarket.

Random stroll through a dark alley way led me to this club! Because it was my first time out at a club in Edinburgh I didnt know what to expect. But first off, living in NY and seeing a doorman, you immediate fall upon your best behavior, shlep on a coat of lip gloss and keep your fingers crossed that you get in without a pat down… well, nothing, absolutely nothing but a smile from a… no joking you now… a 6’7″ beast of a man with the friendliest smile and hands that look like he pops rugby balls clear across football fields… so we get in and its a simple no frills bar, just a place where everyone goes to just have fun! and that is exactly what it was! FUNNNNNNNN! I danced wherever I stood without a dance floor and was totally accepted by the crowd. Everyone is there to just have fun… saw a man in a bunny outfit being tossed around by his friends and girls on a hen gathering wearing what I would normally see in Hawaii my hometown, tank tops and shorts in 40 degree weather. Gosh I felt young for a night! Love this place would suggest it to anyone who is wanting to just have fun and dance, drink and mingle! Dont come here with an attitude… park it outside ;)

Decent enough food, nice outdoor area, but not really my scene — you’ll like it if you like crowded, loud, obnoxious clientele, etc. It’s fine for what it is, but I don’t really like what it is.

Ah, The Three Sisters. For any Irish reading, this (not Espionage) is The Coppers of The Burgh.
Cheap pint at the bar, which is usually jammed, great dancefloor which is usually jammed, open area outside which is usually jammed and don’t get me started on the queue for the ladies! You guessed it, jammed.
It’s an honest place, it doesn’t pretend to be above itself and I can dig that. I generally bring visitors here if they want a boogie and most are happy to while away the night chatting with the various tourists, Hen and Stag parties and the usual mix of people from back home. Others just scream ‘Oh My God you brought us to Coppers!’ and leg it.
The music is good and they show all the rugby. They have a barbeque outside. During the festival there is some pretty decent free shows, if you ever have a chance to see Bogan Bingo DO IT! It’s endorsed by real Australians! There’s also some awful shows, I won’t lie!
Completely unpretentious and a bit messy. Sure, why not!

My friends and I greatly enjoy this place!
We came here for the moonlight beach party, the free comedy shows for the Edinburgh Festival (Which were so awesome!) and a few times for a drink.
When we were there to dance, the music was played in reverse chronology, so you start with current music and move backwards to 90s and 80s… etc. It is fun, especially if you’ve been alive for more than 2 decades… 0₀
If you’re feeling a little stuffy after dancing, step out with a drink for fresh air at their open air sitting area. Their burgers are aromatic and will certainly seduce you.

I feel old. Very, very old.
Look, this is actually one of the nicer bars in this area of old town. It’s clean, spacious, with enough seating and my legginess-​problem is not a problem in this bar, at all.
What’s to whine? Well, I feel so old. I don’t do shots, well, not unless it’s at a Unilocal event, and I don’t drink that much. When I go and have a drink somewhere with a group, I want to be able to understand them. At 7pm on a Thursday, apparently the music needed to be of the ear-​deafening variety. To the point where I had to shout sitting at a table, next to someone, in order for them to understand me. I thought that was quite unnecessary.
I find it difficult to pinpoint what was so off-​putting about this place. The staff are indeed friendly, the place is clean, spacious, but I’m not a major drinker. And somehow this bar gives the vibe of «must get smashed gaaaah». Not something that’s very appealing to me. Maybe I should try it for a burger, as Jenny did, with some friends when the music is less loud. Or maybe, just maybe, this isn’t for me.
I’ll take my 26-​going-​on-​62 year old self elsewhere.

You’ve got to give The Three Sisters credit for being so brash and brazen about what they are: a sports bar, a students bar, a stag and hen party bar, a cheap-​and-​cheerful student-​deals bar, a really big bar with ample room for huge groups, a friendly and welcoming bar but not in the ‘local’ type of way. Not the sort of place to get cosy, or comfy, or make your regular haunt. Definitely the sort of place to come with a large group for a messy one that most likely includes jaeger bombs.
In fact, when I came here around 6pm on a Friday I was actually a bit shocked to see folk already ordering rounds of 10 sambuca shots. At 6pm. Jeez that made me feel like a lightweight.
I was lured here by the promise of Gourmet Burgers. A wee peek at the menu online confirmed that they did have some good options, and with a student card that could be purchased for £3 it was 2−4−1. The burger *was* quite good. Not as good as other places, that I would class gastropub. Three Sisters isn’t a Gastropub. But for what it is, the burgers were nice. And the chips were especially nom-​able, but don’t come included in the price of the burger (a wee stickler).
As soon as we’d finished our burger, we moved on. Luckily there’s a lot of great bars in the area (two doors down, a certain brewery of the dog variety).
I did enjoy the burger, and the company of my lovely friend of course. But I immediately felt out of place here. I think it’s definitely subjective. This isn’t a bad bar, per se. The staff were friendly, it was clean, there was a ‘happy’ vibe although maybe later in the night it could get messy, but it just wasn’t very ‘me’. Good for large groups, students, stag parties, sports groups. Oh and as Joey A would put it, it was a bit of a ‘sausage fest’ (whole lotta large groups of men).

Ok, when I was politely asked by my friend if we could nip in here when she came through to visit I was powerless to say no. Not because I was massively eager to go here, but because I hate saying no to my friends!
We turned up here around 4ish on a Wednesday afternoon to find it was shut until five. Alright, that’s acceptable, it is January. So we went on to Oz Bar had a drink there and returned around 5ish when it opened. Needless to say, we were the only people there! BUT I like this bar, it reminds me very much of Waxy O’Connors in Glasgow, except much more reasonably priced drinks. It is kinda dark and dingy inside, kinda like a generic Irish bar, but I quite like that, gives it something resembling an atmosphere. And this place is huge! Plenty of room for moving around if it is a little crowded.
So, the staff were fine. The chap serving us was very nice, got us drinks but it did take a little while before all the cutlery and menus etc were put out on the table. Think this might be because they were setting up for a private function, but we were in no rush. The menu — if you don’t like pizza or burgers you are kinda a little shafted. It was definitely not the sort of food I was expecting, it was better. I ended up plumping for the Godfella, a burger with pepperoni, sundried balsamic tomatoes and little balls of mozzarella. Yet again, I was not setting the bar too high, I mean, Holyrood 9a anyone?! This burger was immense. I mean really delicious. Plus they had a deal on for January, get any main meal and get the second for 1p. Hells yes I will.
So basically, we had two burgers, and 4 drinks. Less than twenty squidders. Boom. I want another one of those burgers NOW.

Best described as a hole. The downstairs bar has always been one of the city’s busier establishments but last night I was directed upstairs for the first time as every man & his dog was out pretending to have Irish connections (myself included).
Thus I discovered the sticky floored delight of Maggie’s Chambers. Do they not employ cleaners with mops or do they soak those mops in booze rather than soap & water? The toilets are wholly inadequate for the size of the potential crowd in the place & £18+ for 5 Jagerbombs (albeit with a free coke thrown in) is ludicrous. Paradoxically the music was probably the best I heard all night but otherwise there’s absolutely no reason to give this place any business.

Never seen any pub quite like this one. Our group was drawn in by the outdoor patio for dancing. Very spacious and you will get plenty of air! Finally a place to dance without a roof and no stuffy air.
There were plenty of people here and the mood was high energy. The drinks are little pricey but we didn’t pay cover to get in so it balanced out.

Since Three Sisters opened, I have had absolutely no compunction to walk through their doors. There is absolutely no reason, I felt, to come in here — a non descript generic bar with no defining qualities to make me feel at home here. Too big, too many chavs.
Well, now I have to take all of that back, because I spent a long time getting quite quite hammered and watching fringe shows here last Monday. It was open late, served me alcohol long past when I deserved to still be drinking, and had an open courtyard where I could sit in the pouring rain talking to cute boys. I think in terms of pubs, I still prefer small and cozy over big and grandiose, but I see the Three Sisters in a new, warmer, more welcoming light than my prior judiciousness.

Wohl einer der Pubs mit dem größten Aussenbereich. Großer geschützter sitzbereich. Auch innen sehr großräumig. Neben den standardgetränken und –speisen werden draußen auch vor Ort gegrillte und selbst belegbare Burger angeboten. Nervig sind ab und an die vielen Junggesellen-​partygrüppchen, die sich hier gerne betrinken. Der Pub liegt in der ausgehmeile cowgate, man muss also in das «untergeschoss» von Edinburghs Altstadt.

The Three Sister’s spacious courtyard, plentiful outdoor seating and heaters are primed and ready for watching big sporting events. An immense viewing screen creates ample opportunity for you to huddle around a table with mates and watch a sporting event without the need to stare at the back of some brute’s head all night.
Beer and alcohol in general are all standard with regards to quality and cost, so nothing special in that regard.

My night spent in the Three Sisters took on two very distinct, and very different characteristics.
Lets start with the good part of the night. A fine summers evening had drawn us to the huge outdoor seating area of the Three Sisters, and as my friends bought the drinks and a Three Sisters BBQ blazed in the corner, I had an excellent time. The atmosphere was great and generally I had a very large amount of fun.
However, then the second half happened — it was getting busier and attracted a hen party and a seperate stag party, which generally ruined the chilled, relaxed and fun vibe that we had before. The night was also growing colder so we moved indoors — well, I say moved, i mean we jammed ourselves inside bearly able to move in a hot mass of drunken people. I attempted to buy a drink next, and after waiting for nearly 10 mins, a round for 3 people came to almost £25 — extorsionate.
So there you have it — get there early and you will have a great time, get there after everybody else does, and you might not want to come here again.