Moriarty Bar

I didn’t have a major problem with this place… it was fine. We were walking back from the Six Nations Scotland v. Italy match in the pouring rain and our walk was getting a little long, so we decided to stop in for a drink. It was the only place we could get into but we were happy when we found enough seats for our group of six people. I had a hot toddy since I was freezing cold and it was delicious enough for me. They had a fairly good selection. As the afternoon wore on the place got a little more rowdy, but all in all it was fine. Basically, if the other places on Lothian Road I’d rather go to are packed, I wouldn’t mind heading in here if I wanted a drink.

Moriarty’s more resembles Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde than it does the nemesis of Sherlock Holmes… What do I mean; well it is a complete refit and modernisation of a once tired and slightly dodgy pub. There is nice new seating and tables, a standard spirit selection and average tap selection (though this includes Addlestons Cider) and all together it seems like a pleasant enough pint-​after-​work style bar.
Left at that it would be fine, however it also wants to be a sports bar, a venue of sorts, a café with free wifi and a cheap pub for the locals… In other words it has multiple personalities (bringing me back to my opening) all slightly at odds with one another.
It is still a fairly new place and perhaps with time it will streamline it’s identity, however as it stands it is an ok place to nip for a couple of pints, but isn’t somewhere I would want to spend the evening.

Noooooooo!
I had so much hope, so much hope for this place. And to think, you could completely sell out on the success of Sherlock by theming the shit out of this place. And I’ll admit… that is what I was scared of before I came here, an icky ass theme bar with so much Sherlock crap that I couldn’t help but feel like I was in a Rainforest Café of 221B Baker St.
My fears were allayed. There was in fact, no theme at all. Just a silouhetted Moriarty that kind of looked like Alex DeLarge from a Clockwork Orange. No canes or chairs or Deer Hunter caps. No photos or books. No themed drinks or themed bathroom names. In fact, there were no real decorations at all. It was the most syncratic place I have ever been to.
It was a sports bar… but not really.
It was an old man pub… but not really.
It had beer — I guess. But the beer was probably the worst selection in Edinburgh. Believe you-​me, I tried to make a better decision… but I had the BUDWEISER. Yes, I know… but it was quite literally the best lager they had.
I was, and am horribly depressed about this. The staff were hugely nice to us. It’s an awesome space, quieter than the super trendy Hanging Bat and smaller and more intimate than massive Lebowski’s. It SHOULD be cool and hip and fun and new… but it sucked. It was like what a «British Pub» would look like in Middle America designed by someone that had never even visited the UK or seen Sherlock Holmes.
Please fix and make my dreams come true.