The Halfway House, 24 Fleshmarket Close, 199 High Street, EDINBURGH, EH1 1BX [Map]
0131 225 7101 
11-00 MO-SA (01 FR-SA); 12:30-00 SU
Lunchtime Meals, Rail Station Near Pub

Alasdair heading into the pub, September 2003

Was fortunate to be in Edinburgh for a few days during the Edinburgh Festival a few years ago and saw several shows and visited several bars afterwards. After 4 exhausting days of queuing for tickets, queuing for performance and then queuing for a beverage afterwards in the crowded bars we decided that we needed to find somewhere a little out of the way where we could relax. Fortunately we came across the Halfway House, which is indeed up a backstreet halfway between the back door to Edinburgh Waverley Station and Cockburn Street.

Well the pub has recently been comfotably refurbished and offers a good selection of real ale and malt whiskys served by friendly staff! They also offer a small selection of home-produced traditional meals and snacks at very moderate prices from opening to closing every day. These might include home-made soups such as cullen skink (a smoked haddock and potato soup), haggis neeps and tatties and venison casserole. The pub with many long-standing staff were recently awarded 'Pub of the Year 2005' by the Edinburgh branch of CAMRA.