Harry’s Bar & Grill

Harry’s Bar in my mind was the dark place where people went when they’ve had far too much to drink and a fleeting sense of judgement to stumble down a flight of stairs and dance with drink in had feeling the desperation around them. not exactly my top place for a nice date night out. but then someone said they had been to Harry’s Bar recently and it was amazing… i was stunned, were they sure? yes they were as apparently this dark place had been completely transformed into a chic stylish and welcoming bar and grill offering cocktails and a menu full of tasty grilled items. so in true Unilocaler spirit, i made a note to go and pounced on an ITISON deal for a meal for two.
i sadly can’t remember the price of the voucher but for two mains from the grill menu, two sides, and two glasses of prosecco it was incredibly good value. also the booking options were 7 days a week with the last seating on a friday or saturday being 6:45pm. so well done Harry’s Bar for offering a true restaurant experience on a voucher instead of just trying to get folks in on a quiet night.
on walking into Harry’s Bar i was actually shocked by the transformation. it’s super chic– exposed wood, dark black booths with gray colour touches and wooden elements. definitely a vastly improved interior and décor! i like that there are actual seats and tables set up to just have a drink from the bar with a smallish dining area for food. we had a drink at the bar while we waited for our table and while my drink was nice, i wasn’t overly convinced that the gin had been added. i couldn’t taste the gin but it may have been over powered by the lemon that was added. that said they have a pretty good looking cocktail menu so will definitely try something else next time i’m in.
the actual restaurant area isn’t huge… maybe enough tables for 25 – 30 people. there is an outdoor bit which i’m sure will be super nice in summer :) we got seated in a booth which was nice and gave us tons of table space. the waitress explained what we got with our deal but offered us the menu in case we wanted starters and wine as well. we got a carafe of red which was really nice, but can’t remember if it was the house wine or not…
for starters i had the baked scarmoza which for those not in the know is a smoked mozzarella cheese that is just basically delicious! it was a pretty ample portion if you look at my picture but as a cheese lover this was not a negative. it maybe could have done with a bit of sauce or something to add to the bread and cheese but still really good. my boyfriend had a seared beef rocket and chilli salad that was a bit kicky but really tasty. for mains i went for the 6oz rib eye with a side of buttered mash and my boyfriend had the whole sea bass with roasted potatoes. my steak was good, cooked correctly and had a nice sauce to accompany. equally my boyfriend’s sea bass was cooked well and tender but could have done with a sauce maybe. however the roasted potatoes and buttered mash were excellent! my portion of buttered mash was probably enough for two to share but i was more than happy to eat it on my own… just so buttery!
we shared the cheese board for dessert and i had an amaretto and peppermint tea to finish up what was a seriously good meal. had we not been on the offer this would have been about twice the price, but still for the quality of food we had and the good friendly service i’d happily have paid that. a massive improvement over the previous Harry’s Bar and definitely a wee gem in the west end dining scene!

Harrys Bar has been round for a few years, and was starting to get a little rough round the edges. Not to worry, they have just had a complete refurbishment, and the place isn’t recognizable from before. Was there for a Unilocal event, and the drinks were great along with some delicious nibbles.

Well said, Elizabeth H. Indeed Harry’s Bar and Grill is a hidden gem in the West End of Edinburgh. Apparently a previous version of this bar (with different management, staff, everything) was poorly run and generally bad to visit. Well, there’s no evidence of that at all now. Harry’s is a classy, comfortable, and welcoming place in a central location in Edinburgh.
The staff are excellent– servers are friendly, bartenders are knowledgeable, and chefs produce some excellent food. Prices are above my typical range, so I’d only visit as a particular treat, but the food tastes great. The menu is interesting as well– not just your typical fayre that you can get anywhere.
Well worth checking out.

This is a review purely for drinks as only been in the once following the refurb and not eaten here yet. Although the staff were great I really wasn’t too keen on the layout as it felt much more like a restaurant than a bar but I think that’s maybe the point? Drinks prices ok, bar staff very attentive but got a real beef with the lighting as it’s so harsh. Sat at the narrow high bench area opposite the bar and the light coming through the slatted wood screen was really glaring. And as for the toilets, it’s like an interrogation scene. You go from a slightly softer lit area at the bottom of the main seating area into stark bright light which could induce a seizure. Never mind the fact that you’ll not want to look in the mirror as it’ll be gollum staring back at you as every pore, wrinkle and imperfection is proudly highlighted. For a style bar/​restaurant I’m really surprised this feature has been overlooked as so many places are really on the ball with this. So ladies you’ve been warned, bring your shades.

This may well get bumped up to 5-​stars after a revisit, but this review is based on one trip using an itison voucher.
The voucher was a great deal — a grill main and a side each, as well as a glass of prosecco. We were in for a pre-​shopping tea, so we didn’t want to add any starters or desserts to the meal (or extra alcohol), so this suited us just fine.
Firstly — the staff. We got that good kind of attentive but unobtrusive service. Water was brought to our table unbidden (and very welcome). We were given space to browse the menu and choose, but not left waiting for ages. Swapping my prosecco for a soft drink was no problem (I had a sore throat and alcohol was not a sensible idea) and our server even recommended a fresh Sicilian Lemonade they had on offer, which really hit the spot.
On to the food! Having been here for a Unilocal event previously, I knew I was having the steak (although the seabass nearly tempted me away). I presumed Tim would opt for the same, but to my surprise he ordered the poussin. This is a man who doesn’t eat meat on the bone, despite my best efforts to educate him otherwise. I swear on the gods of steak — that poussin was so tender and tasty that he stripped it clean off! My steak was buttery succulent and tasty as I knew it would be. These guys and their Jospar grill know how to treat good meat with the respect it deserves.
Even the sides raise the bar — the chips were that perfect crispy/​fluffy combo everyone strives for and the seasonal greens were fresh and plentiful.
An absolute delight — I’m saving for my return visit so I can really push the boat out!

Harry’s Bar has had a much-​needed makeover, brought to us by the team behind such similarly transformed locations as The Fountain and Sligh House. The result is a very good restaurant. Gone are the days of slightly dodgy Salsa nights, and in is the now-​ubiquitous bare walls and filament bulbs that every restaurant and its dog goes for nowadays.
I first attended for an amazing Unilocal event, featuring suppliers Gilmour Butchers who showed us how to butcher meat which was then cooked on Harry’s Josper Grill to perfection. Yum.
Most recently, I returned with Kip S to use a very welcome Itison voucher. The deal entitled us to a glass of Prosecco, a main and a side each. To this we added starters and a bottle of house red (which I’d tried at the steak event and was very good). Starters wise Kip had scallops and I had pork belly. Oh my goodness, the pork belly was divine, complete melt in the mouth stuff, and I’d return for that alone.
For our mains, Kip had rump steak and I had whole seabass, to which he added chips and I went for champ. The chips were chunky and crisp, and the champ was deliciously creamy. I’m told the steak was very good, although not *quite* as good as the ones from Blackwoods’ Josper. I enjoyed the seabass but not as much as I would have done a steak. It was my own fault, choosing a whole fish, as it required much ‘fishing’ out bones from every mouthful. Not pleasant, and it makes me wonder why restaurants bother serving it at all.
It was busy for an early Saturday evening (we ate at 6.30) but Harry’s were advertising that they were showing the Rugby World Cup, and there had been one of the semi-​finals on earlier that day, so I imagine it was a little bit of a rugby crowd hangover. But not drunken louts, these were people dressed smartly.
All in all I’ve been impressed on both occasions I’ve visited, and it’s definitely going on my list of good places to eat in the West End. I expect to return before too long.

Hate the make over. Old Harry ‘s had a much better menu, prices etc. Shame they went posh. Used to go regularly, however we won’t be going back.

You know a restaurant is 5 star if:
1 — even before dessert comes you are planning what you will order next time
2 — you go home and try to recreate some of the amazing dishes
Flashback to last week… I was one of the lucky few that attended the Unilocal event at Harry’s which featured a butchery demonstration from Gilmour Butchers. (see all the fab reviews here
). We were all blown away by the setting, the atmosphere, the food, the Josper grill but before rushing to review Harry’s Bar and Grill, I wanted to come back when it wasn’t an event so that I could get a feel for the menu and the service. My husband was so jealous that he couldn’t come to the event so we went right back this weekend.
Harry’s Bar and Grill was relaunched only 2 months ago. I was never there before but rumour has it this refurb is an epic improvement! Well, whoever they hired to do the design totally nailed it. When you head down the stairs off of Randolph place and enter Harry’s you instantly feel comfortable and relaxed. All the elements are in balance. Although it is long and thin, it still feels spacious especially at the bar area. As you get to the back, the big booths, exposed stone and brick and rough sawn wood floors and tables are both contemporary and cosy. My hubby instantly declared that he could hang out there all day. (good thing they weren’t showing cycling on the big screen Telly or he may just do that!).
Now, I already knew that they had the amazing 400C Josper charcoal grill and served prime dry aged Scottish beef from Gilmour Butchers and seafood from my favourite local fishmonger — Welch’s; but I also discovered the chefs were Italian. Most people think Italian food is all about the pasta and pizza but Italians seriously know how to work a grill — I’ve had the best grilled meat and seafood in Italy so I was ready to put the full menu to test.
During our event we sampled every single cut of beef and I was ready for more but then I saw the menu. BEST MENU I HAVE SEEN IN AGES! We wanted EVERYTHING. This was a menu put together by people who really wanted to serve the best in local produce and to totally do it justice. I love seafood and this menu had it all — calamari, scallops, seabass, lobster, langoustines… There were only 2 of us and a dozen things we wanted to try. With the help of the smiliest, sweetest waitress we chose: Calamari and crispy seabass fillets for me; Scallops and Rib-​eye for the hubby. Sides were the chunky chips that wowed us at the event and the crispy, buttery green veg (which I tried to make at home last night).
Everything was cooked to perfection. It was the best calamari I have ever had — I even teased the waiter that I was having more for dessert (in the end I was swayed by chocolate). Don’t tell Harry’s but it was a really generous portion — I did share a couple pieces with the hubby and still feel like I had plenty. It was big pieces (not skinny rings), lightly dusted with flour and fried to be a little crispy on the outside but the white meat was soft and tender — better than lobster! I only had one set of tentacles which were crispy and salty and tender. The scallops were so fresh that they melted as soon as they hit my tongue. The rest of the meal continued in the same fashion. Fresh, simply cooked, full of flavour. Desserts were basic — but I would say fill up on the fab food and finish with a coffee and a shortbread (also melt in the mouth).
The best thing was that this was simple, good food and a reasonable price (3 courses, coffee, Innis and Gunn beer — yes even the beer is local!) for under £80. This is food you can eat on a fairly regular basis. This is a space that you want to hang out in on a regular basis. These were people you want to hang out with on a regular basis.
On our way home we reminisced about what might have been one of the best meals we’ve had in Edinburgh and we hatched a plan — keep coming back until we try the whole menu. See you next week Harry’s :D

Came here for a Unilocal events and I am definitely looking forward to my next visit! The oplace was recently remodelled and the ambiance is really good; I would definitely recommend Harry’s bar and grill for a date night or even to have a work dinner;
To start, I got a drink with raspberry and some other things but I can’t recall the name for the life of me but it was the first in the cocktails list and it was Fantastic!
Then the food started to come and anyone who know me knows how much I love my meat so my face just illuminated when all this meat started coming! We were given a bunch of different sides to share including seasonal greens (peas, asparagus and some other), charred cos with parmesan, delicious small potatoes, mashed potatoes and some French fries that were just delicious and fresh (definitely not any sort of frozen food, you could taste everything was fresh and fantastic); For the meat, we tried the rib-​eye and three different cuts of the rumbs; My favourite was definitely the pacanha; this meat was melting in your mouth in all the right way !
We were also showed the kitchen with a very fancy grill that based on the owner’s explanation is one of the only one you can find in the city and based on the meat I have tried, I Want that grill in my kitchen!!! The char outside of the steak was simply amazing.

I’m going to save that elusive five star for a proper visit back, but Harry’s earned a little Unilocal love this week. I recently hosted a tasting with John Gilmour Butchers. As the bells and whistles of the evening were organized by someone else, I didn’t have any say over the hosting venue… which can be a bit nerve wracking when you’re a little ocd event planner. When Harry’s Bar & Grill was mentioned, I immediately took to Google and… proceeded to have a minor panic attack. My Google search brought up the former Harry’s Bar and the reviews/​photos were about as polar opposite as I’d want for a swanky steak event… I knew they had renovated, but really… how much different could it be?
Very. Very freaking different. COMPLETELY different.
Thank the event gods!
I’m not sure if the staff noticed my audible sigh and not so subtle happy dance when I walked through the door but walking into this beautiful, contemporary room was like Christmas. The space is lovely, polished and a complete 180 from its former inhabitant. They have a great bar space, good outdoor seating and a swanky atmosphere, without being stuffy. Plus: they have wifi.
*Happy Dance*
So we settled into our evening, where the Harry’s Bar team were in charge of grilling up the steaks for our table. No problem there, they happen to have a Josper oven. Read: fancy pants charcoal oven.
*Happy Dance*
Not to mention, really damn fine chips and a decent whisky selection behind the bar.
*Happy Dance*
It’s also a ten minute walk from my house, is open at lunch… and did I mention the solid wifi?
*Happy Happy Happy Dance*
Needless to say, what I imagined might be a total train wreck of an evening, turned into one of my most pleasant event surprises. I should be more trusting… especially when steak and chips are involved.