Ryan’s Bar

Amazing breakfast! The vegetarian sausage platter is delish and must have for all vegetarians! The platter is so huge but worth every bite. Also the mocha and hot chocolate are amazing.

This review is of Ryan’s bar only (not the restaurant, which has since changed names to Usquabae). I have been to the bar many times, although only ever in the morning for breakfast /​brunch /​coffee along with watching southern hemisphere rugby games. So, this review is based solely on the morning experience.
Coffee — consistent, smooth Illy brand coffee and usually comes with a nice caramel biscuit (I am always disappointed when they don’t give me one)
Food — good variety of choices from toast, morning rolls, eggs benedict, pancakes etc. I have had mixed experience with food, the first time I had the eggs florentine, it was great, the seond time, it was awful! Oversalted and came with a weird overdressed (vinergary) salad.
Rugby watching — excellent. Good atmosphere of others there to watch the games, along with a few tourists. Several screens, so easy to view from all over the bar and can usually hear the sound too, which is rare in most pubs.
The service is generally pretty good. They are often busy, so wait times aren’t too bad considering.
Overall, I would recommend it for rugby watching and is passable for breakfast/​brunch, but I wouldn’t go there only for food.

Enjoyed the haggis last night, that we came back tonight for drinks and desserts. The food was excellent as well as the service.

We had a group of 15 or so arrive for breakfast bang on our reservation time and they had tables set and ready to go. Promptly took coffee orders as our party trickled in, and got food orders in as soon as we were all there.
I had the Eggs Royale (eggs benedict with salmon instead of ham or spinach), and it was ok. Wish it came with some kind of side, as it felt a bit boring on the plate by itself — potatoes or spinach or toast … something! Also the poached eggs were overcooked — the runny yolk is my favourite part! But the hollandaise was good and it arrived warm.
A few in the party had issues with the wrong order arriving and toast being not toasted at all but simply bread thrown on a plate. But the server fixed it very quickly.
Good location and overall would recommend as any issues were likely due to our big party size/​kitchen timings.
Also, I noticed that their craft beer special was also a fundraising for Air Ambulance, which I only recently found out are non-​profit/​charity funded organisations. So kudos to you, Ryan’s Bar, if it hadn’t been 930am I would have ordered one for sure

My husband and I celebrated burns night in this lovely bar the food was amazing music in the form of a fiddler and guitar player were played in the back ground and the staff polite and attentive a reasonable priced menu well worth a visit

Ryan’s bar cellar restaurant after waiting 30 mins to get served in the first place and had to ask for the drinks menu, now been an hour between courses so far and no apology… Said was busy but at least 10 tables empty that I can see from where I’m sat, food eventually arrived and can’t say it was worth the wait … So that’s now 2:00 hours and finally finished the food and no time for desert but not sure I would want any, as would have probably been another hour waiting for that. Needless to say did not leave a tip and doubt will ever come again. Free bottle of wine was little compensation

Great place to meet friends for a rugby international before making your way west towards Murrayfield stadium.

This little café has wireless, and the waitress became more friendly over the course of our interactions, which improved the atmosphere.
I had the salmon and scrambled eggs, but the salmon tasted strange so I didn’t eat it. The toast was all soggy so I left it. So basically I had scrambled eggs for £6.
It does look so pretty from the outside, it’s a shame.

Ryan’s was a decent pub. I ordered a few glasses of Rioja, which were all poured generously. My boyfriend ordered a Guinness and said it tasted «rank.» So, I interpreted that as flat.
We had some food — I had a pot of muscles, which were pretty good and came with some bread for dipping and he had a quesadilla, which actually looked like a wrap or a burrito. I am not sure how much he enjoyed his meal, but I think I was the winner that evening.

I’ve lost count the amount of times I’ve come here for chicken fajitas! They are sooo good! They arrive on a sizzling platter, ⁴⁄₅ wraps and a generous helping of sour cream, cheese, salsa and most importantly guacamole! YUM! All that for £11. I haven’t let myself try anything else on their menu, because the fajitas are so tasty!
Fajitas aside, I wouldn’t normally come here for a drink. It always has sports blaring on the TVs, so not my kinda place. Although I do love the beautifully decorated ceilings, cosy banquet seating and… fajitas!
Downstairs there is the Cellar bar and ‘finer’ dining that plays Jazz music every last Sunday of the month. Never eaten down there, but the bar is more contemporary than the main bar, which is traditional timber in style. There is a nice conservatory extension that surrounds the pub, which is great for soaking up the rays in the warmer months.
Like Rayan D. mentioned it’s a good place to meet people who don’t know Edinburgh well. Ryan’s at the west end of Princess Street and has been around for a long time, since 1991 and unlike many of the bars around, I don’t think it’ll likely change hands anytime soon.

I had heard many differing views on Ryan’s bar both good and bad. I must also confess I was not aware there was a cosy restaurant in the basement which was a nice surprise!
On a whim this was booked by a few people in the office to have dinner. I was pleasantly surprised at the style and atmosphere of the restaurant which was in stark contrast to the bar above.
The food was very well presented and the main course in particular was delicious. The starter of lightly cooked scallops was cooked but in my opinion needed a minute or two longer in the pan. The main was a venison joint with parsnip mash and green beans wrapped in bacon. I was blown away by the main! The joint was soft and done to a turn. The parsnip mash was a pleasant change from potatoes but the green beans wrapped in bacon was an inspired idea!
You may be asking at this point «what’s with the three stars?». The serving staff were very polite but we did have to re-​order drinks several times before they arrived. The food was excellent but a bit pricey. The one thing which left a bad taste (and I may get some flak for this) was that a 10% service charge was automatically added to the bill. Personally I prefer to determine the service charge based on the quality of the meal and service… I also tend to tip more than 10% if I feel it has been earned.
Overall I was not disappointed by the food, the service or the venue so if you want a nice meal in the centre of town then I would say give it a go but if you do then be sure to add 10% when you are mentally added up the cost of your meal.

Stop-​Over bar. I cannot see myself a whole night in this pub. It is conveniently located and easy to get to and to find if your are not know with Edinburgh.
I have used it for that reason only so far. Enter — get beer — meet friend (s) — get another beer — maybe a snack — then go where we wanted to go all along.
Don’t get me wrong — the place is pleasant enough to be, beautiful ceiling and very friendly staff, just not where I like to spend an whole evening.
In the summer I did spend a bit more time sitting on their terras — people watching and sunbathing (if the weather allows it) — Not my favourite but I have certainly no problems meeting up in this place.

This restaurant was a little on the fancy, touristy side, but it was good. The high ceilings and light tans on the walls and ceilings keep the place bright. It’s also pretty large, including a small outside coffee shop that’s open early, a good-​size main restaurant, and a basement «cellar bar» (for special events and maybe overflow). The staff was friendly and the food was decent. The menu is large and includes many non-​Scottish things, including Mexican food. Ryan’s had a large whisky selection — this was great, but it was a little frustrating that the special tastings ran out early.

Actually very fond of this well spaced, comfy pub. Its not high class dining, but the food is good and portions generous! Nachos here are fantastic! Also a very good place if you want to watch sport. Its clean, welcoming and very good value! and during the week occassionally offer some free nibbles!

I knew there must be a reason why I’d lived here for almost 6 years and hadn’t been to Ryan’s Bar. Now that I’ve been here, that reason has been confirmed: it’s really not my kind of place.
Interestingly enough I was kind of looking forward to the evening. I’d looked the bar up and their website made it look quite nice inside. Well, whoever was taking those pictures was an incredibly talented photographer because the ambiance that the pictures portrayed was just not echoed in the real life experience.
In real life, it just felt like a slightly upmarket student-​ey bar, with a poor selection of over-​priced beers.
Maybe it’s because I was here on a Friday after payday, or maybe it’s because I prefer a quiet pint, but everything about it left me wanting to finish my drink and leave. Ryan’s Bar is definitely one Edinburgh establishment I won’t be revisiting.

Last Thursday the little fairy of chance made me wander into Ryan’s Bar twice in the same day, once for breakfast and the second time for dinner.
It is a good spot for breakfast and serves a fair amount of options though a little pricey it may be said. They did have a promotion of a bacon roll and a hot drink for £3 though which I thought was great! I could have spent hours sitting there, sipping on lattes and watching the world go by. Great location for people watching.
I had visitors over and they wanted to try haggis and not pay a ridiculous price. Ryan’s Bar came to mind as it was central and handy. When I checked out the menu I was pleased to discover that they offer lots of traditional Scottish dishes as well as a wide variety such as Thai curries, burgers, falafel that didn’t break the bank (mostly under a tenner)…
Now, controversial as it maybe — I like cover bands!!! So when a local band started playing I was happy. I’d go as far as saying that the two lead singers had voices like angels. Myself and my group of friends thoroughly enjoyed this experience of tapping our toes and singing along to old favouries whilst eating our meal. Great craic!!!

Popped in late on a Sunday night after 18 hours of traveling to Edinburgh.
Have to admire the fact that the bartender took such care to pour a pint of Guinness from the tap. I was mesmerized by the whole process. Great selection of brews and scotch.
The service was great. Nice people, tons of TVs to watch virtually any match you’re trying to catch. Food was not as memorable as the pint of beer. But then again, I was new in town. Cheers!

Even after coming to Edinburgh for years, I have only just noticed Ryan’s bar and restaurant, a huge blue building in the West End. I may need my eyesight tested.
I loved this bar. It was a good place for families to go during the day meaning that the adults can get a wee glass of wine and relax somewhere a bit more grown up but still tolerant of kids.
We decided to build a Mediterranean Meze platter, which was £20 for 6 dishes. It came nicely presented and quite a good size. The highlights of that were the Pineapple chicken and chilli skewers, which came with a rum and coconut (essentially Malibu) dipping sauce and the paprika spiced prawns which were large and succulent!
The kids had tuna and sweetcorn sandwiches with curly fries which kept them quite happy whilst we had a five minute chillout!
Great wee place to eat, we had no complaints with the service, cleanliness or quality of food and I would certainly come back again!

Ryans is AAA-​OOOK, to quote the Unilocal star system. It has a pretty prominent location at the west end, where you’re bound to notice it, and you’ll certainly notice the bar when the sun has got its rare Scottish hat on, as there are a number of outside table opportunities to be had at Ryans, which is probably where I would personally take advantage of the bar’s offerings.
The inside is dark, usually pretty busy, and perfectly all good for alcoholic opportunities plus a bit of gastropub dining, although I wouldn’t say the interior pushes the boundaries of trendiness, but sometimes the banter is more important than the setting, and it does have that café continental thing going on, which has generally got worldwide appeal. There’s a spacious main bar, coffee area, and cellar bar, which I’d probably be most partial to, plus a pretty extensive range of food offerings for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I think this place can be hit or miss. It is in a fantastic location, right at the end of Princes Street, and walking distance to Haymarket station. Great if your going to catch a train or starting a night out. It is nice and welcoming inside and great for people watching if you get a window seat.
When you walk past in the morning there is wide selection of people having breakfast and reading their paper. So I guess the breakfast much be good, although I can’t comment.
A friend and I went for lunch and really enjoyed it. We shared Cajun Chicken Nachos which were a good portion and very yummy. Definitely hit the right spot. The service was good too, and it wasn’t too crowded.
Another occasion my boyfriend and I went for dinner and we were a little disappointed. It was far too crowded so it was hard to hear each other. However it was near to Christmas time, so I guess everywhere is a little busier. The service was a little slow too. I had the fish and chips which I didn’t think were the best I had ever had, but not the worst either.
I probably reserve judgment on whether I really like Ryan’s Bar or not until the next time I visit. There is a great selection of food on the menu so it is definitely worth trying again I think.