Brass Monkey Leith

Reviews

• Elaine D.

  star star star star star 10 June 2026

  This is the second time I've been there this week on an Edinburgh daytrip, it's starting to feel like an honorary 'local'. Pub quiz with a vegan meetup group was the reason on Monday,  and today was the case of an hour before my bus leaves,  where is close by where service will be reasonably fast and I know I can eat? ! Also,  because of the excellently labelled vegan options on the menu and I'd spied a couple of options to keep in mind for a return trip.
  
  On Monday I had the vegan chilli dog (£9) - which I suspect is Linda McCartney sausages - which comes with skinny fries. Normally I find skinny fries a bit mediocre to wedges/thick cut chips but these were really tasty. Service for most of us was pretty quick,  though one of my friends had to wait some time (an hour?)  because of an oversight somewhere leading to lack of a matching table number.
  
  Tonight service was very fast (thankfully,  we made our bus!) and I'd opted for the vegan burger. It's a good firm patty and comes in a seeded bun with sauce on top and bottom of the patty - I think a salsa of some kind. Unless it's unwelcome mayo and it's vegan I'm not too fussy and I don't always notice these things! It comes with the skinny fries,  and a non-creamy coleslaw.
  
  I'm told by friends that many of the drinks on their menu are vegan - I opted for an Innis & Gunn beer on Monday and today I got a Williams Bros 'Midnight Sun' ; otherwise the beers aren't labelled so if you're bothered about alcohol being animal product-free checking the Barnivore website is often a good bet.
  
  Their soup is labelled vegan,  and they have a vegan special (this week was tarka dal)  and a dipping platter with a few things including hummus and pesto and flatbread.
  
  The decor is made up of dark red walls featuring movie posters,  and both sofa areas and tables with chairs to suit whichever seating area you feel like having. I feel quite relaxed in there and could easily sit with a pint (or two) for an hour.  The TV was showing a movie with subtitles,  and although maybe a little anti-social,  I was pleased to see it as so many times I have seen pubs showing TV programmes or movies with just the picture and no subtitles (or audio) -  what is the point in that?!
  
  It's 50p charge if you want to use a credit/debit card, but they do also offer cashback.

• Tammy Y.

  star star star star star_border 3 June 2026

  Cozy spot in the middle of Leith. We were exhausted after a day of exploration in the city and just wanted something simple to nosh on before calling it a night. We were here on a Thursday night and it seemed like a nice mix of college folks and regulars. I had the most delicious vegetarian chili dog here and was in a state of utter bliss. It has been so long since I've had a chili dog that tastes like the chili dogs of my youth at mid-mountain ski lodges. They had a good selection of brews and of course whisky so we had a little tasting before calling it a night. The server who came by to check on us wasn't what I would call overtly friendly but he answered my silly questions about the name of the establishment and other random things. All in all it was a good experience and one we'd come back for.

• Faith B.

  star star star star star 26 May 2026

  Super yummy burger.. I got the bacon and cheese one. Nice bar atmosphere and service was very quick! Fries were delicious too.

• Mia C.

  star star star star star_border 21 May 2026

  Loved the Monday night pub trivia. The questions really stumped me!
  
  The veggie burger was really good with the goat cheese and onion ring. I don't think I'd ever think there was too much goat cheese, but I think it was because the cheese was a bit too crumbly. I would have liked creamier cheese on the burger to combat the crunchy patty, crisp bread, and battered onion rings. The pesto taste wasn't very strong either but it was a good consistency.
  The curry fries were heavenly and I think I could have eaten an entire bowl.
  
  The beers and ciders selection is great! Loved the German beer on tap and the elderflower bottled cider. Bartender was super nice and patient as I asked about all the choices.
  
  Nice pub for a pint :)

• Michael S.

  star star star star star_border 18 May 2026

  Being a Beastie Boys fan this had to be tried. Was surprised with how big the place was when we walked in. They have scotch specials and a wide assortment of ciders. We had the burger and a chili dog. Both were good!