BrewDog Edinburgh

BrewDog EdinburghBrewDog Edinburgh
BrewDog EdinburghBrewDog Edinburgh
Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

143 Cowgate
Edinburgh, Scotland, EH1 1JS
United Kingdom

+44 131 220 6517 | map
brewdog.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.31
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
39
pDev:
6.26%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of TargaFlorio
Reviewed by TargaFlorio from Indiana

4.07/5  rDev -5.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25
The smaller of the two Brewdog Edinburgh locations, this one is down in the Cowgate. Visited around 9:00 pm on a Saturday night. Decent size crowd that night, lots of people sliding in for a quick beer on their way somewhere else. We found seats at one of the narrow tables outside which worked out well since it was a nice night.

Pretty surprised to see 4 Upland Brewing sours on draft from back in my neck of the woods in Indiana. They were pretty pricey, but those beers can be expensive in Indiana too. Didn't feel like doing the exact conversion to see how much the markup was. Overall, with the horrible service I had at the Lothian road location, my experience at the Cowgate Brewdog was very positive.
Jun 29, 2019
 
Rated: 4.38 by Tjb14 from Michigan

Jun 10, 2019
Photo of DoctorZombies
Reviewed by DoctorZombies from Florida

3.93/5  rDev -8.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4
This location is in Old Town near the museum and close to the bus lines. Small bar, limited seating. Mixed service - one could not be bothered, the other bartender was quite nice. Routine BrewDog lineup and pricy. A few guest taps, and a small cooler of beer for on site and/or takeaway. I enjoyed their Lothian location a lot more...
Jan 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.97 by Needmorebeer312 from Washington

Jan 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Hayley_86 from Netherlands

Dec 09, 2017
 
Rated: 4.64 by brp94 from Spain

Oct 03, 2017
 
Rated: 4.33 by PawG from California

Jul 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.91 by zotzot from Vermont

Jun 17, 2017
Photo of Beerasaurus
Reviewed by Beerasaurus from Virginia

4.44/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25
Stopped in late afternoon on our trip to Scotland and was not disappointed. Right off the Royal Mile, they were accommodating for a family (teens). This location is pretty small so there's not a lot of booths. Pizza was very good, though menu is limited to pizzas.. Then again, we didn't stop in for the food. :-) Only wish we had time to sample more of the beers.
Apr 27, 2017
Photo of jjboesen
Reviewed by jjboesen from Maryland

3.93/5  rDev -8.8%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
This was my third Brewdog visit, during my recent trip to Scotland. Located on Cowgate, which parallels the Royal Mile, this location is rather cramped and difficult to navigate. There are some booths, a few hightops and a small bar with some rather uncomfortable stools. The beer selection excels as usual with each location offering something new. As usual, the service was great and the staff proud of their beer. I am surprised that there are not more locations in this fine city. During my visit, I enjoyed: Punk IPA, Elvis Juice and 5AM Saint. Great beer in the one of the world's greatest cities.
Mar 24, 2017
 
Rated: 3.79 by aRedLetterLife from New Jersey

Nov 02, 2016
Photo of Bombelsky
Reviewed by Bombelsky from Poland

4.4/5  rDev +2.1%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 2.5
It is a great spot. Very well located. Inside you will find it quite small, so you should go there little bit earlier to get a place. Good selection of BrewDog beers, some foreign craft beers like Anderson Valley you can also get there. Average, Scottish pub prices for craft beers I note as a big plus. Customer service is amazing, people working there are very friendly, they can advise a lot. Food they offer is disappointing. When I have been there they just had some pizzas. Good pizza indeed. I totally recommend this place.
Sep 06, 2016
Photo of Dreizhen
Reviewed by Dreizhen from District of Columbia

4.36/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Brewdog is a lovely pub with a good selection of their own beer and a nice array of foreign craft beer. It's a touch small and usually has a decent crowd, but I have been able to find a nice table on most visits after a little wait. Nice, helpful staff that seem knowledgeable and laid back. Coming from the U.S., there is a bit of sticker-shock with the exchange rate, but it's not too bad for U.K. prices. The longer I live here, the less it hurts me to buy a pint. That being said, I'd much rather drop 4-5 pounds for a beer here than spend the same on 2 Corona somewhere else on Cow Path. If you're in Edinburgh, this should be on your checklist. Also, check out their newly opened bottle shop on the other side of the city.
Nov 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.85 by DerekE4750 from New York

Jul 29, 2015
Photo of Arnar_Hallsson
Rated by Arnar_Hallsson from Florida

4.56/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25
Sensational atmosphere and an extremely dynamic bar
May 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.03 by redleg411 from Wisconsin

Feb 06, 2015
 
 
Rated: 4.54 by soulcougher from Pennsylvania

Dec 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by SAEmick from Illinois

Nov 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.8 by Darthkav from Ireland

Oct 08, 2014
Photo of Lochnessmonster
Reviewed by Lochnessmonster from Florida

4.75/5  rDev +10.2%
Convinced the wife to stop in on our honeymoon...I'm a lucky guy. Great place and I didn't even realize at the time that they had a tv show in the works. Also, got my first taste of Tactical Nuclear Penguin, which was pretty epic.
Sep 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by eawolff99 from Minnesota

Aug 22, 2014
Photo of MaddestHatter
Reviewed by MaddestHatter from Virginia

4.3/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
I discovered their beer in the States and knew that I'd have to pay a visit while in Scotland on vacation. The nice quiet location on Edinburgh's Cowgate was a lovely place for the lady and I to have a nice lunch on an uncharacteristically sunny day. The food was a ploughman's-esque platter of meats, cheeses, and bread (as well as a nicely spicy order of potato wedges with chorizo). The beer was similarly excellent, consisting of my two classic favorites, Punk IPA and 5 a.m. Saint, as well as the chance to try a very solid stout and a sip or two of hers (a light and not too strong red currant concoction which is perfect as the stereotypical "girl beer" but not at all light on flavor). This was definitely one of the highlights of the whole trip, and that is no easy feat as we sampled a great deal of very good restaurants throughout the city. When I return this winter I will certainly be stopping by again.
Jul 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by sephyrott from Spain

May 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by kjkinsey from Texas

May 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by gefinley from California

Mar 18, 2014
Photo of Rob3408
Reviewed by Rob3408 from Scotland

4.16/5  rDev -3.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
I live immensely close to BrewDog Edinburgh so it is my go to place to get craft beer. Not only is its location convenient for me but they are getting different beers in from around the world all the time so I have been able to get a different draft beer every single time I have been because they are always changing keg lines so I have never had the urge to get a beer from the bottle.

They have a great selection of beers, mostly their own, but that should be expected. BrewDog's beers are all superb so this isn't a bad thing for me. While they have a very limited selection for guest drafts they manage to get some really great craft beers.With all drinks costing around the same price (£4) by serving in various sized glasses and containing a similar number of UK units of alcohol in each drink it is easy to keep track of how much you have had to drink (big plus if you are a bit of a lightweight like myself). With this in mind the staff are all wonderful people who know their beers and are more than willing to help you pick out the right beer.

Once dinner time comes around the place starts filling up very quickly even though they don't offer very much food but as long as you have a seat already it won't bother you. They do play music through their speakers on the weekends which can a bit loud sometimes but it tends to fluctuate with the number of people in the place. No need to worry about watching sports because they have an array of board games to play if actually talking to your friends isn't good enough.

Good beer. Good prices. Good service. Thumbs up!
Feb 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Nordbier from Georgia

Dec 24, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by crowbar540 from Tennessee

Dec 19, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by SudSister from Canada (AB)

Nov 03, 2013
Photo of Beerstorian
Reviewed by Beerstorian from District of Columbia

4.32/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.75
We were touring UKoGBaNI and Ireland in spring 2012 and this was a must-see while in Edinburgh. Great quality, and they were just opening the taps on a Jaffa Cake stout, which was fantastic.

It's not exactly kids-friendly, but no pub in the UK really is, I suppose. They were very accommodating of the kids--we ordered some chips or something ordinary. My wife and I had a few amazing beers and moved on.
Feb 20, 2013
Photo of djmitche
Reviewed by djmitche from Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +6.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
If sampling the gentle (bland?) caresses of cask ales is not your thing, this is place to be. The tap list has the full range I'd expect at an American craft bar - IPA, stout, pale, imperial pilsner, etc. And guest beers from Mikkeller, Nøgne Ø, and Evil Twin at the moment.

The location is almost under George IV Bridge, among the hostels and dive bars. Which is to say, away from the tartans and ghost tours - a nice change!

Worth a visit, for sure, at the risk of having your CAMRA membership revoked.
Jun 12, 2012
Photo of bobbo_
Reviewed by bobbo_

4.36/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Have been to Brewdog Edinburgh many times as it's one of the few decent beer bars in Edinburgh.

The atmosphere is excellent, though can be very varied. Daytimes are generally quite quiet and reasonable relaxed. Night times (especially Weekends) can be absolutely packed, with a mix of young and old. Music can be too loud at times and can try slightly too hard to fit in with BrewDog's 'Punk' ethos, drowning out conversation. You can also find live music some nights.

The selection of beers is generally very good, lots from Brewdog itself but also a large number of beers from other breweries. Most of the 'core' Brewdog beers are always on tap, generally with a couple of other more interesting beers, plus around 2 or 3 external beers. They also have a large selection of bottled beers from a great range of breweries. The tap beers are cheap-ish (£3.50 to £4 a pint) but bottles and non-BrewDog beers can become very expensive.

The staff are very knowledgeable, will recommend beers and are generous with free tasters of the draft beers. They serve a range of food (complete with beer-pairings written on the menu), but I haven't personally tried any.

Will definitely be returning and would recommend a visit to anyone that finds themselves Edinburgh.
Apr 09, 2012
Photo of maxk
Reviewed by maxk from Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
I've gone to Brewdog five times now and have mixed feelings about it.

The atmosphere is dynamic. I've gone during the day and there are groups of older, more mature people, sitting, enjoying their beers and talking amongst themselves. When I've gone at night, it becomes absolutely packed to the point where it's a fight to get to the bar. They usually have music playing in the background, not too loud, which I like. I go here to enjoy beers, specifically when I'm not in the mood to go to the standard bars and pubs around the city, and due to it's very limited size, it can get cramped and noisy to the point where it occasionally detracts from my experience.

The pub itself looks very nice, uses decent glassware, etc. and is of fine quality.

The service has always been great, all the guys I've spoken to know their beer and are more than helpful in giving a recommendation. They pour good beers too.

They have a great selection on tap and in bottles. I love the tap options, both from Brewdog and their guest taps. They have 10 taps (I think) 7 or 8 of which tend to be Brewdog offerings and the rest are guest beers. They also have an abundant selection of bottles, including some of my American favorites and some other interesting beers from around the world.

The tap options tend to be a good deal, you can easily get a half pint of a delicious brew for around 3 pounds. Some of the bottles (and specialty drinks like Sink the Bismarck! and Tactical Nuclear Penguin) can be a little bit expensive, but that's understandable.

Brewdog Edinburgh is a must visit for any beer lover in Edinburgh.
Nov 29, 2011
Photo of Zimbo
Reviewed by Zimbo from Scotland

4.35/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
I can be a bit of a BrewDogoskeptic but its hard not to be impressed by this place. The staff are refreshingly upbeat and truly interested in what they are doing and that extra bit of beer knowledge they possess is a welcome relief. Can't say I've had better service anywhere in the capital. Other places should look and learn.

Lots of interesting draft beer usually ready to go though they can make the BrewDog offering looks meagre in comparison. Still, you're not going to find their beers any fresher or any better anywhere else. The excellent guest draft and bottled selection always seem to give me that extra bit of interest and expectation whenever I've been in. The only place you'll find Kernel bottles in Scotland too.

But surely a daily list of available bottled beer would be better than having to continually crane your neck around the bar as you eye up the seemingly far away beer fridges for treats.

As a venue on its own it is a bit small, dingy, dark and a bit oppressive really. But once you add the human factor you don't notice really. As mentioned staff do a good job of raising that stakes here and the clientele are the people you hoped would frequent a place like this.

If BrewDog would just let this bar do all their talking and marketing then they'd be everyone's pal. No doubt in my mind. But I guess that wouldn't be very punk.
Oct 10, 2011
Photo of GRBrew
Reviewed by GRBrew from Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +2.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3
If you are in Edinburgh and are sick of cask ale this is the only place to go. They have several of their own beers on tap as well as around 5 guest taps. They also stock a good amount of bottles. Found a few Mikkeler sours that I had never had. Also was able to try Penguin and Tokyo.

The bar itself is kind of small so there is limited seating. The staff is very helpful. I talked to one of the bartenders about wanting to try Tokyo and she mentioned they just took it off. When I mentioned I would be back in a week at the end of my trip she said she would put it back on. Sure enough it was there when I returned. This really is the only place to drink craft beer in Edinburgh.
Oct 04, 2011
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
This bar does not offer any food. Also, no server will come to your table. Yes, you go to the bar and order your beer for each round. It's a relatively small place with few tables.

Okay, now the good parts: The bartenders are friendly, knowledgable and very helpful. I was given samples of three different on-tap offerings before settling on my selection. There's free WiFi (I'm typing this review in the bar).

The selection of bottled beers is impressive list including decent American micros as well as an extensive Mikkeller list. The BrewDog versions are good (naturally), perhaps even better on-tap than their bottled versions available in America.
Sep 04, 2011
Photo of flyingpig
Reviewed by flyingpig from Scotland

4.33/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Visited on a Sunday afternoon during the Fringe festival (around 2pm). Place was just beginning to fill up with a good mix of people. The place was a lot smaller than I was expecting although we got some seats. Good atmosphere with some nice background music playing (everything from Johnny Cash to Chemical Brothers).

The service was fast & the staff seemed to know their stuff from what I could hear from other customers. They had a nice selection of beers, both bottled & on-tap, mainly from Brewdog & craft beers from the US. I was slightly disappointed that the Brewdog offerings themselves were not more varied. They had 5 or 6 on-tap but only another 5 or so in bottles but I was still able to try 2 new ones which I'm happy about.

The price was about right for what you where getting I suppose, a pint of Brewdogs Zeitgeist was £3.20 & a bottle of Alice Porter was £4.50 & I enjoyed both a lot.

I plan to go back later this month, and it will be somewhere I will visit most times I am in Edinburgh.
Aug 16, 2011
Photo of seanyfo
Reviewed by seanyfo from Scotland

4.36/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Located on the cowgate near the grassmarket in the centre of the old town in Edinburgh.

Visited on a busy Saturday night, a good mixture of students, suits and couples all having a good time, so atmosphere was was really good.

Its certainly not a big pub, one long room with a few couches at one end, seats at the bar and other seats/high tables pretty much put where they could fit them.

Getting to the bar was not difficult, and was served quickly. Nice big blackboards giving all the relevant information on whats on tap - brewdog house beers, and guest stuff from around the globe. On my visit i tried the Mikkeller Exotic Punch and Stone Cali-Belgique. Both were in excellent condition served by the 1/2 pint in tulip glasses.

A nice range of bottled beer to compliment their own offerings. Mostly American stuff from Stone, Southern Tier, Rogue and of course others including Belgians such as La Chouffe.

Im not a massive fan of Brewdog beers but i did like the pub. A good mix of people so its proving popular and they are informative and friendly about the beers if you wanna ask questions. Not sure if £8 for Southern Tier Choklat is good value but certainly not something easy to find here, so i guess i cant grumble too much.

Didnt try the food.

Note*** They advertise this pub has having no music but there were certainly blasting it out the speakers on Saturday.

Would certainly be happy to visit again.
Jul 25, 2011
BrewDog Edinburgh in Edinburgh, GB6, United Kingdom
Place rating: 4.31 out of 5 with 39 ratings