please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Beer selection excellent, a little pricier than you might expect from the decor, but always interesting. Some staff can be a bit brusque while others are very welcoming. The big chap who looks like a bouncer behind the bar is offputting, and found fault where there was none on so many occasions we don't go there so often any more. Many pubs in the area that serve good beer but where you can count on a warmer reception, so they're not doing themselves any favours. Their other branch, in Southside, is first class.
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My Partner & his friends from work chose the Cask & Barrel to go for their christmas day out, but one of his friends was refused to be served due to the way he was dressed, he was dressed no different to anyone else in the bar so he felt discriminated against by the staff, my Partner uses the pub frequently with his other friends but after this experience I dont think he will be using it again.
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A good real ale pub. The bar staff can seem a bit brusque but if you give them a chance they are decent and talkative.
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Smashing space: excellent ale at reasonable prices. But, in terms of staff, a little short on charm. Pity
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I thought the barman was going to be a bit standoffish and brusk at first, but he mellowed as the beer went down. This is a real ale boozer with all the alehouse trimmings - the beer is good and that's why you go there!
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OK for a cask ale pub, but for me no more than that. I think it is probably a better experience in the evening since I have only called in at lunchtimes when there are few customers and the atmosphere is rather lacking. The beer always seems OK though. Food is cheap, basic and is tasty and good value.
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I think this is a great pub but I always seem to be there before the evening rush when the staff have always been polite and informative when I've asked about the beers. The beer has always been good quality too and personally I'm not bothered about TV screens being switched off - I'd rather they weren't there! Plenty of conversation and good atmosphere was my experience.
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This could and should be a great pub, especially for real ale drinkers who like watching sport. Eight large T.V's placed around the large bar which are capable of showing eight different sporting events at the same time, but trying asking the grumpy manager or his large over fed assistant to turn one on for any sporting event and you would think you had just asked them to stand naked outside in the freezing cold whilst donating a million pounds to the cafe next door (you sometimes get the same reaction when asking them to serve you a beer).
A very good pub completely ruined by the Victor Meldrew management, who have tried their best to teach the rest of the staff to be as grumpy (fortunately they have failed with one or two).
One last point, don't ever go in for an international football or rugby match as you can barely get through the door. If the Fire officers or health & safety ever visited the place during any such games, they would close the place down.
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This is a nice looking traditional pub , full of warm people and a decent choice of real ales and lagers but the experience is somewhat ruined by a fat,miserable ,aggressive bar manager who you cant miss .
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Very rude manager. Quite an aggressive person really. Bad vibe. I will not be going back.
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I Like the ambience inside but for a pub that has such a wide range of cask ales they really need to employ some staff who have some enthusiasm for and knowledge of them. On my last vist this weekend the middle aged bloke on duty looked with disdain at my ordering two half pints, and offered no help at all when I asked for some info about one or two obscure ales. They might be better off keeping fewer beers in better condition, and marketing them with a bit of gusto. Disappointing.
Also, curious name- I thought a cask WAS a barrel?! Some marketing kid's ignorance i assume..?
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Late comment from August. Had a Hadrian and Border but not as good a pub as it was in my opinion.
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A pretty average pub. Unmemorable beer, lack of atmosphere, but no reason not to come back, I suppose. It isn't good and it isn't bad.
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Pretty good beer selection compared to the rather staid selection in even many of the CAMRA approved pubs. Well kept beers, pleasant interior and just far enough off the festival circuit (for this festival goer!).
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Just had the one in here. Seemed ok and the ale was fine. Quite welcoming actually.
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Visited August 2007. Both cask ales I had were served too warm, and were not in the best condition. The pub had quite a few handpumps, but serving real ales at correct cellar temperature and in good condition is more important. The bartender seemed not overly enthusiastic about having guests in his pub! Otherwise this was a nice looking pub.
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I was short-changed in this pub last week and the manager just backed the bartender up. It seems to be a growing problem in Edinburgh. Avoid this pub. And watch your change in Scotland.
Jintray
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normally a good pub, decent beer and a good selection. dont order food though. ordered a curry, got four bits of chicken in a smattering of rice, reaction from the staff! nowt! sent it back and I wont be going in there again. Best advice avoid the place.
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Second pub in my "crawl" of 27/04/2007.
Very pleasant corner pub with a horseshoe bar and compartmentalised seating in the front area with chair-and-table seating elsewhere. I found staff very pleasant and businesslike during my stay. Pub seemed slightly on the quiet side when I entered around 2130-2200, but by closing time it was lively and buzzing with conversation. Locals were friendly (thanks for that pint, Bill).
I enjoyed the following beers during the session:
COWIE
Pleasant hoppy session ale, some malty notes; 3.6% and only �2/pint. Apparently there is usually one beer available at this price.
CAIRNGORM BLESSED THISTLE
Spicy, novelty craft beer with hint of frankincense and myrrh - something of an acquired taste, but in a pleasant session in amicable surroundings such a taste is not hard to acquire!
HARVIESTOUN BITTER AND TWISTED
Simply exquisite
HILL ISLAND REVIVE ALE
Possibly the best of the night - 3.9%, smokey, rather like a German Rauchbier. Superb!
I felt quite relaxed and welcome in the Cask & Barrel, and would recommend it to real-ale enthusiasts visiting Edinburgh.
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Interested to read silverusbaskus comments about the bar staff.
Although the Cask is a good pub, there are two fat rubber faced barman (think they maybe brothers) who are incredibly obnoxious and myself and my mate boycott the Cask for a while because of their attitude. This is a shame because it is a good pub for watching footy and a good pint.
If these two clowns arent working it gets an 8 out of 10!
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I've been in this pub tonight and while it was empty (when the Barony and Phoenix were bustling) it was a pleasant experience, the bar staff (Northern Irish and Canadian) were helpful, the range of ales was good, if not always familar to the staff, and while it's a bit more corporate than the other good bars on Broughton Street, it did it for me.
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Sorry - shouldnn't have put anonymous. There. Is that better?
Johnkn7 - the conversation was the problem. We asked if they were showing the England game, the barman (possibly landlord, I couldn't tell you, didn't hang aroung to ask) laughed and pointed to a screen, where the match was indeed on. We settled down to watch and all was fine. Went to the bar for a second time and was told we weren't being served any more. Three of us, two guys and a girl. The barman/landlord was then whispering to some locals at the bar and pointing at us. We then left. Maybe we should have hung about, and 'made conversation' with the person who refused to serve us.
On a positive note, the beer was good and it's nice inside. Was just appalled by the rudeness. I apologise for not being candid enough, I hope this addresses it.
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I'm also English and lived in Edinburgh for a while. The Cask is my favourite Edinburgh pub and I was never made to feel unwelcome there.
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Well anonymous, I'm English and I would have no hesitation in going back. 'Outsiders' seemed more than welcome to me. Stick to Walkabout where you don't actually have to talk to anyone.
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OK if you're scottish. Don't go in if you're English. This busy pub at the foot of Broughton Street doesn't like outsiders.
anonymous - 14 Nov 2006 00:04 |
Excellent selection of well kept, mainly Scottish real ales. Big screens for major sporting occasions and they are only switched on for major sporting occasions as the landlord likes to encourage the art of conversation which is becoming something of a rarity in pubs these days. Proper old fashioned boozer.
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Not perhaps a very imaginative name and lacks the charisma of some city pubs (particularly the Barony Bar just up the road) but nonetheless a decent drinking environment. A horseshoe bar dominates proceedings and bristles with pumps dispensing mainly Scottish beers. One of the etched and painted mirrors is from Boddingtons! An unusual feature is that all the seating follows the walls.
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Eschews the character of some Embra pubs for the standard alehouse approach of bare boards etc, but has about the best choice of beer.
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During our weekend pub crawl in Edinburgh this bar was visited twice. In fact we started here early one Friday afternoon and ended up here late on Saturday evening. After two days we had been to 16 great bars in Edinburgh. Cask & Barrel was among the five best places. Brilliant pub, polite staff, and, of course, a very good selection of excellent Scottish ales. From the 10 hand pumps we sampled beers from Harviestoun, Isle of Mull, Inveralmond, just to mention a few.
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good ever changing range of real ale. lots of tv screens so great for watching football especially if more than one match on.
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EXCELLENT BOOZER! Terrific range of real ales, lots of guest beers so we bon't loose interest! Mitch and staff really know what they are about! Well worth a visit! If you have a session and get "tired" there is a bus stop ten yards outside the door!
A pub to enjoy!
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Great Pub...tellys only used for sport, no music no fancy offers, no alcopops so few if any teenagers, great staff, officious Management but they do know their beer
anonymous - 24 May 2005 15:48 |
A good old fashioned boozer at the bottom of the best drinking street in the toon.Ive spent many all dayers in here.
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Large and open pub that appears brighter than most (or was the sun shining that day?) Choice of good ales also.
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A large pub with a friendly atmosphere where the real ale drinker will be as well looked after as the beer itself. It's a bit of a stroll from the main Princes Street area but well worth the effort.
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