With its legendary status, derived from being featured in Inspector Rebus crime novels by
Ian Rankin, the
Oxford Bar was an Edinburgh pub to be visited with respect.
However, coffee and culture were first on my list for Monday 2 October, 2017. I walked from Haymarket station to the
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Two) and found a table in the respectable setting of
Cafe Modern Two.
This is a pleasant place to savour a coffee with its high ceilings and windows. Suitably refreshed, the
True to Life exhibition, featuring British realist art from the inter-war period, was a rewarding treat.
The 13 bus to Queensferry Street saved some walking on the way to Young Street.
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| The Cambridge Bar, Young Street, Edinburgh |
The
Cambridge Bar was passed on the way to the nearby Oxford Bar. Burgers and sport on TV can be found inside as well as three ales from Scottish breweries.
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| The Oxford Bar, Young Street, Edinburgh |
The
Oxford Bar (The Ox) is situated on a corner of the cobbled street in Edinburgh's New Town.
The sign over the door is recognised as an Edinburgh landmark. It is listed as number
100 in
Edinburgh's 101 objects, a mapped project that reveals the city's history by
This is Edinburgh.
The text from the leaflet displayed in the window explains that the inverted commas around Oxford are due to the original presence of an Oxford University Press depot along the road.
The pub looked closed but the door opened and I went into the simple bar
on the left to order my beer before taking to a table in the room on
the right. The half pint of 3.9% abv
Pentland IPA straw-coloured session pale ale brewed in Loanhead, Edinburgh by
Stewart Brewing cost £2 and was welcome refreshment.
The plain but attactrive fireplace is the main feature in this room which has dark furniture. A small TV sits on an elevated corner shelf but was switched off.
To reach the airport from here, involved a tram from Princes Street with an opportunity for the obligatory photo of Edinburgh Castle.
Once through security at Edinburgh airport, there was time for a pint at the
Sir Walter Scott (Wetherspoon).
My table was near an ornate mirror which made the space more like a pub and less like an airport lounge.
However, an hour or so later, there could be no disguising the fact that I was in an aircraft as the Norwegian flight to Providence, Rhode Island, USA, flew west giving a good view of Edinburgh's three Forth bridges.
See the
Dave's Bar & Grille blog post in
BeerNorthAmerica for details of the next bar I would visit soon after landing in the USA.
The Oxford Bar,
8 Young Street,
Edinburgh EH2 4JB
Open daily from 12 noon (11am Fri / Sat, 12.30am Sun)
'The Ox also manages to be centrally-located yet not easy to find' - Ian Rankin
