Sandy Bell's, Edinburgh

Great evening had in Sandy Bells after night at The Playhouse…

Cracking end to our evening with good banter and a great Atmosphere albeit the musicians were a little rude to a gentleman who was singing a traditional scottish sonnit in between their set… Shame on you.

Thanks guys for a great end to a great night in Edinburgh!

Cheers
J

Having heard about this pub beforehand I was sadly disappointed when I visited. Staff didn't seem that bothered in serving and the musicians were fairly mediocre not helped by a rather unfriendly manner. There are much much better pubs in Edinburgh to hear folk music.

Traditional Scottish pub where the locals turn up and play you a bit of folk music. The pub has a friendly feel to it and everytime I’ve been in I’ve got chatting with the locals. The bar also sells a few real ales, for anyone looking for a traditional pub they won’t be disappointed with Sandy Bell’s

when I was in their was an umpleasent smell, friendly staff though, no student discount on drinks

Another Edinburgh institution. As others have said, anyone who is interested in folk music should make a point of coming here while they are in Edinburgh. It feels natural and unforced and visiting musicians are encouraged to join in. The friendly bar staff and the good range of whiskies is also an attraction, but really the music and the atmosphere alone are enough to recommend this pub highly.

Quite simply my favourite pub in the world, which is a pretty brave claim considering the fact that Bells is pretty much a corridor with a bar attached. I does not serve food, its furnishings are nothing special, but what it does provide is the best atmosphere of any pub I have ever been to.
It is rare that there is not a gang of musicians in the corned fiddling out an old Scottish balled. Other nights the chess enthusiasts of Edinburgh will gather to play games and take on new comers, all to the soundtrack of fine folk music. On the weekends the place is rammed, an rightly so as this place has genuine Celtic atmosphere, unlike the myriad of soulless shells in town that cover the walls in Gaelic and upholster the seats in tartan without managing to harness an ounce of the ambience that Bells has on its quietest nights. The best.

Brilliant bar with traditional music every night of the week. It has been a regular haunt of mine for many years even before I lived in Edinburgh. The best nights for music are Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Also a lovely session on Saturday afternoons. A mix of traditional scottish and irish tunes played over the various nights, also you never know what well know musicians might pop in for a tune as the quality of the weekend sessions is really high.

Drink available - good selection of whisky and beers, also a range of other drams. It can get very busy at the weekends but it all adds to the atmosphere.

Where other pubs in Edinburgh are famed for their history, this place is musical history in the making.
you just never know when you are listening and enjoying your pint, how famous the singers will become.
And if theyre not going to be famous, they still entertain me.

good traditional pub. good atmosphere and good beer.

I really liked this pub and am rating it higher than the Qype boys did as I could have definitely stayed here for a couple hours, happily tapping and bouncing along to the fiddles (at least 4 of them!) and guitars. Truth be told I was overjoyed and got even more of the Scottish experience than I hoped for as soon as the musicians got going.

As it was my very first time in Edinburgh (and in Scotland as a matter of fact!) it’s hard to say definitely which was my favourite pub from our Friday night crawl but I did think the music and atmosphere here was more upbeat than in the other spots we visited. I had a great time despite the very crowded bar area, and trust me when I say I really don’t like tight spaces so that in itself says a whole lot!

Clearly, this is on my must-revisit-in-Edinburgh list.

You could actually smell the humanity when we talked into this pub on a relatively humid (for Edinburgh) Friday night, but once you get over the rather close atmosphere it’s hard not to be charmed by this place with it’s 'folk corner’ and huge range of malts.

We only stayed for a quick drink but I could have happily spent a few hours here listening to he musicians. Will go on my list of 'pubs to go back to’ for the next time I’m north of the border.

If you like folk music, you should stop by Sandy Bell’s. Musicians play here every night (and twice on Sunday). Locals and tourists alike sip pints of Caledonian ale and listen to the fiddles, drums and harmonica players. The musicians aren’t particularly inclusive, so if you’re looking for a sing song, this may not be the place for you. Oh, and the bar is small, so it gets very crowded. Other than that, i would highly recommend factoring Sandy Bell’s into your Friday night pub crawl!

Great place to go if you like folk music. This pub has live folk sessions from about nine, or sometime after, every night. Have heard some really good music in here. The staff over the years have been really helpful. It’s a very traditional pub, and has a brilliant atmosphere because of that.

This pub is known the world over as the folk music pub of Edinburgh. With a long history of great and famous folkies having played, drunk and played again between its narrow, confined walls, this reputation is well founded. Unfortunately, one can’t actually hear anything at all, due to the fact that this is a very popular pub with both locals and tourists. Despite the crush, it’s a reliable place to find a happy, chatty bunch of people from all walks of life, and by the time you’ve walked from the front door to the toilets at the back, you’ve met everyone, and know the name of the man in the blue shirt by the door’s dog. And that’s what a good night out is all about, right?

Small on size, big on character Sandy Bells commands a loyal clientele and there’s not much room for anyone else. It’s ‘cosy’ in more ways than one.
Even so, the nightly traditional music sessions and warm chatter attract many defiant tourists squeezing in after walking up from Greyfriars Bobby.
Once you find a space of your own you can really start to enjoy the pub’s good points. There’s lots of good beers on tap and the ‘Malt of the moment’ is always cheap and well chosen. The staff too, are highly skilled at remembering whose turn it is, so push in front of a regular at your peril!

The tradition music that makes Sandy Bell’s famous is indeed fantastic—basically, the fuss is over a few musicians sitting around a back table, having a jam session. There is no sense that the music is for show, as the musicians barely acknowledge their rapt audience.
The only drawback to the informal gig is just how popular it is. Imagine being in the front row of the pit at a big-name concert: the crowd swells and surges, and you fight for every free inch of personal space and breathing room that you can claim.
Okay, so it’s not hardly that bad, but on busy nights it is often the case that those patrons near the front of the bar cannot ever hear the music, which is being played at the back of the bar, even though the distance is less than 20 feet.
So, IF you can manage to get near back, you will be treated to a truly authentic range of traditional Scottish music.
Also, to be fair, I should mention that the service from the bar staff is some of the warmest around, and prices are fair, considering the popularity of the place. In all, very worth a visit, but you may wish to sharpen your elbows.

Sandy Bell’s bar, opposite Oddfellows, is a great place for a cheeky whiskey late at night. It is always full of locals ('full’ not being difficult in this very narrow bar) and nearly always has a token fiddler ripping out some country tunes and loving every second of it. The wide range of whiskeys is definitely the main feature of this bar. Many consequently see it as more of a pub for the older man.