nice and warm in winter

This is a great wee pub on Broughton Street, and as the name suggests it is below street level. When you go down the stairs to access the pub there is a great little sheltered smoking area with heaters. When you enter The Basement you will be surprised at how big it actually is. The bar staff are friendly enough (for some reason all wearing Hawaiin style shirts), and all the tables have lovely candles on them - all this adds up to a lovely, friendly atmosphere. The food is the usual pub food with a Mexican twist (try the burritos - they’re lovely!!). Pricewise it isn’t the cheapest place, but it is a great wee place to go chill withfriends, definetely worth a try!

This is a quirky bar to be found at the top of Broughton Street. Surprisingly, in 'a basement’. Who’d have thought it, eh?

Anyway, it really is rather large - I never would have expected this. The interior is comfortable - candles on the tables (always dangerous around me) give a lovely warm atmosphere, and the staff in their bright Hawaiian shirts really can’t be missed. Well, maybe…if you were blind drunk. Half of The Basement is laid out in a relaxed bar style format, and the other is set out in a more restaurant like manner. I’ve never yet eaten in here, but I’m sure I’ll get around to it at some point. The drinks aren’t too cheap, so I’m not sure how expensive the food will be by comparison however.

Outside, at the bottom of the steep flight of stairs down from the main street, there are sheltered tables, chairs and heat lamps - mostly frequented by the smokers. But for all it’s outside, it really is rather toasty. Perfect for those winter months!

It’s a funky, quirky bar and well worthy of a look in. But if you’re feeling rather skint, then this isn’t really going to be your best bet. There are definitely cheaper pubs in the area.

they certainly know how to make a great bloody mary though at £5.50 the nachos were a rip off (or am i living in 1970?) ... can be a bit gloomy as it is underground - sometimes thats a good thing though….

Funky bar where the staff wear loud Hawaiian shirts. It’s in a basement (oh, yes) and so it can get very hot in the summer, and it gets extremely busy too, but the service is good. It has a huge brightly painted mural with “characters” who I guess are based on some of the regulars there.

It’s pretty central, so if you’ve a loose couple of hours to spare before going to The Playhouse, it’s well worth a visit.

The basement is a really good pub on the busy stretch of Broughton St. Large but quite cosy, it’s a homely bar by day and then a bustling one by night. Fairly expensive but typically so for this part of Edinburgh.

Great “hidden gem” on Broughton street. Cool without being overly trendy and definately benefitting from its recent refit which added a bit more space without overhauling the look and feel of the bar. The food here is fantastic for the price. try the roast chicken salad. It takes a little longer to prepare but it’s well worth the wait. The also do an impressive range of tequilas.

The basement is definitely not the place to go if you’re planning a romantic first date, however if you’re looking for somewhere with atmosphere, good food at a reasonable price then look no further.

The place is split in two, half is a straight forward bar whilst the other is a bar restaurant. The menu isn’t overly long but the food is tasty and the portions large.

This is a great, funky little bar with friendly staff identified by their Hawaiin shirts. The atmosphere is laid back and cool and the clientele are varied, from chilled out and cool to dressed up and trendy. The food is fantastic, huge portions and very reasonably priced.