The Devil's Advocate

The Devil's Advocate, Edinburgh: Quick Take

Advocate's Close is one of Edinburgh's oldest surviving closes off the Royal Mile, and The Devil's Advocate has made it a destination in its own right. If you're weighing up where to take a group of four or more for drinks and food in the Old Town, this is one of the more reliable answers — a converted Victorian pump house with enough space to actually seat a party comfortably, which is rarer than it sounds in this part of the city.

The Space

The room does a lot of the work here. The building retains its original industrial bones: exposed stone walls, high ceilings, and a layout that opens up in ways most Old Town venues don't allow. For groups, that matters. Many of Edinburgh's leading cocktail bars are purpose-built for two or four at a counter; The Devil's Advocate has the floor plan to handle a table of six or eight without everyone feeling wedged in. If you're organising a pre-theatre drinks run, a birthday dinner, or a work night out, the spatial generosity is a genuine practical advantage over smaller competitors on the same stretch.

What to Expect

The offer is cocktails and Scottish pub food with a slight premium lean — think the kind of menu that bridges serious drinking and a proper sit-down meal. The bar programme is the headline act, and the kitchen supports it rather than the other way around. This isn't the place to come if your primary goal is a destination dining experience; for that, you'd look elsewhere in Edinburgh. But if the evening involves a group, a few rounds, and something to eat, the format works well.

Booking is easy relative to most comparable venues in the city. Walk-ins are possible but a reservation makes sense for groups of four or more, particularly on weekends and during the Edinburgh Festival in August, when the Old Town runs at capacity and every venue with this profile fills fast. Outside of peak season, availability is generally good.

Value Assessment

Without confirmed pricing in our data, direct comparisons are limited , but the venue's positioning in the market is clear. It sits above a direct pub and below a fine-dining bar in terms of price expectation. For a group night out in central Edinburgh, the combination of a well-executed cocktail list, table-friendly layout, and a food offering that can sustain a longer evening represents solid value at its tier. You're paying for the room as much as the drinks, and the room is worth it.

When to Go

Avoid August if crowds concern you , the Festival turns the Royal Mile into a bottleneck and every nearby venue feels it. The shoulder months of April to June and September to October give you the leading combination of atmosphere and availability. Winter works well too: the stone interior holds its character in colder months, and the Old Town has a different energy outside tourist season that suits the venue.

Practical Details

Pearl Picks: More Edinburgh and Beyond

• For Edinburgh's leading cocktail bars, see Bramble and Panda & Sons , both are stronger on the drinks programme but tighter on space.
• For a hotel bar with a different energy, try 24 Royal Terrace Hotel or Aurora.
• Browse our full Edinburgh bars guide, our full Edinburgh restaurants guide, our full Edinburgh hotels guide, our full Edinburgh wineries guide, and our full Edinburgh experiences guide.
• Travelling further? See Bar Kismet in Halifax, 69 Colebrooke Row in London, and Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu for reference-point cocktail bars in other cities.