While we encourage our readers to support independent pubs, sometimes a trip to Spoons is on the cards. There are eight JD Wetherspoon pubs in Edinburgh, each with their own unique backstory, period features and building history. This is how they rank – from best to worst – according to customer ratings on Google reviews.
1. The Caley Picture House
The Caley Picture House is in an illustrious former cinema in Lothian Road which closed in 1986. It has only been a Wetherspoon pub since 2016, but maintains some of the spectacular art deco-style interiors. Photo: c
2. The Standing Order
The second most esteemed Spoons in Edinburgh is the Standing Order in George Street, New Town. Formerly the premises of the Union Bank of Scotland, the pub still has the original Chubb vault on display in one of its dining areas. Photo: Third Party
3. The Booking Office
Found in the shadow of the Balmoral clock and a few moments from Princes Street, The Booking Office on Waverley Bridge was - as its name suggests - the former ticket office of the railway station. It later became a parcels office before being converted into the pub we know today. Photo: Submitted
4. The Alexander Graham Bell
The Alexander Graham Bell in George Street is of course named after the inventor of the telephone, who was born a few streets away in South Charlotte Street. In his memory, this Spoons has a number of old telephones on display. Photo: JD Wetherspoons