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 A warm and inviting pub which is reputed to be the oldest pub in Edinburgh, that is the oldest constantly occupied pub in Edinburgh, dating back to the 18th century. Two other pubs claim to be older - The Golf Tavern (15th century) and the The Sheip Heid (14th century).
Poets Rabbie Burns and William Wordsworth both stayed here, and the some of their work is enscribed on the roof beams inside such as 'The best laid plans of mice and men'. The building exhibits wallhead gables to the front and semi-octagonal stair towers to the rear.
YOUR COMMENTS ON WHITE HART INN, THE
Submitted by Jim McLean on Sunday, August 09, 2009:
Just been visiting Edinburgh for the Festival and found this wee gem. Been in a couple of nights and watched a lad called Andrew on Tuesday and Macpolvo on Wednesday. Great trafitionl music and atmosphere.
Submitted by Alison MacHendry on Friday, March 20, 2009:
I´ve been to see Graeme E. Pearson play here many a time. and I hear he is doing a musical walking tour of Edinburgh. OOR Tours. http://www.oortours.com
Submitted by lamdu on Tuesday, November 25, 2008:
why what where
Submitted by Duncan Phillips on Wednesday, March 26, 2008:
The White Hart is a great wee pub and has some great Trad music. The acoustic stuff on Mondays was great, and Andrew Gordon put in a couple of great sets on Tuesday, highly recommended
Submitted by Gordon MacDonald on Sunday, January 06, 2008:
The White Hart has some of the best free Celtic and Scottish Music you can get in Edinburgh. Good for some banter with the bar staff too.
Submitted by Conor on Thursday, January 03, 2008:
I have been to Edinburgh three years running and thought this pub was going to be my ´local´ while in town however I have never felt such a rude ending to a night out when the doorman came in at 11.35pm when the lights dimmed for the first time to inform us we had 10 minutes left and then came in at 11.45pm and proceeded to take all our half filled glasses off us and tell us the pub was closed. THE WORST NIGHT OUT EVER!
Submitted by Carl on Tuesday, June 12, 2007:
This was my first (and last) visit to Edinburgh. After reading all the rave reports about the White Hart pub, I thought I would take myself along in anticipation of a toe tapping, knee slapping night out. But I was left somewhat disappointed by all the bearded real ale boffins wearing arran sweaters and green cords. This was 2007 not 1957. The beer was warm and the barmaid discourteous when I asked her if she ever heard of Stockport County. I won´t be back
Submitted by Sara Jones-Smith on Thursday, April 26, 2007:
Topping Sunday night. Graeme E. Pearson. Such a nice place to catch good tradditional entertainment. I bought two of his albums and haven´t been dissapointed. We´ve been coming back to see Graeme for a long time now and he never lets us down.
Submitted by Jonathan MacCarthur on Wednesday, March 21, 2007:
Graeme E. Pearson is a very good commmunicator. Friendly. likeable. Sociable. Every time I fly in from Paris I always stop in to the White Hart to see him.
Submitted by sarah on Wednesday, March 14, 2007:
Graemme E. Pearson cant sing and repeats the same songs over and over and over and over agen!!!!!!!! it is very depressin...the pub looks nice but fire graemme as he is drivin ppl away!!!!!!! bye xxx
Submitted by Anthony Meldrum on Tuesday, December 19, 2006:
I´ve been going in and out of pubs in Edinburgh for a few years now and by far the best entertainer is Graeme E. Pearson. He plays here on a Sunday night.
Submitted by Sarah on Thursday, November 30, 2006:
what a great place to spend our first friday in edinburgh. first we got food which was great so we came back at night this guy called raff who was the best singer made it a great night. we have told everyone in new york about this guy. we´ll be back soon
Submitted by Roland Kullnig on Tuesday, November 14, 2006:
(From Austria)
Very nice Pub with friendly staff! And the Haggis was very good.
I hope, IŽll be back there again.
Submitted by Shaun on Wednesday, October 18, 2006:
Spent 2 nights at the White Hart and the music was great! Graeme Pearson on Sunday and a younger fellow on Tuesday.
Drinks are good, prices fair, bartenders pretty, and (again) the music is excellent.
If you visit only one pub (but who would do that?) in Edinburgh, this is the one.
Shaun at yourlocalgeek -dot-com
USA
Submitted by Brian on Monday, September 25, 2006:
I got stranded in Edinburgh on my way back home to Atlanta back in July. I needed something to do so I took a seat at the bar just as this fellow Graeme Pearson was starting to play some traditional folk tunes and covers. What a great way to unwind. The ales on draught were great, the staff friendly, and everyone inside was pleasant. I didn´t have any luck as a standby pax on the next day´s ATL flight, so I was stuck another night in EDI. Of course, I returned to the White Hart. A really great pub for a date or just to chill. Keep it up y´all.
-Brian from Atlanta, USA
Submitted by Sarah on Friday, September 08, 2006:
It was just by chance that I stumbled across the Whitehart when wandering along the Grassmarket after dinner on Monday night Me and my friends were lured into the pub by the live music. What was initially a quiet night turned out to be a full scale footbanging and handclapping shindig. Fantastic. Great drinks, great staff and the best pub atmosphere I´ve witnessed in a long time! Rock on!
Submitted by Scott on Monday, August 28, 2006:
Fabulous spot for lunch. Staff are bright, cheery and make for a great time. As for Roger´s above comments ... what part of Glasgow are you from?
Submitted by Duncan MacDonald on Sunday, August 20, 2006:
The food was excellent,compliments to
the bar staff super service,and to round
up a couple of nice evenings at the White Hart guid Scottish music.
Definately good value thankyou.
Submitted by Hanne Widnes on Sunday, August 06, 2006:
Really a pub with character and atmosphere! Me and my mother visit it several times during our stay in Edinburgh, and she really loved the haggis!!
Submitted by valeen on Friday, June 09, 2006:
best pub I've found in Edinburgh to be honest, small and cosy, with a lot of history. this pub not only offers great food and hospitality but a great variety of music five nights a week , and its free entry. cheep drinks in the busiest area for nightlife. thank goodness as they also dont allow large geroups hen nights ect so you can just relax . best time ever x
Submitted by Kris on Monday, January 09, 2006:
I worked as a barmaid in this pub for a couple months during spring 2004, and I loved it! The other staff members made me feel right at home, which I appreicated as it was my first stay in a foreign country (I´m American). The music is festive and the drinks cheap, and as a nonsmoker I appreciated the no-smoking-near-the-bar rule.
Sorry to all the large, raucous groups that were miffed at being turned away, but it´s really a tiny pub and it´s not like there aren´t a hundred other places to go nearby that are more suited for that type of night out. (I hope that doesn´t come off sounding rude, because it wasn´t meant to be!)
Anyway, I would recommend everyone stop by for a pint on their way through Edinburgh, as I would if I wasn´t living across the Atlantic at the moment!
Submitted by Sam n Pals/ Bathgate on Monday, December 19, 2005:
This is a great pub, it had a fantastic atmosphere (probably due to the festive revellers) the staff and punters we´re game for a laugh a thoroughly enjoyable night. we came across it cos Lothian road (which adjoins the street the White Hart is on)is the only street apart from princes street i know in edinburgh ... I KNOW :( and me being a scot thru and thru) we met a crowd of guys n gals from Livingston on their works night out ;) x and asked them where the good pubs were and they asked us to join them, we were a bit dubious at first but one of our pals sed "what the hell we dont know anywhere anyway lol" so we followed on and I AM TRULY GLAD WE DID......!!!!! what a sensational evening...!!!! and it turned out one of the crowd was a real nice guy and seemingly knew me from the almondvale centre and wondered why he hadnt seen me shopping there for a while...!!!! didnt even know he was alive then lol but i had a ring on my finger so he didnt want to approach me lol lol well guess what? the rings gone and he and i are keeping in touch (literally.. you dirty minded lot lol lol) so YES i would highlu reccommend this fantastic little grassmarket pub.!!!!! it served me up a whole new life ... I hope xxx ... give it a go what do you have to lose?
Submitted by Suze on Sunday, December 18, 2005:
Had a great time in Edinburgh and loved the White Hart. Place was packed every night we went in, the everyone was so friendly, the pub has so much character and there was such a great atmosphere. Loved the live entertainment and the whiskey! Will definitely be going back next time I´m in Edinburgh and it was a pleasure to be able to drink in a non smoking atmosphere.
Submitted by bernie on Sunday, December 11, 2005:
The best place for have some fun. Really good music, very nice boss and staff and tennents at all !
We will see us again !!
Kind regards from Bavaria
Bernie
Submitted by john on Tuesday, November 22, 2005:
where is this pub?????
Submitted by phil on Tuesday, November 22, 2005:
sounds a great place i would love to find it when i come up
well see you all soon
Submitted by Dave 4w2 on Saturday, November 12, 2005:
Was here on 5th of November with a squad from Holland. Beer was ok, but there was an awfy smell of brussel sprouts in the bar.
Submitted by Tony McKay on Wednesday, November 02, 2005:
Your mum is haunted.
Submitted by ghost finder on Sunday, October 23, 2005:
Is the white hart haunted???
Submitted by AeroJonesy on Sunday, April 24, 2005:
You tell ´em gspawn!
Submitted by gspawn on Sunday, April 24, 2005:
Sorry to bother, but gamem8ker is a key player in a rather well-known online game. His comments are part of said game. Disregard those bits if you´re actually here about the pub.
Submitted by Tom on Friday, April 22, 2005:
Very nice place. Loved it.
Submitted by Frances on Wednesday, April 20, 2005:
For the benefit of Martin and his "beanie" wearing friends, there are many, many, many pubs in Edinburgh, and many, many pubs in the Grassmarket which do allow groups of lads who are out for a big night out in their doors. Because one doesn´t and has slightly higher standards of entry doesn´t give you the right to sound off about such things. There are other people out there, hard though it may be to imagine who don´t want to hear a group of lads shouting and swearing, and generally misbehaving the way lads do, so allow us the chance to have a few pubs of our own and you have all the rest OK.
Well done the White Hart, keep uo the good work!
Submitted by James MacDiarmid on Friday, April 01, 2005:
It´s truly a pleasure to find a bar which offers a safe haven from stag and hen parties, callow youths barely out of their teens who can´t hold their liquor, and antisocial louts who rate their enjoyment before all others.
Well done the management, keep up the good job!
Submitted by Martin on Wednesday, March 16, 2005:
Most obnoxious pub I have ever had the misfortune to enter. Barmaid refused to serve us because we were wearing beanies. It was a six nations weekend and we were wearing Welsh bobble hats! Our offer to remove them was rejected.
DEFINITELY NOT A RUGBY FRIENDLY PUB - AVOID
Submitted by Peter on Thursday, January 27, 2005:
From the perspective of Canadian tourists who love all things Scottish...the White Hart is a charming pub with great atmosphere. We found the service to be good, the staff friendly and the food delicious; most importantly, some good real ales (I especially enjoyed the winter ales). The no-smoking environment is much appreciated. You must not miss the White Hart when in Edinburgh!!!
Submitted by Narelle on Tuesday, January 18, 2005:
The White Hart is a fantastic non-smoking pub! It deserves support because there are so few places which non-smokers can enjoy going to (even though we´re the majority).
They also have great haggis, local beers and a cosy atmosphere!
Submitted by james on Friday, January 07, 2005:
DON'T GO THERE AT ALL
Submitted by Roger on Monday, December 13, 2004:
A joke. Realised I coulden´t even smoke after I´d bought my drink when told by some cheeky, uppity cow manager. Other staff were shite as well, rate themselves a bit. No wonder its the emptiest pub on Grassmarket all the time.
Submitted by Ed Zachery on Monday, October 18, 2004:
Would help if the "barmaids" could learn to smile, instead of looking down their nose at customers.
Submitted by Shelob on Wednesday, October 13, 2004:
Loved it.....quite simply my tail popped up! Great place...with a lovely atmosphere..will be back........promise... In fact I have my own designated Shelob corner! (pls not Tiger not included) Oh yes hte IPA Deuchars is DIVINE!!!
Submitted by Jeff McQuade on Saturday, September 11, 2004:
This is the first pub that we felt at home in on our trip to Great Britain. We will definitely return to the White Hart on our next trip from our home in Seattle.
Submitted by Lewis Thomson on Friday, August 20, 2004:
Fantastic time during the Fringe, beer lovely, Haggis great with the bar prices very reasonable. Will be returning to sample the haggis again in the very near future. A good night had by all.
Submitted by A. Spillman on Monday, June 28, 2004:
The live music was really great! Definitely a venue I´m going to be back to.
Submitted by Joan Green on Wednesday, May 26, 2004:
Stopped by The White Hart for the first time in many years on Sunday night and had a fantastic night! Live music and friendly staff, very unusual in the centre of town these days. I´ll certainly be heading back there again soon.
Submitted by Brian Franks on Saturday, December 20, 2003:
Wow, what a great slice of old Edinburgh character, charming pub with loads of atmospher, 10 out of 10!
B.F.
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