The first time I found The Other Place I didn’t go in. I knew I had found a pub worth checking out but it was so busy inside I doubted we’d get a seat. The second time I found myself at the door to The Other Place, once known as The Stags Head, I was with friends who had crossed half of Edinburgh just to come to spend time in the bustling pub. The next time I found myself at The Other Place it was because I’d planned my entire day around getting their early, enjoying a lunch and sampling the food again.
I’m a convert. The next time I’m in the area I won’t be scared off by how busy it can get – I’ll push open the door and battle for a seat. Or, like so many others, I’ll ring ahead and book a table.
The Other Place has an impressive range of beers. I counted nearly a dozen beers on tap and there must have been about 100 different bottled beers behind the bar. Want to escape the usual suspects and corporate beers? The Other Place rather lives up to its name in this respect by providing an alternative venue.
While I enjoyed finding my old favourite a Black Isle Blonde on tap it was really the food that won me over. The kitchens are out in the open and if you sit at the back of the pub you can see it all being made. I’d say the menu is strongly influenced by American foods – lots of meat with lots of heat and spice. I’ve had the Brisket Beer Chilli, the Other Burger (with their signature chilli sauce) and the Chilli Cheese Dog. Spot the trend? Friends have adore the Wings and highly recommend the Fish n’ Chips too.
Veggie? There are options for you too; a Veggie Sub, nachos, Mini Mac n’ Cheese and Veggie Beer Chilli too.
The Other Place is on the corner of two roads and makes good use of the windows. It’s easy to see why people like to hang around, drinking and chatting. Look up when you get inside. The ceiling is gorgeous. The large windows suit the pub well, helping to illuminate the interior decoration and comfortable chairs. The fact that the pub offers good and free wifi doesn’t discourage people from moving on either. There’s even a recharge plug hidden away by the loos.
My only grumble with The Other Place is that too many other Edinburgh folk know about it, rave about it and keep it busy. I’ve been there a half dozen times now, never seen the staff make a mistake but it’s bound to happen. I’ve also seen how hard they work, the food is usually quick but the sheer volume of people ahead of you in the queue can slow things down.
Overall? The Other Place has rocketed up from “where?” to one of my favourite places. I wouldn’t approach it lightly, though, I’d plan on visiting and assume it’ll be busy.
