Nobles Bar looks fantastic. It has impressive stained glass windows, a combination of dark wood and tiles on the floor, quirky and comfortable furniture. The decorations are fantastic, a little eccentric, but largely in theme with the Port of Leith and the old trading ships that helped keep Edinburgh on the map.
Speaking of maps; some of the tables are decorated with old maps of the world that add even more to the atmosphere. A few other tables show signs of tentacle decorations. This would be a great bar to read some H.P. Lovecraft in.
The bar, at 44a Constitution Street, makes good use of the old building. The high ceiling and windows on both ends keep the place light and they manage to tuck a number of tables into the room without overcrowding it.
There is an impressive collection of drinks at the bar. Not that Nobles has a huge selection – it has a selection that differs from the beaten path and lets you sample popular alternatives. Currently, Nobles has Fraoch on tap.
At one time Nobles stopped serving food at lunch. In recent years this decision has been reserved and the menu is back on. Although the range of choices is not huge it is about what you would expect from a pub and it has safe choices like burgers and fish and chips. Nobles food can be very good and there are items on the menu that are remarkable. How about, black pudding and fish cakes with fried egg on top? Sounds strange? It’s delicious – well, if you’re happy to consider black pudding.
On the downside and perhaps connected with the relatively light amount of lunch time traffic the bar gets the food service is not the quickest. It’s quick enough but if you are tight for time then do not risk it.
Like many of the buildings in the area, Nobles Bar suffers from a terrible mobile signal on some networks. However, there is a fairly decent wifi network (locked) in place to compensate.
They have their own website which is a good place to keep track of the live music events in the bar.
The staff at the bar are friendly even if they are prone to becoming suddenly busy in the Friday rush. This is the sort of bar where you can take your time over a drink or food selection if it’s not busy and ask whether you can have your dish modified in a way or for suggestions.
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