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Kay's Bar on Jamaica Street West, a small stone building with red windows, white doors and John Kay lettered above them, on a cobbled lane.
Edinburgh

Kay's Bar

A small Victorian pub on Jamaica Street West, in the old premises of John Kay and Sons, wine merchants, with cask ales and many of its original fittings.

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Welcome

There's something about a tiny Victorian pub on a quiet street, and Kay's Bar, on Jamaica Street West between Stockbridge and the New Town, is a gorgeous one.

For over 150 years the building was home to John Kay and Sons, wine merchants, who sold fine wines and spirits at home and abroad until they closed in the 1970s, and it has been a pub ever since. John Kay's name is still above the door, and inside many of the fittings are original, from the signage round the frieze and the barrels to the panelling, the cast-iron pillars and the old safe. Cask ale is the thing here, with Timothy Taylor's Landlord, Fyne Ales Jarl and Theakston Best Bitter alongside guest ales that change often, and it won CAMRA's real ale quality award for Edinburgh and south-east Scotland in 2022, 2024 and 2025. Lunch is served on weekdays from noon to 2pm, and you can book it by phone. Dogs are welcome.

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Before you go

Open every day from 11am, and from 12.30pm on Sundays.

Lunch is served on weekdays, and can be booked by phone.

Where
39 Jamaica Street West, Edinburgh, EH3 6HF.
Open
Monday to Thursday 11am to 11pm; Friday and Saturday 11am to midnight; Sunday 12.30pm to 11pm.
Food
Lunch from Monday to Friday, 12pm to 2pm.
Booking
Lunch bookings by phone.
On tap
Timothy Taylor's Landlord, Fyne Ales Jarl and Theakston Best Bitter, and guest ales that change often.
Dogs
Welcome.
Access
A wheelchair-accessible entrance and seating.
Phone
0131 225 1858

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
11am–11pm
Tuesday
11am–11pm
Wednesday
11am–11pm
Thursday
11am–11pm
Friday
11am–midnight
Saturday
11am–midnight
Sunday
12.30pm–11pm

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Where it is

On Jamaica Street West, between Stockbridge and the New Town, EH3 6HF.

Close byStockbridge and the New Town.
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  2. Candle and cocktail on a glass table beside an open fireplaceThe Last WordA basement cocktail bar on St Stephen Street in Stockbridge, opened in 2012 by the team behind Bramble, with over a hundred single malts.Under a mile as the crow flies
  3. Golden Hare BooksGolden Hare BooksAn independent bookshop on St Stephen Street, founded by a former director of the V&A, with a wall of books shown face out like a gallery.Under a mile as the crow flies
  4. The salmon-pink front of Little Capo at 18 Howe Street, its name painted above a big window lined with wine bottles and a black door at the top of the steps.Little CapoA small, Italian-ish restaurant and aperitivo bar behind a salmon-pink front on Howe Street, in the New Town, open every day from noon.Under a mile as the crow flies
  5. St Stephen Street curving towards St Stephen's church tower.St Stephen StreetA curving Georgian street in Stockbridge of small independent shops and basement bars, closed at one end by Playfair's St Stephen's Church.Under a mile as the crow flies
  6. The dark front of Skua at 49 St Stephen Street in Stockbridge, with its name in red neon letters down the wall beside the door.SkuaA small, intimate restaurant on the lower level of St Stephen Street in Stockbridge, with a daily menu of sharing plates and a Michelin Bib Gourmand.Under a mile as the crow flies
  7. Stockbridge MarketStockbridge MarketA Sunday market of food and makers in Saunders Street by the Water of Leith, every week of the year since 2011.Under a mile as the crow flies
Directions
The basement room at Capetto under Little Capo, with a long banquette, small brass-edged tables and the bar lit warm at the far end.CafeCapettoA step away
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