The Basement Bar and Restaurant
- Food served: Mon–Fri noon–10.30pm; Sat/Sun 12.30–10.30pm
- Bar open: Mon–Fri & Sun noon–1am; Sat 12.30pm–1am
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 10
- Private dining: Up to 16 covers
- Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least ¼ main courses), Gluten-free options, Children's high chairs, Outdoor tables
- Music on stereo: Eclectic mix of pop, funk, jazz, rock and dance
- Opening times: Mon–Sun noon–1am
- Capacity: 45 + bar area
- Largest group: 18 (8 at weekends)
- Open since: 1994
- Average price:
£8.95 (set lunch)
£15 (evening meal) - House wine: £13.50 per bottle
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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).
This review is taken from the current (2011) edition.
While the bustle of city life proceeds at street level, down below, and largely hidden from view, drinkers in this traditional bar sip beers from around the world, whether it’s the local Innis & Gunn or far-travelled favourites Corona and Tiger. Meanwhile, diners are drawn to a similarly sized area on the other side of the bar, decorated in neutral colours that make the most of the limited natural light. The daily changing menu offers a fixed price lunch option which is bolstered by adding several Mexican dishes at weekends. Adventurous starters such as beetroot risotto topped with dolcelatte cheese join the likes of chicken liver and brandy pâté – more traditional but equally satisfying. Staples with a twist populate the mains: fish of the day could be sea bass in Grolsch batter with crisply sautéed potatoes. Steak pie is billed on the menu as rump and merlot – a melt-in-the-mouth beef in full-bodied red wine. And to finish, there are familiar favourites such as sticky toffee pudding and banoffee pie.
- High point: Imaginative menu changes daily
- Low point: Limited desserts
Take Three: Good pub grub
14 Feb 2008
Reviews of The Basement Bar and Restaurant (10–12a Broughton Street, Edinburgh)
- 9. XYY, Edinburgh – 13 March 2010, 8:34pm
The Basement Bar and RestaurantReport -
I take back my previous posting. The Basement is brilliant and I have been back many a time since. If you're a fan of pate, try their starter. Ooooft!
Drinks wise, they stock Thistly Cross cider.
Basement is amazing value for money and I highly highly reccomend it.
- 8. Lizzie D – 26 February 2010, 12:59pmThe Basement Bar and RestaurantReport
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I've always had a lovely time in the Basement. The food is great, really tasty and there are good options for vegetarians which is a surprise!
Good to go to with friends and I have even taken my mum and she loved it too.
- 7. Lynda, Edinburgh – 16 September 2009, 5:06pmThe Basement Bar and RestaurantReport
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I think The Basement is a great bar. I have eaten there many, many times and never had a bad meal. The food is freshly cooked and delicious. Very friendly staff also. The steak pie is particularly good.
- 6. disgruntled local, Edinburgh – 25 May 2009, 6:57pm
The Basement Bar and RestaurantReport -
Warning for those who want the lunch time deal… Don’t share the courses!
The deal is that you can have two courses for £7.95. Someone in our group only wanted the starter and not the the main course, so this was shared with someone else. When the bill came we were charged for the main meal (£7.95) plus the starter (£3.75), the staff argued that the deal could not be split between different people.
I have never heard such a nonsense rule.
We should have been told this when ordering from this menu - Terrible service from the staff. Also I'm afraid the food was not worth the money
We used to eat here often. After this rip off none of our 'local’ group will be going back.
You have been warned.
- 5. bex82, Edinburgh – 20 May 2009, 6:23pmThe Basement Bar and RestaurantReport
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I've lived in Edinburgh for almost 5 years and love eating out - especially at the Basement. I love the ambience, the whole relaxed atmosphere of the place and it helps that the food is delicious and extremely reasonably priced. The menus are updated slightly every so often and I've taken many of my friends here and even friends visiting me and they have all loved it. You are quite tighly packed in which in another restaurant would really bother me as I would feel that the surrounding tables could hear my conversation - but this is not the case - believe me i've tried to listen in to others conversations and you can't hear anything! If you haven't been yet - go!
- 4. Nina, Edinburgh – 24 December 2008, 3:05pm
The Basement Bar and RestaurantReport -
The basement is a great place to go on a sunday, to relax. The steak Pie they serve is the best I have had in town. The veg were cooked as they should not too much, not too little and the pie was homemade and delicious, quite surprising really when you know the standard of the food served in some surrounding pubs. My friend wasn't so lucky with her food which she thought wasn't great. Is this place a hit or a miss food wise?? I'll have to go back to find out.
- 3. Jesticles, The Basement – 23 December 2008, 6:09amThe Basement Bar and RestaurantReport
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I used to work there- best place and best people in scotland! you can get lost in there for hours and emerge a different person.
would get back there if i could! miss it to bits.
- 2. XYY, Edinburgh – 16 July 2008, 5:45pmThe Basement Bar and RestaurantReport
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The basement is very weird. I was told it was mexican, got there and there was the likes of steak pie on offer. Hawian shirts, and cocktails. Crammed into a tight space, not the best service, pretty dour. Food itself was pretty good, chilli prawns, and the aboved stated steak pie were pretty good, but it's just a weird wee place. Not been back, and probably won't be.
- 1. Juliet, Edinburgh – 7 May 2008, 4:47pmThe Basement Bar and RestaurantReport
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I love the basement, they do the most lovely steaks! Mmm.
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