Utopia
- Food served: Mon–Fri 5–8.45pm; Sat noon–8pm; Sun 12.30–8pm
- Bar open: Mon–Wed 3pm–midnight; Thu/Fri 3pm–1am; Sat 11am–1am; Sun 11am–midnight
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 6
- Also offers: Wheelchair access
- Music on stereo: REM, Beck, Gorillaz
- Capacity: 45
- Largest group: 12
- Open since: 2006
- House wine: £11 per bottle
The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 is now in the shops. This review is taken from the 2008 edition.
Easter Road's first style bar was intended as a diamond in the rough when it opened in 2006, with a sleek brown interior and smart cocktail menu. It's no longer the head-turner it once was but the area is transforming gradually and Utopia sees itself as part of that process. Soft leather sofas in the corner normally make a pleasant, relaxing stop-off for cups of Illy coffee over a read of the papers. As we went to press the owners of the pub – who also run Cozi Bar on St Stephen Street – announced plans to shake up the catering on offer by introducing 'the sausage & burger bistro @ utopia bar' serving food through the first half of the evening and all day at the weekends. On offer will be five different types of Crombies' sausages, three different veggie sausages, four types of mash and two gravies: it's not hard to work out that mix'n'match will be the order of the day. Burgers will follow a similar vein with home-made half-pounder burgers made with prime steak mince available with a variety of different toppings including a choice of four cheeses, chilli, egg and haggis. [New menu not yet in operation at time of going to press]
Comments
- 1. Willis, Edinburgh – 7 March 2008, 0:57amReport
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What a load of nonsense. Well designed pub? Hardly. Pretentions of being something it's not, ie. a decent bar. Utopia? You're having a laugh.
The food is awful, certainly not as described above - I can only presume this is an old review. The chef can regularly be spotted smoking out the front of the bar and the service is poor. The waiting staff are inattentive and grumpy.
The pub is usually closed when it should be busy and the only 'wee tarts' are found drinking alchopops up the back.
- 2. Scott, Edinburgh – 2 April 2009, 6:17pm
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Taking into account the time the above comment was posted I take it Willis has just been thrown out and probably made the attentive bar staff grumpy. The reason Utopia is a good pub in the area is because it is not all about the football. The atmosphere is laid back and a quick pint can often lead to one to many. The occasional bands that are on are superb and the Monday night Poker night is Brillant... The Credit Crunch lunch has saved my Sunday on a few occasion and the price is amazing. The owner and staff are a good group and this is what makes any pub.
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