Bennets Bar

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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.

Established in 1875, Bennets feels reassuringly as if little has changed in over a century. This is not the place to come looking for lattes, cocktails or wi-fi. It is most definitely somewhere to come and see the original Victorian fittings of the front bar, enjoy well-kept cask ales and a good range of malt whiskies. Stovies and steak pies help line the stomach, the latter a very credible example with beef from nearby Saunderson’s butchers and only slightly let down by the accompanying tinned veg. Food is served in both front and back rooms but the back, with its own entrance on Valleyfield Street, is the quieter and welcomes accompanied children until 8pm. A mix of locals, students and theatregoers from the King’s ensures a friendly atmosphere and this is one of the few pubs in Edinburgh to screen Super 15 rugby games, making it popular with sports fans.

• High point: Well preserved interior
• Low point: More of a drinking than a dining destination