Salt Horse

Salt Horse is a recently-opened beer shop and bar in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town, standing on the ground once occupied by the notorious Black Bo's. It may be a newbie, but it's already proving a firm hit with locals and tourists alike.

This is the kind of place where you might pop in looking to pick up a speciality bottle or two, but will sooned be tempted to stay as the cosy atmosphere, bracingly brave beer garden – patio heaters on the way, we're told – and tempting food prove just that wee bit too hard to resist.

The bar itself offers 12 keg lines of cracking beer, both foreign and domestic, as well as over 300 different beers by the bottle or can. There's a small but perfectly formed spirits list as well as wines by the glass for those looking for a swallie of a different sort. If you're not sure what your tipple, the knowlegable bar crew will be right on hand to help you make that all-important decision.

Food is kindly provided by Meat:Stack, a Newcastle-based company specialising in handmade, self-penned smashed burgers, designed to suit both veggies and the more carnivorous clientele. There's also a healthy dose of wings on offer and fries to accompany, should you need a little somethin' on the side.

With plenty of tasting sessions and events in the pipeline, we're looking forward to seeing what this little gem has to offer. So too are our readers, it seems, for they have just cast their votes in our 2019 annual Food & Drink Survey, and nominated Salt Horse one of Edinburgh's Best Pubs & Bars, along with 99 Hanover Street and The Roseleaf. For information on where to go out in Scotland, you might want to check out our full list of winners here.