The Maltings is a fine traditional pub situated reasonably near one of the hearts of Edinburgh. Despite recent changes in exterior colour, the interior of the pub remains unchanged in spite of recent trends for the worse in pub decoration. Ancient cigarette and tobacco placards mingle with posters for last year's festival events and forthcoming entertainments around the walls, giving the pub a friendly, cluttered feel. Most of the seating is comfortable and well-positioned, the exception being the bench near the door where your feet are at risk of tripping people up on a busy evening
¹.
The tables are of good, solid wood, weathered by many years' worth of pints and elbows. Some sport home-painted board game layouts on which one of the many board games…

…available from behind the bar might be played, should you have company.

Drinks

Drinkwise, the most prominent treat behind the bar is the Theakston's Best Bitter tap, regrettably rare in Edinburgh. Miller and Carlsberg are the main draught lagers with the usual Guinness, McEwan's 70/-, Beamish Red and some sort of cider coming from the remaining taps. Bottles of all varieties come from the fridge beneath the bar, vodkas of varying flavours from above it, After Shock from the special fridge on the end and the usual array of spirits, disgusting liqueurs and nice but slightly expensive single malts from behind. Lagers are priced at just over two pounds, Theakston's at £1.85, Guiness at £1.90 and everything else at the same as it is in most other central pubs³.

When you've got your drinks…

What makes the Maltings distinctive is the good atmosphere, comfort, traditional décor, variety of games available, humour value of the weekly quiz⁴ and the nostalgic tapes sometimes played; 'China in Your Hand' by T'Pau was heard the last time I was there. The staff are friendly and will serve people in the same order at which they arrived at the bar. They don't make you spill your drink by ringing a nasty loud bell at you and will ask you nicely when they want you to go away. They will sometimes put MTV, sport or Corrie on one of the televisions but mitigate the rudeness this might encourage amongst a group by mounting the televisions at a neck-cricking angle on the walls and turning off the sound. The clientèle is not, as one might expect (and as used to be) composed predominantly of off-shift police officers from the station across the road nor of students displaying to each other. A wide mix of ages, heights, occupations and musical preferences are accommodated therein. Recently-installed pastel-coloured bar-stool coverings suggest that an interior makeover™ is imminent but it has yet to appear. In the meantime The Maltings remains a traditional, friendly, relaxing pub.

And upon leaving…

You're very close to a great deal of equally nice pubs within spitting distance of either of the Maltings' two doors. If you need feeding first and find the crisps offered within the pub a little insubstantial, Freddie's Take-Away next door sells cheap but lovely chips, pizzas, batter-fried things and burgers. If you're feeling rich there's a branch of Howie's Restaurant across the road, though you'll probably need to have booked and put on a tie to get in. To the north along St. Leonard's Street and the Pleasance you will find the Auld Hoose, the Pleasance Union itself and (on Holyrood Road) the Holyrood Tavern.

From Waverley Station - take the stairs to Princes Street. Turn east (right) and then south (right again). You will find yourself on a bridge called Northbridge.

Head south along Northbridge until you see a Bella Pasta restaurant to your right and a large church opposite it. Turn east again (left) and head down along the Royal Mile. The third turning to the south (right) should be called St. Mary's Street, identifiable by the World's End⁵
pub on the corner. Turn into St. Mary's Street and head south down the hill.

You will come to a scary junction, which you should cross with care.

Keep walking approximately south along The Pleasance for a further ½ mile until you reach St. Leonard's Street, complete with St. Leonard's Police Station (which should be signposted if you're getting lost).
The Maltings is on the corner of St. Leonard's St. and Montague St., on your right.