The Gilded Saloon

In Southside’s Bristo Square, The Gilded Saloon brings a gleam to Edinburgh’s Old Town: a warm pub upstairs, and below, a 200-capacity club and performance space. A joint venture from Gilded Balloon, Kelburn Garden Party and Paradise Palms, it champions Scotland’s creative scene with a bill of gigs, club nights, spoken word, comedy and pub theatre, matched by local and international draught beers and warm hospitality.

The kitchen leans into locally sourced pub classics with a modern, ingredient-led touch. Briny flavours meet a refreshing lovage granita; lemon chicken skewers spark with Szechuan pepper and spring onion. There is pork rilletes with bright piccalilli and a focaccia croute, and poached sea trout finished with sauce gribiche and dill oil, proof that comfort and craft can happily share a plate.

Heartier cravings are met by rolled lamb with potato flatbread, yoghurt, mint and pickled chilli, or a beef and bone marrow burger in an everything milk bun with cheddar and tomato chutney. Hand-cut chips and roasted beetroot with smoked almond and sea herbs keep good company, while puddings run from sticky toffee pudding lifted with ginger and miso to chocolate mousse with sesame praline. Sundays bring a proper roast topside of beef with confit Pink Fir potatoes, buttered Savoy cabbage and a Yorkshire pudding, with a vegetarian option available.

Swing by for supper, stay for the show, and let the night gather pace downstairs. The Gilded Saloon invites Edinburgh to eat, drink and revel—one set, and one delicious bite, at a time.