Beehive Inn — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

We were having an agreeable Friday evening which, however, was entirely ruined at the end. The bar was supposed to close at 1 pm. Shortly past midnight we went out for a cigarette. We had two and stayed outside for about 15 minutes. When we returned at 12:30, however, we saw that both our belongings and our drinks were gone. Now, before we left the table we have placed the menu over all the drinks (nearly full) clearly indicating that we were coming back, and also left some personal belongings there as well. But the stuff were desperate to get rid of the customers asap, starting to wrap up the evening 30 minutes too early. Appalled by this attitude, I sat myself down and asked the waitress to bring back my drinks. In return I was very rudely accused of leaving the table for an hour (since when 15 minutes are 1 hour God knows), so no, back off and leave, you are not getting anything. I politely asked her to check with her manager. I was then again approached by her and this time the bartender - not the manager - who tried to tell me that they spoke with the manager and the manager said that I should get out, no drinks, no refund. Stunned at this level of customer service, I again asked to speak with the manager. Finally she arrived. She has not offered me her name, or her apologies. Instead, she straight away attacked me with accusations that I left my table and that no way am I getting my drinks back. After I repeated twice that I will not be leaving the venue without a refund, she snapped at me and went off to look at the transactions' records. About another 10 minutes later I found her in the main hall with money in her hand. She informed me how annoyed she was at the fact that I legally requested a refund forcing her to check the records (meaning do her job), how rude I was (I was utterly sober having lost my drinks and not once used a swearing word), and how incredibely nice she was at agreeing to give me the money back (fulfilling my lawful request at giving me a refund for goods which have been stolen from me and which I have not used). So I told her that I am certainly not coming back, turned away and went to the door, only to be shouted and barked at by an aggressive bouncer "you're barred from here, don't bother coming back!". A very bright comment to someone who just said they would never again set their foot there after having a most dreadful experience. When we left after all this hassle it was 12:45, 15 minutes before closing time. The bar was already shut. So if you do come here, make sure that you guard your drinks. No toilet, so cigarettes, no dancing, no phone talks outside - sit at your table and behave. But best simply don't go there. Edinburgh has a multitude of fantastic bars. Why waste your time at a place where the stuff hates...

I visited with a friend mid-week last week (04/10/2023). The Beehive wasn't that busy on Wednesday night, yet tables were littered with dirty plates and glasses with sticky tables all night. There were plenty of staff on duty, so that can't be cited as an excuse.

It was simply average - nothing sets the Beehive apart from anywhere else. The only thing that took my breath away was being quoted £4.40 for a 330ml bottle of 0% Peroni.

Although the prices may be competitively priced against other pubs in central Edinburgh, the service and experience doesn't measure up at all.

I could have had a better experience at a Wetherspoons for half the price with more choice.

I call Wetherspoons the McDonald's of pubs, although that's not derogatory as such. You know what you're going to get, it's consistent and it caters for everyone.

It won't be a showstopper of an experience, but they offer good value for money and reasonable customer service with a user-friendly app so you don't have to queue and jostle for staff member's attention.

Belhaven pubs ought to realise that staff are overheads and customers are income. In an era where everything is much the same, customer service is what sets a business apart.

Consumers are prepared to pay more for better customer service and experience. More profits could be made if there was a focus on this, rather than being complacent and relying on tourists and passing trade.

I spoke with my friend afterwards about it and we decided to meet at a wine bar nearby instead next time.

If we are going to pay about £50 for 4 drinks each, we may as well do so in a venue that we know we will enjoy being in.

Take your money and...

My wife, two children (teen, pre-teen), and I stopped in for dinner on a recent visit to Edinburgh. It is in the historic Old Town neighborhood of Grassmarket, just down one slope off the Royal Mile near iconic Victoria Street.

After an intense day of site-seeing all around the city, we landed at The Beehive for dinner just after an afternoon driving rain and also having just visited Greyfriar's Kirk/Cemetery and the National Museum of Scotland.

Initially trying for The White Hart Inn a few doors down (too crowded for us), we opted instead for The Beehive. It totally suited what we were looking for AND what we needed. At first rebuffed from eating downstairs by the main bar - guessing underage kids are verboten here in Scottish pubs too near the bar - the friendly staff took us to the upstairs dining area (curiously, however, ALSO with a bar). But it was wonderful! A large room with ample space, we were seated at a table with some cozy and large easy chairs to sink into. We hunkered down and rested after being pretty tired and damp from the day's exploring.

I ordered a pint of cask-conditioned dark ale and a dram of Bowmore to settle in with before our meal arrived: fish and chips for me, while the missus and kids all ordered the grilled cheese (white cheddar, I believe) plus tasty sides, and split an order of halloumi fries. It all was very good and hit the spot.

Friendly waitstaff, great decor housed in a very old building, it was among our favorite dining experiences in Edinburgh. We...