The Grosvenor — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

On Nov 3,2024 My husband & I were visiting from the USA and were dropped off near this pub at the end of an all day tour and told it was a short walk to our hotel. We were having difficulty determining which way to walk as it was an unfamiliar area, very dark & rainy, and street signs are extremely hard to locate on sides of buildings. We decided to stop at this Pub for a drink & something to eat, after which we’d get a taxi ride to hotel. The bartender greeted us. We found the pub to be very nice. Food was good. We watched a football game between Chelsea & Manchester. Great experience. But when we asked the bartender to please call us a taxi she told us they “have a policy NOT to call taxis for customers”. I told her we were unfamiliar with the area and didn’t feel comfortable trying to find our hotel on foot. She reiterated the policy of not calling taxis for customers. I asked her if she could give us a phone number and she said “0132-777-7777” or something close. I asked her the name of the pub because I didn’t see it anywhere. She said “just tell them Shandwick Place”. I tried calling and it went to an automated menu that did not work for taxi service. I thought maybe it was my phone so tried again on my husband’s phone. It didn’t work either. I asked the bartender if I needed to dial a prefix or something since our phones are based in US. She just repeated the number. I asked her what I was supposed to do and she offered no reply. My husband & I left feeling some anxiety and very disappointed at the experience. We tried using Google Maps to direct us to our hotel, the Mercure, a 15 minute walk from the Grosvenor IF you know where you’re going. It took us much longer and the faulty navigation due I guess to weather and tall buildings kept reversing itself. Not being able to see street signs made it worse and people we asked didn’t know what street we were on & were unable to help. We ended up off the main roads where we were the only ones walking except an occasional man here or there, in the dark, and I became frightened. My husband is 80 years old. We eventually came across a street name I recognized from earlier in the day, no thanks to the navigation app, and finally stumbled upon our hotel. It took a beautiful day of touring, a lovely pub experience, and soured it with a frightening experience. It could have easily been different if only the bartender had been...

I recently had the pleasure—or rather, peculiar experience—of visiting this bar. Nestled inconspicuously in the heart of town, the bar's name intrigued me, promising a cozy retreat where patrons could unwind with a drink and some live music. However, it turned out that the most irritating feature was an unexpected element of decor: a comically dreadful painting of a badger.

The bar itself is good. The drink selection was perfect, with a variety of beers and cocktails that could satisfy most tastes. The ambiance was cozy. The staff were friendly and attentive, ensuring that our glasses were never empty.

And then there was the painting.

Hung prominently on the wall oppiside to the bar, the painting of the badger seemed to stare at patrons with a mixture of confusion and disdain. The artist's intent is unclear—perhaps a modern take on badger portraiture? Regardless, the end result was an unintentional wrong sized painting of a angry badger. While the painting certainly provided a good laugh and a unique conversation starter, I couldn't help but wonder if its notoriety might overshadow the other aspects of the bar. The bar has the potential to be a cozy neighborhood haunt, but that painting is destined to destoy that feeling in the bar. All in all, if you're in the mood for a drink and a be annoyed at some unconventional artwork, that destroys the ambiance. Perfect...

I struggled with the heavy doors as I entered the pub; I am lame and walk with a stick. Not one person came over to help me; when I mentioned this to the person serving behind the bar he said that he was busy! (there were people at the bar, he could have asked someone to get the door for me) I found a table as requested and asked the same man who, it transpires, was the manager, if he could put through my order without me going to the bar he said no, their wifi doesn't allow it. Feeling weary already, but hungry; I went to the bar and ordered the steak sandwich, which he asked me if I wanted it pink. I said that I would like it as pink as possible, and he said it would be medium rar, and definitely pink. The only thing he did right was carry my drink to my table; as my steak sandwich was entirely free of pink and overdone! I had to ask another customer to order me a glass of water, which he did with great kindness and good humour. Manager take note!! I am an Edinburgh resident and I will never return to The Grosvenor under it's...