The Oxford Bar

Tucked away down a random street, it didn’t even look open! But it was! And I enjoyed 1/2 pint of Edinburgh’s finest draft beer…Pentland IPA. Very quaint, cozy spot. Anthony Bourdain put it on the map for me, and it didn’t disappoint. RECOMMEND!

Highlight of my trip to Edinburgh. We chanced upon this place and we are so glad we found it. A proper old school boozer; beautiful interior, great barman and friendly locals.

So glad we visited the little pub. It is small and very peaceful in the middle in busy Edinburgh. We visited it as hubby is a Rebus fan. But it's not commercialised at all. It is actually just a regular, local, tiny bar, with a very friendly barman. It was lovely to sit in the quiet and have a couple of pints. All that tells you it is linked to Rebus is a few photos tucked away in an alcove.

As an Ian Rankin fan this was always going to be a must see. I had no expectations so was happy just to visit. To hear Ian visits and staff so happy to see a fan (I did bring 5 other friends along) I was very happy with my visit. Easy to find and well worth the visit. Highly recommended if you a Rebus fan.

Great old-fashioned bar with great beer, lovely real fire and a wonderful welcoming atmosphere. The Rebus connection is a big bonus but this is NOT a tourist trap. It is lovely and an authentic old pub.

A proper pub, best pint of 80/- I've had in ages. A lovely atmosphere - old school with people budging up and sharing space and conversation. Loved it. And we'd travelled up from Oxfordshire the day we visited, and had the same emblem on my partners Oxfordshire RFU coat.

Very quiet, no thrills pub. Very good pint of Guinness. Expect to see the odd novelist relaxing with a pint in here.

Old school, stripped back bar probably best known nowadays for the connection to Ian Rankins Rebus. Great service, no gimmicks (or fruit machines!!) and well made and reasonably priced rolls. Probably hasn't changed at all in the last 80 years.

If you're an Ian Rankin dan you'll love it. Only snack food available and the service was great. The ambiance perfect for a quiet afternoon pint.

Had to stop by since we're a Bourdain fan. Cute quiet neighborhood pub that seems busy with locals.

Stopped in tonight in honor of Chef Bordain big disappointment. Bar is very limited, no fruit, they make you mix your drink yourself and the overweight bar wench working tonight was a total b yatch...she sucks!! Don't waste time or money here. Sorry Anthony...

I was simply on the hunt for a basic, borderline dive bar in the area.. Reading a lot of reviews, there's clearly literary history attached to this place. I know none of it. What I can tell you is that this place is tucked away on a back street of a somewhat upscale area and seems to be a nice solid neighbourhood bar. It really is nothing special on the inside but the beer is cheap, the patrons are chatty and the overall vibe of it is great. I'm a bit more curious about the history of the bar and the famous authors - perhaps next time I go I'll brush up on that before I head over.

First things first - Yes, I'm a Rebus fan. Otherwise, I would never have searched this bar out. That has little to do with my review, as there's not a lot of Rebus-ness on display (a sole bottle of Rebus whiskey on the top shelf of the gantry was all I could see) to mark the territory, It's small. It's "rustic". When you go in, you're as likely to see cricket or rugby on the sole, small television over the bar as any football. If it's busy, there will be a crush at the bar, and there will be the inevitable "scuse me!" moment trying to extricate yourself and your drink from said crush. I would heartily recommend it though. I went it one afternoon with a book. Sat in the lounge next to a roaring coal fire, with just about the finest pint of Deuchars in the land, and just passed the time. To me? Perfect afternoon. I've been in at night when it's been livelier too; the regulars are more than welcoming, the staff cope damn well with the crush and the Deuchars? As I've said, it's to die for. Give it a go if you like genuine old fashioned pubs, not new pubs made out to be something they're not. It won't be for everyone's tastes, but it's well worth a try.

John Rebus, forgive me. "The 'Oxford' Bar", as the sign has it, is the plainest, homeliest, most austere pub I have ever seen. A great setting for a novel and a must see for Ian Rankin fans. Perhaps it is interesting as a living museum of a traditional pub. But fun? Maybe for the depressive, semi-alcoholic Rebus. Now that I think about it, Rebus drinks to drink, not to enjoy himself. Question: Anyone have any idea why the name"Oxford" is in quotes on the sign?

It wasn't just the Rebus association that drew me here but I am also a fan of the show "No Reservations." The UK episode that Bourdain did several years ago featured a segment where he met Ian Rankin in the Oxford Bar for a pint (or ten) of Guinness. I always remembered this and vowed to stop in on my next visit to Edinburgh. I was able to untether my leash while my wife and daughter became pre-occupied while shopping on nearby Princes Street. It is only about a five minute walk to Young Street and before I knew it, I was sitting in this rustic little pub having a truly delicious pint of the black stuff. My God it was a beautiful thing. The pub itself is a no-frills kind of place, which caters perfectly to my liking. Real Scottish pubs aren't supposed to have all the bells and whistles that are way too common these days. The bartender was incredibly friendly and after asking me how I came to know about the Oxford, she gave me some "inside scoop" on the day the NR crew actually filmed the segment since she was working that day. She even gave me a bookmark and postcard with the photos of the Oxford Bar on them as a souvenir. I managed a second pint before I had to call time and head back to Princes Street. I could have happily stayed and drank the heart out of the afternoon but alas, those days are behind me.

The Oxford Bar has five great things going for it, hence the five stars. Here they are: -4 real ales on tap, including Rebus' favourite (although not mine) Deuchars IPA which is brewed in Edinburgh itself -Dog-friendly! there's nothing better than a pub with a dog, and my dog Luna enjoyed her visit -Traditional music is often available and played in the lounge area (which is up some steps) -The history of the pub can really be felt when you're enjoying a pint, either standing in the tiny front bar or relaxing in the back bar -The connection with Ian Rankin's Rebus detective is the reason a lot of people come here, and indeed Ian himself apparently frequents the pub on regular basis still. It's not accessible though as the toilets and seating area are both up a small set of stairs.

Made famous by the writer Ian Rankin as the favoured watering-hole of John Rebus, his fictional Edinburgh detective, the Oxford Bar is a real locals pub. With plain white walls, a small, crowded bar and a limited number of tightly packed wooden tables, this pub is defiantly unpretentious, a place offering alcohol, conversation and very little else. The clientele are mostly middle-aged men nursing pints while reading the paper or avidly discussing politics, so we felt a little out of place when we first went in, but soon managed to relax over pints of our own. You'd perhaps not be advised asking for a white wine spritzer or any similarly fussy drink here, but if you can brave the sweaty smell and basic surroundings, this is a good place to meet some interesting characters.

The Oxford Bar isn't my sort of pub. It's small and basic plus lacks music, ambience and vibrancy. I visited because a friend is a fan of Ian Rankin's Rebus books and he wanted to see it. We visited mid-week at about 3pm, however it might have more ambience during evenings or on weekends. There was a cosy, warming log-fire burning but other than that I wouldn't really recommend The Oxford. Probably a good pub for those looking peace and quiet or interested in its fame and literary connections.

Don't worry about seeing Rebus ... Muir, Robert, and Tom are the real characters at this gem. My wife and I spent a few hours here debating the ills of the world with these gentlemen and had the most enjoyable time of our week in Edinburgh. The bar area is quaint (read small) but its the place to be ... all the conversation is here not in the adjoining room. Besides, if an argument over a point comes up this is where all the reference material is kept. Definitely a locals place but we felt very welcome .... if it fits your schedule, this is a must do.

Very tight spaces but that's the appeal I guess. Overall if you're looking for a place to enjoy a drink and some conversation you could do worse. If you were looking for atmosphere I'd look elsewhere.

This is Rebus's pub. Crime writer Ian Rankin often turns his famous detective towards 'the Ox' after a hard day solving murders. As you enter, the bar is directly in front of you and to the left. Most of the regulars perched there turn their heads at this point, leaving you feeling slightly unnerved as you squeeze between bodies to order a drink. Drink in hand, your options are to stay at the somewhat-cramped-but-now-more-welcoming bar and join in the conversation, or walk up the stairs to the back room. The room is basic in design: cream-coloured walls are decorated with black and white photos and there's a window looking out to Young Street. It's often quiet & relaxing here and can be a great refuge from the bustle of Princes Street. The Ox is a simple place without pretension. It doesn't want to change your life or be "a new experience in drinking", just serve you a pint now and then. The international fame given to the pub by Rebus grates with the atmosphere at times, even though tales of the books' success adorn the walls.

The Oxford is a proper pub. Ales and beers on draught, a bit of a squeeze in the bar, basic chairs and tables, and historic and hunting prints on the wall. A brilliant wee boozer, made all the better for its association with a certain Edinburgh polis man.

I agree with the prior two reviewers...an old school pub. Don't be intimidated though, walk in, order your pint or dram (don't ask for anything else as the response may offend, ha!), find an available table or stay at the bar and prop it up and enjoy a truly unique Edinburgh institution.

Rebus? Really? Never knew that until I belatedly read the other reviews. Oxford.. near the Cambridge Bar (both ends of the same block on Thistle Street), tiny, cramped, very much an old fashioned bar with a lot of men in it. We crammed in our large party into one of the back rooms for a couple of pints and it definitely felt like you could a) step back in time and b) forget time existed in a room full of pipe smoke - ok, forget the pipe smoke in smoke-free Scotland - and whisky. I didn't warm to the place especially, but I think me, ten years ago, ciggy in hand, would have absolutely loved the place as an old man's pub, which is really is.

This was a wonderful little neighborhood hole-in-the-wall pub. It's well worn, but full of character. It's also full of friendly, lively people (mostly older), in both the staff and customers. I was also happy to find a few Scottish beers on tap that I hadn't run into elsewhere after a week in Edinburgh -- I know there are a _lot_ of beers, but many seemed to be standard at most places; the Oxford had a couple of the standards, but also several I hadn't come across yet, including an excellent red.

Well, with Ian Rankins endorsement it is a place of local (and international?) interest but it doesn't conform like most of the other tourist traps traditional pub, traditional beer and clientelle. Friendly staff and worth a visitif only so when you read your next Rebus book you can say that you've been there

No idea who rebus is, but this is a fantastic pub, staff are great, locals and beers also great. I will return!!

a very good traditional bar

There is nothing special about this place on a Sunday afternoon. Dropped in for a couple of pints and the place was pretty empty save for one regular propping up the end of the bar. It's a very small pub at the front and has a decent selection of beers and whisky. No atmosphere due to a lack of patrons and the barmaid was a bit snippy with me when I asked her to change the TV channel (from golf), which she refused to do.

Feels like you have stepped back in time when you enter the Ox and it looks like its not been decorated in 30 years, but I guess thats part of the charm. Bar staff are friendly, drinks are reasonably priced, stories about Ian Rankin adorn the walls. A must if you're a Rebus fan or in search of an old style boozer.

I've been going to the Oxford for about five years now and I've never seen Ian Rankin in there, but then again I wouldn't know what he looked like if he stepped on my toe. I just like the atmopshere and the friendly and the not so friendly bar staff. The Oxford is just one of those pubs that time forgot and long may it stay that way, btw who is this Ian Rankin bloke?

A favourite of Ian Rankin, this pub is a wee find on Young Street. The bar has been split into sections - ranging from 'dead mans corner' to 'the visitors paddock'. Staff are always friendly and the bar is always busy. Prices are quite reasonable. A definate must if you are a Rebus fan.

a nice pub, very good enviroment, friendly atmosphere, logic prices, all in all for an afternoon drink it's the best solution.

small bar with frendly staff and reasonable prices drinks, great for a quiet drink early afternnon. but later on as the regulars are in its a busy bar with a mixed crowd. some of which ain't nearly as friendly as the bar staff!