The Holyrood 9A

Reviews

• Karin W.

  star star star star star 22 May 2026

  Stopped in for a late lunch/early dinner. The menu selection was perfect. I had to ask for clarification on a few local ingredients used on the burger, as I had never heard of the type of greens that they served. The food was delicious. The atmosphere is a wonderful mix of old-town charm in the structure of the building and architectural features mixed with modern decor items and menu options that really blended seamlessly.
  
  The waitstaff were kind and the service was prompt. Since we visited at a real off time, that should be a given, but I have been places before that couldn't get their act together to provide good quality service even when the restaurant was slow (so it is still notable).

• Andy C.

  star star star star star 18 May 2026

  Found this place near Royal Mile.  This place was jam packed after 5-6pm.  We were lucky to find a table.  They have a wide range of beer selections but the local brew lager was the best.  We had their Original and Holyrood burgers, and they were fantastic!  Their customer service was also very good and food was served relatively fast as well.  Highly recommended.  It's a great place to rest and eat after a long of walking in Edinburgh.

• Dan A.

  star star star star_border star_border 15 May 2026

  Visited the Holyrood based on the positive reviews on a Sunday for lunch around 12:30.  They weren't busy so I was seated immediately.  
  
  They have a great selection of Scottish beers.  I overheard the table next to me asking for a Guinness.  "No, we don't have that but we have some really good Scottish Ales."  I got the Blonde Ale on draft (Fyne Ales Jarl).  It was light, crisp and slightly hoppy.
  
  Ordered the Haggis Bon Bons & they were pretty good and the best part of my meal.  Decided to try a burger given the reviews and settled on the Stinger with hot sauce on the side.  The taste of the burger was ok.  I was expecting a distinct taste as it is locally sourced beef/brisket.  Seemed like it needed more seasoning.  The Jalapeño Sausage was tasty & would've helped but there was hardly any on top of the burger-maybe this was the enhancement that was missing.  Also, this looks like a local requirement, the temperature had to be medium well to well-done.  
  
  They are pet friendly.  Close to the end of my meal at least 6 dogs came in & things got a bit more lively.
  
  Service was mixed.  Some (greeter) were great and they weren't busy and there were longer gaps than necessary between courses & my server seemed like she was in a blasé mood.  
  
  The restaurant had a nice Pub feel & looks like the bar would have a great vibe in the evenings.
  Maybe I caught them during a Sunday afternoon lull.

• Mark F.

  star star star star star_border 15 May 2026

  We've been to Holyrood 9a before and also had a good experience this time but I dropped a star due to a mishap of communication in ordering food vs waiting after a couple of beers. No biggie but I felt the mistake was on the servers part so that cost 1 star.
  Otherwise, the beers are good and selection of beers is also good.  They do have a nice food menu so good choices all around.  The bar area was too crowded to sit at or near the bar and, like last time, we were relegated to a dinner table, which was a bit cramped of an area.  I'd like to try to find a time to come in where I can sit at the bar but that never seems to happen in all of the visits here so far.  Like I said, beer selection was good and would put this on your list for a future visit. Oh, forgot, the men's bathroom is funny. When you open one door your inclination is walk forward, which is a wall but you might think it's another door but the bathroom door is actually to the right.  Enough people make this mistake that they have an arrow painted on the wall but we still want to walk forward.  You'll see what I mean :)

• Dre H.

  star star star star star 15 May 2026

  Very cool and hipster atmosphere! Friendly and kind staff! I got one of their hamburgers which was delicious. The cherry tomato salad was alright. Overall, a very positive experience!