The Salisbury Arms

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2013) edition.

Despite being opposite Edinburgh University’s main halls of residence, the Salisbury Arms, with its subtle, rustic elegance and light, spacious dining area, is a far cry from the restored Georgian building’s previous incarnation, popular student hang-out The Crags. Offering a whistle-stop tour of the bar’s extensive range of starters, the highlight of the house sharing platter is a fresh and zesty homemade salsa verde which accompanies roasted fig and prosciutto. And, if the usual a la carte menu doesn’t tempt, there are various weekly specials on offer such as the Sunday–Thursday ‘School-night Supper’ or the fish and champagne themed ‘Fin and Fizz Fridays’. However, coming under the umbrella of the Village Pub and Kitchen Group, the Salisbury Arms does seem a bit uniform, which detracts from the ‘local pub’ image they try to promote.

• High point: Great deal of choice in both menu and wine list
• Low point: Evidence of being part of a chain takes away from its character