The Royal Oak
- Telephone 0131 557 2976
- Seasonal times open till 4 during festival, Christmas and Hogmanay
- Bar open Mon–Sat 11.30am–2am; Sun 3pm–2am. Extended in Fest
- Website www.royal-oak-folk.com
The 2017 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).
An honest, frill-free hub for local Scottish folk music, the Royal Oak represents Edinburgh’s ever-diminishing traditional face, stripped of canned bagpipes, faux chandeliers and obscure cocktail ingredients – in fact, any cocktail ingredients. This is an ale and spirits pub, with just three, single-portion sized wines on offer. The luxury lies in a 35-year-old legacy of unpretentious commitment to live folk music, mostly open-mike, every night. You’ll not get through the door without being absorbed into a conversation, and if you bring an acoustic guitar and a good tune with you, so much the better. The only time you’ll not be able to get right into the thick of things is during the Edinburgh Festival, when more formal concerts run every night. Both the public bar and bookable downstairs gig space are pretty small with limited seating, and decor that would make any sort of chandelier feel very out of place.
- High point: Unguardedly, universally friendly
- Low point: Wine lovers will need to broaden their drinking horizons
- Provides: Free wi-fi
- Music on stereo: Folk music
- Live entertainment: Folk 7 days a week
- Largest group: 40
- Open since: A long time ago
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 3
Events at this venue
There are 4 events at this location
Sorted by title / date & time
Festival Folk at the Oak
Wee Folk Club The Royal Oak again hosts Festival Folk at the Oak during August, when the Downstairs Lounge becomes the intimate Fringe hub for folk, acoustic and traditional music – Edinburgh's folk living room, with a bar! A different act every night – from well-known names to up-and-coming artists, covering folk and…
Thu 17 Aug
Fri 18 Aug
Sat 19 Aug
Gone Native
Nicholson and Gore Two of Edinburgh’s finest resident songwriters Nicholson and Gore perform songs of freedom and social justice. 'Bobby is a very fine songwriter possessed of an acerbic wit' (thelisteningroom.org.uk). ‘Quality voice!’ (Edinburgh Evening News). ‘Rock-solid quality song writing’ (Leith Festival). ‘The…
Thu 17 Aug
Fri 18 Aug
Sat 19 Aug
Rebustours – Hidden Edinburgh
Rebustours Experience the dark, hidden world of the best-selling Detective Rebus books. Discover the history and mystery of Edinburgh's unexplored areas, with relevant readings. It is not necessary to have read a Rebus book as the tour features Edinburgh and Scottish history. This award-winning tour is educational and…
Thu 17 Aug
Fri 18 Aug
Sat 19 Aug
Simon Kempston
Following 2016 five-star reviews, this unique talent returns to perform thought-provoking, evocative original songs in a wonderfully intimate setting. His beautifully crafted, folk-tinged material showcases his incredible, distinctive and intricate fingerstyle guitar work, an exciting blend of the folk-baroque, blues and…
Thu 17 Aug
Fri 18 Aug
Sat 19 Aug
Reviews & features
Where to find traditional music nights in Edinburgh
16 Feb 2011
The venues full of traditional live Scottish music every night of the week
Every night of the week, the walls of the Royal Oak bar reverberate to the sound of live music, most of it with a Scottish, folk and traditional flavour. Long a focal point for folk music in the city, this cosy little bar also attracts other acoustic…
