Cold Town House

Someone from this business manages this listing.

616 reviews

#361 of 2,005 Restaurants in Edinburgh$$ - $$$, Brew Pub, Pizza, Scottish

+44 131 357 2865+ Add website

Hours

Sun

11:00 AM - 12:00 AM

Mon

12:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Tue

12:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Wed

12:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Thu

12:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Fri

11:00 AM - 1:00 AM

Sat

11:00 AM - 1:00 AM

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What is Travelers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.0

616 reviews

#361 of 2,005 Restaurants in Edinburgh

Travelers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

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CUISINES

Brew Pub, Pizza, Scottish

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music

Location and contact

4 Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2JU Scotland

Old Town

+44 131 357 2865

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Is this an Italian restaurant?

Yes

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About

A pizza, prosecco and craft beer paradise, featuring a regularly changing roster of beers from it's on-site brewery,

CUISINES

Brew Pub, Pizza, Scottish

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music

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4.0

616 reviews

Excellent

350

Very good

134

Average

Poor

Terrible

Emmagriff30

Hemel Hempstead33 contributions

A fab find!

Feb 2020 • couples

We stumbled across this place whilst walking around nearby to our hotel. We had a quick google and it had great reviews and a tasty looking menu so we booked a table in the Prosecco and pizza bar a few hours beforehand. We arrived a few minutes early and our table wasn’t quite ready. This was fine so we ordered some beers at the bar. This place is fab as they brew all the beer on site with some really interesting flavours so it made it really fun. After a few minutes our table was ready. They offer taster menus of the different beers so you can get 4 1/3 pints for £7 which we thought was incredible value. Better still, as we had to wait a few minutes, they took the cost of this off of our bill. Apparently they had a new online booking system and were having some glitches but we were totally unaware of this. The pizzas are so good. They have a traditional pizza oven that they are all prepared in and they are totally amazing. We ordered 2 pizzas, some halloumi fries and also shared some churros at the end. We also had a couple of espresso martinis (they have a great cocktail menu too!) including the 2 beers we ordered when we arrived and with the taster beers taken off the bill, it came in at under £55 which I thought was great value. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. A must visit if you’re in the area!

Written February 16, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Trek18113029707

HI Emma! Thank you very much for taking time out to leave us an amazing review. We are so happy you had such a good evening here and enjoyed our pizza and on-site beer! We get to create any flavours we want which gives us some epic 'tasting' sessions! Pop back in when you are next in Edinburgh! Cheers Jamie Buchta Deputy Manager

Written February 17, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Chris Bottrill

1 contribution

Great pizza and surprisingly good beers.

Jan 2020 • none

We actually went to the Cold Town House twice. The first time was just for an evening drink and the place was bustling. The second time we went for lunch and it was a real treat. All four of us had pizzas and unanimously agreed that they were truly excellent. The real win for me was the beer tasting menu. For the sum of £7 I was given 4 sample beers (1/3 pint each). The waiter asked me what I fancied and I just told him to use his judgement. The result was four wonderful beers, each quite different and really gooooood. I had ruled out the hibiscus and lychee beer but was offered a sample for free. I will say that I was expecting some floral-tasting horror but it was fantastic. I'd try and describe it but it'd be much better for you just to try it as my meager words wouldn't do it justice. Consider me impressed, both with the beer but also the customer service. We all agreed that we'd be back when we next return to Edinburgh.

Written January 30, 2020

Trek18113029707

Thank you very much for the excellent review Chris! It sounds like you had a great experience and i'm so happy you enjoyed the venue and the service. We actually make the beer onsite in our brewery on the first floor so we have freedom to make all sorts of wonderful flavours! Be sure to ask for as many samples as you want on your next visit, nothing better in life than free beer! See you again Jamie Buchta Deputy Manager

Written February 5, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Chloe L

Cheltenham91 contributions

Good idea, not well executed

Aug 2020 • friends

The advertisement and reviews for this restaurant were very good and this set the expectation high. This may be why we felt slightly disappointed. The view of the castle is over sold, it is near the castle but round the corner with a limited view. We sat on the rooftop terrace, this is a covered area. We were glad of this as the weather was against us. There are heaters available. Even so many people were moved inside - I would definitely recommend a coat! This idea would work so much better in a warmer place or perhaps a conservatory instead. We did like the flowers and general "dont give a f***" ambience/decor. There was a large group near us who were providing entertainment. We had several slushy cocktails which were good. Some of the staff were a bit brash. We ordered pizzas, these came in takeaway boxes which was unexpected in a restaurant. This also wasnt notified to us. It made offloading the pizzas difficult as our table was littered with glasses at this point. The pizza was fine, nothing special. There are lots of options including veggie/vegan and gluten free.

Written August 30, 2020

jamiebuch007

Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your recent visit to us. We are so disheartened to hear that you left feeling disappointed. Your feedback, however, is absolutely vital to us as it will only allow us to evolve and improve. We hope that we can restore your faith in us, so please do let us know directly via blether@coldtownhouse.co.uk if you wish to book with us again.

Written September 1, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Claire G

Wakefield969 contributions

Cold drunken chicken kebabs and cold prawn kebabs

Mar 2020 • family

Great place for cold beers, we booked and got seated fairly quickly. Food took around 30 minutes to arrive and when it did, guess what!? Yes cold! Chips were hot but the hanging kebabs were not. I asked the server if they should be cold and she said not, so they were sent back to the kitchen for reheating. Not sure if this was a good idea or not, but no ill effects so far! Shame because the live music was good. The servers literally brought the food and left. There were no serviettes and i had to ask for them. Everyone else had drinks taken to the tables we were never asked so got our own from the bar needless to say no tip was left on payment for the food.

Written March 3, 2020

Trek18113029707

Hi Claire Firstly id like to say thanks for leaving a review, we take all feedback positive or negative very serious. Id like to apologise for your underwhelming meal as its something we are very good at. Id like to hear more about your experience and if you could email on jamie.buchta@siganturepubs.co.uk i'd greatly appreciate this. Thanks Jamie Buchta Deputy Manager

Written March 11, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Josh A

Darlington1 contribution

Most expensive salad I’ve ever had

Sep 2020 • friends

The service was terrible, it took at least 5 minutes just to be asked what we wanted to drink then we had to grab a waiter for somebody to then take our food order. We were not given any cutlery, we were never asked how our food was or if we wanted more drinks. I ordered the steak and tomato. It was described as rosemary and garlic Scottish fillet steak. For £16 I think it was reasonable to expect a steak as stated on the menu, instead what was l got was a skewer containing 4 small pieces of steak and a couple of mushrooms over a plate of salad with a few chips. Extortionate for what was a rubbish kebab. No wonder the staff were wearing masks.

Written September 16, 2020

jamiebuch007

Hi Josh Thanks for taking time out to review us. I'm really sorry we did not meet your expectations on your time with us. I really want to know about your visit if you could contact me on jamie.buchta@signaturepubs.co.uk i would really appreciate it. Many Thanks, Jamie Deputy Manager

Written September 19, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Travel_Jive

Scotland300 contributions

Quite a contrast from last visit but still good pizza!

Oct 2020 • none

I wanted to write a second review as our second visit which wasn't too long after wasn't that great. The pizza was still pretty tasty and the truffle fries are good but when we sat down we waited ages just for someone to come to our table. Instead three of the staff were stood chatting and not taking any notice that we were sat there waiting to order for about 25 minutes! I ordered a cocktail for £5 and when it was served at the table it was practically a mountain of ICE! £5 for a mountain of Ice!? I have attached a picture. I was pretty shocked that they could even serve that at £5 and have a good concience about it. I felt a bit shocked that some places actually have the nerve to serve a cocktail like that. I don't like complaining but I had to and I recieved another, I said to the girl, 'No Ice' quite simple and I recieved another cocktail with Ice in it, not as much but still 1/3-1/5 full. I drank it. At the end of the meal we recieved the bill being charged £10 for 2 cocktails = 2 glasses of Ice. I had to point it out again and they took 1 cocktail off. Sometimes you feel so cheated and you should get what you pay for at the end of the day and I think in these challenging times, restaurants should really be going out of their way to keep as much customers as possible. The girl who came in at the end of our visit with the blonde hair was bubbly and helpful and she took one cocktail off the bill. It's a lovely place for a pizza but maybe miss out all that ICE! Our bill came to nearly £40 for 2 drinks, 2 pizzas and a portion of fries. I would go again for the Pizza but I wouldn't be buying a cocktail and I would hope we wouldn't wait as long to be served.

Written October 10, 2020

jamiebuch007

Hi traveljive thanks for taking time to leave us another review. Sorry to hear that you did not enjoy one of our newly created cocktail from our discounted menu. It has been very popular since we launched it at the beginning of the month. I can assure you we only add Ice to maintain the integrity of the drink, it keeps the temperature down and prevents over dilution. We'd love to welcome you back to try one of our straight up cocktails, the mocha old fashioned is our favourite from the new menu :) Hope to see you for a third visit Team CTH

Written October 11, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

SSharrock

Paignton56 contributions

Not up to the hype

Dec 2019 • couples

On arrival, we thought this place was really well themed and the staff seemed really friendly and helpful. The waitress was very helpful and enthusiastic in getting some samples of beers for the group to try and select their beer choices. Unfortunately, this is where the positivity ends as the food was average. One of the pizzas was so spicy it couldn’t be consumed, this is not necessarily the restaurants fault but as no one came round to check how the food was at any point and it took us ages to flag someone down to pay the bill.

Written January 9, 2020

mairoldi

Hi Sharrock Id like to say firstly thanks for taking the time to leave us a review. We are really sorry your visit wasn't what you hoped. I can assure you we check back on all tables as we could have replaced this at the time for one of our less spicy pizzas and i will be addressing this with them team to make sure this is not missed again. I would like to hear more about which pizza you tried and if could contact me on jamie.buchta@signtaurepubs.co.uk i would greatly appreciate it. Kind Regards Jamie Buchta Deputy General Manager

Written January 10, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

214jam99

Chester218 contributions

Poor social distancing

Aug 2020 • none

Booked a table in the Prosecco and Pizza bar a week in advance only to be put in the bar area on the ground floor when we arrived. Very disappointed as that is why I booked that floor as I wanted that floor! they said they only had that table available as they were letting walk ins come in also - not very happy - What is the point in booking! Social distancing was terrible as everyone was queuing up outside to get in and you could not get in to see the hostess to tell them you had a table booked as there were so many people waiting outside who did not have a table booked. This needs to be managed better. No separate in and out doors for people as in other establishments to ensure there is social distancing just everyone coming in and out of the same door. I am sure The First minister who visited would not be impressed if she had arrived on the day and at time that we did. We Will not visit again which is a shame as the food was very good although service was very slow and disorganised. But our health is more important! Cold Town House you need a better booking system and more social distancing and a hostess on each floor so those who have booked can go to the floor they have booked for without having to wait outside with all the people who have not booked. Also a door to come in and a door to go out of not the same door for everyone.

Written August 4, 2020

jamiebuch007

HI 214jam99 Firstly thanks for taking time out of your schedule for paying a visit and writing a review. Inside our venue we have two floors that are grouped under BerewhouseBar or PizzaProsecco. The tables are assigned a floor depending on availability and social distancing space. When entering the venue there is a lot of information for our hosts to tell our guests that has to be done before setting foot inside, this can be time consuming especially when dealing with larger groups but which cannot be cut shorter as the information is regarding COVID procedures. To reassure you we have put further measures in place since your last visit that i am sure you will feel safe in. I would really appreciate if you would be willing to come back in and seeing how serious we are about the new laws regarding safety during COVID. You can contact me direct on jamie.buchta@signaturepubs.co.uk. Hope to hear from you soon. Jamie Buchta Deputy Manager

Written August 17, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

emparker98

2 contributions

Food was amazing service ruined it

Sep 2020 • couples

Me and my partner visited Cold Town House on the Friday and it was amazing, we loved the atmosphere and felt lucky to get a seat on the roof terrace. After this experience we decided to book for lunch on the Monday afternoon, on our last day of visiting Edinburgh. We ordered the hot wings to start with and wasn’t given any napkins nor cutlery (they were very messy), we shrugged it off, washed our hands in the toilet and asked for some napkins anyway. Following on from this our mains arrived, a steak and chips and a burger and chips. No cutlery, no napkins, no sauces offered or anything. Never have I ever dined somewhere to expect to eat a steak with their fingers. Every table that was being cleared were offered sauces, given cutlery and napkins and asked if everything was okay. We was recommended this place and it looked amazing. The products were amazing however the service ruined this.

Written September 22, 2020

jamiebuch007

Hi Em I was really happy to hear you had such a great time with us on Friday and enjoyed our wonderful terrace. But i would like to apologise for the less than perfect time you had on Monday afternoon. I really want to hear more from you about this experience. If you could contact me on jamie.buchta@signaturepubs.co.uk i would really appreciate it. Thanks Jamie

Written September 23, 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lorna B

Bordon7 contributions

Not for us

Aug 2021 • couples

The first thing we had to do was ask for the tables to be wiped down because they were dirty and sticky, but initially it took about 25 minutes for someone to come over to ask us about drinks before we could ask. Then rather than spraying the cloth they sprayed the table which meant it got us because of the type of table it was. My partner and friend then asked to taste a beer and then a had about a half hour wait for the waiter to clock us and then hurriedly bought it over after realising that we still had no drinks. When our food arrived at about 9 they called last orders for food, then half hour later last call for drinks. The price of food and drinks we found was quite pricey for what it was and then we had the hidden service charge on the top. We won’t return to this one.

Written August 7, 2021

carly C

1 contribution

Style over substance

Jun 2021 • friends

I booked this place for my friend's birthday. There was 3 of us in total and I had booked the outside in the grassmarket. The customer service was absimal, they forgot my pizza and the rest of the food was cold. The waitress said she would take the pizza that was cold off the menu (as we had another reservation elsewhere so wouldn't have had time to have another one) so when we eventually got the bill (after having to ask twice for it as the guy ignored us the 1st time) the cold pizza was still on the bill and a 12% discretionary charge that we didn't feel like they deserved. We told the waitress and the manager had to be called out as he wanted to question why the pizza was to be taken off! All in all, a very style of substance place and would not be returning

Written June 14, 2021

Jamie

Hello Carly We are really unhappy to hear about your visit. We work incredibly hard everyday under strict regulations to make sure everyone has a great time in a covd safe envirnoment. That aside it is clear we have missed the mark with you completley and woud really appreciate it if you could contact me at cth.managment@signaturepubs.co.uk to discuss it further. Many thanks Jamie

Written June 22, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

MDP

London16 contributions

Soggy food & poor customer service.

Oct 2021 • none

We had a 12pm booking for lunch on our last day in Edinburgh at the roof terrace. The restaurant was clearly understaffed (and morale seemed very low) as it took 10 minutes to be let in and seated. We were then sat at a wet table with no view of the castle and our drink order was not taken for a further 15 minutes. The lager was flat - not what I would expect from a brewery! I had the fish burger and my partner had the double bacon burger...both buns were stale and the chips were cold. Our starter (chicken loaded chips) was served after our mains. The chicken loaded chips weren't so much "buffalo" as a strange onion relish. At the end of the meal, we were £50 poorer, hungry, and wished we had gone to Spoons.

Written October 24, 2021

Asianpunkboy

2 contributions

Really poor customer service

May 2021 • friends

Three of us were visiting Edinburgh and wanted somewhere outdoors for drinks and food after a trip to the gallery. We booked a space on the roof terrace however upon arrival we were seated in a covered cable car booth. Not ideal when we booked to be seated outdoors so we could enjoy a rare sunny day in Edinburgh. The lack of interest or customer service on the part of the waitress who served us was palpable however we decided to stay as we were starving and the original intention was to have some food here. The table was far from ideal for three of us to eat at. There just wasn’t enough room in the crammed and uncomfortable cable car booth especially when our food order arrived all at once (we’d ordered some bits as a starter). We ate hurriedly (food was adequate) and asked for the bill so we could move on. Bill came with a service charge already added. I wouldn’t mind this if we were a larger booking but not for a small group of three of us, and especially after the poor service we’d received. A service charge is discretionary but something I almost always pay. On this I occasion I felt that it was not deserved at all but I was made to feel that it was my problem and issue when I stated that we would only be paying the actual bill. I would not recommend this place at all. I can imagine they don’t need to rely on better customer service as they are in a popular spot in Edinburgh and will always get unsuspecting customers visiting but the lacklustre approach of the serving staff leaves a lot to be desired.

Written June 13, 2021

Jamie

Hi Ammer Thank you for the review. Our cable cars are usually a big hit as the sunny days are so rare! They are normally the most popular part of the roof terrace as they are so unique and waterproof. We are all sorry to hear that your experience wasnt anything less than spectacular. I would like to discuss further with you, if you could contact me on cth.management@signaturepubs.co.uk i would greatly appreciate it. Many thanks Jamie

Written June 21, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Reg

Scotland30 contributions

Extremely slow service

Oct 2021 • friends

I was really looking forward to visiting as I’d heard great things. We were seated on the terrace in a ski lift gondola which I thought was quite cool to begin with, but the novelty soon wore off. With three of us inside it was cramped and our backs ached from hunching. Our first lot of drinks were ordered and served quickly, although one of the drinks was incorrect but no big deal. After ordering food (2 stone baked pizzas and loaded fries) we waited 50 minutes for them to arrive. We did ask our server whilst we were waiting how much longer would it take but even he was at a loss. The loaded fries were great. The pizzas tasted good but were really sloppy and once picked up all the toppings slid off. We were told we would receive a discount from the bill as an apology, however when the bill arrived not only was there no discount, but an additional 10 service charge! Once prompted, we were then given the discount. I’m really disappointed, would like to give them another chance but I’m unsure….

Written October 16, 2021

11 contributions

Save your money

Jul 2021 • couples

Really unorganised on arrival, cued downstairs for 15 minutes only to be told to go upstairs (nothing on the email confirmation to say that we were upstairs though). Food was very average, expensive version of McDonald’s - food even served in a cardboard box…was really excited to go here but was extremely disappointed. Would not recommend.

Written July 7, 2021

Jamie

Thanks for taking time to review us dy. I'm sorry you had to queue for 15minutes at the door, there can be the odd wait on busy times as its very important for us following government regulations of track and trace and delivering the house covid rules to guests on arrival. There is a sign at the front of the building directing all Rooftop bookings to Granny's Green steps entrance. We are sad to hear you say the food was average, we are regularly voted the by some as the best pizza in Scotland! We serve in takeaway containers as the weather can change on the rooftop quickly with wind dropping the temperature fast and we find it best to keep your food at an appropriate temperature this way. We are working on expanding our food and drinks menus as we go further back to the 'norm' and hope you find time to give us another try. Many thanks Team CTH

Written July 22, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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