Vessel - Bar in Edinburgh

About the Vibe

Pilot Brewery's first proper bar in the city centre, Vessel brings Leith's cult beer scene to Hanover Street with style. You'll find the full Pilot draught range alongside cocktails, wine, and a kitchen turning out genuinely excellent food sourced from small independent suppliers — this is not your average beer bar. The 4.9-star rating from 233 reviews tells you everything: people come for the beer and stay for the food.

Why it's worth it

Leith's cult Pilot Brewery finally has a city-centre bar — and the food is so good it rivals the beer.

Highlights

Pilot draughtkitchen surprisesvegan optionswarm welcome

Before you go

Go for lunch — the kitchen is just as impressive as the beer, and it's quieter than evenings when the after-work crowd fills up.

Known For

•Pilot Brewery draught beers
•locally sourced kitchen menu
•cocktails and natural wine
•vegan options like aubergine schnitzel

Best For

after-work drinkscasual lunchbeer enthusiasts' meetups

1 review

City InsidersEditorialJuly 6, 2026

Pilot's beer is the draw, but the kitchen steals the show

Vessel is what happens when a beloved brewery finally gets the bar it deserves. Pilot has been a Leith institution since 2011, and this Hanover Street spot — their first city-centre outpost — brings the full draught range to town alongside cocktails, wine, and spirits. But here's the surprise: the food is genuinely outstanding. Reviewers consistently say they came for the beer and were blown away by the kitchen, which sources from small independent suppliers Pilot has built relationships with over a decade. The menu includes thoughtful vegan options like aubergine schnitzel, charred hispi cabbage, and lentil and carrot fritters — not afterthoughts, but proper dishes.

The space is relaxed and unpretentious, open from noon to midnight every day, and the welcome is warm — French-speaking visitors have noted the excellent hospitality. It's the kind of place where you pop in for a pint and end up staying for three courses. With a 4.9-star rating across 233 Google reviews, Vessel is clearly doing something right. Go for the Pilot specials on draught, order the food you didn't expect to be this good, and settle in.

Lire en français

Vessel, c'est l'histoire d'une brasserie adorée qui a enfin le bar qu'elle mérite. Pilot est une institution de Leith depuis 2011, et cet établissement sur Hanover Street — leur première adresse au centre-ville — propose toute la gamme de bières pression, mais aussi des cocktails, du vin et des spiritueux. La vraie surprise, c'est la cuisine : les clients viennent pour la bière et restent bluffés par la qualité des plats, préparés avec des produits issus de petits fournisseurs indépendants. Le menu propose même de très bonnes options végétariennes et véganes — aubergine schnitzel, chou hispi grillé, beignets de lentilles et carottes — des plats à part entière, pas des pensées ultimes.

L'ambiance est détendue, sans prétention, ouvert de midi à minuit tous les jours, avec un accueil chaleureux. Des visiteurs francophones ont d'ailleurs souligné l'excellent accueil reçu. C'est le genre d'endroit où on entre pour une pinte et où on finit par commander trois plats. Avec une note de 4,9 sur 233 avis Google, Vessel fait clairement les choses bien. Allez-y pour les bières spéciales de Pilot en pression, commandez la cuisine que vous ne vous attendiez pas à trouver ici, et installez-vous.