The World's End

You're drinking where Edinburgh's city walls once stood, and The World's End wears its centuries like a comfortable old coat. The stone walls and low ceilings create the sort of atmosphere that feels authentically ancient rather than theme-park medieval, while the Belhaven taps pour some of Scotland's finest ales alongside a solid selection of whiskies that'll satisfy both tourists and locals. The crowd's a proper mix - you'll find Old Town residents nursing pints alongside visitors who've stumbled off the Royal Mile cobbles, all drawn by the same thing: this feels like what an Edinburgh pub should be. The food's hearty pub grub done well, nothing fancy but exactly what you want after tramping up and down the closes. At £8-12 for mains, it's fair value for the location, and the fact they're open until midnight every day makes it a reliable refuge from the Royal Mile chaos.