Given how popular and widespread they are, it's likely you've set foot in a Wetherspoons at least once in your life.
Edinburgh and its surrounding areas alone have eight pubs serving up affordable meals and pints to eager customers.
While the chain is famous for its consistency across branches — serving similar food and drink up and down the country — some Spoons pubs have a better reputation than others.
READ MORE — Edinburgh Airport rated better than Glasgow Airport by The Telegraph in new poll
To investigate which of the Edinburgh pubs were the most popular, we took a look at TripAdvisor, where each one has been assigned a rating out of five based on scores from visitors.
We also took a sample review from each one, to give you an idea of what customers think.
According to the online travel company, here are all of the Edinburgh Wetherspoons ranked from worst to best.
The Sir Walter Scott, Edinburgh Airport
Rating: 3/5
Number of reviews: 575
At the bottom of the ranking, and the only venue with a three-out-of-five rating, is The Sir Walter Scott at Edinburgh Airport. Many travellers on TripAdvisor say the pub got their trip off to a shaky start, criticising the the food and service.
What one customer said: "I had the warm crusty breakfast muffin. With succulent sausage and with a fresh fried egg with runny American cheese on top. ---- In reality, A cold stale muffin with a hard egg thats been under the heat lamp for a period of time, 1 cold tasteless sausage with a cheese slice slapped on it. I was curious as to why the waiter slapped it in front of me like I was a dog. Explains the service."
The Foot of the Walk, 183 Constitution Street
Rating: 3.5/5
Number of reviews: 143
With a rating of 3.5/5, but only 143 reviews, The Foot of the Walk in Leith comes in at second from the bottom. While praised for its value for money — it's a Wetherspoons after all — customers took issue with the "awful facilities", and said the pub was "desperately in need of an upgrade and a deep clean".
What one customer said: "I strongly suspect they were short staffed when I visited not long after the lunchtime rush. However, I was blatantly ignored by a young lady waitress and had my head bitten off by a young male waiter when asking to place an order. Perhaps when 'the new normal' post COVID arrived their manners will return. I took my business to the lovely Chop House on very nearby Constitution Street instead. Meantime, I thoroughly recommend avoiding Wetherspoons Foot of the Walk."
The Playfair, Omni Centre
Rating: 3.5/5
Number of reviews: 468
This Spoons scored well on food and service, but customers were less impressed with its atmosphere — which isn't surprising given its location in the Omni Centre. Some TripAdvisor users also complained of having to wait a long time for their order, and recommended visiting when it isn't busy.
What one customer said: "It’s a nice little spoons, close to our hotel which made things so much easier. We came here 3 times in total for the week, the first time was perfect we had just been to Cosmos and came in for some drinks after and we had a really good time, service was great. However, the last two times it’s not been as great, the second night we noticed service was much slower and there wasn’t many places to sit due to dirty glasses and plates still sat on the table so we went somewhere else. We decided to give it one more try for our final night and it was the same, tables full of dirty plates and glasses, not much table availability so overall frustrating."
The White Lady, 98 St. Johns Road
Rating: 3.5/5
Number of reviews: 518
The White Lady is the only Wetherspoons on this list that is also a hotel. The accommodation earned rave reviews on TripAdvisor, with a score of 4.5/5, while the pub itself fared slightly worse. Visitors still praised the food and quick service, though some weren't keen on certain members of staff.
What one customer said: "Disgusting behaviour and frankly just rude. The waitress was downright rude and, whilst the food was tolerable, it was poorly managed. She ought to be given a warning."
The Alexander Graham Bell, 128 George Street
Rating: 3.5/5
Number of reviews: 631
The first of two Spoons branches on George Street, The Alexander Graham Bell was praised for its atmosphere, low prices, and "great food" — with one TripAdvisor user claiming it was "one of the best wetherspoons [they had] been to". Others took issue with the "rude staff", however.
What one customer said: "While looking for a haggis supper, I came across The Graham Alexander Bell, a very large pub with a large menu. Originally I wanted to have haggis with nappies and tatties, however this was no longer on offer. Also my second choice, the steak was not to be had, so I opted for the Caledonian Burger, so beef burger with haggis topping, onion rings and fries served with whiskey sauce. In addition, I had ordered a Glenmorangie Whiskey Shot. To the food: This was not bad at all, especially the haggis was tasty. However, nothing special, but very good value for money. The order is placed at the bar, while the food is brought to the table."
The Booking Office, 17 Waverley Bridge
Rating: 3.5/5
Number of reviews: 1,143
Coming in at third place is The Booking Office just off Princes Street. Unsurprisingly, customers praised its central location, as well as its "friendly staff" and quick service. The food was also applauded, particularly its "tasty" breakfast menu.
What one customer said: "Food was good every time we went and very quickly served. Staff where helpful and not that busy every time we went. Would go back."
The Caley Picture House, 31 Lothian Road
Rating: 4/5
Number of reviews: 639
The Caley Picture house is best known for previously being a 1,500 capacity live venue that hosted concerts and club nights. Given the venue's history, visitors unsurprisingly heaped praise upon the pub's big and "beautiful" interior. It wasn't quite enough to lift it up to first place, however.
What one customer said: "While I’d frankly rather see this be the beautiful theatre in its original use, we stopped by for breakfast on our last day in the city. I’ve seen some negative reviews but our experience was quite the opposite. Well cooked large breakfast while my wife selected the lighter option of the freedom breakfast. The unlimited serve yourself Lavazza coffee is a really nice touch. Unbeatable prices too. Some tables are tucked away and remained uncleared, but all of the staff we encountered were pleasant and we got served very quickly."
The Standing Order, 62-66 George Street
Rating: 4/5
Number of reviews: 1,686
With a four-out-of-five ranking, and by far the largest number of reviews on this list, The Standing Order on George Street is a clear winner. Customers praised its "lovely atmosphere", "excellent service", and "great prices". One visitor even claimed: "You wouldn't think you were in a Wetherspoons."
What one customer said: "The food is good, the ales and wine are very good and excellently priced, the staff are great. We will definitely be back next time we are in Edinburgh."
