Kay's Bar, Jamaica Street, Edinburgh

Don't be deceived by the name, Kay's Bar is an old-style neighbourhood boozer, serving salubrious residents of Edinburgh's stately New Town. Housed in a stone cottage, the cramped main bar is usually abuzz with the hum of conversation conducted in the soft Edinburgh accent. Wooden barrels line the wall facing the bar, which is well stocked with a rotating range of real ales. Belhaven 80/- is a permanent fixture, as is Guinness. At the back, the even smaller Library bar is decorated with old black and white photos of the New Town and a wall of aging leather-bound books. Kay's Bar is all about drinking and talking, rather than TV and fruit machines. 7/10