Edinburgh Wetherspoons pub named as surprise winner of CAMRA's award for 'best pint' in the Capital for 2023

The CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) has named the Edinburgh pub which serves the best pints – and it might come as something of a surprise to beer connoisseurs.

Narrowly beating local favourite Kay's Bar, who scooped the Real Ale Quality Award last year, was The Playfair, a JD Wetherspoon pub located at the Omni Centre.

The Old Clubhouse, in Gullane, pipped the Brig & Barrel in Belhaven to be named best in the Lothians, and also won the overall Real Ale Quality Award for Souht-East Scotland. Kay’s Bar, meanwhile, was named among the runner ups.

Posting about the award, CAMRA wrote: “The overall branch winner is the Old Clubhouse, Gullane. We plan to do a presentation to them in the New Year.

“This award is based entirely on real ale quality scores submitted by CAMRA members since November 2022. Congratulations to all the winners.”

Earlier this year, two Edinburgh city centre watering holes came top of the table in a countrywide ranking of all Wetherspoons venues.

The Express used Tripadvisor reviews to come up with the best Wetherspoons in the UK, and also listed the five Scottish pubs that made the UK top 20.

The Standing Order, on George Street, was voted as the No.1 Wetherspoon pub in Scotland, and as one of the 20 best Wetherspoons pubs in the UK. Based on 1,715 reviews, 290 were excellent and 126 were terrible.

The Standing Order was once a bank, as the name suggests. The grade A listed building was designed by David Bryce between 1874 and 1878 and is in a neo-classical style. The plans were later completed by Bryce’s nephew John. One of the main dining areas of the huge pub contains an original CHUBB vault, with markings inside dating from 1968.

In second spot for Scotland was The Caley Picture House on Lothian Road. The massive venue, which has been a cinema, a nightclub and a live music venue in the past, has 249 excellent ratings and 75 terrible, based on 671 reviews.