Grey Horse Inn

This is very much a local pub, with a slightly older clientele. Quite a crowd gathers for football games and they sometimes have live music nights. It can feel slightly unwelcoming to walk in here for the first time, as most of the punters are regulars but it has a nice interior. A bit out of the way unless you live around Dalkeith road.

Not a bad old place, but certainly not a place I would personally like to call my regular. My friends lived in a flat just off Dalkeith Road in their second year at uni, and in the first couple of weeks they were trying to find a good local pub that we could all come to every now and then for a few pints before hitting a club in town.
However, this pub did not fit the bill, it is full mostly of older clientèle and although that is no fault of its own, its not really a place for students. The pubs décor is in a typical British pub style, but looks pretty drab.
The pub does however but they do a good range of drinks including ales and spirits behind the bar and there are a good few TV screens in case there is a game you want to catch.

This pub is a bit of a dive, from my experience. On the way to Cameron Toll, me and a friend stepped in for a cheeky pint and it was definitely a decision I immediately regretted. The locals all looked round as we entered and made sure that you knew you weren’t welcome. But we struggled on through, anything in the quest for a quick beer. The pub was pretty shabby inside, and the staff just didn’t really care that we were there, they carried on chatting. I decided I didn’t want a pint at this, just a glass of water and then head for the hills. Upon asking for this the barman dutifully got me a glass, then nodded to a jug of water and informed me I was more than welcome to pour my own… definitely service with a smile (sarcasm is hard to translate into text). The beer wasn’t cheap and because the barman misheard my friend we ended up with ¾ of a pint instead of a half, so I suppose every cloud…
Pretty much the only saving graces are that there is an ok selection of spirits and resident dog there is really cute. Normally I hate pets but he was a cheeky chappy and brightened up what otherwise was a pretty bad experience.

I was a bit dubious about this place at first glance from the outside. It had the obligatory old blokes leaning in the doorway smoking cheap cigarettes and was wafting that trademark odour of grubby old pubs. When my flatmate and I walked in the whole place nearly fell silent too, which didn’t help; it was obvious that everyone in there knew everyone else and I think it had been a while since any newbies had ventured in.
But I was a bit premature in jumping to my conclusions. Although the regulars and staff did all know eachother, they were all extremely friendly especially the pub’s dog Gio. If you hadn’t worked it out for yourself already, that’s short for Giovanni, I was told at least seven times by one of the tipsier regulars propping up the bar. Being a huge dog person, I loved it when Gio hopped onto the seat next to me and lay his head in my lap, but I can see how it might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
The other thing I liked about this place wa the laid back, relaxed feel to it. When I pointed out to the barman that I’d only asked for a half, he just shrugged and let me keep the almost-​full pint he’d just poured.
There were loads of screens showing sport, and there were plenty of tables as it’s deceptively spacious inside.

Grey Horse Inn a firendly pub on Dalkeith Road which has a welcoming atmosphere, proper ‘pub’ drinks and efficient staff. I came here a few weeks ago before heading to Jade Palace down the road for a takeaway and it was a fun, chilled out evening. The pub attracts a wide range of customers. Most are locals of various ages and it even has some students as regulars.
The interior feels traditonal, yet stylish and clean with a big wooden bar, plenty of comfortable seating and soft lighting. Behind the bar they don’t just sell the usual lagers, ciders and spirits, but also Scottish malt whiskeys and real, locally sourced ales. It’s perhaps a bit more expensive than some other pubs in the area, but it’s certainly worth a look if you’re in the locality.