The Playfair Visited

Photos

Local Area

Visited as part of going to watch Partick Thistle play Edinburgh City in the Premier Sports Cup at Meadowbank Stadium. Game finished with a 4-1 Thistle victory. Meadowbank Stadium is part of Meadowbank Sports Centre a multi-purpose hub for athletics, football, and more. It was first built in 1970 for the Commonwealth Games (which it hosted twice, in '70 and '86) and was once home to Meadowbank Thistle FC - who left Edinburgh to become Livingston FC (my old boss Pearse Flynn, a big sellick man, owned Livingston for a while, taking them out of administration, then he got hit with some tax scam thing). Anyway, back to Meadowbank Stadium. The original stadium was demolished in 2017 and reopened in 2022 with a small ~1,300 capacity. It has gyms, running track and pitches hosting; Edinburgh City FC, Leith Athletic, & Hibernian W.F.C.

The Pub

The Playfair is tucked into the Omni Centre right by the Playhouse Theatre on Leith Walk. So at the city centre end where Leith Walk heads out of the city kind of east by north east towards Leith. It's the closest Wetherspoons to Meadowbank Stadium and whilst being a nice pub with huge outdoor area it's a bit of a shopping mall gaff. The lavvies are only 3 short steps away from groundfloor. The pub is named after William Henry Playfair (1790–1857), a renowned Scottish architect who designed some of Edinburgh's most iconic neoclassical New Town structures, including the National Monument on Calton Hill (which overlooks the pub), the Royal Scottish Academy, and the National Gallery of Scotland - contributions that helped earn Edinburgh the nickname "the Athens of the North." Staff rating: It was 6pm'ish on a Friday night and 28° sunshine all day so pub and beer garden were rammed with some right rockets in the place, but I was served immediately and with a big smile. Top service for a city centre pub.

Football Team

Edinburgh City FC kicked off properly in 1966 as Postal United before adopting the Edinburgh City name in 1986. They climbed their way into the pro leagues in 2016 via the pyramid system and hit League One in 2022, but yo-yoed back to League Two after a rocky 2023-24 with financial hiccups and a points deduction. Briefly rebranded as FC Edinburgh in 2022, they're now back to City under new ownership since 2023. In 2024-25 season they finished third in the fourth tier (league 2), reaching the promotion playoffs! No promotion ensued, so they're geared up for another League Two scrap in season 2025-26. Notable wins: Lowland League titles in 2015/16, and that 2022 promotion to the 'pro' leagues. Before tonight's match the mighty Partick Thistle have only faced Edinburgh City competitively on one occasion, in the 2024 League Cup, where Thistle unleashed a 6-0 demolition! So overall record so far is: Thistle 2 wins, City 0 win, draws 0, goals Thistle 10-1 Edinburgh city.

Travel

Busses there: First 77 to Buchanan Street, Citylink 900 to Edinburgh, Lothian 4 to Meadowbank. Busses back: Lothian 26 to Edinburgh city centre, Citylink 900 to Glasgow, First 4A to Broomhill.

Beers

Stewart Brewing Pentland IPA, price was a whopping £3.35 but I suppose really good value for Edinburgh city centre. After having a 2nd pint to make my mind up, I'd score the beer a solid 4/5. It's about as local a beer as you can get with the Pentland Hills overlooking Edinburgh! Stewart Brewing is one of Edinburgh's most successful craft breweries. Based in Loanhead, just south of the capital, it was founded in 2004. They combine traditional Scottish real-ale brewing with modern craft innovations—including running a custom-built brewhouse and Scotland's first "Brew-It-Yourself" Craft Beer Kitchen. Pentland IPA (3.9% ABV) is named after the Pentland Hills regional park that frames the southern backdrop of Edinburgh. Pentland IPA is one of Stewart Brewing's most enduring flagship session pale ales. It bridges the gap between traditional Scottish cask pale ales and modern hop-forward styles and is Certified Gluten-Free. Tasting Notes; pours a clear, pale straw-gold with a bright white head. Features subtle citrus zest, light floral notes, and a touch of tropical fruit aromas over a clean, biscuity malt backbone. Finishes dry with a moderate, refreshing bitterness. Food Pairings; Pub Fare, Lightly Spiced Dishes and Cheeses.