Beer & Skittles, Edinburgh: A sports bar with a twist

I'm not really a sports bar kinda gal. Don't get me wrong- I do love watching a good sports match (I wouldn't throw an annual Super Bowl party if I didn't). But being crammed into a crowded bar fighting for a view of the t.v. with only cheap beer for sustenance isn't exactly my idea of fun. In fact, it might just be my worst nightmare.

So when I was invited to Beer & Skittles Bar to review their new menu you can imagine I was a bit hesitant at first. But once I found out that Beer & Skittles offers cocktails and a pretty substantial food menu, I felt a little better about stepping foot into a sports bar. Oh, and did I mention that this bar is owned by the same amazing team as Steak Restaurant and Brasserie?

Beer & Skittles isn't your ordinary sports bar. Sure, they do show pretty much every sports game ever according to their "What's On" schedule. But it's not all just beer and sweaty sports fans here. Beer & Skittles happens to make a pretty good cocktail and has some of the nicest bar staff I've ever met.

When we arrived at Beer & Skittles we were surrounded by rugby fans, still drunk after the Six Nations matches that day. Not a great start, but the waitress serving us immediately seated us in a booth away from the action. Luckily, the matches had ended and everyone was slowly trickling out. By the time we had been served our drinks, we nearly had the place to ourselves!

The decor at Beer & Skittles is a bit of a mish-mash of styles. A plastic-like black ceiling reads more "club" than "bar," but the barrel tables and large booths remind you that you're here to eat and drink rather than party. Beer & Skittles definitely has a thing for neon, but it works for them. That pink and blue sign on the way down to the bar is just crying out for an edgy insta.

Ben and I had a bit of a heavy Saturday the night before we visited Beer & Skittles, so stuck with just one drink for each of us. There was a pretty extensive cocktail menu and I settled on the Raspberry mule, which was the perfect antidote to the many glasses of wine I had the night before. Light, tart, and bursting with lime juice, this was the ultimate "doesn't taste like alcohol cocktail."

If you're going to come to Beer & Skittles for food, you're most likely going to want to share. Isn't that what good bar food is all about anyway? But, for the sake of journalism, Ben and I ordered way too much food with a main each and some sharers "on the side." I had the pulled pork burger for my main, which was a soft brioche bun filled with melt-in-your-mouth pork and loads of rocket. While I appreciated the ubiquitous salad (#healthy) I did wish there was a little bit more pork in the bun. This was also served with a side of fried pickles which reminded be of being back in the States!

Ben went for a favourite of his- the full rack of ribs. I can't really attest to this one because I notoriously do not like ribs (I find them a bit fatty). Ben found them a bit dry, but really liked the addition of sauce to moisten them up a bit. He went with Sezchuan sauce without really understanding the pop-culture reference (neither of us watches Rick and Morty), and we both thought it was the perfect tangy accompaniment to any meat.

But the best part of Ben's main? The side of mac 'n' cheese bites. Yes, those are fried balls of mac 'n' cheese. They were ridiculously cheesy and creamy and had a little bit of crunch on the outside from the breadcrumbs. I would definitely class this as one of the more indulgent things I've eaten lately (and they were huge!)

We also shared two classic bar dishes: chicken wings and loaded fries. I liked how the chicken wings were smaller than what I'm used to, but you got a lot more of them. They were juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside- just as chicken wings should be. I sort of panic-ordered (does anyone else do that?) on the sauce and got blue cheese. It was honestly really tasty but just not what I would normally order! The loaded fries were phenomenal- perfectly crisp skin-on fries piled high with cheese, salsa, sour cream and some of that pulled pork from earlier.

While Beer & Skittles definitely caters to the sports-bar crowd, they definitely know that the best part of game day is the food. If I went back, I'd probably skip out on the mains and order lots of their sharing food (especially those mac 'n' cheese balls). Beer & Skittles also does lots of deals- one each night to be exact- so there's always a reason to pop in.

I also just want to mention how amazing the staff were on our visit to Beer & Skittles. I definitely think that if your staff are happy and friendly after two rowdy Six Nations matches in a row, you're definitely doing well. So shout out to the team at Beer & Skittles for being incredible!

Thank you to Beer & Skittles for inviting me in to try out their new menu. This meal was given to me on a complimentary basis in exchange for a review, but all views are my own. You can learn more about Beer & Skittles here and view their menu here!