Kay's Bar
General information
TypePub
Address39 Jamaica Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6HF
Town or cityEdinburgh
CountryUnited Kingdom
Opened1820s (estimated)
Website
https://www.kaysbar.uk

Kay's Bar is a pub in Edinburgh, Scotland, located in former slums between the Royal Circus and Queen Street Gardens. Previously a wine shop, it became a pub in the 1970s.[1]

The pub was the Edinburgh winner of the CAMRA Real Ale Quality Award 2021[1] and 2022.[2]

History

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Before becoming a bottle shop, the building was a coach house. It was converted into the shop for John Kay & Sons, a wine merchant, in the early 19th century.

By the middle of the 19th century, despite being sandwiched by salubrious streets either side, Jamaica Street had become "awash with effluent, home to shebeens, houses of ill-repute, small industries pouring out smoke and smell and noise."[3]

In 1964, the area had been designated a slum, and was earmarked for demolition. Labour leader Harold Wilson visited the area and remarked that the housing on the street was some of the worst he had ever seen in the country.[4][5] However, while most of the street was demolished, small sections at either end were kept, including the John Kay & Sons shop.[6] Photos inside the current pub show the street before the demolition.[7]

The shop closed in the 1970s and reopened as a pub. It contains a main bar room with small sets of tables and an open fire, with a smaller snug at the back with enough space for two tables. It now attracts a mix of locals and tourists. The pub still displays some bottles and labels from its time as a wine and alcohol shop.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Kay's Bar". Kay's Bar. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  2. ^ Murphy, Sean (2023-01-16). "The much-loved Edinburgh bar hailed for its incredible real ale by CAMRA". Edinburgh Live. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  3. ^ "News from the mews 2". The Spurtle. 2020-03-25. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  4. ^ "Pat Rogan helped city destroy its slum housing shame". The Scotsman. 2009-01-28. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  5. ^ "Jamaica Street View of visit by Harold Wilson MP | Canmore". canmore.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  6. ^ threadinburgh (2023-07-21). "The thread about the five different Jamaica Streets of Edinburgh and Leith; and how these and other street names evidence a time of colonialism and slavery". Threadinburgh. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  7. ^ "Kay's Bar - A beautiful pub with a dirty past". Edinburgh Pub Reviews. 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
  8. ^ "Kay's Bar - A beautiful pub with a dirty past". Edinburgh Pub Reviews. 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2024-11-25.