The Cumberland Bar

The Cumberland Bar has been a long established favourite public house and restaurant in Edinburgh's New Town.  In previous times, the bar was known as "The Tilted Wig", owned and operated by the well known Paddy Crossan. During his ownership the bar became a frequent lunchtime and evening stop for the areas lawyers, judges and other professional inhabitants.

In the mid 1990's, the equally well known Ian Whyte purchased the bar and renovated it with the style and quality of finish that he was already famous for. Detailed woodwork with an emphasis on real ale and development of the food operation established it as the New Town's finest local and won CAMRA's best pub refurbishment award. 

Recently ownership of the bar passed to D M Stewart Ltd, well known in Edinburgh as owners and operators of some of Edinburgh's most classic and famous victorian hostelries. The Cumberland Bar, with it's unique beer garden is also immortalised in Alexander McCall Smith's serialised novel 44 Scotland Street, as the typical New Town drinking establishment, so favoured by his characters. 

What We Sell Matters To Us

As part of the D M Stewart family group of pubs, our bars have no tie to any single brewery or buying group. The family has been involved in the wine, ale and spirit trade for over 300 years, at first through the McCallum family, and over the last 100 years in Edinburgh, through the Stewart family.

Since the 1980’s there has been a quiet revolution in what bars and restaurants sell. Gone are the days of one or two pasteurised keg ales and a single lager being the standard draught offering. And even more thankfully, wine selections are wide and truly global, rather than a single french white and red of dubious quality.

The Stewart family, having no financial ties to suppliers, has been in the perfect position to lead the explosion of variety that is now expected in all the best bars. Be it real ales, wines by the glass, whiskies or spirits, we are able to listen to what the customer wants and work hard to offer it.

Food is equally close to the heart, the family having been livestock farmers for equally as long as wine and spirit merchants. Bar meals are no longer the poor relation of what was offered by restaurants. The line has blurred to the extent that many bars now offer menus that are every bit as exciting as any contemporary food outlet will offer.

Sourcing fresh, locally produced, organic ingredients are a priority, as well as offering dishes designed for the modern pressures of life, whether it be time, or appetite.

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