Hector's

“You cannot conquer time,” as W.H. Auden put it, and this is never more true than when confronted with the pub or bar where you used to pass many a happy evening, either drinking, or joking, or arguing, or getting off with the wrong person. However, one night, you feel you don’t fit in anymore: the people are not the same, the drinks are passé, and the decor is dull.

You feel you have outgrown the one place you never thought you would abandon. When this happens, as it must, venture down into deepest, darkest Stockbridge and you will discover Hector’s, which caters to the sense of adulthood and taste for Sierra Nevada Pale Ale which is nascent in all of us. Seriously, one cannot drink Tennent’s forever, darlings.

Hector’s may not be within the average student’s three-mile radius of flat, the library and Sainsbury’s, but if ever you find yourself crossing the George Street divide one evening, head to Deanhaugh Street and experience another Edinburgh. Stockbridge puts one in mind of the twisting Victorian streets of old, and suddenly one is reminded of why Edinburgh is still a fascinating place to inhabit. The variety of drinks available is impressive, and Hector’s achieves a comfortable balance between the familiar local pub and the trendy bar. It is neither too big nor too small, and on a Saturday night is usually heaving with a clientele that is mainly non-students, but a seat or just a place to perch one’s glass is always free.

The decor is strong but not domineering, confidently recreating a subtle Middle Eastern vibe with a dash of the south of France which feels perfectly at home in the Stockbridge setting.

So, dear drinkers, if the beaten track doesn’t deter you, then the journey to Hector’s is certainly worthwhile.