Aikman's, St. Andrews  fancyapint.com rated pub, rated3 pints - click for an explanation of our ratings

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location:

St. Andrews

address:

32 Bell Street, KY16 9UX

phone:

N/A

how to find it:

The pub is on Bell Street, at the west end of the (not very large) town centre, between Market Street and South Street.

click here for a larger map

nearby attraction(s):

St. Andrews (810m)

picture of Aikmans
Something of a St Andrews institution, this has one of the best, and most adventurous selections of beer of any pub or bar in town, and a moderately respectable offering of whisky too (We were impressed that one of our companions ordered some "cheap generic shit" as part of a round of tasting different drams, and they knew immediately what to come up with.) There are two bars - a basement bar (or beer bar), which can get hot and (usually not too unpleasantly) shouty, and which is more drinks-orientated. At street level, the wine bar is rather more high-ceilinged and equally well suited for a meal, or indeed just a snack, with a group of friends as it is for drinks. Service is pretty exemplary, even when it's crowded - this can easily become a home from home, and has its own mini-cult on Facebook, even among those former students of the Auld Grey Toon who have strayed far away long ago. Bands - from rock to ceilidh to all sorts - and comedians have been known to hold gigs upstairs, too. One major failing - and the principal reason why this place doesn't warrant a four-pint rating: the toilets are horrible.

reviewed:
23/02/2008
reviewed by venichka

pub features:(click on an icon to see an explanation)

good beer served - click for explanationreal ale - regular guest beers
live music - click for explanationoccasional gigs
quiz night - click for explanationquiz night Sunday
separate restaurant - click for explanationpub food

second opinion:

Have your say! - only one comment, so far on this pub - why not add your own?
posted by mattb - Wednesday 18th February, 2009, 8:11pm
this pub is disgusting, yes it has a well sourced selection of beers, but judging by the taste of the "real ales", and some of the stuff upstairs, there hasn't been a line-clean in this filthy place for years. It was dirty and the people working were unprofessional, it took me only a couple of minutes to see that. The kitchen where the cooking takes place in this "bistro" was visible from where i sat and it looked FILTHY....even worse than the sticky table where i had the misfortune to sit. The only person i saw working here with any merit was a dark haired girl who seemed to be getting a bucketful of abuse from an older woman (owner?), the fact that this was happening so publically underlines the lack of order and professionalism in this shabby place. Why, I would ask the Health and Safety authority, hasn't this place been closed down? It needs a total refit, the wallpaper's peeling off, it looks like the staff never clean it, and the toilets are the most appalling i've (probably) ever been in. No sign of soap for washing hands, which made me worry also about the state of the staff's hands. If you have any sense of hygiene or consideration for you and your party's surroundings, for God's sake, don't go to this dump. Matt
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