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The pub’s story
Old Chain Pier stands at 32 Trinity Crescent, with panoramic windows looking across the Forth and outdoor seats beside the water. Local historian David King traces the bar to a pier booking office and records the Moss family here by 1901. His account describes brewery modernisation in the early 1970s, a higher roof later that decade and an east conservatory added in 1998. A fire in 2004 was followed by reconstruction and reopening that November. The bar closed in July 2011 and reopened after refurbishment in May 2012. Today the venue combines a bar with a substantial food offer, while its seaward glazing remains a reason to choose a window seat. The official schedule starts at noon every day, with food last orders earlier than the bar closes.
What to notice
- 01
Panoramic windows face the Forth from the waterside rooms.
- 02
The east conservatory is a later addition, dated by David King to 1998.
- 03
Outdoor seats sit beside the waterfront.
The time rail
The building, the pub and its interior may date from different periods. The timeline keeps documented dates separate from tradition.
David King records Arthur Moss at the Chain Pier bar.
King describes brewery extension and modernisation of the bar.
A higher roof was added, according to King.
King dates the east conservatory extension to this year.
A fire led to reconstruction and reopening in November.
Closure in July 2011 was followed by refurbishment and reopening in May 2012.
Sources & confidence
Granton History supplies a detailed attributed premises chronology; EdinPhoto supports the 2004 fire and 2011-12 closure/refurbishment. Their first-pub-use accounts conflict: no post-WWII founding claim or exact surviving 1821 shell date is used. Official noon opening supersedes CAMRA morning times and OSM later closing tags. CAMRA warns of a food/table-service emphasis; drink-only arrangements should be checked. Exact named OSM building geometry supports the premises point. Three inspected exterior sources support current identity and geometry, excluding seasonal copy. Current legal operator is unresolved.
Research reviewed
- Current restaurant/bar, phone, Mon-Thu and Sun 12:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-23:00Old Chain Pier operatorofficial
SupportsCurrent restaurant/bar, phone, Mon-Thu and Sun 12:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-23:00. Food last orders are separate.
- 32 Trinity Crescent EH5 3ED, same phone; panoramic windows, outdoor seats, food emphasisCAMRA Edinburghspecialist
Supports32 Trinity Crescent EH5 3ED, same phone; panoramic windows, outdoor seats, food emphasis. Earlier morning openings conflict with official noon. Table-service/drinker restrictions are a practical warning.
- Booking-office origins; Moss family by 1901; early-1970s modernisation, late-1970s raised roof, 1998 east conservatory, 2004 fire/rebuild, 31 July 2011 closure and 10 May 2012 refurbished reopeningDavid King, Granton Historyheritage
SupportsBooking-office origins; Moss family by 1901; early-1970s modernisation, late-1970s raised roof, 1998 east conservatory, 2004 fire/rebuild, 31 July 2011 closure and 10 May 2012 refurbished reopening. Local historical account; precise first pub use remains uncertain.
- Observed 2004 fire and mid-November reopening; 2011 closure/2012 refurbishment notesPeter Stubbs, EdinPhotoarchive
SupportsObserved 2004 fire and mid-November reopening; 2011 closure/2012 refurbishment notes. Post-WWII first-pub-use assertion conflicts with Granton History Moss dates and is excluded. Pier dates do not establish the surviving shell date.
- Exact way 60684490 with named premises geometry/coordinatesOpenStreetMap contributorsappearance
SupportsExact way 60684490 with named premises geometry/coordinates. HTTP 200 retrieved 2 September 2026. Bounding-box midpoint of exact named premises polygon, visually checked inside site; not viewport centre or entrance. Hours and operator tags not adopted.
