** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Strip pubs and clubs in the Central belt
Post Reply
zante
Site Admin
Posts: 932
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 5:45 pm
Location: Tamworth, Staffordshire

** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Post by zante »

Burke and Hare
1 High Riggs
Edinburgh
EH3 9BX

Telephone: 0131 466 2567


From the archive......

Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Despite missing the match, the locals soon let me know the score. Best thing to do therefore was to pay the £3 door charge and drown my sorrows in what was described as Scotland’s best strip-bar. Joined by a couple of Geordies, who had been at the Fantasy Bar round the corner, we settled down for a bit of body-snatching (hopefully).

To describe the venue as intimate would be a hopeless underestimate. Essentially there is one small room; the bar to the left, which tapers away to a corner where the ladies/gents are. In the middle is a pool table with a convenient lino covered top – the stage. In another remarkable breakthrough for technology there is no taped music for the dedicated artistes either – they merely select their dancing music from a jukebox on the wall! The lights dim, steam pours out from under the bar and the stripper appears from the Ladies in whatever the next outfit is and onto the table. Three numbers later and she’s gone, after a little bit of (generally tasteful) audience participation with the cream!

Well, not quite actually disappeared. One corner has an orange painted hardboard screen and she invites customers to participate in a lap-dance. Putting a selected piece of music on the jukebox, the girls take £5 for a nude lap-dance. One of the Geordies scoots off, the screen is drawn and the music starts. We can’t have this – so £5 changes hands, and behind the screen I go, finding that the reverse is mirrored whilst a scantily clad young lady gyrates in front of me removing what little is left of her clothing. The music ends all too quickly, a chaste kiss on the lips, and I’m back in the room much to the amusement of my new mates.

The pubs never shut in Edinburgh but at 12.20 the last strip takes place and the barman announces business tomorrow starts at 1.00 p.m. I didn’t think that places like this existed – just goes to show – but it does have a good web-site! (which is no longer live, zan 2007)

Mega
8th July 2000


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Discovering the web-site to the 'Burke and Hare' strip pub and discovering the opportunity to visit the Edinburgh area on business, it was a perfect opportunity to do some valuable Trash-city research up north. So I downloaded the map from the site, drove up to Edinburgh, checked into a hotel, acquired a map of Edinburgh, and marked the 'Burke and Hare' on it, quickly showered and began my reconnaissance.

When I arrived in the area one of the things that stuck me first was the number of fitness and tanning studios, and massage studios, some may be genuine, some might be what we call 'executive massage studios' (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more!), especially one shop that was called the 'Erogenous Zone' (I don't think much imagination to needed to figure out what this shop sells). The 'Burke and Hare' is just up the road on the right.

Upon entering the 'Burke and Hare' I approached the bar and before I even got to ask for a drink, they demanded three pounds for the entrance fee. At that time I had not eaten, and asked before I handed over my cash what food they had available - unfortunately nothing more than packets of crisps. So, before I handed over my cash I said I would go out get something decent to eat and return, upon leaving I noticed across the road was another pub called the 'Western Bar' advertising strip shows (you cannot miss it, it is painted pink front), I thought "A-ha! This one is not on the web site, this one is virgin ground - I could be in line for an exclusive here for Trash City", so I disappeared for a bite to eat and returned to the 'Western Bar'.

Inside it was all kitted out like a western theme pub, with black and white wanted posters of Billy the Kid, Jesse James, etc. a old style American flag, and a medium size mirror backed saloon bar. At the end of the bar furthest away from the entrance was a chest height podium and further away for the door is a sliding door that I discovered later to be a 'private dancing booth', I bought a drink which was reasonable priced, and was approached by a girl who offered a private lap dance for the price of five pounds, as I had hardly had chance to touch my drink, I kindly declined her offer this time and said later.

At about 20.30h the very nice girl behind the bar called "The stage shows will begin shortly and the fee is three pounds", I chirped up "per show?" and the reply was "no, for the whole night", which I thought was excellent: pay three pounds up front and that's it, instead of being pestered for a pound of two every fifteen minutes. This time, I eagerly parted with my money, and waited in anticipation for the shows, although the stage shows are a little less frequent than I hoped (they rely mostly on the lap dancing to make money and only do stage shows when requests for personal shows dries up a little. There are usually three girls to choose from, all quite nice, but there is always a stunner or two thrown in for good measure. The shows were still going on well after all the English bars have called last orders, kicked everyone out and locked the doors.

I did get chance to visit the 'Burke and Hare' the following day and check it out. Although a very good pub, flashing disco lights during the stage shows meant it was difficult for me to focus on the dancer. Check out the pub's own web site of more details, but also check out the 'Western Bar' as well: it's worth at least one visit before you go into the 'Burke and Hare'.

So, all-round, a successful reconnaissance into the strip pub scene in Edinburgh.

Liam Sonnel
19th August 2000
Tyke
Dearly departed
Posts: 413
Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:09 pm

Post by Tyke »

Went up to Edinburgh for the rugby { England were pathetic!} and on Friday visited the " pubic triangle". Hooters was surrounded by Police when we got there and closed so we went into the Burke and Hare. It was much smarter than I expected £5 to get in but free nude shows on stage, decent looking girls, reasoinable priced beer. Being a rugby weekend it was very busy but overall I'd certainly recommend it to anybody up in the city.

Tyke
pleasure_seeker
Appreciative connoisseur of female form
Posts: 415
Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 2:28 pm

Burke and Hare

Post by pleasure_seeker »

Another rainy night in Edinburgh. From Princes St went up Lothian Rd, then a left, heading for the Burke and Hare, enjoying the anticipation and that slight feeling of apprehension that always accompanies a visit to an unfamiliar strip venue.

No bouncers on the door, once inside the barmaid requested the entry fee (£5) as I ordered my first pint. Limited range of beers at prices similar to pubs in London. First impressions were of a very small club with most of available space taken up by a circular, metallic looking, stage with a central pole. Men stood around the stage or at the bar, and there were maybe five or six dancers visible, chatting with each other or with customers. Some others were out of sight, busy doing PDs.

Everyone was standing around waiting for something to happen and after about 10 minutes of this I began to get slightly bored and uncomfortable but then a girl climbed up on to the stage, the manager asked for a round of applause to welcome her, and the girl began her dance. Very nice it was too, full strip, lasted about two songs. Thereafter stage dances occurred every 10 or 15 minutes or so and were actually really good, much better than might be expected given that there was no jug collection and the girl was making no money from them (except indirectly as advertising for their PDs). The dancers mostly Scottish or English girls, with a few from overseas. Don’t think there were any Brazilian girls. The standard? Well, in London terms I would say all of them good enough for, say, Nag’s Head, one or two were perhaps Browns standard. Two in particular caught my eye, a giggly, vivacious, English girl with shortish, blonde hair and a tall, elegant Italian girl with long legs and long, fair hair.

The private dance area is up a short flight of stairs, where there are four small booths. I had my first private dance with a friendly girl from the English midlands, and then tried several other girls. The dances were either £10 or £20, one dancer presented this as a choice between a nice lap dance or a sexy lap dance which was a good summary of the difference. The cheap ones were quite good, but the £20 much better and, I would say, well worth the additional cash.

I would have liked to have a dance with the lively English blonde, but she was mostly in the private dance booth with other customers or else chatting with a group of guys at the bar.
So I sat next to the Italian girl for a while and tried to talk to her, but it was hard work mainly because the music was loud, also she was kind of aloof and not chatty. She told me she had come to the UK to study, and when I said how good her stage dance was, she suggested she was really just an amateur, less professional than the other girls. Anyway, soon we were off to the private dance booth. She did an amazingly good private dance for £20, truly spectacular and energetic (and strictly within the rules, of course). But the instant the music ended she also stopped, gave me a quick peck on the cheek, drew back the curtain of the booth and dismissed me with an imperious wave of her hand. I had to smile at the speed of the transition, it was like a switch going off. Despite saying she was an amateur she seemed highly professional to me. But her dance was so brilliant that I bear her no ill will.

Stayed on to watch a couple more stage dances but it was getting crowded and I had to work the next day, so drank up and left, very content with what I had witnessed. I’m sure would go there again next time in Edinburgh. It is small and a bit claustrophobic, but I thought all the girls worked hard and did their best to provide entertainment - the stage dances were really good and the PDs excellent.
Victor23
Top Dog
Posts: 1965
Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2009 8:23 am

Re: ** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Post by Victor23 »

Charity evening with £5 dances:

article

I've noticed that girls also make a point of being kind to people with obvious disabilities, like the regular wheelchair user at Horn's. And a year or two ago there was the lad with learning difficulties at the Vic who was reassured and fussed over.

Vic
Scallywag
Appreciative connoisseur of female form
Posts: 518
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 1:32 pm

Re: ** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Post by Scallywag »

Victor23 wrote: I've noticed that girls also make a point of being kind to people with obvious disabilities, like the regular wheelchair user at Horn's. And a year or two ago there was the lad with learning difficulties at the Vic who was reassured and fussed over.

Vic
Am I being cynical or are the girls kind to the wheelchair user at the Horn's because he tends to have a number of dances every time he is there?
Scallywag
Appreciative connoisseur of female form
Posts: 518
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 1:32 pm

Re: ** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Post by Scallywag »

Finally visited the Burke and Hare on my recent trip to Edinburgh. It opens at 7pm each evening (Only the Western Bar over the road opens in the afternoon) and admittance was £4 on the Monday evening I visited, although this was around 7.30pm, so it may be more expensive later in the evening. Drinks were standard London prices, although my pint of Strongbow was awful.

The place hasn't changed much since pleasure_seeker's review back in 2008. It is more of a club than strip pub, with the circular stage taking up most of the small bar area, and Private Dances are still in the booths up a flight of stairs (They remind me of shop changing rooms). Rather than lasting for one song, the girl presses a button when you enter the booth, which turns on a light for about 5 minutes. When the light goes out, the girls stops dancing and ushers you out of the booth.

The bar was quiet during my visit, with only around half a dozen customers, which meant only 1 or 2 stage shows, and plenty of requests for Private Dances. I had 3 dances, at £10 each, although I was offered dances for £10 - £40 (I think). There were 5 or 6 girls workling, all better looking than the girls at the Western Bar, and some were happy to chat while it was quiet. Most of the girls I spoke to were Scottish, with one English girl and one Eastern European girl.

All in all a good place to visit after the Western Bar.
The Great Smell Of Brute
"Nice arse!"
Posts: 1901
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:09 pm
Location: London

Re: ** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Post by The Great Smell Of Brute »

Retweeted earlier today by Roz Hardie, CEO of Object Now:
Object tweets 141110.jpg
Object tweets 141110.jpg (56.06 KiB) Viewed 12953 times
Says a great deal about her / their mentality...
Victor23
Top Dog
Posts: 1965
Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2009 8:23 am

Re: ** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Post by Victor23 »

TBH, I think she could be seen to have a point. It does raise the question as to why the venue called itself "Burke and Hare" in the first place. OK, they were two of Edinburgh's best-known, not to say infamous, residents, and I don't know how far their reputations have been rehabilitated in Edinburgh (in the same way that Dick Turpin and Billy the Kid have become folk heroes), though there was a black-comedy film made about them in 2010. And "Baby Dolls" has an unfortunate connotation other than that mentioned by Kate Smurthwaite.

Given the climate of the last few years, it might be better if clubs were to adopt a lower profile when it came to titles and fascias. All the strip-pubs in central London are discreet in this respect, and there are several other clubs and pubs where the indication outside of stripping inside is very low-key.
The Great Smell Of Brute
"Nice arse!"
Posts: 1901
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:09 pm
Location: London

Re: ** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Post by The Great Smell Of Brute »

A 'baby doll' is an item of lingerie. And the Burke and Hare is located at the end of West Port, very close to where William Hare had his lodging house (William Burke also lived very close by); I suspect that the pub's name predates the presence of striptease there.
The Great Smell Of Brute
"Nice arse!"
Posts: 1901
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:09 pm
Location: London

Re: ** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Post by The Great Smell Of Brute »

Victor23 wrote:Given the climate of the last few years, it might be better if clubs were to adopt a lower profile when it came to titles and fascias. All the strip-pubs in central London are discreet in this respect, and there are several other clubs and pubs where the indication outside of stripping inside is very low-key.
The central London strip pubs have largely been forced to adopt more discreet fascias and signage, as conditions of being granted licences under the new SEV regime.
Scallywag
Appreciative connoisseur of female form
Posts: 518
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2007 1:32 pm

Re: ** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Post by Scallywag »

Made my 2nd visit here last week, and again things haven't changed since I was last here a few years back. This is more a club than pub, opening at 7pm with a circular stage in the middle of the bar area and PDs upstairs in cubicles that remind me of shop changing rooms still.

There was a blocked drain on my visit, so entry was free to tempt punters in, given the smell wafting through the venue. Draught beer was off so it was bottles only, and to be fair they gave me my 2nd bottle free to keep me there. The blockage was soon fixed and the smell slowly disappeared.

The girls here are of a higher standard than the Western Bar but also pushier for PDs. One girl soon approached me for a private dance which I accepted. Rather than going through the options, she tried to push me into a £40 private dance, not for me so I just went for a 10 minute private dance for £20. As before, the dancer presses a button in the cubicle to switch on the light, this then switches off after 5 minutes. The girl then presses this again if you are having a 2nd dance.

I hung around for an hour or so, primarily waiting for a dancer who took my fancy to be free (and she was worth the wait!) There were only 4 dancers working there in the time I was there, admittedly early for this place, although it was also fairly quiet in the bar too.

Worth a visit after a trip to the Western Bar, especially as the 2 venues are situated opposite each other!
pleasure_seeker
Appreciative connoisseur of female form
Posts: 415
Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 2:28 pm

Re: ** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Post by pleasure_seeker »

I made a couple of visits to this place during a recent stay in Edinburgh. Remarkably similar to when I was last here in 2008. One change of note is more private dance booths – they have doubled in number and there are now eight of them.

First visit was on a Thursday about an hour after the place had opened for the evening. There were 10 dancers working but only 2 other customers in. The dancers were sitting in a row on high stools, checking their mobiles and looking bored. Unfortunately, one of the other customers was keen to engage in conversation, sharing his rather misogynistic views with me. The dancers were understandably giving him a wide berth. Eventually I managed to shake him off and chat with one or two of the girls instead, and have some private dances with them. But the place was so empty that I did not linger there for long.

Second visit was on a Saturday evening around 10pm. About a dozen dancers in the club. This time it was much busier and the atmosphere livelier. When in full swing it is very noisy and quite intense with a lot of people packed into a small space, all standing. Not then a venue for a quiet chat with a favourite. The stage shows are not that frequent but very good when they happen – the dancers putting a lot of effort into their performances. Customers tend to enter and leave in surges so the place goes very quickly from half-empty to really busy. Then there is a hectic trade in private dances with all 8 of the booths occupied and sometimes queues forming. But I managed to have a few private dances with 3 of the girls – all good value at £20 each.

This club is a little different to the kind of places I normally visit (pubs mostly) but I had a good time here.
pleasure_seeker
Appreciative connoisseur of female form
Posts: 415
Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 2:28 pm

Re: ** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Post by pleasure_seeker »

I dropped by here again a few weeks ago.

Still as described in previous visits by Scallywag and me.

Private dances at £10/£20/£40.

There is a small VIP area at the end of the upper storey. It also gets used for PDs sometimes when the booths are getting too busy.
Victor23
Top Dog
Posts: 1965
Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2009 8:23 am

Re: ** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Post by Victor23 »

The Great Smell Of Brute
"Nice arse!"
Posts: 1901
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:09 pm
Location: London

Re: ** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Post by The Great Smell Of Brute »

Inspired by the ELSC, perhaps? :wink:

I also love the way in which this article in the Edinburgh Evening News has been written:

"FOR years patrons of the Burke & Hare lap-dancing bar have been admiring the human form.

After all, the venue is one of the longest established in the heart of the Capital’s so-called ‘pubic triangle’ of strip clubs.

But now the customers can take their appreciation a step further - as the bar branches out into art lessons."


:lol:
pleasure_seeker
Appreciative connoisseur of female form
Posts: 415
Joined: Wed Nov 15, 2006 2:28 pm

Re: ** EH3 9BX Burke and Hare, Edinburgh

Post by pleasure_seeker »

Edinburgh Festival Fringe walking play to take audiences to city’s lap dancing quarter

Edinburgh's "pubic triangle" is to get a starring role in a Fringe show which will take festivalgoers on an alternative tour of the city centre.
The city’s unofficial lapdancing quarter will be one of the key locations in a “walking audio play” which will also visit the site of an old meat market, a nightclub and a job centre…


Meanwhile all strip venues in Scotland currently still closed until (I think) 9th Aug at the earliest.
Post Reply