Review – Marco’s Pool Hall and Pizza Bar

Having recently opened Marco’s Pool Hall and Pizza Bar is a boutique pool hall in Edinburgh, and is the latest project from Paul Demarco, Managing Director of Marcos Leisure. Paul said: “It has been an honour and a labour of love to restore and reinvent Marco’s for a new generation. This isn’t pool as we’ve come to know it, it’s stylish and cool.

“What we’re offering is different from anything else happening in Edinburgh just now so it’s an exciting time. Marco’s on Grove Street was always a big part of Edinburgh life so it’s great that we’ll be able to offer that to a new generation of people looking to try something a bit out of the ordinary.”

This is a real attempt to give pool a makeover in a similar way that bowling and ping pong have been reinvented in recent years. It’s a real departure from the slightly scuzzy pool halls you usually expect (sorry to any pool hall owners!). The décor is really unusual and stylish with lots of exposed copper and vintage memorabilia including an old pool table with a glass top revealing loads of pool and snooker balls signed by famous players.

To give you a wee bit more info on the food offerings, authentic stone baked pizzas start with a margarita base which you can customise with a choice of 10 toppings including all the usuals like pepperoni, chicken, mushroom and so on. Beers on tap include Caledonian Three Hop Edinburgh Lager and Heineken. There is also a wide selection of bottled beers, wines and spirits including local favourite Edinburgh Gin. They also offer screenings of  all the main sporting fixtures on in the main bar and you can also request a table near the screens downstairs if there is something you wish to watch.

Downstairs, far from the dingy surroundings people have come to expect, its rather like walking into a sci-fi movie with pillars of multi-coloured LED light and 18 state of the art American Pool tables in the dedicated space.

We went on a Tuesday when there were a few people there playing pool. The pool tables are well lit and there’s plenty of room to walk around to play your shots. We were put on one in front of the TV screen which for us was a bit annoying as people kept coming to check the score of the match and getting in the way, so a top tip is to request one further away if possible. The vibe is very relaxed and friendly with people chatting to you about shots and sharing tips which I really liked. Our pizza was good too – we had pepperoni, jalapeno and mushroom with a couple of beers to wash it down.

After a couple of games we wandered up and grabbed a seat in the bar for another drink and to watch the match which was a great end to the evening!

If you fancy a game of pool you can head down any day of the week and they also take bookings to guarantee you a space.

Marco’s Pool Hall and Pizza Bar, 79 Grove Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8AB

Find Marco’s online:
www.marcos.uk.com
twitter.com/marcospoolhall
facebook.com/marcospoolhall

Some images are courtesy of Verity Productions