The King's Wark
The building went up as a storehouse and armoury for James I, and it has been a plague house and a wine merchant since.
Why go
The List traces the site through smugglers and royalty: designed for James I in the fourteenth century, later a plague house, then a wine merchant, and now, in its words, all about real ales and fresh seafood.
That piece was written in partnership with a drinks company, so read it for the building rather than for a judgment on the plates. The pub's own brief for the kitchen is wild game and meat, and sustainable Scottish seafood and shellfish, with a classic style to our cooking.
CAMRA's database lists two changing cask lines.1
Order this / avoid
- Order: the seafood, or the cheeseboard the pub singles out by name.3
- Avoid: a long walk down without checking the feed. The pub has posted same-day closures for maintenance on its own Instagram.3
What locals & experts say
- The List:
The King's Wark's history spans smugglers and royalty. Dating back to the 14th century, the building was originally designed as a storehouse and armoury for James I before taking a turn as a plague house and then wine merchant.
Sponsored content, used for the building's history only.1 - CAMRA (2026): the branch page for the pub reads
This Pub serves 2 changing beers and 0 regular beers,
and it adds thatTable service is provided for food and drinks with no bar spaces at any time.
2 - City of Edinburgh Council rated the premises Pass under the Food Hygiene Information Scheme, inspected 30 August 2018. That is the most recent inspection on the register, so it describes the kitchen of 2018 and says nothing current either way.4
Good to know
- Booking: recommended. Reservations go through the contact page on the venue site.
- Getting there: at 36 Shore in Leith, on the water, two minutes from Restaurant Martin Wishart.
- Hygiene: Food Hygiene Information Scheme Pass, inspected 30 August 2018. A pass, and eight years old.
Verdict
could-visit — A Shore pub sits in a building that dates to the fourteenth century, when it was a storehouse and armoury for James I, and later a plague house and a wine merchant. The List describes the current use as real ales and fresh seafood, and the kitchen's own brief is wild game and sustainable Scottish seafood and shellfish. CAMRA lists two changing cask lines. It sits between Martin Wishart and the rest of the Shore's dining strip and nobody has published a verdict on its plates, so it is placed on format and position.