At Black Ivy in Edinburgh, Little Luxuries and a Big Breakfast

Black Ivy, 4 Alvanley Terrace; weareblackivy.com

From about 80 pounds (about $113).

If Black Ivy feels like a stylish gastro pub with lodgings attached to it, that may be because it’s the brainchild of Billy Lowe, an Edinburgh entrepreneur who created and ran dozens of bars in the city before his companyopened the 22-room hotel last November. Black Ivy, in three adjoining Victorian townhouses, looks like it could well be an Edinburgh family’s stately home — until you step in and the boutique vibe kicks in. Ping-Pong tables (with electrical outlets) do double-duty as meeting or work-space spots, and flooring is made of shiny American pennies or wood salvaged from 19th-century French train carriages.

Nestled in the leafy Bruntsfield residential neighborhood, Black Ivy is near Bruntsfield Links, a 35-acre park, and is also a few minutes’ walk from cozy restaurants, boutiques, bakeries and bars. The museums, tourist attractions and shops of Princes Street and the Royal Mile, as well as the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen’s official residence in Scotland,are a short car or bus ride away.

With its white walls and dark furniture, the aesthetic of my 215-square-foot double room was clean and chic. Little luxuries included high ceilings, a firm king bed, a trifold vanity mirror and delicious cookies from the Scottish baker Border Biscuits — all of which made up for an open closet where clothes, the ironing board and the iron were on constant full view.

Almost steaming in temperature — which was a delight in often-drafty Edinburgh — the compact bathroom came with a high-powered towel warmer, a spacious glass-walled shower and scented toiletries.

The bar and restaurant unfold across a large lounge, an outdoor terrace and two airy rooms, where you can have dinner, afternoon tea or a jazz brunch. The beer and cider list is impressive, especially if you want to try local brews like Schiehallion lager from the Scottish lowlands. British pub standards like steak and ale pie and fish and chips are on the dinner menu along with steak frites, burgers, chicken skewers, meat and cheese boards and sides like haggis bites. We found the restaurant on steadier footing — and more pleasant without the blaring crowds — at breakfast, which was included in the room rate.

Free Wi-Fi, a TV, laundry service and room service.

Black Ivy can be a lovely way to dwell in a true Edinburgher’s setting — albeit one who works on Ping-Pong tables.

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