Britain's Queen Elizabeth looks at a pint of Guinness poured by Master Brewer Fergal Murray at the Guinness Storehouse, in Dublin May 18, 2011.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth looks at a pint of Guinness poured by Master Brewer Fergal Murray at the Guinness Storehouse, in Dublin May 18, 2011. Reuters/Tony Maxwell/Pool

Queen Elizabeth II has surprised pub-goers in Edinburgh when she popped in for a drink. The British monarch and her companions enjoyed a night out on Friday at The Sheep Heid Inn, the oldest pub in Scotland.

According to the Edinburgh News, the Queen, who spent at the Holyrood Palace last week, has dropped by the nearby exclusive club to unwind with her companions. She took a window seat in the public dining area and her group ordered a martini and a half bottle of white wine with two portions of lamb and a fillet of sea brass. The main meals cost £ 16.50 (AU$28.70) each. It’s unknown what the Queen ate and drank from the group’s meal.

The pub’s customers were naturally surprised that the highest ranking person in the UK had graced the exclusive club with her presence. The customers weren’t expecting her, but the staff were. According to the paper, the staff were given only an hour’s notice before the Queen’s visit.

“I’ve been sworn to secrecy unfortunately and have no idea how her visit got there,” a worker told the Mirror.

As the paper noted, Queen Elizabeth rarely dines out. She prefers to eat at private London clubs and hotels when she’s out and about. The Sheep Heid is said to have been up since 1360, making it the oldest restaurant in the country. It has welcomed royal visitors in the past. Mary Queen of Scots apparently used to stop there while on her regular trips between Craigmillar and Holyrood.

“The Sheed Heid is something the local community are very proud of and a visit from the Queen is another string to add to its bow,” Councillor Alex Lunn told Edinburgh News. “I eat there regularly so I’m sure Her Majesty enjoyed an excellent meal.”

On Wednesday, the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, visited their grandson on his job. Prince William welcomed his grandparents at the East Anglian Air Ambulance Base in Cambridge, England. The future king, who works as a pilot for the emergency team, gave them a tour of the facility and introduced them to his doctor and paramedics co-workers.

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