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    Usquabae

    4.7 (41 reviews)
    ModerateBars, Scottish
    Closed 12:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

    Usquabae Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Usquabae

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    Jack S.

    In New Town nearer the West End of Edinburgh. It was not easily identifiable by the outside but since I'd passed it daily while walking in and out of town I decided to look into it. My first surprise was that the name roughly translated means "whisky". All I can say is it was on overall terrific surprise! My wife and I had a reasonably long day of tourism and while we enjoyed our entire day we were thrilled with how it ended. I'd made a reservation and had asked for an intimate table. When we arrived they placed us in a 2-person nook. It looked like they also had a 4-person and maybe 6-person nook...I don't recall :) But ultimately these are tables which are a couple of steps down off the main dining area which are surrounded by glass encased, shelved walls which encase various whiskies. And each nook has curtains outside the steps which can be drawn for privacy. Naturally the whisky menu was extensive and prices were reasonable, the service was very good and the food was also quite good. They also allowed us to take our time and enjoy our evening. In all seriousness, we could not have been more pleased with Usquabae!

    Marc S.

    Great little bar for tasting. Private booths that will allow you to take some scotch flights privately. Staff is very helpful at educating you on what to look for in your tastings. Get their great charcuterie plate to go with the drinks cleanse the palate between flights. When it's cold and wet in Edinburgh, be sure to stop in and get a nip to warm you up!

    Bunker decor!
    Clarissa M.

    Usquabae! A wee hidden gem I've only recently discovered in Edinburgh. I'm pleased that I have--as a recent Scotch convert, Usquabae's West End location and surprisingly expansive Scotch menu had me at "whisky tastings." Good service and lovely meals top this one up to a place you can stop for either a nice dinner, atmospheric drinks and chat, or both! Usquabae appears to be a newer addition to Edinburgh judging by its clean and modern interior, which is refreshing--old man pubs are great, but it's nice to see something new crop up in the city. It sits in the downstairs portion of Ryan's bar, which makes it easy enough to find, and because of its underground location it has the whole dimly-lit, atmospheric vibe going. It has normal tables and even a few "bunkers"--little booth seating areas where you can have a meal, which is nice if you're looking for some privacy. For me, Usquabae ticked all the boxes for a fantastic evening. As my folks were visiting, and that lead to us deciding to check out Usquabae because they do whisky tastings. For a very reasonable price of around 17 pounds, you can sample the "Taste of Scotland" range of Scotch which allows you to try a Lowland, a Highland, a Spey, and an Islay whisky. All this while being guided through your drams by a knowledgeable whisky aficionado makes for a great night. My dad ranked it one of his favorite things done while over. Sure, it's no distillery experience, but when the nearest distillery (Glenkinchie) is 16 miles away and not readily accessible except by car, you make do. And Usquabae provided! So chuffed with our whisky sampling experience were we that we decided to reserve the same bunker we'd sat in for dinner later. Upon our return, we were served promptly by a chipper young gal who was absolutely lovely. Our service was on point, even despite the fact that there was a party of around 60 youngsters keeping her on her toes most of the evening. As someone who used to be a waitress myself, I clap bravo to her for being giving such excellently friendly service on top of dealing with all that. So let's talk about the foodstuffs. The food arrived quickly with steak mains for the parentals, and the two veggie options available for the hubs and I. All the food was excellently cooked and delicious, even, surprisingly, my husband's veggie haggis, neeps, and tatties. I don't normally care for veggie haggis, but Usquabae has some sort of magic worked there--it was surprisingly good! Not only that, but my folks' side of chips were perfect. I mean it. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, ugh. So good. My own risotto was just fine, but there lies my only real beef with Usquabae, but it's quite mild beef if anything. As a veg-head (*queue audience groaning*), risotto is just not my favorite. I mean, come on, it's rice. You can get pretty creative with rice sometimes, but it's still rice. The menu pinned at the door of Usq does mention a veggie pasta alternative, but it isn't listed on the main menu, which gives veggies all of two options for mains, which hubs and I have now exhausted in one fell swoop. That said, the prices were reasonable enough and the food was good, especially according to the folks. I think if there was just one other option for veggies to eat and said veggie portions (and the chip sides so I could stuff my gob!) just a smite bigger, I'd upgrade my review to a solid 5 stars, no questions asked. That said, I could see Usquabae being my new go-to restaurant to take visiting friends and family for a nice Scottish meal. I could definitely see myself going there for a nice, quiet dram or two if the desire so struck. Keep up the good work, Usquabae--you're a lovely joint!

    Caz H.

    New whisky bar in the west end. 400 whiskies to choose from and a few gins & beers. Lots of Scottish food on the menu from Cullen skink to balmoral chicken and cranachan. Big bar table, few seats at the bar then low tables and little private booths/cubbies for drinking & eating. A curtain pulls across if you want respite from prying eyes! Quite noisy and the space was nowhere near full. Not a bad place to stop in for a drink but would definitely want to be in a booth for more than just one. Well worth checking out!

    The lamb rump dish
    Diana C.

    This food at this place was so delicious! We stopped by after a long day of walking around Windsor. I really was craving Thai food, so we found this Thai fusion restaurant on yelp. The service was quick and food was excellent!!

    They have private rooms
    Christina K.

    During my entire stay in Edinburgh, this was by far my favorite whisky bar. What's there not to like? The staff was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Prices were reasonable. Food was great. The inside is beautiful. Ending up coming here three times in a week. That's how large their whisky selection is. Do yourself a favor: check this place out.

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    10 years ago

    Excellent spot for whiskey - great atmosphere and very knowledgeable staff! Fantastic spot!

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    Review Highlights - Usquabae

    Tried the following dishes: haggis, fish cakes, half haddock, venison and steak and ale pie.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    A Room in the West End

    A Room in the West End

    4.3(11 reviews)
    0.2 miWest End
    £££

    This is a Scottish themed restaurant, just downstairs from the pub, Teuchters…read more Vibrantly painted, yet still quite traditional - it's warm, comfortable and welcoming. 'Tables for two' tend to be placed in tiny little alcoves. Very intimate. But not so ideal if you're not particularly hoping for an 'intimate' dinner. I've felt rather uncomfortable when I've been put in an alcove with a 'date' that I didn't know very well at allI felt completely separated from the rest of the restaurant and wished I was sitting up at a normal table with the rest of the clientele! But it made for comedy value later anyway. The food is delicious. And even better is the fact that Vegetarian Haggis usually finds its way onto the menu in some form or anotherwhether as a starter or a main course. Definitely a favourite of mine! The restaurant is licensed, but feel free to take along a bottle of your own wine if you like. The corkage is rather reasonable too. Lunch deals are rather excellentbut expect to pay more if you go in the evening. Well worth it though. A lovely restaurant and one of my favourites in Edinburgh!

    I brought two irish friends here for dinner for a Scottish experience and they certainly got one!…read moreThe restaurant is under Teuchters bar and you can get drinks from there to have with your meal. The bar has a very extensive drinks menu so we tried some different ales and whiskeys. The food was delicious, I had a really nice chowder to start and then pollock wrapped in parma ham, it was great. The winner at the table was the chorizo and pidgeon salad, very tasty. The desserts were good, not amazing, my friends were unsure what was in their creme brulee but it turned out to be cranachan, an odd combination! The table was split 50:50 on whether it was good or not so the verdict is still out! Overall we had a fantastic meal. Oh yea it is BYOB too which is always good ; )

    Photos
    A Room in the West End
    A Room in the West End
    A Room in the West End

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    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Crown Of Slow Cooked Beef Shoulder With A Rich Horseradish Infused Gravy

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar

    4.8(521 reviews)
    0.6 miOld Town, Royal Mile
    ££

    We were a group of 6 and waiting time was less than an hour on a busy Monday at 2pm. Notification…read morewas via text or through a link which you can monitor your table's availability. We had a lovely meal here at Makars Mash Bar (technically called The Makar's Rest) We ordered the following: - Coke & Ginger Kombucha - Free Range Gourmet Scotch Egg (deliciousness to share and a great way to begin a meal) - Home Grown Lion's Mane pan-fried bites, served with vegan aioli wasn't a hit with the group but I really liked it. - Slow Cooked Lamb (rich and full of flavor) - Crown Of Slow Cooked Beef Shoulder (incredibly tender and literally fell apart) - Makars Wild Boar Sausage With Beef Dripping Gravy (got a bite in and it didn't taste gamey) - Sides of Black pudding mash and Scottish cheddar cheese & onion mash which we really enjoyed. - Sticky Toffee Pudding was a perfect end to the meal. Great comfort food, generous portions, and a really enjoyable experience overall. Would definitely recommend. Atmosphere outside in the chilly air was a challenge at first. Outdoor heaters would have been a plus. At least we were seated.

    Makars Mash is one of those places that is always at the top of folks recommendation lists for…read moreEdinburgh. I found this to be for good reason. At the door, parties of 2+ had around an hour wait. I was lucky enough to be dining solo, so was immediately seated to a small high-top area by the door. Service was very kind. I ordered the Lamb and Classic Mash. The side pickles were tasty and refreshing. The mash was truly good. I ended up wishing I picked a different protein because the lamb came on the bone, wish was hard to eat around for me. Since it was my first day in Scotland, the conversion between pounds and dollars hadn't yet processed for me. As a heads up, ordering the 23.00 pound classic entree came out to be $32.50.

    Photos
    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Downstairs inside the restaurant

    Downstairs inside the restaurant

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Homemade Free Range Gourmet Scotch Egg

    Homemade Free Range Gourmet Scotch Egg

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Scotch eggs

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    Scotch eggs

    The Devil's Advocate - Smoked fish plate

    The Devil's Advocate

    4.3(630 reviews)
    0.6 miOld Town, Royal Mile
    ££

    Just an awesome, rockin' final meal in Edinburgh - fantastic food, good service and energized local…read morevibe! Absolute must to get reservations! We tried on our first week in Edinburgh and failed, but were able to make reservations 3 weeks out for our last night in Scotland, and we are glad we did. Pork cracklins were a bit hard and crunchy, but everything else was perfect. We had fresh bread and langostinis for starters, along with a smokey whiskey cocktail, the Smoked Indiscretion! For mains we enjoyed the poached Cod, and the Pork with Barley. Service was very good, and wine selection was extensive. Atmosphere was loud with music and locals' chatter in the bar below, but dark tables and heavy wood panels made it a perfect place for a couple celebrating 3 weeks of travel. Highly recommend a visit to the Devil's Advocate, if you can book a table in advance.

    The Devil's Advocate is undoubtedly a treasure to find in Old Town Edinburgh, especially if you…read moreaccidentally take the News Steps to get there, only to realize you should have simply taken the steps up Advocate's Close from Cockburn Street. But they call these lessons, "character building," apparently. No matter, the Devil's Advocate is worth the search. Located in an old Victorian pump house halfway up (or down) Advocate's Close, the Devil's Advocate is known for a killer whisky shelf of more than 300 different bottles from various distilleries across the Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, Campbelltown, the Islands, and Islay. I finally sipped on a 15-year Tamdu that has convinced me to keep a bottle at home. Then there's the Clydeside 2024 Limited Edition Cask Strength that was wicked impressive. The bartenders are class at making and serving seasonal and regular cocktails that have their spin and character. My wife enjoyed gin-based cocktails such as the Clean Slate (with St-Germain, citrus, and sugar), Rose Garden (with Yellow Chartreuse, Cocchi Rosa, apple, lemon, and mint), and Bee's Knees (honey and lemon). I went full speed ahead with the scotch cocktails, which are essentially classics with a scotch-substituted twist. The Double Shot is an Espresso Martini with Dalmore 12 in addition to Kahlua, espresso, and demerara -- quite smooth without being too sweet. The Scotzia is a Negroni with Fettercairn 12, while the Boxcar is a Sidecar only with Aberfeldy 12. We enjoyed the bar for a few hours, watching the bartenders make magic while sipping on cocktails, while listening to 80s pop tunes. A great evening indeed.

    Photos
    The Devil's Advocate - Whiskey flight tastings

    Whiskey flight tastings

    The Devil's Advocate - Fish Filet

    Fish Filet

    The Devil's Advocate - Double Shot with Dalmore 12, kahula, espresso shot, and Demerara.

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    Double Shot with Dalmore 12, kahula, espresso shot, and Demerara.

    Howies - Ribeye

    Howies

    4.3(219 reviews)
    0.6 miOld Town
    £££

    Such a friendly and beautifully set restaurant. The food is picturesque and top notch. Everything…read morewe had, from the large portions of bread paired with roasted red pepper humus to the flaky and flavorful cod, was exceptional. The wait staff is helpful as well as friendly. They prepared a table for us even amidst a packed house. Know that this is not just a restaurant, it's a date night restaurant. We brought the kids, which was perfectly okay, but the setting and price is more date night worthy. This place is terrific! Enjoy!

    Good haggis, but overall underseasoned and underwhelming…read more My fiancé and I visited Howie's and had a mixed experience. We started with the haggis appetizer, which was genuinely delicious hearty, comforting, and reminded me of a Salisbury steak with gravy and potatoes. If you're going, I'd absolutely recommend starting there. Unfortunately, the rest of the meal didn't live up to that strong start. My fiancé ordered the ribeye with fries, and once again I have to say: Edinburgh really struggles with fries. These were bland, oily, and needed a serious dose of salt. The ribeye itself had no seasoning, which was disappointing. While the peppercorn sauce was good, a quality ribeye should be flavorful on its own without having to rely on sauce. I ordered the salmon with beets and potatoes. It was decent, but, like much of the food we've had in Edinburgh so far, it could have used more seasoning. The ingredients seem fresh, but the flavors just don't sing. For dessert, we shared the banoffee pie. It was light and not overly sweet which I appreciated but it was just okay. Not memorable. Service was another weak point. Our server wasn't rude, but we were largely forgotten because there was a large party seated behind us. At this price point, you expect attentive service. I understand Scotland doesn't operate on a tipping culture, but when restaurants are charging higher prices (and often more than comparable U.S. restaurants once converted from GBP), the quality and attentiveness should match. Overall, Howie's wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great. Amazing haggis, decent dishes, mediocre seasoning, and slow service. For locals who prefer milder flavors, this might be a solid choice but for visitors used to more robust seasoning and higher service standards, it may fall short.

    Photos
    Howies - Beautiful bar

    Beautiful bar

    Howies - Lobster 1/2

    Lobster 1/2

    Howies - Mussels appetizer

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    Mussels appetizer

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Vegetarian sausage with spicy sauce and Mash.

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar

    4.5(28 reviews)
    0.1 miWest End

    The food was absolutely incredible. By far the best meal we had while in Edinburgh, and while there…read morewas a wait, it was worth it. The only minus is that people are packed in, so if you're lucky enough to be seated next to someone who has the typing noises on their phone set to 500 dB and is typing all throughout the meal, it's going to take some shine off the experience.

    Thanks to something that went viral, the whole world knows about, and is seeking out, Makars Mash…read morein Edinburgh now. What does this mean for you? MAKE A RESERVATION. And make it sooooooooo, so, so much further in advance than you think you need to. Bookings open 90 days in advance; there's no bookings taken in August; and while they always "welcome walk-ins and do their best to accommodate folks on a first-come, first-serve basis", you should still expect an hour (or, let's be honest, more) wait no matter what time of day it is. Is it worth it though? Yes! I've sat inside and outside over the past decade, and have loved both experiences/atmospheres (the inside is very intimate, cozy, and bustling; the outside feels a little more relaxed, like you're sitting on a friend's patio). The staff (minus the host who - no matter who it is - is always super surly) is friendly and engaging. And the food? SO GOOD. You want that haggis, neeps, and tatties experience? Come here. There is literally something for everyone regardless of your dietary restrictions. The plant-based options are delish, and I can't recommend the Roasted Chestnut & Carrot Haggis with Whisky, Peppercorn, and Cream Sauce (make sure to ask for it vegan, I think it has something to do with the sauce). Also, just because it's a cute note from their menu: "For the haggis purists, the mixing of spices, tree nuts, seeds, lentils and pulses is something that has happened for centuries, meat was extremely rare in Scottish cooking." So there, stop saying veggie haggis isn't real haggis. LOADS of mash options: if you're vegan I'd go with the Wholegrain Mustard first, Olive Oil (if they have it) as a second option, or the Chilli Smoked Bean Medley as a third option (just because there's already a lot of other flavors going on). Now I just wish they had more vegan dessert options (sorbet is boring, give me a vegan sticky toffee pudding option please)!

    Photos
    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Mushrooms with cheddar and chive mash

    Mushrooms with cheddar and chive mash

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Salad with Scotch egg.

    Salad with Scotch egg.

    Makars Gourmet Mash Bar - Lamb shank with Mash

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    Lamb shank with Mash

    Usquabae - bars - Updated May 2026

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