Usher's (CLOSED)

Opened in early 2014, Usher’s of Edinburgh is the latest craft beer bar to hit Edinburgh’s burgeoning scene. Nestled in the basement space beside well-worn student haunts The Pear Tree and Blind Poet, Usher’s may lack the cool credentials of the city’s similarly minded Hanging Bat or Vintage ventures, but it knows how to pull a decent pint.

There are some great ales on tap here from brewers such as Alechemy, Stewart, Drygate, West and Tempest, and super-friendly bar staff man the pumps. The food menu is a tempting, if rather random, mix of ‘grazing stuff’ and ‘signature dishes’ – the former boasting the likes of steak tartare, baby back ribs and scotch eggs, the latter delivering moules frites, burgers and curry.

Diners can sit away from the bar in an intimate, low-lit section; those in for a pint can grab a seat on the benches by the front, which have the added bonus of being near the big screen TV that shows the week’s sporting action.