Ushers of Edinburgh

I’m always a little nervous about visiting craft beer bars as someone who can’t stand beer but was pleasantly surprised by Ushers.
They had a limited but interesting selection of ciders (I would definitely recommend the Hazy Hog) as well as spirits & cocktails. I also got to try a couple of the food dishes (the bonus of going with a group) & while they weren’t anything special, they were good gastropub staples: mac & cheese, nachos, chips & cheese, cooked well.
The atmosphere was nice too. The bar is underground so could easily feel claustrophobic, especially on a busy Friday night, but the tables are well-​spaced meaning it feels cosy without being crowded.
The only real downside is the price. Obviously the quality is there, but when you’re being charged £5 for a drink & you’re right next door to the Pear Tree, the temptation to stay for one drink & then move on is pretty strong!

With 17 draft pumps delivering everything from lagers, ales, stouts & ciders — why has this place not been in my life thus far !!!
This is a very comfortable and well presented cellar bar staffed by really friendly people who whilst I was there engaged all of the customers while making their rounds on the floor.
Finding myself in the area, I had decided to pop in here for a couple of pints.
I opted for an IPA and a Stout (I have very eclectic taste in most things) and both were excellent.
I love the fact that different groups of people seemed to be doing their own thing. There was a group on the far side watching the historic moment that Japan beat South Africa in the Rugby World Cup.
There was another group engaged in a lively conversation.
Others were there just to have a relaxing afternoon/​early evening, like me.
Whatever they were there for, all had smiles on their faces.
Now that I’ve discovered this bar, I will definitely be returning.

Just happened to stumble upon this great little underground gem. Nice beer & whisky selection on top of a unique and flavorful menu. First visit there, had the fish and chips. Another, some sort of Asian veggie dish. Wonderful.
But what topped off our experience, was the service. Great job all around. Next time I will make sure to blend my own whisky. Will definitely make the point of returning next time we are in town.

Cool underground but not cave-​y pub. Whenever I’ve been here it’s been busy, but I’ve usually been able to find a table. (Maybe I just go to pubs at weird times?) Even when it’s busy, I’ve never felt like I was being overcrowded by people at other tables, which is always a good thing… Especially when underground…
ANYWAYS. I always really enjoy the atmosphere/​fun times with friends here. They’ve got a great selection and the bartenders are super helpful with recommending beer for people like me who a) don’t always like beer and b) aren’t really sure what it is about the beers that they like. Mind readers! Always end up with something nice.
Have yet to sample the food, but from what I’ve seen people eating around me, it looks pretty tasty.

A basement bar, between the Blind Poet and the Pear Tree, with an incredible selection of craft beers, lagers and gins. I think they brew their own too.
The staff have an incredible level of knowledge and are happy to provide tasters of the beers, as well as guide your choices if you tell them you’re looking for something hoppy/​fruity/​dry…
The ambience is like a stripped back Shoreditch dive, but with that real Edinburgh connection through the name Ushers. If it’s sunny, and the Pear Tree is heaving, head here instead. Actually, head here whatever the weather. If you like beer, you won’t be disappointed.

Micro brewery with a selection of beers, some newbies that were last brewed a few many moons ago. Fries are chunky but I didn’t feel they went well with the unique tasty beer. Ushers menu looks at first glance like typical pub grub foodie menu, but as I didn’t sample their fare more than fries I can’t really comment… maybe next time?
The place was quiet but think I will endeavour to make this place an annual pilgrimage during Xmas shopping; as it was a welcome respite. That said beer is good, quiet place to write Christmas cards; good reasonable priced ales; good. But don’t expect free wifi, as it’s underground but ya can link via the cloud, they also have power points for your laptop.

I didn’t eat here so I can’t rate the food.
The beer options were serious and… delicious. I like the feel and vibe of the place. I can see this being a cool hang out.
A shout our to Rachel R. for recommending it (and meeting me there for a pint).

I’m kind of torn about Ushers.
I think it has a great selection of both bottled and draft beers (the draft beer selection is one of, if not THE best in town).
BUT
It stinks. It stinks so much it took incredible concentration not to hurl in the toilets.
It doesn’t smell like toilets, mind you, it smells like shoe polish. Or Ronseal. My friends thought they Ronsealed the toilets to keep them dry (gross). Whatever they’ve used in there, it’s disgusting.
I expect it’s the paint/​polish used on the individual cubicles, which has also been distressed in an incredibly ridiculous manner. I get that industrial chic is all the rage just now, but does EVERYthing need to look like it’s been through a chipper? And if you’re going to distress something, for goodness sake at least make a half hearted attempt at it so you don’t end up with the most ridiculous looking (and smelling) cubicle doors ever.
I’ve not tried the food, though I expect that experience could be marred by the toxic fumes coming from the toilets.
I *really* wanted to like it here but, two visits in and I’m still on the fence. Beers? Awesome. The rest? Very meh for me.

This was an unexpected surprise!
Feeling a hankerin’ for a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, I hit the tried and trusted grapevine (or should that be hop vine?) of Twitter and asked Edinburgh folk if there was anywhere near me that sold it in Edinburgh, where I was Fringin’ it up big time.
I was given the lead that Usher’s might, so thanks to the trusty Unilocal app (plugplugplug!) off I trotted. It’s a wee bit far from my usual haunts, but that’s by no means a bad thing — I noticed a few places I’d like to investigate at another point on my way here.
Usher’s is downstairs, in a basement kinda set up. Despite that, it’s bright and friendly and very welcoming. The night I popped in, there was some stand up comedy on on part of the building, so there is entertainment offered as well.
The main point of coming here was the beer. And here, dear alcohol seekers, is where Ushers excels. They had Sierra Nevada, not the Pale Ale but the much harder to find Torpedo IPA. Score!
Before that though, I had a look at the choice of ales on the blackboard above the bar, as I was looking one of the staff noticed and asked if I wanted to try any of the ales — having not tried the Outaspace Apple Ale from Drygate yet, I opted for a taster of that. Having tasted it, I ordered a pint.
Being a bit short on actual cash (cash machine queues during the Fringe are hellish) I asked if I could pay by card, as I was going to get a Torpedo IPA as well later. Your man behind the bar set up a tab so I could get my second drink later and still have it cold and fresh from the fridge — excellent idea and brilliant service!
The beers I had were cold, fresh and served in fitting glasses for the surroundings, and the TVs had sports news showing on them, heaven for me.
All in all, a place i would heartily recommend for the ale lovers amongst us — a choice of 10 draft ales, well stocked fridges and knowledgeable staff add up to happy times. Cheers!

Finding somewhere a) with free seats b) indoors and c) reasonably priced, for food on a Saturday night during the Fringe is no mean feat. And the longer you ramble around George Square, the hungrier you get. Thank goodness, then, that we found Ushers of Edinburgh.
Having popped up (unbeknown to me) over summer, right next to the Pear Tree and the Blind Poet, this wee bar-​come-​restaurant is pretty cool. The menu is quite eclectic, ranging from smaller ‘bar food snacks’ to more substantial meals.
I settled for a salted beef and cream cheese bagel whilst my companion ordered the smoked salmon with soda bread. The burgers that were going past our table did look mighty fine, so I could easily be tempted back to try more.
The portion sizes were perfect for our dampened appetites (shouldn’t have opted for the pre-​show sandwiches). My bagel was really tasty, if a little heavy on the cream cheese for my liking. I’m not a massive fan of smoked salmon so can’t personally testify for that, but apparently it was pretty good too.
The atmosphere was buzzing too, with a stand-​up performance going on through the back. Later, there was live music, but the place noticeably quietened down at around half 10.
Also, the waiting staff were really friendly, which is always nice. Was certainly a better choice than waiting around in the soggy cold for a half-​decent bit of pizza in Assembly George Square Gardens.

This weekend, Alan. S and I had the wonderful good fortune of stumbling upon Usher’s of Edinburgh, The latest gastronomic craft beer pub to bless this fine city. And what welcome surprise it was too.
We’d popped in on the Saturday night for a quick pint ahead of a friend’s birthday celebrations which was being held at the Pear Tree, and we were both taken by the vibe of the place. Sadly no amount of hinting to the crowd could steer the birthday festivities back to Usher’s that night, so we were adamant that we would be returning very soon.
Feeling a little worse for wear on the Sunday, we decided that a hearty breakfast was needed and so we returned!
The menu offers some great options, but we opted for the all-​day breakfast. I had the veggie and Al had the full Scottish and neither of us needed to eat for the rest of the day! For £8 and £9 respectively, we certainly were very well catered for. Each of the options come with coffee or orange juice included, but we went for hair of the dog.
Served in a griddle pan, the food was pretty much spilling off the sides. I had a generously sized slice of bread, 2 hash browns, BBQ baked beans, 2 tattie scones, button mushrooms, grilled tomato, 2 eggs, 2 leek and potato sausages, and 2 slices of veggie haggis. I must add; not all of this was consumed!
Usher’s has an impressive 20 taps, stocking a huge array of beers. As a cider fan, I was glad that there was Black Rat on tap. They stock an impressive selection of spirits though I didn’t spy the new kid in town: Pickering’s Gin. If the guys in charge of buying are reading, this would be an amazing addition to your lineup ;)
The place itself is welcoming and friendly and the staff are knowledgeable and attentive. Price point wise, it’s comparable to other pubs such as Potting Shed and Hanging Bat, but in my opinion, this place is far nicer. I’d definitely recommend heading along before the festival folk discover this gem.

Based in what was the Dabi diner underneath the pear tree and blind poet is a brand new pub. We popped in on the off chance to try somewhere new and were very impressed.
The décor is really nice and modern. They have padded picnic bench type seats and lots of nice interesting features dotted around. There is nod to the name of the place on thye walls, whcih seems to come from the Ushers brewery that existed over in the pleasance I am told.
We popped in for a quick pint obn Saturday and were so impressed by the menu had to come back to sample the breaakfast the following day. The portions are massive and everything is of high quality that we sampled. The veggie breakfast had the best veggie sausages ever I am reliably told. The meaty breakfas was ideal… just look at the pictures all server in griddle pans. :D
The staff are great, attentive and super frindly in a guiene way. Lots of knowledge behind that bar, which ius apt considering they have a great selection of beers on tap. I think they had 10+ on when I was but not 100%.
Get youirselves in there, it is exactly what the area needed a really good modern pub with food to match. Thumbs up from me.