Usquabae

Oooooh, this was very nearly a five-​stars for me. Usquabae is an absolutely lovely place and, if you’re looking for a nice meal or a good drink, you could do far, far worse.
As far as I can tell, this place is fairly new. It used to be part of Ryan’s bar, but they’ve cleaved-​off one part of it and turned it into a thoroughly Scottish (but not at all touristy) bar and restaurant affair.
The upstairs area is a bar with a strong emphasis on the whisky. The décor is sort of contemporary but has an old-​fashioned pub feel with low lighting, stools and leather-​covered sofas and lots of wood and brass. The atmosphere is actually pretty good and definitely a good shout for a libation. They also do food upstairs but I’m yet to try it!
Downstairs, though, is where the action happens. Beneath street level is a really cool cellar-​bar/​restaurant. It’s very dimly lit, furnished in lots of dark wood and leather and displays their impressive and comprehensive collection of the old fire-​water.
I’d strongly recommend calling ahead and reserving an alcove! These tables tucked away in individual recesses give an intimate and utterly unique feel to your face-​stuffing experience. I’m not sure what the capacity of each alcove is, but they’re quite large and could probably fit at least eight.
The menu is reasonably well thought out and contains some great traditional Scottish dishes amongst the more conventional modern offerings. My one criticism, though, is that they have only two veggie dishes, one of which is an extremely boring and predicable risotto! There’s a good chance that you’re not a veggie, though, so you’ll find plenty of variety to suit your tastes!
Another thing to give a shot is the whisky tasting. The website says you must book in advance, but during the weekday afternoons they are very quiet and could probably handle a walk-​in. Their entry-​level tasting is only £16, which includes four excellent drams from around Scotland and a half-​hour guide through their tasting. That is excellent value!
On the whole, I’m forced to give Usquabae a reluctant four stars only because they have a pretty disappointing selection for non-​veggies and are a shade on the expensive side. But if you’re looking for a nice place to take some visitors for a meal in an intimate and distinctly Scottish setting, this is perfect.

Terrible food and service, and complete indifference demonstrated by the wait staff. Steak and ale pie came out stone cold, and the lamb chops bordered on inedible as they were undercooked. No follow up was made once a replacement meal was delivered, so the waitress had no idea if the meals were ok, or if we needed more water.
This restaurant lacks management, in both front of house, and kitchen staff. Best to avoid.
They comped my replacement meal, but at the lesser value of the two meals (I ordered something different). Wasn’t worth my time to complain, and the indifference added further to the bad experience.

Great whiskey selection and service. The price and location are right and the basement bar is modern and attractive. By all means, go. Cheers!

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!

Great spot for a beer or whiskey in Edinburgh. Nice atmosphere, great selection of local brews and single malts, and lovely staff (Rebecca and Timna). Rebecca has a lovely voice and will sing The Hills of Donegal if you ask.

Forget the Witchery. This is the best restaurant in Edinburgh! The food is fresh and amazing — also crazy amount of reasonably priced Scotches to try.

Excellent spot for whisky AND beer. Make sure you make it down to the downstairs bar — the upstairs bar (same owner, but different establishment) does not share the same wide selection of whisky and beer. We enjoyed a 12 year Old Pulteney and a couple of hoppy IPAs.
Rebecca from Donegal behind the bar was lovely and very friendly, with excellent recommendations for other bars to visit. Marketing expert Timna was also lovely and helped with recommendations too, although I’m not sure she enjoyed our cheek.
Definitely worth a visit.

Second dinner in one week so I can do a decent review. Fantastic! Consistently delicious food. Very nice décor with a romantic setting and little private booths. Tried the following dishes: haggis, fish cakes, half haddock, venison and steak and ale pie. The drink selection is amazing and the friendly staff helpfully suggests the right things (great suggestions!) everything is fresh, the salads are crisp, the meat juicy. I want to take this place back to NYC with me.

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!