Usquabae is a nice place to visit if you like whisky and are in Edinburgh. This bar has been open for a year now and is located in the heart of Edinburgh. It has a relaxed atmosphere, and if you are hungry, they also serve dinner. (Which is always a good idea before drinking whisky).
It’s a very nicely designed bar, although a bit difficult to find at first. The location itself is easy to find and situated right at the corner of Hope Street in Edinburgh’s old town. Walking in will lead you to Ryan’s bar; for Usquabae, you have to go downstairs, which was not clear to us, but that could have been the fog in our heads from the previous night.
When you go downstairs, the location has a very nice atmosphere; the bar is right in front of you, which invites you to come over, sit down and enjoy a dram. While standing in the center, you will be surrounded by little enclosed areas where you can sit with a decent group of people. We loved this; it gives you a private area to have a dinner party or enjoy a good conversation with just two. Good food, not too big menu but a good variety of choices. Don’t expect an upper-class dining experience but good food for a fair price.
After our dinner, we moved over to the whisky bar and checked the selection. It’s a good mixture between standard ranges and some rarer bottles. Fair prices for the whole range while we expected a bit more of the unique bottles over there, but hey, you can have it all. You will have a hard time trying them all during one evening so let’s not complain; there is something for everyone out there.
2-4 Hope Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4DB, Scotland
(Photocredits by Usquebae)