The Hermitage Bar, Edinburgh

Official site of The Hermitage Bar - hermitagebar.com

Official site of The Hermitage Bar - hermitagebar.com

Hermitage Bar is a bright and airy corner pub with a bar counter on the rear wall that faces the front entrance and seating under the front windows. Around to the right is some more seating away from the bar area. A couple of televisions were airing muted BBC news whilst some background music played. The bar counter supports a standard keg range alongside three handpumps. One was off which left Inveralmond Brewery’s Ossian and TT Landlord as the cask ale options. Food is available, the burger is priced at £14.50 which I thought was a bit expensive. The guy running the bar was very friendly and didn’t mind explaining to me the restrictive Edinburgh licensing laws regarding children in pubs.

A corner bar that has been opened out as much as possible, a couple of massive pillars keeping the building from collapsing. Although there are three hand pumps, the offering of Caledonian Deuchars IPA and 80/- was so underwhelming that I opted for one of the keg beers instead: Joker IPA from Williams Brothers of Alloa (there was also Harviestoun Bitter and Twisted which I know from experience is a pale shadow of the cask version). The lass behind the bar was shocked to see me trying to disperse the excess carbonation by stirring my beer with my pen, and came out to offer me a straw instead. A few minutes in the microwave might have made it a more drinkable temperature, too. (This beer is pretty good in bottles, though, as long as it's not been kept in a fridge.) This is clearly a popular bar, but it didn't quite tickle my erogenous zones. Date of visit: 29th November 2014