The Canmore, Dunfermline

Now called the Canmore

Upmarket restaurant bar that curiously also incorporates a brewery (De BRUs), housed in a grand old townhouse that previously functioned as a nursery. There’s a room to the right on entering, then a main room and the bar is to the left here. Chic modern look; steel bar top, intricate cornices and (to quote my Dunfermline born-and-bred companion) “Full of Edinburgh posh bastards”. Six pumps of homebrew - 4 ales (IPA, Blonde, Stout, Nut Brown), 1 cider, 1 lager and 1 off. Pints, halves, thirds (paddles) are available but look closely at the blackboard as there is a silly mark-up each time you drop down a measure – three taster thirds come in over £2 more than a pint would. We tried the lot and, to be honest, quality and condition weren’t the most inspiring, only the Nut Brown came back as one I’d want to try again. The cider, in particular, was revolting. Looking around, we were the only ones drinking the stuff. The target demographic here are pretty unlikely to dabble much with ale, I suspect. One bonus was the friendly barman, who I think found us a refreshing change from the usual types he serves. Overall, I didn’t get much from this place and I’d struggle to muster much enthusiasm to return. 5.5