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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2011) edition.

The passing of Uisge Beatha is mourned by many, though such a decaying old drinking den stood little chance in the face of the steady tide of gentrification that has been sweeping the area’s bars for years. Following its purchase by Maclay Inns, efforts to keep touch with the history are commendable – a lot of original fittings (and the odd stuffed animal) are preserved, while regular live folk and comedy sessions and many of the staff have been carried over. And nobody could argue that the fitting of windows, huge floor-to-ceiling ones at that, isn’t a massive improvement. Otherwise, the conversion to student-friendly chain pub has been inevitably wholesale. Flat-screen TVs show sport, while the wine list is the same generic set you’ll find anywhere Maclay-owned. There’s a heavy Scottish theme to the food – think Highland chicken topped with whisky sauce, Scottish steak pie, and haggis galore, even on a pizza with jalapeños. The whisky selection lives up well to Uisge Beatha’s epic ensemble – around 75 drams in all, accessible via a £2.25 malt of the month deal.

• High point: Toilets not the death trap Uisge Beatha’s were
• Low point: Very slow service at peak times