The Lothian Road/Tolcross area has plenty of places that’ll serve you a drink, that for sure; but if unspectacular-looking pubs in a sometimes less than salubrious area are not usually your thing, you have to look a wee bit harder for quality.

A couple of doors up from The King’s Theatre, Bennets’ is nicer than most. You couldn’t tell though – the modest exterior doesn’t promise much beyond spit and sawdust. Once inside there’s a long traditional bar to your left, backed by painted glass mirrors and to your right there’s the curved bench, tables and chairs.

There’s a greater choice of drinks than you might expect, and prices are surprisingly fair considering the bar is adjacent to one of Edinburgh’s most popular playhouses. The food is not to the same standard though, a short menu sporting basic pub fayre lacks enthusiasm or originality.
I went in on a chilly winters’ evening and was cheered by the offer of an inexpensive hot toddy or an Irish coffee on the blackboard. Little touches make you come back to a place, and provide a genuine choice when plumping for somewhere to drink amongst the run of the mill venues in the area.