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Edinburgh’s Leith Walk is changing fast. In fact, it has been for a while. Gentrified may not be quite the right word but the rougher edges are slowly being smoothed over.

This 5pm Dining blog writer used to live just off the Walk and it wasn’t entirely out of the ordinary to find blood and syringes on the pavement of a morning.

Many of the bars considered a gin and tonic to be a rather effete cocktail and bar food rarely stretched further than a pie and peanuts.

Langoustines and Bolly

These days, you are just as likely to find chippies selling langoustines and bars selling Bolly.

One of the latest places to have a face change is the former Elm Row Bar at the top of the Walk on, you guessed it, Elm Row.

Polished American street food

Now called Jeremiah’s Taproom, the premises have gone down the increasingly well-worn route of craft beers and polished American street food.

The fact that almost every new opening at the moment offers much the same format will undoubtedly become dull but that point may be some way off.

On the plus side, this scribbler would rather see five more generic craft ale bars open up than walk into another grotty local and be told by the surly barman that all the taps except Carling are off.

Craft ale

Jeremiah’s Taproom seems to have done a good job in following the craft ale bar template. The menu offers a huge variety of burgers; three different styles of hotdog and the spuds come skinny, Cajun-dusted or as southern fried wedges.

Pulled pork, meatballs and BBQ chicken skewers add to the US flavour.

The beers change regularly but there have been recent offerings from Alechemy, West Beer and, of course, Williams Bros.

Breakfast cocktails

The 5pm Dining blog was tickled to see that Jeremiah’s Taproom offers breakfast cocktails such as the martini made with gin, orange marmalade, triple sec, lemon juice and gomme.

Not so long ago, a breakfast drink on Leith Walk would have meant a 7am cloudy lager in the Old Salt.