An old industrial yard near Edinburgh has been transformed into a new food and drink destination

Edinburgh’s food scene is on a roll. The other week the Scottish capital was named among the best places for a foodie city break in Europe, and that reputation is only going to grow with the opening of a brand new food and drink destination in nearby Leith.

Brown’s of Leith started welcoming visitors at the end of November. The building used to be home to an engineering firm, but it left last year, leaving the space completely empty and in need of some TLC. Now the site is under the ownership of Custom Lane, a local creative space which has turned it into something special for the local community.

Brown’s plans to be a hybrid space for food, drinks, socialising, and creating, complete with a workshop for local creatives. That’s the long-term plan – for now, the focus is on locally-renowned restaurants. And four of them have just moved in. 

First up is Haze, an all-day bar which intends to ‘blur the lines between morning coffee and evening wine’ with small plates and an extensive wine list. It’s the latest project from the team behind Montrose and Timberland, two popular high-end restaurants in Edinburgh.

For a local catch, head to Shuck. Selling fresh Scottish fish and seafood, this is the sister location to Shrimpwreck, a Portobello hut which offers a delicious range of buns, burgers, and fries, all based around fried shrimp. If Shrimpwreck is anything to go by, Shuck could offer some properly creative seafood dishes.

Civerinos, a hugely successful New York-style pizza chain in central Scotland which was named the 19th best in the world by Time Out, will be on hand for any greasy cravings. When you get thirsty, try out whisky from across the world at Woven.

Creative director Gunnar Groves-Raines says he hopes that the space will ‘evolve’ over time, but that ‘by launching with these four outstanding businesses, we’re putting the emphasis on conversation and collaboration – food and drink is the perfect way to bring people together’.

Find out more about Brown’s of Leith on the Custom Lane website here.

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