Edinburgh
Leith
Andreea V / Unsplash
Edinburgh's port district and its best place to eat — the Shore has more Michelin stars per square metre than almost anywhere in the UK.
Leith is Edinburgh's former port and dockland district, two miles north of the Old Town on the Firth of Forth, and it has undergone a transformation over the past twenty years that mirrors similar regenerations in cities across Europe — but more successfully than most. The Shore, a short stretch of canal-side buildings overlooking the Water of Leith, houses an extraordinary concentration of excellent restaurants that have driven Edinburgh's culinary reputation: Martin Wishart and The Kitchin are both here, alongside a cluster of serious bistros and wine bars that make Leith the best place to eat in Scotland. The neighbourhood retains enough of its working-port and local-residential character to avoid feeling like a manufactured dining district.
Scores
Walkability
Transit
Price
Local feel
Nightlife
Family-friendly
Centrality
What you gain
- ↑The Shore restaurant strip is the finest dining destination in Edinburgh — and by extension in Scotland: the concentration of Michelin-starred and seriously ambitious cooking within a few hundred metres of the water is unmatched anywhere outside London at this quality level
- ↑A genuine neighbourhood with a working-class port identity that survives the restaurant influx; the Leith pubs (the Shore Bar, the Malt and Hops) are some of the most authentic in Edinburgh and attract residents rather than tourists
- ↑The Royal Yacht Britannia — docked at Ocean Terminal in Leith — is the most visited paid attraction in Scotland and genuinely fascinating; the preserved interiors give an unvarnished picture of both royal life and post-war British design
What you sacrifice
- ↓The distance from the Old Town is the principal trade-off: a 25–30 minute walk or a short bus ride separates Leith from Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Mile; those wanting to maximise sightseeing time will feel the gap
- ↓Accommodation options are limited in Leith itself — mostly smaller guesthouses and self-catering apartments rather than full-service hotels; visitors with hotel-facility needs should look at the New Town
- ↓The Shore restaurant strip is popular enough to require significant advance planning for its best tables; spontaneous dining at the Michelin-starred level is rarely available without booking days or weeks ahead
Best for
Avoid if
Other Edinburgh neighbourhoods
Edinburgh's village within a city — the Sunday market, the Water of Leith walkway, and the neighbourhood Edinburghers actually choose to live in.
Quiet residential Edinburgh south of the Meadows — excellent independent coffee, the Bruntsfield Links, and zero tourists.
Georgian Edinburgh at its grandest — Princes Street, Charlotte Square, and the most coherent planned townscape in Britain.
Know where to stay — now find when to go.
Best time to visit Edinburgh →