Leith grows into Edinburgh’s creative and culinary hub

Leith, Edinburgh’s historic port district, has evolved into the city’s creative heart, home to artists, musicians, designers, startups and a thriving food and drink scene. The arrival of the tramline from the city centre in 2023 has given the area a further boost. Community spirit remains strong: two recent local campaigns successfully blocked a Waterstones opening near independent Argonaut Books and secured the return of benches on the Kirkgate that had been removed by the council.

Leith’s dining scene now ranges from Michelin-level kitchens to community cafés and pubs, with new openings including Barry Fish on the Shore (early 2025) and the Ardfern café-bar in 2024; chef Barry Bryson described the area as mixing “old and new”, and chef James Murray said choosing Leith was intentional so he could live and work in his community.

Cultural and collaborative spaces are multiplying. Custom Lane in the old Custom House houses workshops, galleries and a gallery-shop called Bard; nearby Brown’s of Leith, a transformed three-storey Victorian warehouse by GRAS architects, already hosts three food businesses — ShrimpWreck, Haze and Civerinos — with more residents, events and collaborations described as imminent.

After years of volunteer fundraising and campaigning, Leith theatre has been awarded lottery funding to restore its 1932 art deco building, and pop-up uses have offered a glimpse of that future.

Key Topics

Culture, Leith, Edinburgh, Argonaut Books, Barry Fish, Leith Theatre