Once famous as the setting for Irvine Welsh’s gritty novel Trainspotting, the last twenty years has seen a renaissance in Edinburgh’s Leith.
Derelict flats have been replaced by slick waterside apartments, old man’s pubs by sophisticated bars and off-licences by Michelin star restaurants.
][1]Regeneration
The most striking result of Leith’s regeneration has been its emergence as a top foodie destination – both in Edinburgh and the UK.
The Shore, the area which includes Bernard Street, Commercial Street and Henderson Street, was voted as runner-up in the “Best Foodie Street” category in the UK Google Street View awards in 2010.
Fish and chip shops, Italian trattoria, curry-houses and traditional pub grub rub shoulders with some of the best seafood in the UK, as well as Michelin star fine dining establishments.
At one point, there were three Michelin-starred restaurants within a five minute walk of one another in Leith; a fact that encouraged some to dub the stretch the Michelin Mile.
Malmaison
At the forefront of Leith’s transformation was the arrival of Malmaison in 1994. Housed in a historic building which was a seaman’s mission in the late 1800s, the elegant boutique hotel brought a touch of class to the waterside.
Malmaison General Manager Stewart Campbell remembers a very different Leith when the hotel opened.
“Some taxi drivers will tell you stories about how they wouldn’t even drop people off in this area,” Stewart said. “So Malmaison took a bit of a gamble opening in Leith at the time but it really has paid off. I think it was probably step one in the regeneration of the area.”
“We bring over 200 guests every night down to Leith and not everyone wants to eat in the restaurant every night. There are a lot of smaller and independent restaurants who feed off the hotel’s business and vice versa. ”
“Now Leith is pretty much the place to go out and eat. It’s a real hub. Anyone who wants to come at the weekend needs to book in advance. You literally can’t get a table at The Shore on a Saturday night.”
][2]Michelin restaurants
The arrival of Martin Wishart in 1999 firmly established Leith as a culinary destination. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2001, an accolade which has been maintained every year since. Tom Kitchin put a further fine dining stamp of approval on the area by opening The Kitchin in 2006. The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2007 followed a number of other prestigious awards.
Continuing the fine dining theme, Mithas arrived in Leith in late 2011. Owned by the famous Khushi’s group, the restaurant’s chefs were handpicked to deliver dishes which were described by critics as “bold, exciting and unimaginable within Indian cooking.” Featured in the Michelin guide, Mithas could well be the first Indian restaurant in Scotland to receive a star.
By the time Mithas arrived, Leith was well and truly established as a foodie haven, a fact appreciated by General Manager Jaimon George.
“Leith was chosen for us because the building was available at the time and it suited our needs space wise – we wanted a lot of space, not tables crammed together,” he said. “I hear from people what the perception of Leith was before, being slightly rough and having different sides to it, but now I see Leith having very, very good restaurants.”
“Ocean Terminal is nearby which is very prestigious, you’ve got Martin Wishart, Tom Kitchin; it’s become a restaurant hub with a concentration of very good restaurants all together. It’s a beautiful area next to The Shore. You’ve got everything on offer here. All you need to do is come down.