Leith

Leith is getting better and better. Some places have gone and other’s have taken their place. bond 9 is now Wolf & Water. Chop Chop is gone and the Kitchin has expanded into their premises. The Vintage is still owned by the William Brothers, but let VDeep indian tapas run it. A new barber arrived last year ‘Shortcut to the Shore’ and the empty space on commercial quay is now café tartin! old favourites are doing well. Sofi’s is as strong as ever and easter road is beautifying itself. I like it more, so would you!

Lots of new shops have popped up recently and i must find a day to go and explore as this evening evening there is no time and they are all shut! No suprise there! There is lots to explore here including the mush talked about drill hall — which yes i still have to explore too! time is not on my side as the list of things to do just keep getting longer!

i’m a little disheartened to see that a number of reviews about leith are only a 3 star rating :(leith has been my home for a considerable amount of time and frankly i think it is pretty awesome (which makes sense or i would have moved to another part of edinbrugh by now).
Having moved to the ocean terminal area of leith about 5.5 years ago i had never even realised this part of town existed. but once i knew, i was in love. leith has been through a major revitalisation and the place is fun of trendy bars, cafes, and a few michelin starred restaurants. there are also loads of new build flats mixed in with the older tenaments and a huge shopping centre with a 24 hour gym, spa, cinema, and a variety of shops.
but the leith area is far more than the shore and ocean terminal, there is the main artery of leith walk that runs through it and all the wee side streets coming off of that. from these you can access a number of parks and cycle paths including the water of leith walkway which is a beautiful stroll on a sunny day. there are also loads of places to eat including the famous la favourita with the wood fired pizzas (delicious!!), the lovely gaia specialising in sicilian food and good coffee, los cardos with its delicious tex mex goodness, and the sicilian bakery that i’ve told is the best place to buy baked goods in the city. the place also has fantastic transport links as i can literally get anywhere in the city by hopping on a bus.
i feel like i could go on and on about my love for leith, but even having lived there for years there are still places i’ve yet to find and try! just another reason to love the place even more, always something new to stumble upon. so i think perhaps these lower reviews haven’t been fairly given and maybe it’s time to give leith’s its due. it’s a part of edinburgh that’s got loads to offer and is a fabulous place to live!

Only a 20 minute walk. (downhill) from Edinburgh, not a lot of things to do or see unless you are only going there to see the Royal Britannia and a shopping mall. It is good to get a different perspective of Edinburgh but that’s really about it. Very underdeveloped and has potential to be a triving dockland IF monies are pumped into it.

t’s a funny old place is Leith. I mean it’s home to some of the finest restaurants in Edinburgh. Martin Wishart is on The Shore, while The Kitchen is party of the ultra-​cool Commercial Street complex, both of which are Michelin starred. It’s also got some great bars and shops among other things. The top of Leith walk boasts the Playhouse and the Omni centre.
Yet just a short way down Leith walk and it all feels a bit dangerous. It’s run down in a lot of places. The Tesco on Brunswick Place is horrendous — when I went in there I counted 5 security guards. I mean, isn’t that just perpetuating the problem?
It’s definitely worth a look, and the walk down to the Water of Leith is brilliant on a sunny day. There are loads of seating areas looking out to the water, which makes for a great thinking spot. Just keep checking for your wallet.

Hmmmm, I’m not sure if I agree completely with all those ‘I Love Leith’ banners that the council have hung everywhere.
Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of great things about Leith. Ocean Terminal, for one, where you can shop ’til you drop without getting rained on. Not to mention loads of little independent one-​off shops and delis like Pani Solinska and The Cat’s Miaou, as well as some of the city’s finest Fish restaurants like Fishers.
And I’m sure in a few years it will be the ‘up and coming’ trendy area for young professionals that everyone keeps banging on about. But at the moment, it’s still more than a little bit rough round the edges. There are more Cash Converter type places in this neck of the woods than I’ve seen anywhere else in the city, promising to cash your cheques instantly and give you a payday advance. Yeah right. Also, don’t be offended if you walk down the street at night in a short skirt and everyone thinks you’re a prostitute. It’s probably less of a reflection on you and more on the fact that every other female fitting that description is in fact on the game.

Small port with expanding new modern building in its area. The port is still active and offers a lovely promenade for enthusiastic visitors like me on a lazy sunny day. There is a growing Omni shopping centre complex with all the restaurants, shops and cinema inside,