Leith, International Restaurant Guide

2022 Review: Launched in July 2021, Scotland’s largest food hall (and Edinburgh’s first) features a range of chef-led food stalls and restaurants. These include The Gannet East, Creel Caught, Erpingham House, El Perro Negro, east PIZZAS, Broken Clock, Joelato, Salt & Chilli Oriental and CHIX. Also houses Inverarity Morton’s boutique bottleshop.

“Affordable fine dining” – say fans – makes these Fitzrovia and Canary Wharf venues (from Nico Simeone’s Glasgow-based national chain) “good for date nights” and “real value-for-money”. “The tasting menu changes regularly, so it’s a different experience every time” – the formula being “no mystery: you get to taste small samples of delicious food all related to a specific, changing theme”. (“We’ve been twice this year – more themes have caught our eye without the window of opportunity to try them. It’s not filling, but a really enjoyable eat”). There is, though, an alternative jaundiced view, which is that they offer “style over substance – you’ll leave still feeling hungry and the venue is noisy, like being in a canteen”.

Edinburgh’s only permanent street food market is entering its second year of operation and – with 700 seats near the Omni Centre – its 10 concessions promise a ‘casual global eating experience’ with rotating guest traders, live music and events. One visiting reporter from Bristol feels it’s “Really fun! Looks like a food court but the food standard is higher. Order by QR code, food is brought quickly by staff who keep the chaos in order. Brilliant idea, well-executed”.