Rating every business on Leith Walk
If you don’t know what Leith Walk is, it is one of the more popular roads in Edinburgh. People call it the hipster neighborhood in Edinburgh (meaning it used to be cool), and Timeout magazine listed it as the 16th coolest neighborhood in the world. If I am being completely honest...
My old flat was at "The Foot of the Walk", which is the bottom end of Leith Walk, furthest away from downtown Edinburgh. It was a 2 kilometer walk from one end of Leith Walk into downtown, going in a straight line. I made the walk ("Walking the Walk" as I called it) three to four times a week, and made it my goal while living there to frequent every single business on the street.
I didn't quite make my goal, there were a few establishments that just didn't make the cut. But, my attempt was solid, and I tried not to discriminate based on the quality of the business, the clientele, or any concerns about my general safety.
The Central Bar
This bar is for people aged 25 years and up. I’ve never been in, but it has actually an interesting looking interior from the outside. The clientele is very old and extremely drunk. You find a lot of splats on the ground here Sunday mornings. They do Karaoke here on Sundays, which I can hear from my flat. It sounds like Toad singing when they do Karaoke.
Argonaut Books
I was really excited a bookstore was opening near me, but it is all "new" books, so I can never find anything I want to buy, even though they are so nice.
Krema Bakehouse
The pastries are outrageously sweet! Too sweet. Also they had a novelty cake in the window for like two months.
The Spey Lounge
I found this iconic review of this place on google maps. I’ll miss living within eyeshot of this place for the rest of my life. I’ve seen a lot of good fights.
"Popped in recently for a pint after "work", a word unheard of in this establishment apparently. Was lucky enough to watch another gentleman assault a woman. If you would like to experience a human zoo that will make McDonalds at 3am on a Saturday seem like primary school help yourself."
Tesco Superstore
Love this store. The shopkeepers there are incredible, they feel like family to me. Mandatory masks stopped after a year of me going to this store and everyone's face looked different than expected though.
Desi Pakwan
I haven’t eaten there and I think I am missing out. We walk past it occasionally and it looks like good food and good vibes. They have a really cool delivery car with flames on the side.
Artisan Roast Leith Walk
A good cafe, I think the building used to be a mortuary, and it has very good bones, sort of rustic. They do espresso tonic’s there, and have decent pastries and food. The workers there are all really nice, one asked me if I was from Malta, which I think maybe was a coded message. They also host Open Comedy, the greatest BYOB open mic night within walking distance from my house.
The Tattie Creel
I turned my nose up at this place, but then had an excellent Tikka Masala toastie there. You live and learn.
All Together Edinburgh
They have a good, varied selection of goods at this charity shop. I buy books here frequently.
Akdeniz Mediterranean Supermarket
We bought Rummikub here and some glasses. I thinks it’s possible this business owns the whole building, which is very beautiful.
The Pipe Shop
It’s a tobacco shop, but more for loose tobacco and pipes (which the name implies). It always makes me wish I smoked, because I want to go in and buy something.
Cafe Praline
I went once and didn’t go back, even though it’s very close to me. It’s easy to miss.
The Mother Superior
Great bar. Really nice, you always recognize people in there. We get french fries all the time, but once we got them and there were rocks in them?
Newbarns Brewery and Taproom
This place is new, it seems like they opened up the back room. It’s incredible. All the Leither’s hang out there. The beer is a good price and delicious. They have games. The bartenders are nice. It’s got warm and cozy vibes.
Under the Arch
It’s such a nice vibe! But a wine vibe, so I’ve never been, even though I’ve been wanting to.
Leith Arches
It’s just a warehouse, but sometimes there are events. I would rate this highly, but the exit is near where the performances are, so it’s hard to sneak out.
KVASA Bakery
A family owns this shop, and they have a cute kid they bike around to make bread deliveries. They have really good Focaccia sandwiches.
Rikkis Music Shop
We went in there to buy guitar strings and they were incredibly nice.
Candersons Sweet Shop
This store scares, but intrigues me.
Carpet Bargain Store
I have no need for carpet, but there is a dog that sleeps in the window.
Hobz bakery
This is a new bakery, it opened just a few weeks before the time of writing. It’s incredible. I had a loaf of bread the other day that changed what I thought was possible for bread to be, emotionally. They also are quite inventive with their pastries, which I appreciate. I wish the front of the shop were slightly bigger, so I could chill there. It’s only open Wed-Sun, which I don’t appreciate.
Domino’s Pizza
One day, I decided to get a pizza from here at lunch, and it was one of the triumphant moments of my life, because I got to eat warm pizza that day. I don’t know how to explain.
Cornelius Beer & Wine Shop
This place is new as well. The shopkeepers are really nice. The beer cans are kind of expensive, but maybe that’s just because they are tall boys? They have a good selection of Newbarns beer, which I appreciate.
Leith Depot
We never went here before for some reason, and then just started going recently. One of our friends works here, and the food is pretty good. Everyone is really nice here.
Knights Kitchen Cafe
We ate here once when I was having a low blood sugar moment, and it was unbelievably delicious. I want to go back because we just got a sandwich and I want a whole meal.
PCY
Good grocery store.
Scotmid Coop
The Co-op’s are bad grocery stores in my opinion, but they have a post office in this one and a cold beer aisle, with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I’ve pretty much only bought beer here.
Folly Antiques
This shop is filled with extremely beautiful, expensive antiques. The nicest version of cheap furniture I have in my house. There is never anyone in there. But, walking past you get a bad feeling. It makes you think about colonialism.
Frites
Frites has gotten me out of a hunger pickle a few times, and I’ve eaten it with glee a few more times. They have lots of interesting toppings. It does make me wish there were more grab and eat food options on Leith Walk.
Alhambra Bar
This bar has a great vibe, but I’m 30 years too young to go here. On the day when the sun came out, I saw some outrageous sunburns on bald guys with no shirts on.
Abode Cafe Bar
The exact opposite vibe of Alhambra across the street. I think I’m too young for this bar too.
Origano Cafe and Pizzeria
I’ve never been, and I blame this on them not doing pizza for collection. They also have too many candles inside for my comfort. The food looks delicious, though.
Dixy Chicken Leith Walk
This place smells good to me. I almost went in one time but I only had £4 on me and everything was more expensive than that.
Woodland Creatures
This place is the real highs and lows. We’ve had amazing times here, and also really weird times.
Artisan Coffee Leith
Best coffee on Leith Walk. Great patio.
Victoria Bar
BYOF bar, a great place, but I think I end up going when I’m a little too hungry. The staff are so nice.
Storries
People love this place.
Orinoco Latin Food
They do mini empanadas that are outrageously tasty!
La Casa
We go here occasionally on weekday nights. It’s a good close, nice dinner spot. Great ambiance, and good tapas.
La Favorita Pizza Delivery
I had one incredible experience here, and one really bad experience here in terms of vibes.
Braid Vets
My appointment for Artie was a half hour late, and was about to interfere with closing, which got me feeling kind of stressed. But then the appointment took five minutes, they were all super nice and didn’t charge me. So yeah! Good vibes all around.
Indigo Hair & Beauty
Dani and I were cutting each others hair and we both started going here. Our appearance has improved dramatically, and we’ve had some fun times here. 11/10.
Wee Leith Shop
I’ve never bought anything here, but they have all sorts of cute little items.
St. Columba’s Hospice
This charity shop has a beautiful and thoughtfully created window display that changes regularly. I always go in and buy odd things in there. We bought some paintings, I bought some wallpaper sheets. And they are always so nice about it when I do.
Elvis Shakespeare
A record store with books, but a surprisingly decent book collection.
Taste of Poland
The name says it all. They will only speak Polish to you in this shop, which I really appreciate.
Kukina Turkish Bakery
These pastries are good. I get them sometimes when I’m starving halfway up Leith Walk.
Bier Hoose
This place has a great vibe, I don’t know why I never go. Sometimes there are fights here on the weekends.
Weigh To Go
You can buy hot sauce and some other items here that you can’t find anywhere else.
Cash Converters
This is a Pawn Shop. The owner is super nice and lets you test stuff. There is a lot of good stuff here, we’ve bought a few things here.
Scotmid Coop Pilrig
We occasionally pop in here.
Simply Greek
I thought the wraps here were super good. Dani thought they smell a little weird, and that started to creep into my brain. It’s a great price though, £5 for a chicken kebab.
Starbucks
Dani says this Starbucks got her through her Masters, and I believe her.
Sainsbury’s Local
This Sainsbury’s is perfectly located. It’s right by our old gym, and we’ve gone there a bunch of times to pick up snacks before going to the movies.
Places Gym
A decent gym, but a young persons gym.
Bodega
The best tacos in Edinburgh. Expensive, and very small though. I've spend £80 and left hungry which is a lot of money for Edinburgh.
Eleanore
It’s a fancy Scottish restaurant, but it’s very small, and the tables are small. It looks like it would give me anxiety.
British Red Cross Shop
This charity shop is a bit expensive.
Leith Army Stores
I’ve never gone in, but they have a great window display.
Tesco Express
I’ve gone in here several times looking for ice cream, and they don’t sell single serving ice cream. I can’t be the only one with this problem.
Bon Bon Gelateria
They are closed for winter, which honestly really sucks. The shopkeeper seems to appreciate it when people make up their minds quickly when ordering. So I would say, really think about what you want before you go in. They have a good pistachio flavor, which is salty.
Bethany Christian Trust Bookshop
The best bookshop in Edinburgh. The other shops are too hip. This one has all the good books, and I can come out with a bag full for less than the price of a single book elsewhere. The people who work there are of an advanced age and sometimes it takes a long time to ring everything up, which I deeply respect.
Pera
This place intrigues me, but the shopkeeper is always sitting outside on the patio and like interfering with my examination of it.
OQO - Coffee Nook
Dani and I went here once together, I’m not sure why. We got avocado toast and coffee. It’s just in a weird area for us. It’s kind of exposed, it’s in a part of the street where the sidewalk widens out.
Edinburgh Central Youth Hostel
I’ve never been in, but I would stay here. It looks clean, large and in a decently quiet but close to town area. If we come home really late, we sometimes see kids smoking outside.
Digital Image Centre
We had the craziest experience ever in this shop while buying a Kim Jong-un loves Leith mug. It started with a wild story of the shopkeeper hunting foxes, and ended with two candies placed in our hands. It was a great time, but I wouldn’t ever go back as a matter of personal safety.
McNaughtan’s Bookshop
One side is old Scottish books, and the other is typewriters and zine’s. The old part of this bookshop is closed often and I never get the timing right, and have to pretend I’m interested in zine’s for a minute before I leave.
Spry Wines
There is a type of person who would go to a store like this. I sort of wish this is who I was, but I’m not. ‘Wine Drinkers’
Joseph Pearce
A Swedish bar with a great vibe from the outside. Dani and I have been once and really liked it.
Valvona & Crolla
Extremely expensive, but an outrageously beautiful Italian Grocery store. It is really stunning. An experience even to walk in.
Down The Hatch
I want to go, but have never been.
Kahani
This is where we get takeout Indian food from. It’s very very good.
Topping & Company Booksellers
It’s a nice bookstore, it’s got a lot of good bookstore qualities. But, I don’t think books should cost more than £1-2. These are more like 20. I also feel weird buying a lot of books here. Like I am being judged for my choices. I think when a book costs money, it starts to mean something when you buy it.
CC Blooms
I have some things to say about CC Blooms and the people who go here that I will not say here, out of respect. If you would like to know, please reach out to me privately. Also, someone told me they saw Saoirse Ronan there last summer.
The Playfair
This is a Weatherspoons, and a particularly rowdy one. They have a security guard at the entrance of this one. The dishes will pile up everywhere when it’s busy. I use the bathroom here on the way home all the time.
Nando’s Omni Center
I thought I wouldn’t like it and I loved it. The food is good, the ambiance is chilled out. I like to eat chicken.
Vue Cinema Omni Center
The movies are £4.99, which is an outrageously good deal in my opinion. They don’t check if you have snacks in your bag either.