When in Edinburgh we cannot recommend staying in the area of Leith enough. We love walking in general and when we booked the hotel we noticed it was only about a 2.5 mile walk into Edinburgh City Centre which took us roughly 45 minutes. It was great to start the day with a walk into the city centre (public transport links are also fab however!), it was also nice to get away from the city in the evening. We walked from our hotel to Leith Shore which is by the Water of Leith for dinner and drinks.
TOAST
We had spotted Toast on Instagram and the pictures looked stunning and knew we had to take a visit. We called up on the Saturday morning to book a table but were told we had to call back at 2pm to book a table for that evening. We did just that and booked a table for 7pm.
It was a sunny evening and there were lots of tables out the front looking to the waterfront, however as it was cooling down we opted to sit inside. We sat at the high chairs by the window so it still felt like we were outside and could people watch til our hearts content!
The menu was simple in terms of food with only a couple of options. This place is great for a light bite to eat or if you’re not feeling too hungry to have a drink and some food. We decided to have a 2 centred dinner and had the sharing board as our starter before heading elsewhere for the main course. Not only does this mean we got to visit 2 places, it also means lots more content and reviews for you guys to read!
The wine list is extensive with many options to choose from, you sure will find a nice glass of wine for you! We also love places that automatically give you tap water without having to ask, which we noticed happened a lot in Edinburgh. We were given a nice jug with cucumber and ice in.
Back to the wine…..Annie ordered a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough New Zealand (white) and Rach had a Malbec from Argentina (red). The wine came in lovely large glasses and was delicious.
We shared the meze platter but also spied the Charcuterie Platter. However we were delighted with our choice as it was amazing! Baba ganoush in the centre of the platter was surrounded by olives, falafel, beetroot humous and a cold ratatouille. Flat bread was served on a separate plate and there was plenty for two people. We were given small plates each and tucked in. We absolutely loved the baba ganoush it was delicious!
This place is so cute and the service was perfect too, the staff were lovely.
THE PANTRY: FINN & BEAR
The Pantry is famous in Edinburgh as being the best Bistro so when we wandered into Toast and spied a Pantry we had to go.
We booked a table for 8pm giving us 1 hour to enjoy our starters at Toast. Upon arrival we were shown to our table which was a cute one at the back in an alcove, super cosy! Despite the place being super busy the staff came over straight away with tap water and menus for us to look at.
For our mains we decided to share the ‘dirtiest nachos in town’ which were served with salsa, guac, sweetcorn, jalapenos, melted cheese and sour cream. We opted for the meaty hickory beef brisket and pork shoulder however there was also a veggie option which was campfire beans and smoked tomato.
We also ordered some hand cut fries to share which were cooked to perfection and still had the skin on – our favourite!
OTHER
On our walk into and out of Leith Shore we noticed many other restaurants which looked lovely:
Café Tartine – as the name suggest this is a French restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The inside looked really cute and the menu was also very appealing.
The Kitchin – this is owned by the famous Michelin starred chef Tom Kitchin. This restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2007. This restaurant serves modern British with a slight French twist. If you are feeling like splashing out why not go for the Chefs Surprise Tasting menu. However you could also enjoy the set lunch menu or set dinner menu.
Mimi’s Bakehouse – we found this place (again) on Instagram and did not realise it was right next door to Toast. We are sad we didn’t get to visit here as we have sweet tooths, but if we ever return to Leith will sure pop in. Follow their Instagram @mimisbakehouse and you will have a feed full of delightful treats!
Café Truva – There is a Cafe Truva in Leith (the original one), but they have since opened on the Royal Mile and also at Art College. This is a Turkish Mediterranean restaurant which could potentially be one of our favourite cuisines.
The Ship on the Shore – this is a fish restaurant so if you fancy some fish then this is the place for you!
