Cafeography
Edinburgh · Leith & the Shore

Cafés in Leith & the Shore

Leith Walk's long café strip, Crighton Place and Constitution Street, the Shore, and roasters out in Trinity and Newhaven.

Photo: Valentine Kulikov, Pexels License

Leith grew up as Edinburgh's port at the mouth of the Water of Leith and was a separate town until 1 November 1920, when it was merged with the city even though its residents had voted 26,810 to 4,340 against.1 The old boundary ran across Leith Walk at Pilrig, where a bar straddling the line worked under two sets of licensing rules before 1920.2

Leith Walk, one of the longest streets in Edinburgh, is said to follow a defensive rampart built between Calton Hill and Leith in 1650 to halt Cromwell's army.2 It has more cafés than any other street in this part of the city, and two side streets off its lower half, Crighton Place and Constitution Street, hold small clusters of their own.

Local tip: On a Saturday, pair Leith Market on Dock Place (10:00–16:00) with a coffee at Williams & Johnson behind the Custom House on Commercial Street.5

At a glance

80Cafés listed
35With opening hours
07:00Earliest opening
23:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Lounge 33, from 07:00 (Daily 07:00–16:00).
  • Closes latest: Hungry Wolf, until 23:00 (Mon 16:30–23:00 · Tue Closed · Wed–Sun 16:30–23:00).
  • Most listed streets: Leith Walk (16), Great Junction Street (5), Shore (4).
  • Most common features: indoor seating (19%), outdoor seating (14%), vegetarian options (13%).

Mr Eion, Coffee Roaster

  • 44-44a East Trinity Road
  • Tue–Fri 08:00–15:00 · Sat 10:00–15:00
  • +44 131 552 6556
  • Takeaway
  • Indoor seating
  • Card payment
  • Partial wheelchair access
  • Toilets
  • Specialty
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Relish

  • 3-4 Commercial Street
  • Mon–Fri 08:00–16:00 · Sat 09:00–16:00 · Sun 10:00–16:00
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Up the Junction

  • 127 Great Junction Street
  • Mon–Sat 09:00–15:00 · Sun Closed
  • Indoor seating
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Coffee chains in Leith & the Shore

Leith Walk, from Pilrig to the Foot of the Walk

Since 7 June 2023 trams have run the length of the Walk, stopping at McDonald Road, Balfour Street and Foot of the Walk on the way to Newhaven.3 Artisan Roast at Nos. 72–74 opens at 07:00 on weekdays and has room for regular spoken-word and comedy nights.4 Lounge 33 at Nos. 373–375 also opens daily at 07:00, Toast at No. 185 opens at 07:30 on weekdays, and Cupp at No. 321 serves until 22:00.

Further down, Babyfaced Baker at No. 341 opens from Thursday to Sunday, and Ernest & Bob at No. 305 stays open until 21:00 from Thursday to Saturday. Cafe Praline at No. 91 opens at 08:30 from Monday to Saturday.

Crighton Place and Constitution Street

Crighton Place, a short street off the Walk, has Tepuy at No. 2, open from 08:00 on weekdays, Nótt at No. 13 and GAIA Italian Delicatessen at No. 32. Constitution Street, where Leith's Corn Exchange was built in 1861, has Printworks Coffee Company at No. 42, Rocksalt Café Deli at No. 46, open daily until 17:00, and GPO Leith at No. 57.1

The Shore and Commercial Street

The Shore, once a run-down quay, is now a center for pubs and restaurants along the river mouth.1 Clock on the Shore at No. 35 opens at 08:00 from Monday to Saturday, Cafe Truva at No. 77 has outdoor tables, and Toast at No. 65 serves until 22:00 on Friday and Saturday. Leith Market trades on Dock Place every Saturday, 10:00–16:00.5

Williams & Johnson Coffee Co is tucked behind the Custom House on Commercial Street, in a room of concrete and streamlined furniture.64 It opens at 08:00 on weekdays and 09:00 at weekends.

Trinity and Newhaven

Newhaven was founded by James IV in 1504 as a yard to build the warship Michael, and its harbor lighthouse dates from 1869; the tram line now ends there.7 On Newhaven Main Street, porto & fi at No. 47 stays open until 20:30 on Friday and Saturday, and La Cîme Deli on Newhaven Road brews with beans from Mr Eion.8

Inland in Trinity, Mr Eion Coffee Roaster took over the site of Filament, an early specialty café, in 2019.9 The room at 44 East Trinity Road has only nine seats, so most people take their coffee to Starbank Park or the harbor at Newhaven.9 It opens from Tuesday to Friday 08:00–15:00 and on Saturday 10:00–15:00.

Sources

  1. Leith, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Leith Walk, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. Edinburgh Trams, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  4. The Skinny Guide to Edinburgh's Coffee Shops, The Skinny (Jamie Dunn, July 16, 2026), accessed October 2026
  5. Leith Market, Stockbridge Market, accessed October 2026
  6. Capital Coffee: Bastard Barista, The Edinburgh Reporter (Charlie Ellis, January 2025), accessed October 2026
  7. Newhaven, Edinburgh, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  8. Capital Coffee: Mr Eion’s evolution, The Edinburgh Reporter (Charlie Ellis, October 2025), accessed October 2026
  9. Capital Coffee: Mr Eion Trinity, The Edinburgh Reporter (Charlie Ellis, November 1, 2023), accessed October 2026
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In Leith & the Shore, also browse: Specialty coffee Outdoor seating Wi-Fi Bakery cafés Vegan & vegetarian Brunch

FAQ

Leith & the Shore cafés: questions

Which streets in Leith, Edinburgh, have the most cafés?

Leith Walk, which trams have run along since June 2023, has the longest run of cafés, from Artisan Roast at Nos. 72–74 to Lounge 33 at Nos. 373–375. Off its lower half, Crighton Place and Constitution Street have small clusters, and the Shore has cafés along the river mouth.

Which cafés on Leith Walk in Edinburgh open early?

Artisan Roast at 72–74 Leith Walk opens at 07:00 on weekdays, and Lounge 33 at 373–375 Leith Walk opens at 07:00 every day. Toast at No. 185 opens at 07:30 on weekdays. On Crighton Place, just off the Walk, Tepuy opens at 08:00 on weekdays.

How do you get to Leith from central Edinburgh by tram?

The tram extension to Newhaven has carried passengers since 7 June 2023. From Picardy Place it stops at McDonald Road, Balfour Street and Foot of the Walk along Leith Walk, then at The Shore, Port of Leith, Ocean Terminal and Newhaven. The full line runs 18.5 km to Edinburgh Airport.

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