Why are there so many Michelin Star restaurants in Leith?

The Herald Scotland

2 days ago

Though the new home of his eponymous restaurant was far from reaching the 'fine-dining hotspot' status it enjoys today, Wishart felt drawn to the waterfront he had visited often during his childhood.
Pictured: Former Herald Magazine chef and Michelin Star restaurateur Martin Wishart (Image: Newsquest)
'I've always liked Leith,' he tells the Herald when asked what prompted him to lay his roots for Restaurant Martin Wishart outside of the city centre.
'The architecture, especially around The Shore itself, reminded me of my time spent working abroad, and there were already a number of good restaurants in the area.
'But, they were mostly bistros or fish-focused places rather than the fine dining mix you'll find today.'
As of 2025, included in this mix are a whopping total of three Michelin Star restaurants, a Bib Gourmand and a two AA Rosette restaurant amongst cafes, bars, and even Scotland's only five-star 'luxury floating hotel'.
And while this year has seen chefs Stuart Ralston of Lyla and Rodney Wages of Avery bring two new awards to the city centre, it's now impossible to ignore the sheer star power of Leith.
'The change didn't happen overnight,' Wishart continues.
'There were a few great restaurants which opened up and then sadly had to close during our first years in Leith.
'Back in 2001, there were no Michelin Stars in Edinburgh, but we were fortunate enough to be awarded one then and to have retained it since.
'Then Tom [Kitchin] opened up and got his star months later, and in recent years, Sam Yorke at Heron has been awarded his.
'Given how small Edinburgh is in comparison to London, it's very impressive that over the past 24 years the city's total of Michelin Stars has risen to seven.
'But the fact that three of those seven are located within 300 metres of each other in Leith is amazing.'
Pictured: Heron chef Sam Yorke earned his first Michelin Star at the age of just 25 (Image: Heron)
Even for Wishart, who has had a front row seat for the changes the area has undergone in recent years, it's difficult to pinpoint the main catalyst for Leith's evolution into an exciting hub of food and drink businesses.
'The reputation of Leith's restaurants definitely helps to attract people to the area, but on top of that, I would say it's easier to find accommodation and less expensive than the city centre,' he says.
'There's good nightlife too, and the bonus of being able to jump on a tram down the road from Edinburgh.
'And it's no longer just the picturesque Shore; the whole area itself has expanded since we first opened. There are so many fantastic places on Leith Walk, including bakeries, shops and cocktail bars.
'All the sorts of places you would only have seen in London before can now be found in Leith, just on a smaller scale.
'That's very encouraging for the future. I love seeing younger restaurants opening up and will always try to meet the chefs.'
Pictured: The tram route on Leith Walk (Image: Gordon terris/Herald&Times)
One such chef confidently making her mark on the Edinburgh food scene is Great British Menu star, Roberta Hall-McCarron.
Having worked in professional kitchens since the age of 16, she later moved to Burj Al Arab, Dubai, before returning to Scotland to work at Michelin-starred, The
Kitchin, on Leith's Commercial Street.
She was then offered the opportunity to be on the opening team at
Castle Terrace by Dominic Jack, where she remained for six years, three of
which were spent as head chef.
Alongside her husband, Shaun McCarron, she now owns The Little Chartroom, Eleanore and Bib Gourmand awarded, Ardfern, all located in Leith.
Pictured: Roberta Hall-McCarron, chef-owner of Ardfern, The Little Chartroom and Eleanore (Image: Supplied)
'At this point, I've spent most of my adult life working in Leith,' she said.
'In the last 15, 10 or even five years, you can really see how the area has changed.
'It's so nice to be able to live here with my family now and walk to all three of our sites.
'The sense of community is one of the reasons we decided to move back many years ago and set up our first business.
'Edinburgh has so much going for it, and it's a really exciting place to be.'
When talk turns to Hall-McCarron, Wishart hails The Little Chartroom as a 'fantastic restaurant', noting how she and husband Shaun have nailed the tricky task of working both front of house and in the kitchen before moving on to praise more of his fellow neighbours.
Pictured: Chef Barry Bryson of Barry Fish (Image: Newsquest)
'Barry Fish from chef Barry Bryson is one of the newest restaurants to open, and I think he will do extremely well,' he muses.
'Then there are the ones who have been there for years, like Fishers, The Shore Bar, The King's Wark or Domenico's, a small plate Italian place.
'It's a good balance of long-established and new businesses.'
Read more:
A wave of new businesses opening in Letih has not escaped the watchful eye of acclaimed Scottish chef Dean Banks, who late last year also announced plans to open a sister restaurant to his Edinburgh city centre venue, Dulse, on Constitution Street.
'Leith has been a great location for fine dining for over a decade; however, I feel over the past five years it's changed even more thanks to a number of independent restaurants opening,' he says.
'There also seems to be a lot more investment in the area because the city centre is becoming oversaturated with its food and drink offerings.
'Leith has a village community feel, and everyone wants to help each other down there.
"That's something I didn't realise until I opened my own restaurant there.'
Quizzed as to what he believes has attracted so many accomplished restaurant teams to the area, Wishart echoes sentiments shared by both Banks and Hall-McCarron.
'All of the chefs get on," he confirms.
'If anyone needs anything, say, for example, your supplier has been unable to deliver something crucial, you can pick up the phone knowing that someone nearby will be able to help
'This sense of community among chefs is something I had never seen when working in London.
'It was very much what happened in your kitchen stayed in your kitchen.'
This welcome change in attitudes could well hold the key to why Leith has seen so many thrive over the past decade.
And while Wishart celebrated retaining his star alongside The Kitchin and Heron this February, he hopes that Michelin turning its spotlight on Scotland at this year's ceremony will have an ongoing ripple effect for the country's food and drink scene, attracting ambitious young chefs to follow their passion in cities like Edinburgh rather than overseas.
'It was great to see Edinburgh's success with this year's Michelin Stars,' he says.
'If anyone is fortunate enough to win a star, I like to think I'm the first person there to congratulate them with a bottle of champagne. It's such a special moment for a chef.
'The Michelin ceremony being held in Glasgow, and two new stars for Edinburgh, has put a real stamp on Scotland.
'When I was a young chef, sadly, I couldn't find the sort of kitchen I wanted to work in, so I ended up going to France and London because the quality of training was far better.
'That's not the case anymore.
'The chefs who have trained in kitchens elsewhere are now passing their knowledge on to the next generation in Edinburgh, meaning that they can stay and work in the city.'
In the future, Mr Wishart says he would like to see Scotland further invest in its young talent and suggests there is scope for a cookery programme designed for school leavers who might not be financially equipped to enter a minimum wage job position that is often standard of the hospitality industry.
As for his own work, it seems the secret to success at Restaurant Martin Wishart continues to be simply focusing on the here and now.
'When we first opened the restaurant, we didn't have a lot of money,' he recalls.
'With the help of my family, I decorated the kitchen myself, and we very much built the business from the ground up.
'Since then, my focus has always been on running the restaurant on a day-to-day basis.
'I've never thought much more than a week ahead, but I think that's how more chefs work. It's all about this morning's ingredients and the day's menu.
'But there's such a community of chefs, customers and foodies here in Leith, and that shows so much promise.
'It's quite a special spot to be in'