Created in collaboration with his longtime writing partners, the Dawson Bros, the show takes Serafinowicz’s transformative talents to an entirely new level. Audiences can expect live renditions of The Beatles, Michael Caine, Elvis Presley, and a dash of his beloved alter ego Brian Butterfield.

Peter Serafinowicz: One Man, A Billion Impressions

Developed by Peter himself, the visual technology ensures attendees never quite know who will take the stage next. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of BBC Two’s The Peter Serafinowicz Show, this is absolutely no nostalgia trip. Instead, it is a fresh leap into live comedy technology that pushes the boundaries of theatrical performance.

Peter previously toured in 2024 as his much-loved character Brian Butterfield, selling out venues like the Hammersmith Apollo and moving more than 20,000 tickets. The phenomenal response to his new material has prompted this latest tour expansion, adding Edinburgh alongside Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London.

The Queen’s Hall sits on Clerk Street in the bustling Southside, a neighbourhood brimming with life and great food. If you want to grab a bite before the gig, Matto Pizza on Newington Road is highly recommended for its inventive toppings and perfectly fired dough.

For those travelling into the capital, the venue is a short bus ride from Edinburgh Waverley railway station or Haymarket Station via Trainline UK. Visitors flying into Edinburgh Airport can easily reach the city centre by tram or bus. For exploring the wider Lothian region, picking up a vehicle through AirportRentalCars.com is a practical option.

Looking to make a weekend of it? Rather than the usual chain options, consider booking a stay at one of the city’s Leonardo Hotels or finding a quirky rented holiday accommodation through Booking.com. Protect your trip with Just Travel Cover. If you prefer a quiet night in after travelling, you can always rely on Deliveroo UK to bring Edinburgh’s rich culinary scene directly to your door.

For your Radar

The Peter Serafinowicz Live Show comes to the Queen’s Hall on Sunday, 11th April 2027. Pre-sales open on Thursday, 29th October at 10 am, with general sale following on Friday, 30th October at 10 am. You can book tickets directly through peterserafinowicz.co.uk.

On screen, the daytime series follows homeowners with neglected, awkward, or uninspiring outdoor spaces. The presenters pitch competing design plans against real-world budgets, and the homeowner picks their favourite scheme before the crew rolls up their sleeves to turn the concept into a finished garden.

Translating garden transformations to the Theatre Stage

The theatre is obviously not a muddy outdoor plot, so the stage adaptation avoids digging up floorboards or laying physical turf. Instead, the live production is an interactive, design-led evening that combines trade craft, stage entertainment, and practical masterclasses.

• Live Design Dilemmas: Audience members submit their own real garden dilemmas and awkward plot dimensions to the panel. The presenters generate design solutions, planting recommendations, and layout fixes on the spot under the stage lights.
• The Presenter Quiz: The four hosts compete in a fast-paced stage quiz that tests their horticultural knowledge and practical problem-solving.
• The Reality Behind the Build: Charlie, Chris, Flo, and Lee break down how television garden builds actually run off-camera. This includes how budgets are allocated, how they manage filming deadlines against unpredictable British downpours, and how the gardens fare long after the production crews pack up.
• Guest Appearances and Q&A: A celebrity gardening guest joins the quartet on stage, followed by an open-floor Q&A where attendees can question the panel directly about soil problems, layout pitfalls, and low-maintenance planting.

Edinburgh Festival Theatre date and presale schedule

Set along Nicolson Street, the Festival Theatre offers one of Scotland’s largest traditional stage capacities, making it well-suited to high-production visual presentations and interactive stage segments.

On the live format, Charlie Dimmock said:

What I’m most looking forward to about doing the Garden Rescue Live tour is meeting the people because it’s always so much fun you get to tell stories and have fun, lots of laughs, but also inspiring people, getting them to get enthusiastic about being out in the garden. We’re doing the tour in spring, which is a great time because everyone’s enthusiastic, the light levels are coming up, the weather’s looking good and you get inspired to go out into the garden. To come to Garden Rescue Live you don’t have to be a keen gardener – if you come along you will get inspired and get enthusiastic about that space you’ve got outside the back door no matter how tiny it is!”

Links

• You can find tickets and regional dates directly via Cuffe & Taylor.

While the concept neatly mirrors the expanded tram network down to Leith, it wasn’t a hasty marketing band-aid for past line closures. Bellfield trailed the campaign months ahead of its rollout, resulting in a cohesive, self-paced trail that works best when split across multiple sessions.

Tracking Coasters from the West End to the Shore

The trail mechanics are simple and clear. At each stop, you buy a pint of Bellfield, collect a venue-specific beer mat, and compile all seven pieces into a continuous graphic illustration. Rather than racing through seven pints in one afternoon, splitting the crawl over two weekends proved far more manageable and kept the experience civil.

I did it in the wrong order; you can too. Starting mid-route at Edinburgh Street Food meant breaking regular habits. Ordering at the back bar in person rather than via the usual table QR code secured the first coaster immediately from bar staff who understood the assignment without hesitation. From there, stepping into the ornate, tile-heavy hall of Cafe Royal on a bustling Sunday evening offered a stark contrast in pace and atmosphere, even if it proved to be one of the dearest pints on the card.

The route then shifted down into Leith Walk for an easy pint at the Boundary Bar near the Balfour Street tram halt, before culminating midweek at Nobles by Bellfield on Constitution Street. As explored in our Nobles by Bellfield review, the venue retains its neighbourhood charm. Better still, the bar team validate and sign your coaster set so you can retain the original art alongside your collected shirt.

West End Curiosities and Pint Economics

The real strength of the trail lies in nudging drinkers into unfamiliar doorways. Tucked just off Princes Street, Thistle Street Bar was the run’s standout discovery, pairing a compact, cosy interior with an exceptional back-bar spirits range and relaxed hospitality.

Heading west required some navigation. Mather’s Bar (West End) sits temporarily cloaked behind heavy builder’s scaffolding, preserving a mid-century saloon interior that feels stubbornly detached from the polished dining spots nearby. Further down toward Haymarket, Hebrides West End brings a multi-tiered floor plan featuring split levels and stairs reminiscent of an Escher sketch.

The Tram Trail turns casual weekend pints into a genuine neighbourhood treasure hunt across Edinburgh.”

Economics vary sharply along the steel rails. Pints across partner bars ranged between £6.00 and £7.00, whereas Nobles poured fresh Bellfield for roughly £1.50 less per glass. Total spend sits between £42 and £49, making it an investment if viewed purely as buying clothing, but exceptional value as an excuse to explore the city’s drinking institutions. With the organised Leith Beer Trail also trying to lure crowds down the line, coordinated neighbourhood hospitality trails are proving their worth.

Overall

It scores high because the Tram Trail 2026 values exploration over binge drinking. By keeping the pub list short and providing a full month to finish the mosaic, Bellfield Brewery has built a neat local pub crawl that delivers memorable discoveries, great craft beer, and a solid souvenir without running participants into the ground.

Anyone who has stepped off a late train at Edinburgh Waverley and faced the uphill trudge towards the East End knows the appeal of this junction. When hunger strikes after midnight, Cafe Piccante works as a dependable harbour for hot carbohydrates and quick counter service.

Nighttime Refuge and the Smiley Face

Despite crowds spilling out of nearby bars in the small hours, the counter maintains a calm, orderly rhythm. You rarely see the sort of trouble here that often plagues city-centre fast-food spots at closing time. The staff keep the queue moving briskly, and the general mood inside stays good-natured and patient.

That lighthearted character starts before you even reach the counter. A distinctive smiley face motif is stencilled directly into the pavement flagstones outside the entrance steps. The same yellow grin greets you on the takeaway packaging, stamped across the bright purple boxes used for their suppers. It gives the shop a recognisable identity that stands out against generic neighbourhood chippies.

Beyond standard suppers, the shop leans heavily into Edinburgh folklore with its brightly lit window display advertising the deep-fried Mars bar. Tourists still stop outside to photograph the signage and try the battered sweet treat for a novelty taste of Scottish indulgence. The shop claims a long association with the dish, serving curious visitors by day and hungry revellers after last orders.

Chippy Suppers, Portions, and the Heat Lamp

The fish supper is competent, but the portions lean toward the modest side. If you arrive with an enormous appetite, the battered fish fillet sits noticeably smaller than what you might find at traditional coastal fryers. It rests on a standard bed of chips doused in the classic local splash of chippy brown sauce.

Opening for more than twelve hours a day brings practical compromises. Depending on when you visit, items in the glass cabinet can sit under the heat lamps for a while. As a result, the batter sometimes loses its fresh, sharp crunch, though it still delivers the salty, savoury satisfaction needed after an evening out.

For students settling into the city and freshers finding their feet, Cafe Piccante is an essential landmark to memorise. It’s an Edinburgh rite of passage, worth a visit for its convenience and place in the city’s nightlife. This is the disco chippy.

Things to do in the City Centre

Broughton offers a lively mix of independent boutiques, wine bars, and cultural venues within easy reach of the East End. Catch a touring musical or comedy headliner at the Edinburgh Playhouse, or watch the latest cinema releases and find family entertainment at the neighbouring OMNi Centre. Those who enjoy city panoramas can take a short walk up Calton Hill for sweeping views over the Firth of Forth and the Old Town skyline, or browse the retail avenues of Westfield St James Quarter.

Reaching the area is straightforward thanks to public transport links. The Edinburgh Tram stops right across the road at Picardy Place, linking directly to the airport, while mainline rail connections run frequently from Edinburgh Waverley. You can plan rail journeys and secure advance fares across Scotland through Trainline. If you prefer to drive, you can reserve parking spaces in nearby central car parks through JustPark.

Visitors staying nearby can find convenient boutique apartments and hotels on Booking.com, or go straight to a brand such as Leonardo Hotels. To explore local historic sites and guided ghost walks, book sightseeing experiences with GetYourGuide. For evenings when you want hot food brought straight to your accommodation, order local suppers through Just Eat or Deliveroo.

Overall

Cafe Piccante is an Edinburgh staple that earns its reputation on reliability, friendly late-night hospitality, and prime location rather than delicate cooking. While portions are slightly small and the heat lamp can soften the batter, it remains a comforting, welcome sight on Broughton Street when the rest of the city has gone to sleep.

The Studio Theatre offers an ideal black-box home for the production, with clear sightlines, comfortable seating, welcoming staff, and a tidy little bar tucked behind the Festival Theatre. Over the course of an hour and a quarter, performers Melanie Jordan, Amy Helena, and Diane Thornton dismantle the economic systems behind the board game through clowning, movement, British Sign Language (BSL), and spoken dialogue.

Capitalism, Clowning, and Oversized Hotels

Do Not Pass Go approaches economic inequality not as a dry lecture, but as a playful physical spectacle. The three-woman ensemble shares the central role of Lizzie Magie, opening with a prolonged, bittersweet farewell not to a person, but to a tabletop game. From there, the production shifts into interpretive movement and clowning to show opposing tax systems, land grabs, and the shift from Magie’s cooperative vision to Darrow’s cutthroat commercialism.

Fraser Lappin’s minimalist set works smartly around modular, high-impact props. Oversized foot-tall Monopoly hotels held together with Velcro get battered with sporting gear, transforming property accumulation into an absurdist physical contest. Simon Hayes’s lighting and an overhead projection rig deliver running text and historical context above the action, keeping the visual language direct and inventive.

Pacing Potholes and BSL Integration

While the politics are sharp and the staging imaginative, the piece regularly suffers from overstretched pacing. Several set pieces linger long after the audience has grasped the point: an overlong silent game of musical chairs crawls, and the sequence depicting Darrow’s theft of the game plays out twice over. The projected historical exposition also crawls, slowing the room down rather than building momentum. At 75 minutes, the show feels like it holds a tighter, sharper 40-minute critique inside it.

The production integrates BSL directly into the performance rather than consigning it to a corner interpreter. While this inclusion is welcome, some vocal deliveries aren’t as clear, and two people speaking at once undermines clarity. When the performers speak simultaneously over the signing, the overlapping audio turns muddy and indistinct. The dialogue only truly lands when the ensemble aligns to deliver lines in precise unison, creating a strange tension between the intent to be accessible and the theatrical execution.

Overall

Do Not Pass Go delivers a witty, visually inventive piece of physical theatre that rescues Lizzie Magie’s legacy from corporate obscurity, backed by sharp ensemble clowning and striking prop design. Yet despite its brief 75-minute runtime, bloated scenes and redundant comedic beats hold the production back from reaching its full potential.

Stepping inside on a packed Friday evening straight after work, the dining room carries the raw energy of a startup finding its feet. The premises are snug, offering counter service and seating for around twenty diners across five or six tables. Industrial corrugated iron panelling and warm orange subway tiles frame a backlit counter, while the digital menu board glows above the pass. Securing a perch took patience, and the kitchen was clearly under strain during the peak rush. My order took longer than expected, comfortably outpaced by neighbouring diners who ordered after me, ate, and settled up before my tray arrived. Fresh preparation in small batches naturally demands time, yet the service flow still has a learning curve to navigate during heavy rushes. Those on a strict clock before catching a film up the road will want to give themselves plenty of breathing room.

The Nashville Box and the heat

Manni’s trades heavily on value and portion size, and the Nashville Box delivers both without hesitation. Priced at £14.95, the metal, army-style mess tray arrives heaped with a fried-chicken Nashville burger, four classic chicken tenders, a generous helping of seasoned fries, and a soft drink. For under fifteen quid at the top of Leith Walk, it stands as one of the best value poultry spreads in town.

The chicken is hand-dredged in buttermilk, freshly battered, and dropped straight into the fryer without drying out under warming lamps. The burger patty remains tender with a crisp outer crust, but the real spice lives on the fries. Dusted heavily in an in-house Nashville spice blend, the chips carry a creeping, lingering chilli burn that builds with every mouthful. The accompanying soft drink quickly shifts from a pleasant extra to an essential fire extinguisher. The tenders add dependable crunch, making the tray a serious test of stomach capacity. Desserts like the Biscoff cookie dough (£6.75) and soft-serve sundaes (£3.75) look tempting on the counter board, but finishing the box left zero room to spare.

The Elm Row venue and service

Counter staff stay attentive and friendly even while juggling front-of-house collections and a steady stream of curious walk-ins. The team brings food to your table once it’s ready and actively seeks feedback on how the kitchen is performing. It feels more like an earnest local hangout than an anonymous takeaway chain.

A practical asset for a small Elm Row unit is the customer toilet. Accessible via a dark rear passageway and down a flight of stairs where sensor lights kick in, the compact black-painted room is tidy, functional, and exceptionally welcome after tackling heavy chilli dust. Manni’s also runs on an unconventional timetable, open seven days a week from 2:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Skipping the traditional weekday office lunch lets the young kitchen team direct all their stamina towards after-school queues, post-work crowds, and the late-night trade spilling off Leith Walk.

Things to do in Leith Walk and the East End

Sitting right at Elm Row puts you on the threshold between Leith and the East End of the city centre. A two-minute stroll uphill brings you to the Edinburgh Playhouse for West End touring theatre, or the Omni Centre, where you can catch the latest blockbuster releases by booking Vue cinema tickets in advance.

Shoppers can explore the upscale boutiques inside the St James Quarter, and public transport links couldn’t be simpler. Edinburgh Trams stop directly outside at Picardy Place, and Edinburgh Waverley rail station is just ten minutes away on foot. If you are travelling from further afield across Scotland or the UK, you can plan and reserve your rail seats via Trainline. Visitors planning an overnight stay within walking distance of Leith Walk’s buzzing bar scene can compare local boutique hotels and serviced apartments on Booking.com. If you prefer eating on the sofa rather than squeezing into Elm Row, you can also check order availability for local courier drop-offs via Deliveroo.

Overall

Manni’s is an energetic, honest independent fast-food opening that gives Leith Walk a serious dose of crunch and chilli heat. The kitchen still needs to iron out Friday peak wait times, but the combination of hand-breaded chicken, massive portions, and sharp pricing makes it easy to back these young founders. It is a welcome addition to Elm Row that already punches well above its weight on value.

It was about time Girdy & Birdy paid a mutual visit to Gio‘s, where “no fuss, just good flavour” is the order of the day at this multi award-winning restaurant. It’s a well-established local favourite now, and it’s shocking they haven’t jumped on it sooner – but better late than never!

Birdy: I was really delighted to finally be able to lure Girdy into the tantalising Gio’s, for some of the best damn Italian food in the ‘Burgh at the moment (and I will stand by this statement when it comes to putting together our ‘best of’ Italian food list blog!). And, on a chilly October night, they had exactly what I needed to warm me up and cheer my soul… PASTA!

You can see the fresh pasta being made from the street, thanks to unique placement of the kitchen being right out in the front. That and the multitude of awards the place has earned acts as a very enticing prospect for Slateford locals.

Girdy: Birdy set the bar exceptionally high for this visit after raving about Gio’s for months, and I already remembered their sharp, quirky social media campaigns from their earlier days. Step through the front door from Slateford Road, and it initially appears to be a modest, traditional corner trattoria. Once the team opens that back door, however, you step straight into a buzzing, deceptively expansive dining room. It immediately felt like discovering a well-kept neighbourhood secret.

Vibe

Birdy: Full disclaimer – I have never been to Gio’s where it hasn’t been busy and buzzing, with a good mix of customers young and more mature – tonight was no exception. One tip I’m going to tell you now is that if you want to make sure you get a table at Gio’s, always book in advance!

The restaurant is deceptively large, as the inners of the building have been greatly revamped and switched around from previous iterations – in other words, it’s not just the space you can see in the window. Beyond, through a door at the back, there’s a spacious, warm and inviting dining area that makes up most of the restaurant.

The service is always fast, friendly and chatty, and in previous visits my in-laws have had full conversations in Italian with the servers. It’s a great vibe, doesn’t try too hard, and I always feel very welcome – which is partly why I’m becoming a bit of a regular here. That, and PASTA!!!

Girdy: “Family” is an overused dining cliché, but it fits the atmosphere here. The floor staff exchange easy banter without losing pace; water arrived at our table immediately, and there was zero pressure from the front of house.

The dining crowd is a healthy, multi-generational mix: couples at two-tops, extended families with children gathered towards the back, and full tables of grey-haired locals enjoying a night out. My only practical gripe was entirely self-inflicted: my everyday rucksack didn’t slide neatly beneath the chair frame, meaning it had to live under the table and cost me a little legroom. Otherwise, the seating is comfortable, the room is warm, and the layout works hard without ever feeling crowded.

Food and drink

Birdy: I decided to start tonight with the scallops, which were absolutely delicious and well worth spending a little more on. They’re pan-fried king scallops which come with a parsnip puree, along with nduja and guanciale crumb – yum! They were spot on and extremely tasty.

To my delight, our server seemed to read my mind when she asked if we wanted to share each other’s pasta – because that was exactly my plan! I hadn’t been able to try this with my husband because he can’t eat fish (one benefit of eating with Girdy AKA Business Husband is that he’ll eat almost anything). We both shared the rigatoni nduja carbonara (my absolute fave) and the lobster ravioli. The nduja carbonara is such a standout for me, with perfectly al dente pasta and the best creamy carbonara of my life, with the added bite of the nduja its surefire winner. As for the lobster ravioli, it was so fresh, luxurious and with no skimping on the lobster – it also came with a very generous king prawn.

For my dessert, I opted for the award-winning tiramisu; a decadent and faultless way to end the night. And because I like my coffee dessert with extra coffee (and an additional tiny spoon), I ordered a latte to go with. All perfection, and I left with a very happy tummy.

Girdy: Gio’s is undeniably a three-course restaurant, especially if you order pasta. I kicked off with a daily special: sausage arancini. Arancini often suffer from dry, clotted rice, but these arrived crisp, piping hot, and generously portioned, with a rich tomato sauce and melted cheese.

For the mains, sharing was non-negotiable under Birdy’s master plan. The rigatoni ‘nduja carbonara had genuine heat and a firm bite to the pasta; it leaned noticeably al dente, but that is precisely how fresh handmade pasta should be treated. The lobster ravioli, however, stole the show. These were broad, generous parcels packed with sweet lobster meat rather than filler, bathed in a silky sauce that begged to be mopped clean. Politely dividing the plate was an exercise in pure restraint; I could have eaten two full portions solo.

Dessert brought another victory for the specials board: pineapple cheesecake served in a small glass jar, topped with properly diced fresh fruit rather than a rubbery tinned ring you have to hack apart with a spoon.

We kept to soft drinks, Birdy doesn’t drink, and I was behaving myself, though the wine list looked well-curated and would easily elevate a weekend bill. Watching the blistered pizza crusts head to neighbouring tables also confirmed that a return scouting mission is mandatory.

Things to do in the area

If you find yourself looking for something to do in the region of Gio’s, you could head east along Slateford Road and end up at Fountainpark, where there’s Cineworld, Gravity trampoline park, the Genting Casino, and the crazy golf experience of Volcano Falls is just across the road. If you didn’t want to go as far as that, there’s also Dalry and the Athletic Arms. And, of course, if you go further west instead, there’s Saughton Park, where you can walk off some lunchtime calories.

Another option, but possibly not for this time of year, is rowing on Union Canal. Alternatively, Edinburgh Printmakers is a relatively short walk away, and it’s always good to feed your soul with art along with PASTA!

Overall

Birdy: I had a fantastic time at Gio’s. The food – especially the pasta (and tiramisu) – is next level, and I feel incredibly luck to have this place at my local Italian restaurant.

A few food establishments had tried to fill this spot in Slateford Road, and failed – but when Gio’s first started advertising with their movie-themed posters, something felt different. Many moons on, I’m so pleased it seems to be doing so well, and I think that’s partly down to Gio’s building a strong customer base initially with Gio’s Delivered in Sighthill, long before they opened their restaurant. Their popularity and fun posts on the old ‘Gram also help a great deal!

However, the main thing about Gio’s is the food itself, well worthy of a five-star rating from us.

Girdy: Birdy set the bar sky-high, and Gio’s cleared it cleanly. At 7 PM on a Saturday, there was not a spare chair in the house, with tables constantly being reconfigured for arriving groups, yet the service never felt rushed or chaotic. If booking ahead fails, Birdy’s insider route of ordering takeaway, where several core dishes are notably cheaper, is a smart fallback. With handmade pasta of this calibre, Gio’s makes an immediate, compelling bid for Edinburgh’s top Italian tier.

Remy and I headed along to Edinburgh’s Ultimate Halloween Pumpkin Festival at Conifox Adventure Park for some Halloween fun, and we had such a brilliant time! If you’re looking for something to do with the kids this autumn, this is definitely one to add to your list.

There was loads to keep us busy, from pumpkin picking and scary mazes to characters wandering around and live music. I always love finding days out where Remy can run about, explore and try different things, and Conifox definitely delivered on that front.

Vibe

Conifox had a really fun autumn atmosphere, with plenty going on as you walked around. It felt like there was something for the children to see or do around every corner, which is always a bonus when you’re trying to keep a five-year-old entertained!

The Halloween theme was great, with a nice mix of spooky fun and activities for the kids. The roaming characters were a lovely touch, giving the children the chance to interact with them, and there was live music playing in one of the tents, which added to the atmosphere.

The festival itself

There’s quite a lot included in your entrance ticket, which I thought was a real positive. You get access to the pumpkin-picking patch, two scary mazes, the roaming characters, live entertainment and the outdoor adventure park.

The scary mazes were a fun addition and helped make the festival feel a bit different from your usual pumpkin-picking trip. Having the adventure park included was another bonus, as it meant there was even more for the children to enjoy. 

Remy loved exploring everything, and there was enough variety to keep him entertained throughout our visit. I think that’s what makes a day out like this worthwhile — having a mixture of activities rather than everything being centred around one attraction.

The live music in the tent was another nice touch, and with the characters wandering around, it made the whole experience feel lively. It’s a good option if you want to get into the Halloween spirit and do something a little different with the kids.

Extras

There are also food trucks, a funfair and face painting available, although these cost extra on top of your entrance ticket.

It’s worth bearing that in mind if you’re planning your day, as the additional activities can soon add up when you have little ones who want to try everything!

That said, there’s already a good amount included in the ticket, so you can still have a lovely visit without paying for every extra.

Overall

Remy and I had a brilliant time at Edinburgh’s Ultimate Halloween Pumpkin Festival, and it’s definitely a lovely option for a family day out around Edinburgh during the Halloween season.

With pumpkin picking, two scary mazes, characters, live music and the outdoor adventure park all included, there’s plenty to keep the children entertained. Remy absolutely loved it, and I’d happily recommend it to other families looking for something fun to do over autumn.

A really enjoyable day out and five stars from us.

^{(Photo: Leith Theatre)}

The consultation lands at a critical moment for the historic port. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) shortlisted Leith as one of just 15 contenders from an initial field of nearly 400 towns across Britain. With the formal bid submission deadline set for 30 November 2026 and the final winner announced in March 2027, the local community partnership wants tangible local priorities on paper before the file goes south. The timing carries extra historical weight: the designated title year of 2028 marks exactly 900 years since Leith appeared in its first written royal charter in 1128.

The Leith Imaginarium at Ocean Terminal

Sunday afternoon’s gathering inside the Wee Museum of Memory bypasses typical local council consultation tables in favour of physical storytelling. Organised by the Leith Culture Partnership, the drop-in welcomes all ages, from infants to centenarians, with activities designed to spark practical ideas rather than polite agreement. Visitors can take a seat on conversation sofas to debate local heritage, pin maintenance gripes and neighbourhood favourites onto a giant illustrated floor map, or even take a ceremonial turn as “Mayor of Leith for a moment” in a nod to the area’s pre-1920 civic independence.

The physical setting grounds the conversation. The Wee Museum of Memory sits surrounded by everyday twentieth-century domestic artefacts, retro kitchenware, and dockyard relics, offering an immediate sensory anchor to what working-class Leith built. Bid co-ordinators Susie Gray and Jenny Mungall stress that the proposal will not treat the area as an empty vessel awaiting outside enrichment. Instead, the initiative seeks to protect community spaces, back existing grassroots talent, and secure lasting public resources.

For residents unable to visit Ocean Terminal on 25 October, the bid team has scheduled two earlier, smaller sessions:

• Friday 16 October 2026, 9 am to 11 am: Printworks Cafe, Constitution Street
• Monday 19 October 2026, 6.30 pm to 8 pm: Leith Library, Ferry Road

Things to do in Leith

Ocean Terminal sits at the northern terminus of the Edinburgh tram line, making travel straightforward from anywhere in the city. If you arrive from out of town, you can book advance train tickets to Edinburgh Waverley through TheTrainLine, hop straight onto the tram outside on Princes Street or St Andrew Square, and step off directly opposite the Ocean Terminal entrance twenty minutes later. Visitors landing at Edinburgh Airport can take the same tram line from the terminal to the dock without changing carriages. If you plan to explore the wider coastline through East Lothian or Fife during your stay, you can collect a vehicle directly from the airport car rental desks via Rentalcars.com.

Food options around the docks reflect Leith’s dual identity as both an international culinary hub and a no-nonsense maritime community. Along The Shore, heritage establishments like the Malt & Hops pour traditional cask ales by the water, while fine-dining outposts such as The Kitchin showcase regional Scottish produce. If you prefer a casual brunch or coffee close to the tram tracks, Constitution Street houses independent favourites like Printworks Cafe, while Leith Depot further up Leith Walk offers hearty plant-based pub food alongside live independent music. Those staying in self-catering flats who want an easy evening after hours of walking can order local restaurant dishes directly through Just Eat.

If you need a base for the weekend, you can find boutique guest houses around the Shore and waterfront serviced flats on Booking.com. For unique accommodation, the Fingal, berthed nearby at Alexandra Dock, offers luxury cabins aboard a converted former lighthouse tender.

After visiting the Imaginarium, Ocean Terminal itself offers straightforward leisure. You can tour the historic decks of The Royal Yacht Britannia moored outside, or book cinema tickets upstairs at Vue Cinemas to take in an evening screening overlooking the Forth.

For your Radar

The Leith Imaginarium takes place on Sunday 25 October 2026, from 12 noon to 4 pm at the Wee Museum of Memory, Ocean Terminal, Ocean Drive, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ. Admission is free, with no prior booking required.

To contribute your thoughts online before the November deadline, fill out the official community consultation form via the Leith 2028 Bid Survey.

The space makes an immediate impression by contradicting expectations. While its web presence hints at dark, candlelit corners, the physical room is bright, airy, and washed in clean whites, creams, and pale pastels. Natural light pours across marble-topped tables, one of which is permanently occupied by an enormous plush teddy bear seated politely across from guests.

Counter displays and mountain cookies

The counter presents a daily changing rotation of sweet bakes and substantial treats. I don’t promise you will always find a rigid printed menu here; the kitchen bakes daily, filling the glass display with hefty cinnamon buns, filled cruffins, glazed pastries, and layered cookies that resemble miniature mountains studded with biscuits.

The bakes deliver proper indulgence without skimping on texture. Cake slices come stacked with thick chocolate layers and glossy toffee, alongside sponges crowned with festive showers of sprinkles. For savoury appetites, scones and lunchtime sandwiches appear intermittently, but the pastry counter and straightforward black coffee remain the main draw. A clean, hot americano provides the bitter contrast needed for a sweet, blueberry-topped cinnamon roll.

Solo dining and the art of the Swedish Pause

Fika takes its name from the Swedish ritual of pausing for a restorative hot drink and a bite to eat. The cafe offers a comfortable, low-pressure environment for solo visitors who want to read, work, or recharge in peace.

Staff greet guests warmly from the counter and bring orders directly to the table during calmer spells. Leaving a bag to choose a pastry feels safe and unhurried. The room offers a relaxed tempo away from city centre footfall, making it an easy pitstop where visitors can claim a marble table, share a quiet view with a giant stuffed bear, and watch Dundas Street traffic drift past.

Things to do in New Town

Dundas Street runs straight through Edinburgh’s Georgian New Town, linking the buzz of Queen Street with the leafy paths of Canonmills and Stockbridge. Art enthusiasts can browse the independent commercial galleries that line both sides of the street, including The Scottish Gallery and Open Eye Gallery. A short walk south brings you to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery on Queen Street, while heading north downhill leads straight towards the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Transport links are practical and frequent. Lothian Buses services 23 and 27 stop directly along Dundas Street, providing quick connections between Hanover Street, the Old Town, and Canonmills. Waverley Station sits roughly a fifteen-minute walk uphill, with combined rail and journey bookings available via lastminute.com. Visitors planning an overnight city trip can check room availability across local Georgian hotels on Booking.com or book a classic boutique stay nearby at Hotel Du Vin. Drivers heading into town can reserve a nearby bay in advance using JustPark, while guided walking tours exploring New Town history are bookable through GetYourGuide.

Overall

Fika is an underrated Dundas Street sanctuary where generous pastries, reliable coffee, and a light-filled room reward anyone willing to step gently off the beaten track.