Nearby, the thudding, rumbling and rattling of cars juddering over the cobbles reverberates with every passing vehicle. Away from the din, I'm trundling on foot downhill along narrower cobbled passageways that Edinburgh is so well known for. Either side of me are charmingly painted doorways, some with matching garages. Ivy cascades down old stone walls of cottagey-looking mews houses that were once stables and carriage houses, while pastel coloured roses climb up some of them too.
I'm walking away from the city centre, to the little dense pocket of Stockbridge, just one mile north from the centre, made up of only a few main streets. It's the much cooler, younger neighbourhood of the city, away from the main tourist trappings and crowds. It's still full of Edinburgh's grand buildings, but it's more relaxed and edgier – no tartan tat here. It's evolved from a suburb dominated by charity shops and mediocre cafes to one with fine dining, independent shops and more bakeries, delis and wine bars than you can shake a stick at.
It's only a short 15 minute walk, but it's a heatwave and the mercury's at a hefty 28C. Above, the cloudless sky looks like a blanket enveloping the tops of the aged and slightly blackened sandstone townhouses. As soon as I'm in Stockbridge, I make a beeline for Joelato, a little gelateria, for a small creamy pot of pistachio gelato and instantly I feel like I'm on holiday.
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I’m visiting Stockbridge in July – peak summer holiday season – but everyone I meet says Edinburgh is quiet. This city runs at its own pace, as come August, Edinburgh Fringe Festival transforms it into the world's biggest performance arts festival and the city basically doesn't sleep for a month. So many restaurants, shops, cafes and bars, even outside the centre, take stock before their busiest period ramps up.
One place in Stockbridge that is busy all year-round since it opened two years ago, with queues snaking out of the door and well round the corner (and not just on weekends), is Lannan Bakery. Owner Darcie Maher (former baker at the nearby Palmerston restaurant) knew Stockbridge was right for her, and says the area is so special as it "feels like its own little town that's very self-sufficient”. She adds: “People come to Stockbridge for the Sunday farmer's market, the bakeries, the walks and it's not really like that in other areas.”
The first time I went to the newly opened Lannan, I strode up around 10.30am on a Saturday, only to find it devoid of any pastries, just staff clearing down – they'd totally sold out. Now Darcie has tripled its production space and soon is opening a pre-orders collection point in a new pantry shop next door. After learning my lesson, this time I joined before 9am (though Darcie says aim for 8/8.30am) and an hour later, I'm inside.
The bakery's walnut wood and glass top counter is packed with bakes from glistening sticky cardamom buns neatly lined up (I take one), to sour cherry-topped jaffa cakes (I take one of these,too) which are a fun play on a British favourite, while mini raspberry and tonka flans show off pastry flair. The walls are a deliciously buttery yellow, and there's a strong design ethos which Darcie says she'd been thinking about for over a year.
Back outside, the jewel in Stockbridge's crown is St Stephen's Street, which still has the 19th century arched market entrance. Despite the market being long gone, its ethos runs deep, with independent shops ranging from antiques, vintage clothes and independent books to Japanese artisan knives, along with bars, pubs and restaurants.
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It's also home to one of my favourite restaurants, and not even just in Edinburgh, or Scotland. The mood lighting of subterranean Skua, owned by chef Tomás Gormley, feels like a late night New York bar. It’s famed for its fried chicken with fermented peach hot sauce and excellent value, punchy sharing menu.
This opening is part of the resurgence of the area's more casual dining scene. Tomás says Stockbridge is laid back and is "always a good place to go for dinner, not necessarily with a plan". Space comes at a premium – there's rarely empty shops, restaurants or buildings here. "When we took over Skua it was a retirement thing, the Blue Parrot [a Mexican restaurant] had been open for 20 years," he explains. Businesses want to be here, and hang on to their spaces.
On the other side of Stockbridge is Gormley's fine dining restaurant, Cardinal. Also dark but with added drama and zest from abstract art, it has one of the most exciting wine lists in the city, where the sommelier's efforts of finding very diverse and fun pairings haven't gone unnoticed. Highlights include Field Blend, a deliciously complex copper-rose wine paired with the tomato, basil and strawberry dish from regenerative vineyard, Ham Street, in Kent, as well as the sour Belgium lambic (wild fermented) beer made with cherries to accompany the Mull cheddar and onion tartlet.
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Back in Stockbridge's centre, I'm walking along Raeburn Place, the area’s main artery. Each time I'm here, I notice a handful of new bakeries, coffeeshops and restaurants. New (to me) this time is Harkness Pies, Civerinos pizzeria and Mootz's chunky deli style sandwiches, which sit among others such as Asian food bar, Bento, the Pastry Section patisserie, Herbie's Deli, and trusty restaurants like Scran & Scallie or long-time resident, George Bower butchers.
There had been one thing missing among the glittering fine dining restaurants like Michelin-starred Avery and those worthy of one such as eòrna. "I thought it was missing a casual restaurant where I could go for a really good relaxed meal, with a nice bottle of wine that wouldn't cost the earth," says sommelier and now restaurant owner, James Clark. So he opened it himself with Sotto, an Italian-inspired trattoria on Deanhaugh Street. The standout feature here is the set lunch – just £22 for two courses and £26 for three.
Sotto took over from Ping On, a legendary Cantonese restaurant that stood there for 56 years, to become a cool, calming space, dishing up generous portion sizes of spaghetti alla ricotta e limon and an excellent crispy chicken Caesar salad that instantly transports you to Italy. "We have that neighborhood community feel already, which is exactly what I wanted to achieve," adds James, who loves the eclectic mix of people living in Stockbridge which he says makes it an appealing place to open.
It's also Stockbridge's green spaces that he thinks are a pull to the area. Another first for me is Inverleith Park – a huge expanse covering 54 acres. Walking into the park, I stop at the bankside above the boating ponds, often home to swans, and look back towards the New Town up to the castle, which stands proud on the horizon. The park's full of picnickers and sunbathers and we walk along the tree-lined pathway to the Royal Botanical Gardens, which cover another 70 acres with the famed Victorian glass house that's currently closed for renovations.
After a stroll, it's time to eat again. Over the past few years, restaurant openings rarely have more than a few months between them, and my next stop is Moss, also on St Stephen's Street, which opened in January. Chef owner Henry Dobson wanted to make every part of the menu Scottish – though of course, that's currently a step too far when it comes to the wine list, our server jokingly admits.
Henry is the former head of fermentation chef at three-Michelin starred Noma in Copenhagen (repeatedly awarded best restaurant in the world) and many of the ingredients come from Henry's family farm in Angus (two hours north), while others come from nearby Fife or East Lothian. Of course, preservation is key here, with kilner jars filled with all sorts adorning the walls. It's a la carte and one of his signatures is his unusual use of blue spirulina, a type of algae that's usually green. It's used on my cured mackerel dish with gooseberry, spurred honey and elderflower mayo with delicate little splodges that still feel a little at odds on a plate – but it absolutely works.
While walking back to where I'm staying, I reflect on whether I could see myself living here, and agree with Darcie Maher – Stockbridge is very self-sufficient. And despite the annoying din of cars rumbling over cobbles, this visit has me thinking that I really could. Maybe it's the sunshine, maybe it's the Italian gelato – but with all this on your doorstep, it's certainly hard to leave such a perfectly formed little bubble.
The best places to go in Stockbridge:
- I.J.Melis deli – family-owned artisan cheesemonger and deli
- Joelato's – fresh and authentic gelato made by hand
- Kestin – Scottish designed high end men's clothes
- The Last Word – subterranean cocktail bar
- The Golden Hare Bookshop – independent bookshop with a children's corner and events
- eórna – 12 seater fine dining chefs table restaurant with a tasting menu
- Artisan Coffee Roasters – a serious coffee shop that also sells its excellent blends
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