Tollcross Bruntsfi eld & Marchmont

Tollcross, Bruntsfi eld and Marchmont are three interlocking Edinburgh neighbourhoods with an intensely local feel and plenty to discover

Tollcross’ vibrant intersection is fi lled with independent cafes and excellent charity shops, but climb a few minutes up the hill to Bruntsfi eld and the tenements immediately get fancier, the brunch spots more refi ned. Marchmont, meanwhile, is the perfect marriage between the two: a deceptively quiet area fi lled with young students and unexpectedly quirky boutiques.

Food and drink

Brougham Street is the food hub of Tollcross: you can pick up literal mounds of noodles from Thailander (no. 25) for less than a tenner, or for a tiny bit more at Ong Gie (no. 22a), or get stuck into some of the realest Greek food in Edinburgh at charming taverna Taxidi (no. 6). For Asian food made practically in front of you, head to Dumplings of China (60 Home St), Korean BBQ (3 Tarvit St), sushi at Yamato (11 Lochrin Ter), or relative newcomer Cafe Pomelo (21c Strathearn Rd), whose hand-pulled noodle are the stuff of legend (their dinner hours are short so make sure to book). Walk up to Bruntsfield for a fancier vibe: there’s fine dining and wine at Decanter (183 Bruntsfield Pl), well-crafted Japanese cuisine at the laidback Harajuku Kitchen (10 Gillespie Pl), and very reasonably priced vegetarian fine dining at Edinburgh staple Hendersons (7-13 Barclay Pl). And for an inescapably neighbourhood vibe, Three Birds (3 Viewforth) is tucked at the bottom of a tenement building and offers a rotating seasonal menu of creative Scottish dishes. Tollcross isn’t exactly nightlife central (except for ATIK which... beware, all who enter), but there are a few chill drinking holes. Cloisters Bar (26 Brougham St) is just like your regular pub, except it’s located in the cobbled former cloister of the church next door, while The Ventoux (2 Brougham St) is the perfect place to duck into after a meal at one of Brougham Street’s many eateries. Located almost opposite each other, Bennets Bar (8 Leven St) has a dark wood, dark academia vibe, while The Blackbird (37 Leven St) offers a creative cocktail menu inspired by the odd book or two.

And for the daytime hours, you’re spoilt for choice for cafes: the tiny KONJ Cafe (67 Home St) serves utterly authentic, home-cooked Persian food including aromatic Persian tea and handmade treats; Don’t Tell Mama (64 Home St) has a great coffee selection and a long bar perfect for checking emails or staring out at Tollcross, and Seven Neighbourhood Cafe (7 Home St) does quite possibly the best all-day breakfast going, catering for vegans and carnivores alike. And finally, for the coffee snobs (sorry, connoisseurs), there’s nowhere better in the city than Detour Espresso (39 Argyle Pl) with their cinammon buns or Machina Espresso (32-38 Marchmont Road) or Artisan Roast (138 Bruntsfield Pl), both of whom roast and blend their own coffee.

Image: courtesy Don't tell Mama

Indie shops

Tollcross/Bruntsfield/Marchmont is one of the best areas in Edinburgh for off-beat boutiques and local, independent designers. Lupe Pintos (24 Leven St) keeps the local area well-stocked with hard to find Mexican and North and Central American ingredients, from incredibly specific hot sauces to a large bin filled with corn tortillas and tacos. There’s more foodie treats up the road in Morningside at I.J. Mellis (330 Morningside Rd), just one of several of

Photo: Neil H

Cameo

Things to do

the local cheesemonger’s branches dotted around Edinburgh, plus thoughtful gift ideas at chocolatier Edwin and Irwyn (416 Morningside Rd) and wine specialists Drinkmonger (11 Bruntsfield Pl).

For the artistically inclined, Edinburgh Art Shop (129 Lauriston Pl) has everything you could possibly need for capturing the beauty of the cityscape around you, from charcoal sticks and luxurious sketchbooks for a quick doodle, to clay and screenprinting materials if you’re feeling extra inspired. More on the experience side of things is Doodles (27 Marchmont Cres), a paint-your-own ceramics workshop with a delightful primary school studio vibe: you do the painting, they’ll do the firing and finishing. Prefer looking at art to making it? The wonderfully named Flamingosaurus Rex (22 Bruntsfield Pl) up towards Bruntsfield is an eclectic gallery filled with prints and unique tchotchkes made by local artists, while Curiouser & Curiouser (106 Bruntsfield Pl) has an ever-rotating collection of prints, cards, candles, and carefully curated coffee table books.

Finally, if you’re on the hunt for something a little more practical, Snapdragon (146 Bruntsfield Pl) is a dinky plant shop filled with fresh and dried bouquets and hardy little potted plants perfect as gifts or for squirrelling away in your own home. Indie bookshop Edinburgh Books (219 Bruntsfield Pl) has a great selection that belies its size, including an array of children’s and picture books, while for the music fiends, Thorne Records (125 Bruntsfield Pl), Greenhouse Records (10 Barclay Ter) and Ilium (100 Marchmont Cres) are all great stopping points: the latter opened over the pandemic and stocks cool clothing, locally roasted coffee, and both classic and contemporary vinyl.

This really is a local’s area and, as such, there aren’t many tourist attractions. However, there are unmissable local activities to feel part of the in-crowd. Blackford Hill and the surrounding Hermitage of Braid nature reserve offer some of the best views of Edinburgh (including of Arthur’s Seat). For damper days, try the Cameo (38 Home St) and Dominion (18 Newbattle Ter) cinemas: both are housed atmospherically in renovated theatres but the Dominion has the extra advantage of being independent and featuring squishy sofas instead of the usual seats. And finally, for something extra weird, check out Wild West (off Springvalley Gdns), a 1990s advertising gimmick which has left an entire side street in affluent Morningside looking like a Sergio Leone set.