Once the address of financial institutions dotted among high-end residential properties, Edinburgh’s St Andrew Square has been transformed in recent years to become arguably the most sought after location for aspirational leisure operators looking to locate to the Scottish capital.

In the last 18 months we have seen the arrival of eight new food and beverage (F&B) operators on the square – almost all of which started life in London and are expanding into Scotland for the first time.

The Ivy is the latest in a string of exciting entrances which include the Argentine steakhouse Gaucho; Dishoom, the self-styled Bombay café; Japanese-inspired cuisine at Wagamama; The Refinery’s Drake & Morgan, which promises to provide industrial sophistication with Scottish comforts; and Vapiano, serving up Italian favourites. 

The influx of more premium brands on St Andrew Square began in 2003 with the construction of Multrees Walk, developed to connect the square to the St James Centre, which is now undergoing a transformation of its own into the skyline-altering Edinburgh St James complex – more on this later. With the arrival of Harvey Nichols we saw Burberry, Mulberry, Louis Vuitton, Swarovski, Tesla and Nespresso all open their doors to the public as well as Vincaffè from Edinburgh institution Valvona & Crolla.

All of the above will be further enhanced with the arrival of Hawksmoor in July and Devil’s Advocate and pizza chain Franco Manca within The Registers in 2019 which will transform West Registers Lane.

Meanwhile, in the last few years we have seen both the Bank of Scotland branch and RBS’s office close on the square, giving way to more opportunities for change of use, while new office developments have attracted a rich new mix of occupiers, which in turn pulls in more people who will want to shop, eat and drink in the square. The garden has been landscaped to offer those in the area somewhere to relax or visit seasonal exhibitions, and all of this is within easy reach, with the tram stopping on the square and Waverley station nearby.

Beyond the square, Edinburgh St James, scheduled to complete in 2020, will deliver 850,000 sq ft of new retail and leisure space, enhancing Edinburgh’s position as an international destination and further increasing the gravitation towards the east of the city centre.

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