Brown’s of Leith: Edinburgh ranked third-best city in the 2026 Time Out Index
Earlier this week, Time Out named Edinburgh the third-best city in the world. In her article, Amy Houghton points to the Shore—Edinburgh’s historic harbour—identifying Brown’s of Leith as a defining independent food hall within the neighbourhood’s shifting landscape.
Global rankings can often feel detached from the actual rhythm of a street, yet the 2026 Index captures a genuine shift in Edinburgh’s gravity. The city, as Chiara Wilkinson writes, “takes everything that makes life worth living and turns the dial up several notches.” In Leith, those notches are found in the physical weight of the buildings we inhabit and the deliberate, quiet way they have been cared for.
Our presence here is the result of a specific architectural intent. Through the GRAS conservation ethos and the creative foundation of Custom Lane, this 130-year-old engineering workshop has transitioned from its industrial past without losing its character. This isn’t a sanitised version of urban regeneration; it is a grassroots effort to keep the Shore’s history functional, open, and relevant to the people who live here.
By prioritising the integrity of the original structure and the needs of the local creative community, GRAS created a space where an independent food, art and creative exchange can exist as a permanent anchor. The Time Out recognition confirms this approach, suggesting that the city’s high marks for “walkability” and “culture” are actually rooted in the small, everyday interactions found at a shared table or a well-situated counter.
As Edinburgh enters a year of major anniversaries and festivals, the Index serves as a reminder: a city earns its place in the world by the way it treats its neighbourhoods. We are grateful to all our partners and collaborators who have helped bringing this initial phase of the project to life.