Leith Arches — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

We really wanted to like this place as it’s just round the corner from the house and I think events here will be amazing given the space and lighting.... however my review is based purely on our experience having a weekend family breakfast.

Drinks: coffee was good, however I asked for a soft drink and was told the choice was still or sparking water.... and that was it, because “the Bar not open yet” I personally believe if you’re serving food then there needs to be more of a choice than just water, tea or coffee.

Food: we both ordered sausage breakfast rolls so can’t comment on the other food available.

The sausages were not freshly cooked as we witnessed them being reheated in the microwave. No massive issue with that, however once in the roll and served...... they were just chewy and tasteless. We ended up eating the rolls and leaving the sausages.

As I said, I’m sure the food vans will be amazing and the space has so much potential. I just think that if you’re going to serve food, then do it right...

As a couple, fun and inclusivity are important to us. We felt this really matched with the values of the team at Leith Arches who were so flexible and willing to discuss ideas for doing things a bit differently when organising our day.

On the day, we were able to have our friend DJ during the day, have a VW campervan in the venue as a chill out area, have a drinks station with beer buckets and wines available, put on a big BBQ feast for our guests then end the night with a drag show and musical entertainment. So many guests have said it was one of the most fun weddings they have been to and for us, this was down to the team's open-minded and can-do attitude to making our day as special as possible.

The city centre location also makes it accessible for people travelling and many people used trains and trams to travel back and forward.

If you are a creative couple who want to feel your day as authentic to who you are, this is the venue for you to have...

I had a wedding here 14/03/2025. my music for walking down the aisle didn’t play despite it being clearly displayed in an email i sent over. Not only that but my playlist was tamperered with by staff (they added songs to queue without asking me or the groom). and we were accused of being on drugs because i was crying in the bathroom over the failure that was my wedding reception. ceremony was lovely but that had nothing to do with leith arches and everything to do with my husband and celebrant. do not go here if you like your mental health intact.

we did have a lovely bartender. i didn’t catch her name but she was lovely and never caused any issues. she helped my bridesmaids charge their phone and had a wonderful attitude. do not blame her for this...