The Michelin-starred Edinburgh restaurant that's opening new cafe at super cool waterside venue
There’s another exciting opening coming to Leith
Edinburgh’s ‘coolest’ area is further cementing its reputation as a foodie destination with the launch of Brown’s of Leith, which opens at 4-6 Shore on November 27.
This collaborative space for food, drink and the arts is located within the former George Brown & Son steelworks, with its white facade and big ocean blue door. This venue will be the new home for a branch of Civerino’s pizza, the new Shuck Bar from ShrimpWreck (formerly of Portobello), Woven Whisky and - perhaps most excitingly - Haze, which is an all-day venue from the Radford family, who own Michelin-starred restaurant Timberyard and Abbeyhill’s Montrose.
We asked Joseph Radford to tell us more about their latest venture.
Tell us about your plans for Haze, and what it will offer
The idea behind Haze was to bring a similar level of quality in sourcing and product as our other venues, but in a more approachable, everyday way. We want to really focus on that blurring of lines between morning coffee and evening wine - how the two offerings can work in synergy together. It will be very simple and honest with great coffee, proper wine, cheese, and tinned fish. We’re taking a kind of rustic approach inspired by some of our favourite continental wine bars. We will be sharing the space with an evolving list of exceptional vendors including Civerino’s and ShrimpWreck, with more to be announced as the project continues to grow and evolve.
Why the name?
There are a few reasons. We think Haze captures that gentle blur between day and night, coffee and wine, morning ritual and evening unwind. It also has a connection to place, with a subtle nod to the sea and the coastal haar that rolls inland.
Will it be a similar offering to Timberyard/Montrose?
Haze shares a similar approach to sourcing as Timberyard and Montrose, in that it’s very much ingredient-led, driven by quality, and using organic produce wherever possible. From a sustainability point of view, we will lean quite heavily into alternative packaging: bag-in-box and canned wine. It’s all about ensuring we tread as lightly as we can, without compromising on quality. It’s going to feel a little more casual than Montrose. As Timberyard continues to elevate and really find its true identity, Montrose has been given more space to grow into a neighbourhood restaurant offering. Haze will sit alongside that as a more all-day space that merges coffee and wine, with a very stripped-back food offering. Because Haze sits as the core drinks offering within a larger space that includes other food operators, it will almost act as a pillar in the wider, ever-evolving offering within Brown’s of Leith.
Were you always hoping to open something in Leith, or was it a spontaneous decision?
We have been wanting to do something in Leith for a long time. We have been speaking with Gunnar for many years, and Haze feels like the first iteration - or first phase - of what we hope will be a long-term, collaborative project with Brown’s of Leith. We are always open to looking at other opportunities and talking to potential partners about collaborations. We love the idea of diversifying what we do across different types of spaces and offerings.
What do you think of the neighbourhood, and will you fit in well?
We are very conscious that we are moving into the heart of Leith. Leith has such a strong identity - it’s creative, independent, and proud - and we really want to contribute to that rather than impose on it. Affordability, value and quality are important to us. It’s about accessibility and inclusivity, making sure that whether you are popping in for a quick coffee or staying for a bottle of wine, it always feels welcoming and great value. We are also leaning into working with some of the incredible makers already in the neighbourhood - gin from Electric Spirit Co, beer from Newbarns, and whisky from Woven, who will also be moving into the building. That local collaboration feels like a really natural way to be part of the community and celebrate what makes Leith so special.
What are you going to do to the decor/interior?
George Brown & Sons engineers was one of the last bastions of industry on the Shore, and we want to be quite hands-off in how we handle the building. It is another iconic space and one with a lot of history too. We will be leaning into the original character as much as possible. There will be a few fairly monolithic steel islands and bar setups coming in, but otherwise we are keeping the touch light and letting the building speak for itself.
Who do you hope to attract, customer-wise?
Haze will be focused on that everyday approachability. We want to make sure the price point feels sharp so that people who want to come in, sit down, and have a full spread of food and drink are just as welcome as those popping by for a takeaway coffee, a retail bottle of wine, some coffee beans, or tinned fish. It will very much become a sit-in and retail hybrid model. And there are plans further down the line to build on that so we can add new elements that allow for growth within the business, for our customers, and for our team in terms of career development.
For more information on the launch, follow Brown’s of Leith on Instagram @browns.leith or Haze at @haze.shore
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