With a wine shop, bakery and even a butcher on-site, Quay Commons aims to bring together the best aspects of a cafe, bar and restaurant – offering a unique, all-day gathering space which encourages sociable dining.
Picture: Quay Commons, Gillian McDonald
Open from 8am daily (and 9am at weekends), you can expect freshly baked pastries and quality coffee (from Leith-based roasters, Williams & Johnson Coffee Co) for breakfast.
As it moves towards lunch time, the menu expands to include simple dishes like homemade flatbreads, seasonal pasta dishes and house-butchered charcuterie.
Picture: Quay Commons, Gillian McDonald
In the evening, diners can enjoy dishes from a fresh and seasonal market menu, along with craft beer from local brewery, Pilot Beer, and wine supplied by De Burgh Wine Merchants.
Picture: Quay Commons, Gillian McDonald
Inspired by the social aspect of The Gardener’s Cottage (which features communal tables to encourage social dining), the founders wanted Quay Commons to have a similar feel.
Located in a former bonded warehouse by The Shore, Quay Commons has a cool, industrial vibe with large tables for socialising, an open-plan bakery and a carefully curated in-house wine shop.
Picture: Quay Commons, Gillian McDonald
The new space is also an opportunity for the team to explore new projects. “At Quay Commons, our talented chef team can experiment with new ingredients and techniques with produce sourced from trusted local suppliers and businesses,” explains Dale Mailley, Chef Proprietor.
Picture: Quay Commons, Gillian McDonald
“We wanted somewhere we could bake our famous sourdough bread on an industrial scale, as well as being a space where we could butcher and cure meat and test new dishes.”
Picture: Quay Commons, Gillian McDonald
In addition to eating and drinking in the cafe, customers can also pick up a freshly baked sourdough loaf from the open-plan bakery to take home with them, or choose a bottle of wine from the in-house bottle shop.
Picture: Quay Commons, Gillian McDonald
Boutique wines are available to buy at off license prices – you can enjoy a glass along with your food, then take the remainder of the bottle home.
Picture: Quay Commons, Gillian McDonald
Open until 8pm every night (9pm at weekends), Quay Commons hope to provide a relaxed, welcoming space no matter the time of day – perfect if you fancy a coffee on the way to work, a light bite made with the freshest seasonal ingredients, or a laid-back drink with friends in the evening.
“We are humbled to be opening a sister restaurant to our much-loved, Gardener’s Cottage, and that Leith – an iconic part of Edinburgh with such a rich heritage of food – will be our home,” says Mailley.
