ST JAMES QUARTER

Don't miss this extraordinary £1 billion development in the centre of Edinburgh, one of the largest regeneration projects in the UK. Sixteen years in the making, and after five years of construction, the first phase of the St James Quarter opened to the public on 24 June 2021 (stjamesquarter.com). Much more than a multi-level shopping galleria (it even has its own tartan, not to mention a W Hotel opening in 2022), it offers a broad range of dining experiences.

“Level 1 is family favourites,” says Rochelle Weir, Brand and Marketing Director for St James Quarter. “We have (an area known as) Leith St Eats; in there we have Five Guys, Tortilla, and Maki & Ramen, which is a local business. Level 2 is high street and fashion brands. Level 3 you have aspirational brands and high end names… Level 4 is more of a night-time economy: you can shop until 8 o'clock, come here and eat and drink. We've got The Alchemist coming on in autumn, which is a cocktail bar with different food offerings. And also Bonnie & Wild. We should have around 30 restaurants and bars.” It would be easy enough to meet all your gourmet needs in Bonnie & Wild Marketplace alone( bonnie and wild market. com). It's no mere food court, though it's certainly possible to perch at a table (there's space for 700 diners) and order coffee, cakes, pasta and pizza. This marketplace features some unique independent Scottish traders in their first-ever stalls (CHIX) alongside bigger names (Masterchef winner Gary Maclean's first solo venture). There's MacDuff's butchers for all your take-away meat needs, a bottle shop, a private events space, a demo kitchen, a living moss wall, photos from the Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards…don't be surprised to see a queue to get in.