Stockbridge – A Bookshop Afternoon and a Cheese Board
A day.
The route
Where Edinburgh's New Town runs down into Stockbridge, the streets are full of cafés and independent shops.
This is an unhurried afternoon among them, with coffee among the houseplants, a browse in a bookshop with a stove in the corner, and cheese and wine to finish at Smith & Gertrude, a Stockbridge wine bar since 2015.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
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The day
Stockbridge
An afternoon on foot round a few streets of Stockbridge, with time to linger at each stop. Its cafés and shops are where the illustrator Emily Hogarth heads when she has time to herself.
Grow Urban
A shop
Grow Urban is a plant shop with a coffee counter at 8b St Vincent Street, in the New Town. Take a coffee and a slice of cake to one of the little tables in the window, then wander among the pots, tools and plant gifts and through to the bright room at the back, full of hanging plants. The shop sits below the pavement, down six sandstone steps with a handrail, and a dog on good behaviour can come in with you. Street parking round about is paid on weekdays and free at weekends.
About 4 min on foot
Golden Hare Books
An attraction
Golden Hare Books is a short walk west, at 68 St Stephen Street, under a gilded hare and gold lettering. Inside it's small and warm, with painted shelves of novels and non-fiction, books for younger readers too, an armchair by the stove, and the booksellers' own cards on the books they love. It has been selling books since 2012. Writers come in of an evening to talk about their books and sign them, and the shop runs its own book group; the dates are on its website. There are a few stone steps up to the door.
About 2 min on foot
Smith & Gertrude
A drink
Smith & Gertrude is a short walk on, at 26 Hamilton Place: a cheese and wine bar of wooden tables, mismatched chairs and a wall of wine racks. Choose a glass from the list, or a wine flight, with a cheese to go with each wine if you like. To eat there are boards of cheese and charcuterie, grilled cheese sandwiches and burrata, with baked camembert in the autumn and winter. It's open from 4pm, Wednesday to Sunday. There's no need to book; a group of five or more can book a table by email. Children can come in with you until 7pm, when it turns over-18s only, and a dog can stay with you outside.
If it rains
Everything here is indoors; only the short walks between are outside.
EdinburghSmith & GertrudeWine bar and bottle shop
EdinburghThe Captain DarlingA restaurant
EdinburghSkuaA restaurant
EdinburghPurslaneA restaurant
EdinburghAveryA restaurant
EdinburghThe Last WordBasement cocktail bar, Stockbridge
EdinburghThe PantryA café-full-1718027879.jpg)
EdinburghCowan & SonsCafé and print shop
EdinburghWellington CoffeeA restaurant
EdinburghSottoA restaurant
EdinburghFortitude CoffeeA café
EdinburgheòrnaA restaurantMake it a weekend
