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Alby's

A sandwich shop on the edge of Leith, serving big hot sandwiches on squares of focaccia in a mid-century room that was once the Snax Cafe.

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Welcome

On a quiet street at the edge of Leith, a pale green shopfront under a tenement reads, simply, Big Hot Sandwiches, and at night a lit sign juts from the corner.

Visited and photographed by Simon Hird

Inside, it feels like someone's living room from the 1960s: formica tables with little bunches of flowers, striped armchairs beneath a framed print, a mid-century sideboard with a lamp and potted plants, and a monstera so large it has taken over one corner beside the old tiled fireplace. Branded mugs, caps and tea towels fill a wooden dresser. The sandwiches come wrapped in paper, halved to show the layers of shredded meat, crisp leaves and sauce inside, with a bowl of salad on the side. Come hungry, and early if you can.

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Before you go

Big hot sandwiches to eat in or take away, with salads on the side.

There is a second shop in the Southside.

Where
On the edge of Leith, a short walk from the Shore.

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
noon–5pm
Wednesday
noon–5pm
Thursday
noon–8.30pm
Friday
noon–8.30pm
Saturday
noon–8.30pm
Sunday
noon–8.30pm

Eaten here? Tell others what to order and when to go, and the best go on this page with your name.

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Did you know

The green 'Big Hot Sandwiches' shopfront sits beside a gated close on a quiet street.
Did you know

From O'Briens to New York.

The owners, Natasha and Matt, have loved sandwiches since their teenage jobs at O'Briens, and have been on sandwich tours of New York.

Two striped mid-century armchairs flank a side table with flowers beneath a framed print.
Did you know

Nine months on the Snax Cafe.

They spent most of nine months turning the old Snax Cafe into a relaxed mid-century room.

A halved sandwich stacked with arugula and shredded meat sits on parchment paper.
Did you know

Always on focaccia.

Every sandwich comes on a square of focaccia, stuffed with filling and smothered in sauce.

Sesame-crusted bites sit wrapped in an Alby's paper beside a bowl of salad.
Did you know

The short rib.

The signature is short rib with red sauerkraut, parsnip crisps and horseradish mayonnaise; the vegetarian answer is spiced roast cauliflower with garlic and lemon tahini.

A pale green shopfront reading 'Big Hot Sandwiches' sits beneath a tenement's sash windows.
Did you know

A second shop.

The sandwiches did well enough for Alby's to open a second branch, in the Southside.

A mid-century sideboard with potted plants sits beside a cafe counter and bar stools.
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Where it is

On the edge of Leith, near the Shore and the docks.

Close byThe places nearest Alby's, in Leith.
  1. A Greek salad topped with a slab of feta beside a grilled octopus tentacle on a wooden table at Kafeneion to Steki.Kafeneion to StekiA Cretan taverna on Coburg Street in Leith, by the Water of Leith, with meze to share, octopus from the grill and a list of Greek wines.Under a mile as the crow flies
  2. Royal Yacht BritanniaRoyal Yacht BritanniaThe royal family's floating home for 44 years, berthed at Leith since 1998.Under a mile 2 min by road
  3. Friends chat round a candlelit table beneath a "Guest Keg" chalkboard menuTeuchters LandingA bar in the old waiting room for the Aberdeen steamer.Under a mile 2 min by road
  4. Roseleaf Bar CaféRoseleaf Bar CaféA bar and café in Leith.Under a mile 1 min by road
  5. Leith ShoreLeith ShoreThe old quayside of Leith, where George IV came ashore.Under a mile 2 min by road
  6. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society - The VaultsThe Scotch Malt Whisky Society - The VaultsThe whisky society's members' rooms in a bonded warehouse of 1787.Under a mile 3 min by road
Directions
Water of Leith winding through Dean Village's stone tenements and old mill buildingsAttractionsWater of Leith0.3 miles
Tartan and check wool scarves hang on a white shop railShoppingTBCo0.3 miles
The dining room at The Kitchin, with grey stone walls, dark beams and blue-green chairs at tables laid for dinner.RestaurantsThe Kitchin0.3 miles
The dark painted front of DogStar on Portland Place in the evening, its name on the lit window.RestaurantsDogStar0.4 miles
The purple corner front of Sabzi at 162 Ferry Road, signed Home Cooking and Punjabi Street Food, with benches and pink planters on the pavement.RestaurantsSabzi0.4 miles
The hall at Brown's of Leith under its timber roof, with the Haze counter on the left, a round steel table and people at tables by the tall windows.RestaurantsBrown's of Leith0.4 miles
Stone townhouse with sash windows and dark green door on Custom WharfShoppingBard0.4 miles
The room at Ardfern in Leith in afternoon light, with a wall of wine bottles behind the bar, leather banquettes and wooden tables.RestaurantsArdfern0.4 miles
The round stone watchtower on the Shore at Leith, with Fishers' blue and white restaurant front at its foot on a cobbled corner.RestaurantsFishers in Leith0.4 miles

Recommend to a friend

Stay nearby

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Check datesWest End Muse
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Check datesA turreted sandstone building with conical spires catches the evening light above rooftops, a large pine tree standing beside it.The Scott Hotel
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Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in EdinburghAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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What we have written about it, the collections it is in and more in Edinburgh.

ArticleEdinburgh Grazing: The Best Foodie Pitstops During the FringeArticleInside Alby’s: Edinburgh’s Sandwich Shop Success StoryCollectionEdinburgh's Best Coffee Shops
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For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .