I had an exciting peek behind the scenes of what will soon be Edinburgh's best pub
It might not look like it yet, but this will be 2026’s top destination
There’s cold, and then there’s the deep marrow-withering chill of a pub that’s been unoccupied for more than a decade.
Thankfully, I’ve wrapped up warm on my visit to The Cooper’s Rest on Easter Road.
I’m being shown round by James Snowdon of The Palmerston. He’ll be opening this place, along with Lloyd Morse, also co-owner of the lauded Edinburgh restaurant, as well as Gordon McKenzie and Emma McIntosh, owners of Newbarns Brewery, who currently have a taproom on nearby Jane Street, sometime in April or May 2026.
I was desperate for a look behind the scenes. It seems so long since they announced the project, and I’m champing at the bit.
The locals are too. Snowdon tells me that they’re are always asking him what’s happening whenever he’s in the building. When they were doing their final viewing with the landlord, before taking the property on, five or six people approached them.
“We thought it was a joke and that we were getting recorded on camera. They all said they couldn’t wait for a pub to open here,” he says.
No wonder. I pass this place regularly, and it’s quite the landmark, with the big windows, corner location and faded pink and green sign, which they’ll be retaining after it’s been refreshed by local signwriter, Thomas Paints.
Apparently, it was McKenzie from Newbarns who found the location in early 2024, after the team had got together in 2022 to discuss the idea of opening a pub.
“It’s exactly what we wanted,” says Snowdon.
However, it’s currently difficult to see in from outside, thanks in part to the high windows, which probably once shielded drinkers from whoever might spot them and drag them home. Snowdon unlocks the big doors, and, inside, there are bags of rubble, holes in the wooden floor, and lots of dust. Aside from that, it’s a blank canvas of sorts.
When they took ownership, there were a few bashed up Benson & Hedges ashtrays, an old safe (empty) and ancient beer labels plastered to the wall, but little else of the former pub left. That’s because, when it closed in 2015, there were plans to turn the space into flats. The project was started, with an initial strip out, then abandoned around the lockdown years. Despite the rather spare state, I can see the vision.
The only piece of furniture in here is currently a lovely old Victorian dresser, which comes from McIntosh’s uncle’s farm. They’re hoping to incorporate that into the decor.
Snowdon shows me where the bar will be - in the large front room. They’re having it custom made by Leith local, Daniel Smith of Studio Smiddy.
“He’s a friend of ours and the design work and what he does is pretty amazing,” says Snowdon. “He’s going to do something with lots of mirrors and wood, like an old pubby bar.”
It sounds like the team is going for something quite traditional. Although there will be no live music, darts is definitely a possibility.
Snowdon’s favourite Edinburgh pub is the Jamaica Street watering hole, Kay’s Bar, and they’re inspired by that place. However, they also like the style of Canton Arms in London’s Stockwell. The Cooper’s Rest will have a similar layout to that.
As he explains, “It’s a big pub, where everyone’s having pints or a few bar snacks. In the back, there’s a large restaurant.”
Indeed, where The Cooper’s Rest used to have their Cedar Lounge, on the Lorne Street side of the building, will be the new restaurant zone for the reborn pub.
There will be no formal division between the two, both spaces will flow into each other, and the eating area will be the opposite of ‘stuffy’. Snowdon tells me they don’t want to be a restaurant that’s ‘masquerading’ as a pub. People will be there for the Newbarns pints, though they will also offer The Palmerston’s curated wine selection and spirits from local makers, such as Blind Summit and Electric Spirit Co.
He takes me downstairs, which will be the booze cellar, but also where the kitchen will be situated.
The menu will be relaxed and hearty, but with their original restaurant’s DNA of whole-animal cookery and championing local produce.
“Steve, who's our sous chef at The Palmerston, is gonna be head chef here. He’s a guy from the North East, who loves a cosy pint in a pub. He’s given us a few ideas of what the menu will be, but he just wants to be super simple. We might have a burger on. We might do a nice bit of fish, cooked with chips and tartare sauce,” Snowdon says. “He’s got a lot of ideas, and will be taking aspects of what he’s learned at The Palmerston over the last three years, but putting that in the context of a pub. A big Sunday roast is the one thing we really want to do.”
I ask if it’s going to be a hipster pub, but Snowdon answers that question with a horrified no. It was once a favourite for Hibs fans, pre or post match. Perhaps some of them will come back. Everyone is welcome. As Snowdon points out, it’s also a very residential part of Leith, and everyone wants a local that’s within staggering distance of their house.
“It’s like Kay’s Bar, loads of students go there. Everyone just mingles. There’s never any issues. There’s never any drama. It’s just people going there because the beer is amazing, the vibe is amazing. It’s just a proper cosy bubble. You can just lose an afternoon there,” he says. “It’s like when we opened The Palmerston, and the idea was to make it accessible for everyone. So you want to come and have a set lunch, which is like 22 quid, you can. If you want to come and have a big blow-out meal, you can.”
My anticipation is even more heightened.
The next time I’m here, I just know it’s going to be absolutely heaving.
And, unlike today, it’s sure to also be very cosy.
295 Easter Road, Edinburgh, www.thepalmerstonedinburgh.co.uk, www.newbarnsbrewery.com
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