Best zones to open a cafe or bar in Edinburgh
We scored 16 neighbourhood-sized cells of Edinburgh for a cafe or bar. Edinburgh Old Town (North-East) leads with 75/100 against a city average of 52/100. Every score is built from open data plus live Google Maps evidence — nothing is estimated by hand.
- City average
- 52/100
- #1 · Edinburgh Old Town (North-East)
- 75/100
- Data confidence
- 60%
- Updated
- 13 October 2026
Opportunity map
Best zones to open a Cafe & Bar in Edinburgh
Compare neighbourhood scores, evidence and confidence before choosing a specific address.
City score 52/100· 16 zones· Updated Oct 13, 2026
- 175Edinburgh Old Town (North-East)15 competitors · 4.6★
- 274Near King's Stables Road14 competitors · 4.6★
- 365Edinburgh Old Town (South-West)13 competitors · 4.6★
- 462Near East London Street12 competitors · 4.3★
- 560Edinburgh New Town16 competitors · 4.6★
- 649Near Queen's Drive10 competitors · 4.4★
- 748Near Bangholm Terrace8 competitors · 4.4★
- 847Near Brandon Terrace8 competitors · 4.7★
- 947Near Melville Drive8 competitors · 4.5★
- 1046Near Arboretum Place7 competitors · 4.6★
- 1146Near Grove Street9 competitors · 4.7★
- 1245Near North Meadow Walk9 competitors · 4.6★
- 1345Near India Place5 competitors · 4.5★
- 1445Near Belford Road7 competitors · 4.7★
- 1537Near Learmonth Avenue3 competitors · 4.6★
- 1636Near Saint Mark's Path3 competitors · 4.7★
Full ranking
16 zones scored
| # | Zone | Score | Confidence | Competitors | Residents (10-min walk) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edinburgh Old Town (North-East) | 75 | 60% | 15 · 4.6★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 2 | Near King's Stables Road | 74 | 60% | 14 · 4.6★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 3 | Edinburgh Old Town (South-West) | 65 | 60% | 13 · 4.6★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 4 | Near East London Street | 62 | 60% | 12 · 4.3★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 5 | Edinburgh New Town | 60 | 60% | 16 · 4.6★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 6 | Near Queen's Drive | 49 | 60% | 10 · 4.4★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 7 | Near Bangholm Terrace | 48 | 60% | 8 · 4.4★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 8 | Near Brandon Terrace | 47 | 60% | 8 · 4.7★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 9 | Near Melville Drive | 47 | 60% | 8 · 4.5★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 10 | Near Arboretum Place | 46 | 60% | 7 · 4.6★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 11 | Near Grove Street | 46 | 60% | 9 · 4.7★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 12 | Near North Meadow Walk | 45 | 60% | 9 · 4.6★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 13 | Near India Place | 45 | 60% | 5 · 4.5★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 14 | Near Belford Road | 45 | 60% | 7 · 4.7★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 15 | Near Learmonth Avenue | 37 | 60% | 3 · 4.6★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
| 16 | Near Saint Mark's Path | 36 | 60% | 3 · 4.7★ | — | Open in the interactive map → |
Top 3 zones in detail
Edinburgh Old Town (North-East)
- Demand100
- Room52
- Beatable45
- Vitality83
- Access—
- Cost—
Strengths: Demand (+73), Street vitality (+18)
Watch out: Room in the market (−22)
Main competitors
- Dishoom Edinburgh · 4.8★ (21,584)
- The Dome · 4.6★ (10,517)
- Society Bar & Kitchen · 4.8★ (6,948)
Rent sustainability, customer personas, 12-month financials and a 90-day action plan for the exact address.
Near King's Stables Road
- Demand89
- Room72
- Beatable41
- Vitality80
- Access—
- Cost—
Strengths: Demand (+62), Street vitality (+15)
Main competitors
- Dishoom Edinburgh · 4.8★ (21,584)
- The Dome · 4.6★ (10,517)
- Cafe Royal · 4.4★ (3,783)
Rent sustainability, customer personas, 12-month financials and a 90-day action plan for the exact address.
Edinburgh Old Town (South-West)
- Demand58
- Room72
- Beatable44
- Vitality77
- Access—
- Cost—
Strengths: Demand (+31), Street vitality (+12)
Main competitors
- Makars Mash Bar · 4.8★ (11,070)
- Society Bar & Kitchen · 4.8★ (6,948)
- Whiski Bar & Restaurant · 4.4★ (4,246)
Rent sustainability, customer personas, 12-month financials and a 90-day action plan for the exact address.
How the score works
Six components, weighted for this sector. Missing data is left out and the weights are redistributed — a component is never guessed.
- Demand22%
Residents within a 10-minute walk (WorldPop × Valhalla) blended with proven spend — Google review volume vs. the best cell in the city.
- Room in the market16%
How many comparable businesses already operate within ~1 km. Fewer competitors scores higher.
- Beatable competition12%
Average Google rating of incumbents. Weaker incumbents leave more room for a strong newcomer.
- Street vitality22%
Commercial density, footfall anchors (schools, offices, stations, hotels) and business mix from OpenStreetMap.
- Accessibility20%
Transit stops, main and pedestrian streets, and how much ground a 10-minute walk actually covers.
- Affordability8%
Typical commercial rent where a benchmark exists. Cheaper scores higher; missing rent is left out, never guessed.
Data sources
- WorldPop
residential population per cell
- OpenStreetMap
points of interest, transit stops, streets, footfall anchors
- Valhalla
10-minute walking isochrones
- Google Maps
competitor names, ratings and review volumes (via SerpAPI)
Frequently asked questions
- Which is the best zone to open a cafe or bar in Edinburgh?
- Edinburgh Old Town (North-East) scores highest at 75/100, +23 points above the city average. Scores combine demand, room in the market, competitor quality, street vitality, accessibility and cost.
- Where does the data come from?
- Population from WorldPop, walking reach from Valhalla isochrones, points of interest, transit and streets from OpenStreetMap, and competitor names, ratings and review volumes from Google Maps. Each cell shows a confidence level based on how many of these sources were available.
- How fresh is this ranking?
- Zones were last recomputed on 13 October 2026. The interactive map refreshes the data automatically when the cache expires (30 days).