Cocktail bar and restaurant The Alchemist has booked a flagship slot at Edinburgh St James

Edinburgh St James has announced that The Alchemist cocktail bar and restaurant will open for the first time in Scotland next year.

The Simon Potts bar and restaurant will have 5,700 square feet on level four of the £1 billion mixed use development. It will overlook Register Square which will connect the development to Princes Street.

The Alchemist will occupy two flagship restaurant and bar units at the entrance to the main dining terrace at Edinburgh St James.  The brand will deliver its signature ‘Theatre served’ cocktail and dining experience to the 200 cover venue.  A range of other units on the dining terrace will include further restaurants and leisure operators to complement the Everyman Cinema on level five.  The principal retail and leisure phase of the development will open in October 2020, followed by the cinema, a W Hotel, and residential elements which will be released the following year.

Simon Potts, Managing Director of The Alchemist, said : “Edinburgh is one of the world’s great cities and a destination we’ve long admired, but we wanted to wait for the right opportunity to present itself.  Edinburgh St James fits the bill brilliantly.  It is a vibrant and varied new destination that will appeal to tourists, office workers, residents and shoppers – the same audience that love our established venues in London and Manchester.”

Ed Corrigan, Assistant Leasing Director at Edinburgh St James, added: “The signing of The Alchemist brings further cachet to Edinburgh St James, joining the likes of Everyman Cinema in creating an amazing food, beverage and leisure line-up.  We’re confident the brand will appeal to the significant local and tourism markets in the city, and we look forward to announcing more signings soon.”

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Edinburgh St James will span five floors of prime shopping, dining, leisure and entertainment, and is forecast to welcome in excess of 20 million visitors a year.

Comprising 850,000 sq ft of retail space, Edinburgh St James will complement the luxury shopping offer of neighbouring luxury retailer Harvey Nichols, which anchors the premium shopping street of Multrees Walk. 

The shopping galleria is under this curved roof where glass is being installed PHOTO ©2019 The Edinburgh Reporter

Strategically completing the city centre’s retail circuit, the development will also be home to 30 new restaurants, cafés and bars.

Scotland’s first W Hotel – W Edinburgh – with its 244 stylish guestrooms, a buzzing destination bar, outdoor terrace, signature restaurant, and an AWAY® Spa will be a focal point.

Other destinations for tourists and visitors will include luxury aparthotel brand Roomzzz, which will have 75 rooms. There will be opportunities to live at Edinburgh St James in one of the 152 apartments created by Native Land. In addition there will be nine new public squares and 1,600 car parking spaces.

Culverwell and Bruce Gillingham Pollard are the leisure letting agents for Edinburgh St James.  Harlow Property Consultants acted for The Alchemist.

Shops, apartments, hotel and self catering hotel will be side by side in the Edinburgh St James development PHOTO ©2019 The Edinburgh Reporter