Every supposed ‘gastropub’ in Edinburgh is really a restaurant – because you can’t go into them and ‘sit at the bar all afternoon drinking pints’ – but The Cooper’s Rest is coming to put that right.
The new venture, from teams behind Edinburgh’s Newbarns brewery and restaurant The Palmerston, will revive Leith’s existing The Cooper’s Rest pub on Easter Road, which has been closed since 2015.
Gordon McKenzie and Emma McIntosh, co-owners of Newbarns, and Lloyd Morse and James Snowdon, co-owners of The Palmerston, promise that The Cooper’s Rest will ‘merge the warmth and welcoming atmosphere of a pub with quality drinks and food’.
The menu will be focused on modern takes on classic comfort dishes, with the team working closely with farmers and producers to source the best local and seasonal produce available.
Beers will come from Newbarns, spirits from Leith-based brands including Woodrow’s of Edinburgh, Blind Summit, Electric Spirit Co. and Fragrant Drops, and wines from The Palmerston’s cellar.
Snowdon said: “The seed for the pub was planted way back in 2022. Through getting to know Gordon and the team at Newbarns, we realised we’re all gagging for Edinburgh to have a proper pub which serves proper pub food.
“Edinburgh is a city full of great pubs, but every ‘gastropub’ in the city is really a restaurant – you can’t go into them and sit at the bar all afternoon drinking pints.
“During the last few years we’ve discovered we have similar ideas of what we love in a pub and want to bring that to Edinburgh: exceptional food, quality drinks and a welcoming atmosphere for locals and visitors alike.”
McKenzie added: “At Newbarns, everything we do starts with that feeling you get around a pub table with friends – the easy camaraderie, the good conversation.
“So often those friendships, and those tables, have included the brilliant people from The Palmerston so this collaboration at The Cooper’s just feels right.
“We can’t wait to share our passion for exceptional food, great beer, and truly good company, bringing everyone together under one roof.”
The Cooper’s Rest is scheduled to open in early 2026 at 295 Easter Road, Edinburgh EH6.
