Leith Walk and Broughton Street: Retail Picks

I would definitely recommend the stretch along Broughton Street and Leith Walk as food strips (see earlier entry), however there are a clutch of interesting stores as well ranging from independent boutiques to second-hand bookstores. Here were my top 3 favourite browsing experiences today:

1. Threadbare, Broughton Street

You would have thought, from the last few entries, that I'd have exhausted my appetite for Vintage. I thought I had, until I chanced upon Threadbare.

Walking through Threadbare is a perilous activity: the aisles are so narrow you can barely walk through. The racks are bursting with clothes which continually threaten to encroach onto the already claustrophic walking space.

This is a shop where you really have to get down and dirty, sifting through the straining mass of fabric, and contorting your body into awkward positions to peer behind those mannequin torsos scattered around. I found the most gorgeous dress ever quite by accident - it was hanging off an antique mirror which was in turn obscured by a rack of clothes. I was later told that the dress was a new arrival (just in yesterday!) It was truly pretty - red rose-print on a white background. Sadly, too big for me!

The cluttered, creche-like space is presided over by a loveable, helpful lady who gives off an air of slight kookiness. When I arrived she was in the middle of sorting out her jewelry collection at the counter, which was in her words, 'in a mess.' Just before I left, I noticed she had settled for arranging them in order of progressive 'bling-ness' - shiniest on the left.

Threadbare is a wee bit pricier than Armstrong's I think, but excellent for those shopaholics who love the thrill of scouring through a confusing morass of clothes for that perfect 'find.' Worth a look-see.

2. Joey D, Broughton Street


If Dr Frankenstein were in the fashion business, he'd have set up his laboratory in Joey D. This is a literally fashion factory - and indeed, there seems to be a workshop at the back where you can see staff getting down on their knees and hacking away at fabric.

Old clothes are deconstructed and given new life in Joey D's eclectic creations. A simple denim skirt is anything but 'simple' - rather it's a patische of different strips of coloured denim, and some leftover vintage scraps which are sewn together in Frankenstein fashion, to constitute a new skirt. There are also Joey D's men's shirts (one pictured above) which resemble something Two-Face from the Batman series would wear. I also stood for quite a while contemplating a Joey D bustier halter top, which went round the mannequin's neck with nothing more than a recycled leather belt strap.

If loud reanimated fashion is your thing, you should probably stop by Joey D. Not entirely my cup of tea, but I'd recommend it simply because it's so unusual and different - for me anyways.

3. McNaughtan's Bookshop, Haddington Place
(along Leith Walk)

A must-see in Edinburgh if you're into second-hand, antiquarian books. This is a quiet, dignified establishment, which is (random as this sounds) exceedingly well designed and presented. Love the continuous shelves which run all across the shop, and end up enclosing little private niche-like areas with chairs - perfect to sit down and browse through a nice, good book.

The amount of books is quite staggering, and they generally go at reasonable prices. I never thought I would open another Thomas Hardy book after one year of JC with the thoroughly revolting Clym Yeobright and Eustacia Vye. However I couldn't resist flipping through The Return of the Native in McNaughtan's. It was in excellent condition, and sheathed in its own book box. The novel was also illustrated with exquisite wood print engravings. And all that for 10 pounds.

Also spied plenty of art history books, the complete 48-volume set of Walter Scott's Waverley novels (at 225pounds), and 19th-century editions of Jean Froissart's Chronicles. Book lovers might go a little crazy in here.

Leith Walk and Broughton Street: Soul Food

Walked around the edge of the New Town today, focusing on Broughton Street and Leith Walk. So many things to see! So many things to talk about. It makes sense however, to start with an issue of primal concern: Food.

There are tons of ethnic food restaurants along Leith Walk including Bangladeshi, Polish, Cantonese, Punjabi and Italian eateries. Take your pick. Broughton street also plays host to a wide range of pubs, cafes and delis including Artisan Roast, which I hear has one of the best coffees in town, and Urban Angel, which is apparently the place for brunch in the New Town.

I was intending to head down to The Fish Bar at Montgomery Street which reportedly has one of the best fish & chips in Edinburgh - you do not argue with the recommendation of a cab driver. Eventually however, I took a tiny detour off Broughton Street to Barony Street, after spying this:



The Broughton Deli and Cafe is tucked away in a quiet corner. Press clippings are pasted on the window, and practically ooze praise for the deli's selection of crepes and freshly made foods. There was however, another motivation to enter: the nice lady I'd met yesterday at the Red Door Gallery mentioned that she worked here part-time, and urged me to come. "It's really as organic as you can get!" She gushed whilst handing me my Local's Guide to Edinburgh.

So since it was right in front of me - why not?

The deli has a take-away and sit-down menu. In addition to sandwiches and soups, they do sweet and savoury crepes. The latter are stuffed with a selection of deli fillings which look really mouth-watering. In the end, I decided to get something sweet, and settled for one of their freshly baked cakes. A Victorian Sponge with Strawberries and Vanilla cream it was.

I wish I had taken a picture of the cake before I tucked into it, because it was simply the most amazing strawberry cake I've ever had! Sweet strawberries with a little bit of a sharp tanginess to balance out the slight heaviness of the cream. And the cake itself was good - light and fluffy. Perfect dessert to go with a pot of hot tea!

The cafe's sitting area is quite small so you might want to come early to grab a place. It's a cheerful set-up overall - a bright, airy room with high ceilings and smallish tables covered in red polka-dotted table cloths. The atmosphere is matched by friendly and chirpy service. Great for an afternoon out with your girlfriends. I highly recommend!


If on the otherhand, you're on the look out for groceries, consider popping into Real Foods along Broughton Street. They are a supermarket specializing in organic, fair-trade and vegetarian foods, in addition to other products.


It's nice to just browse through the shelves even if you aren't sure of what to buy. They do a lot of organic chocolate including a large shelf of colourfully wrapped slabs from Green & Blacks. Mmmm. I was also very intrigued by their 'Nomato' Ketchup which is ketchup made without tomatoes!

Real Foods also stocks non-edibles including eco-friendly washing liquids, and an extensive selection of Burt's Bees products which I was so pleased to see! I don't really recall seeing any stores in Singapore which have the Burt's Bees range...I've only ever managed to find the lip balm, but perhaps I wasn't looking hard enough...

So to wrap up, I shall slyly throw in another pick, but this one is related not to food, but quite a different primal urge.


How refreshing to see a sex shop which doesn't alienate women but welcomes them with scented votive candles to boot. Organic Pleasures is dedicated solely to women and their, ah, orgasmic needs! Heehee. It's not hidden away by tinted windows, nor is it plastered with sleazy images. The interior of the shop is tasteful and refined, almost a little muted. Anybody can freely walk in and the first thing you'll see are rather innocuous bath products including baby massage oils (for new mothers). They also sell corsets, lingerie, accessories like silk scarves and slips, and a line of female sex toys.

What is most intriguing however, is their shop's philosophy which affirms a dedication to providing good "eco-luxe" products which are "totally organic" and "non-toxic." I had no idea such products could be toxic or in any way dangerous. And I also had no idea that the whole 'organic' craze in shopping had spread right up to erotic shops! Well, you learn something new everyday I suppose.

If you've ever been curious about what lurks within the depths of those shady XXX shops which seem dominated by men or conjoined couples, Organic Pleasures will be a nice change. You can browse openly and freely, without furtively looking over your shoulder. The staff are also friendly and quietly unobtrusive. Makes for an entertaining browse!