5/11/2017 | Restaurants

New restaurant and cocktail bar opens on former French brasserie site

Brasserie Les Amis on Morrison Street in Edinburgh city centre has been sold through specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co.

Located opposite the EICC, the business has been secured by Martin Scott and will be rebranded as ISHKA, Edinburgh’s newest restaurant and cocktail bar. The new site opened on Wednesday 10 May after a small re-fit.



The landlord, Peter McGrail, purchased the former retail unit and converted it into a superb French themed restaurant and delicatessen with a completely new commercial kitchen at basement level. He asked Christie & Co to find suitable tenants to take over the property due to other business and personal commitments in the UK and France.

Stuart Drysdale, Associate Director in Christie & Co’s Edinburgh office comments, “Demand for restaurant space in the city is high but the landlord was more interested in securing the person or company he felt was right to maximise the venue’s potential. Mr Scott had been searching for the perfect site for some time and we wish him all the success with this exciting new opening.”

Mr McGrail comments, “Stuart was incredibly positive from our first meeting and discussed all the options through with me. I had reservations about a fully open marketing campaign and didn’t want that to affect Les Amis and the staff. Stuart sourced a highly appropriate tenant quickly and after several meetings a deal was agreed that has left me confident knowing the property is in good hands. I wish all at ISHKA all the best going forward.”