One of Edinburgh’s best-loved neighbourhood cocktail bars is getting a fresh new look, with The Blackbird investing £100,000 in an interior makeover ahead of this year’s Fringe Festival.
Since opening on Leven Street in Tollcross in 2012, the independent venue has become a firm favourite for food, drink and relaxed drinks in the capital. Just two minutes from the King’s Theatre, it sits at the heart of a lively hub for culture, dining and shopping, while its beer garden terrace offers a green urban escape in the middle of the city.
Work is now under way on the transformation, which will bring a contemporary new feel to the bar. The updated interior will feature mid-century-inspired plaster pink, terracotta and blue-green colour drenching, along with internal tiling, globe lighting and pop art touches. Banquette seating for larger groups and a wider bar designed for dining and cocktails are also part of the plans.
The makeover marks the first stage of a wider series of developments due to unfold across 2026, with a second phase scheduled for later in the year.
To tie in with the summer refresh, The Blackbird’s bartenders have also launched a new cocktail menu. Drinks include the Joggling Board, made with rum, orange liqueur, sweet Italian vermouth, grapefruit and turmeric, and the Kingston Dove, a tequila-based serve with guava, pineapple, lime and sparkling water. There is also a new frozen house Martini, alongside zero proof cocktails, beers and ciders.
The venue’s all-day summer food menu has been updated too, with dishes including whole burrata with honeydew melon salsa and prosciutto crisps, pork belly with curried cauliflower, green apple and honey, and fried chicken with house peach hot sauce and fermented pineapple relish. Vegan options include the house Spa Salad, featuring broccoli, strawberry, avocado, chickpeas and kale.
The Blackbird will reopen to local customers and visitors from mid-July, with an opening party to be announced on its Instagram page.
Colin Church, managing director and co-owner of Big Red Teapot, the Edinburgh-based bar operator and special events company behind The Blackbird, said the team has been “making memories and serving happiness” at the venue since 2012.
He added: “We’re now gearing up to elevate the customer experience even further this summer with an exciting new interior makeover and menus in time for the Festival. We can’t wait to unveil our new look to local neighbourhood customers, as well as welcoming new visitors and festival goers this summer and beyond.”
The Blackbird is supporting a number of local businesses as part of the project, including Edinburgh-based hospitality design studio Significant Others, whose portfolio includes the Vittoria Group and The Keelson on the Shore in Leith. Other local contractors involved include a sign writer, vinyl artist and a team of tradespeople who have worked with the venue on previous projects.
You Might Also Like:
The Tollcross bar supports 20 local full- and part-time hospitality jobs across kitchen and front of house roles. Open seven days a week from 12pm until late, The Blackbird is located at 37-39 Leven Street, Edinburgh.
For more information, visit The Blackbird’s website and follow the venue on Instagram at @theblackbirdedinburgh.
