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New hotel and café bar revives historical Royal Mile close
New life has been breathed into a forgotten Royal Mile close with the opening of a new aparthotel, café-bar and takeaway food stop.
Cooper’s Close, formerly home to the Holyrood Brewery in the 19th century, now houses the Stay Hush aparthotel, the second in the city following an opening in Castle Terrace.
On the ground floor is Mile Yard, a cosy café bar serving breakfast, coffee and pastries and drinks to both guests and non-guests. The venue’s newest offering is Pocca – highly stacked, Instagram-worthy, Italian focaccia sandwiches. The generous pockets are served Tuesday to Saturday 12pm-3:45pm for £10-13 each.
On our visit, the bar is bustling and we settle into a corner with a glass of wine to peruse the extensive menu. While meatballs with marinara sauce and smoked salmon with cream cheese are tempting, I opt for the Deli Drip: mortadella, mozzarella, crispy chorizo and rocket, while my friend chooses the special, Hot Minute: Chianti beef ragu, teriyaki sauce, Red Leicester, truffle mayonnaise, Parmesan. It seems an odd combination to me, but she says it works. The company values local and artisan producers and this definitely comes through in the quality of the ingredients. We also got to try some of the baked goods and the banana loaf and brownies were exceptional.
Inspired by this desire to partner with local producers and the building's former identity as a brewery, the owners have partnered with Leith favourites Pilot Beer, with several options on tap as well as their own ‘Stay Hush’ ale. The hotel also champions local artists and small magazine publishers with inclusion in its rooms, and features toiletries from North Berwick creator Laura Thomas.
With plans to host vinyl nights and DJ sessions, Mile Yard is likely to become a popular new hang out, bringing a new life to this hidden historical corner of the city.
STAY HUSH Royal Mile, Cooper's Close, Edinburgh, EH8 8PA
