The Melting Pot is situated right next to Waverley Station in the heart of Edinburgh. It is SO handy for coworking, hiring a meeting room and putting on an event. It also has loads of great shopping on its doorstep, so if you need a last-minute birthday present, just spilled soup down your top before a meeting or need some paracetamol to stop that pounding headache, we can point you in the right direction!

1. St James Quarter

Edinburgh’s latest under-cover retail hub, St James Quarter, is a hop, skip and a jump from our front door. It houses loads of big clothing brands (e.g. Zara, H&M, Next, Superdry), pharmacies (e.g. Boots, Superdrug), beauty retailers (e.g. L’Occitane, The Body Shop, Harrods), toy shops (e.g. Lego) and department store, John Lewis. Perfect for a bit of retail therapy, celebrating a big ‘win’ at work or Christmas shopping when the time comes. There are also plenty of eateries dotted about the place for lunch, post-work dinners or picking up a tasty treat (I’m looking at you, Hotel Chocolat).

2. Leith Walk

If indie shops are more your thing, Leith Walk offers a vibrant lunchtime walk and an eclectic shopping experience. Here (or not far down one of the many awesome side streets), you’ll find a traditional record shop, a Sicilian bakery, intriguing bookshops, an incredible Italian deli, various international supermarkets, inspiring local artists, charity shops full of hidden treasures, a couple of antiques sellers, a cute greengrocer’s and a bike shop – to name a few. There are also tonnes of great places to pick up lunch or a quality coffee.

3. Broughton Street

Located between St James Quarter and Leith Walk, you could opt for a little shopping spree down Broughton Street. There isn’t a huge choice of retailer down here (most buildings host fabulous restaurants, bars and cafes) but if you need a last-minute gift, bunch of flowers or greetings card, you’ll find some lovely little businesses down this road. Dragonfly Gifts at the bottom, or Curiouser & Curiouser about halfway down are favourites. There’s also a pharmacy down here and an ethical supermarket / health food shop (Real Food).

Listed above are just our Top 3, but not far away, there’s also the tourist buzz of Princes Street, the luxury brands of George Street and the hidden gems of Easter Road… plenty to keep you occupied on your well-earned lunch breaks!

Fancy having all this on your doorstep during your working week? With a coworking membership at The Melting Pot, you have access to our beautiful new shared office facilities in Edinburgh’s city centre. We’re a social enterprise and care about creating a community – not just a flexible place to work. Find out more about our memberships here