Restaurant owners call to pedestrianise iconic Edinburgh street in favour of al fresco dining

One said it is the only way their business will survive.

Restaurant owners on one of the most ‘Instagrammable’ streets in Edinburgh have called for it to be transformed into a more European-style area for al fresco dining.

One veteran of Victoria Street said the move is ‘an absolute necessity’ for restaurants to survive.

The pavements are currently too narrow to allow chairs and tables outside, and as space is limited in the old buildings restaurants will not be able to cater for enough customers to make a living, said Dean Gassabi, who has run French restaurant Maison Bleue for 24 years.

Dean Gassabi and daughter Layla outside Maison Bleue.

“We’ve made a group with other restaurants to try and lobby planners to allow us to have seating outside,” said Mr Gassabi.

“Victoria Street is one of the most popular streets in the city, there are so many pictures of the street shared on Instagram.

“But it’s like a ghost town now. It would be nice to get people together and create a nice atmosphere – we imagine it like what we’re seeing in many places in Europe now.”

Mexican restaurant Mariachi

There are already plans to pedestrianise Victoria Street in the next 10 years under Edinburgh City Council’s City Centre Transformation, but the restaurant owners are calling for this to happen sooner, in line with the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Nicola Sturgeon announced on Thursday that Scotland would enter Phase 2 of lockdown easing the following day.

However, while the government’s initial plan had been to open outdoor restaurant and pub spaces in Phase 2, on Thursday Ms Sturgeon said she was unable to give a date for when this will happen.

She added that a date may be announced in early July.

Mr Gassabi, a former architect, said his vision for the street included flower boxes, awnings and heaters to suit the Scottish weather.

“We’ve been trying to get in touch with someone in Planning but we’re not getting any answers,” he said.

“It’s important to make the street look alive and the only way for us to do that is to have a presence outside.

“It’s an absolute necessity for us to survive. We lost the festivals, the graduations – these are the months when we make our money and we lost everything.

“Unless we do something drastic it’s going to be very difficult for a lot of businesses to survive.”

Matt Shahfar, owner of Mariachi Mexican restaurant, which is one of the few eateries on Victoria Street to have an outdoor courtyard space, has also joined the call to allow on-street dining.

“Given the current climate, if they’re going to change the street it would be better to do it sooner rather than later,” he said.

“We would be very happy to have extra space outside for people to eat and drink. It’s going to be a while before we can serve indoors.

“It would also add a nice atmosphere and a continental feel to what’s already a very special street.”

Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of trade association UK Hospitality welcomed the suggestions.

She said: “Businesses are going to need all the support they can get when it is time to reopen.

“Operating with social distancing measures in place is obviously going to make that more difficult, so any steps that can be taken to make life easier are welcome.”

The Federation of Small Businesses had previously called for a ‘pause’ on plans to pedestrianise the street.

Garry Clark, East of Scotland Development Manager, said: “The businesses I’ve spoken to were not opposed to the long-term pedestrianisation of the street, but they said it needs to be a bit more thought through and a bit more welcoming – it needs to be done in consultation with local businesses.

“In the past the council has put up big concrete barriers and ‘road closed’ signs and that can be off-putting to pedestrians.

“It’s not just about closing streets off to traffic, it’s about making them appealing and allowing people to make changes and improvements.”

He added: “It definitely is the case that we need to see more spaces opening up to allow people to eat and drink outdoors.”

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “It’s fantastic that businesses on Victoria St recognise the benefits of shifting space from vehicles to people.

“We’re working hard to deliver an ambitious programme of measures to make it easier to walk, cycle and wheel while maintaining physical distancing, and we’re receiving a great response to the changes which happened so far.

“As we begin to gradually emerge from lockdown our next focus will be on supporting businesses to reopen by creating welcoming, safe spaces for people to spend time and visit cafes, bars and restaurants, shops and other services.

“We have been liaising with the Federation of Small Business, Chamber of Commerce and local business associations where possible throughout this process and will look to respond positively where possible to support local traders.”