New restaurant fit-out proposed for 92 George Street

A prominent unit on George Street could be turned into a new restaurant under a listed building consent application now lodged with the City of Edinburgh Council.

The proposal is for 92 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 3DF, on one of the New Town’s busiest commercial streets. The plans include stripping out the existing unit, carrying out alterations, fitting it out for restaurant use, redecorating the existing shopfront and installing new signage.

The application is marked as awaiting assessment, meaning it has been received and validated by the council but has not yet reached a decision.

What is proposed

The application describes a package of works to create a new restaurant within the existing unit at 92 George Street.

The main elements are:

• strip-out of the existing unit;
• internal alterations;
• a new restaurant fit-out;
• redecoration of the existing shopfront;
• installation of new signage.

Because the application is for listed building consent, the focus is on works affecting a listed building rather than only the commercial use of the space. Listed building consent is normally required where alterations could affect the character of a listed building, including certain internal works, shopfront changes and signage.

The current description does not name a restaurant operator or brand. It also does not set out opening hours, seating numbers or a construction timetable.

The site

92 George Street sits in the heart of Edinburgh’s city centre, on the north side of the New Town’s main retail and hospitality corridor.

George Street has long been one of Edinburgh’s most visible commercial addresses, with shops, restaurants, bars, offices and visitor-facing businesses occupying much of the street frontage between St Andrew Square and Charlotte Square.

Any change to a shopfront on George Street is likely to be noticeable because of the street’s high footfall and its role as part of the New Town’s formal street grid. The combination of restaurant fit-out, redecoration and signage means the proposal would be seen both by people passing along the pavement and by neighbouring businesses.

The address is also within a sensitive city-centre setting where building fabric, frontages and signage are often closely considered through the planning process.

Why it matters

This is not a large redevelopment, but it is a worth-watching application because it concerns a visible unit on one of Edinburgh’s most important commercial streets.

For residents and nearby occupiers, the key interest is the potential arrival of another food and drink use on George Street. Restaurants can bring more evening activity, more customers and a different pattern of servicing compared with some retail or office uses. The application description, however, is limited to the physical works and fit-out, so operational details are not set out in the headline proposal.

For neighbouring businesses, the shopfront and signage changes may be the most immediately visible part of the application. George Street’s frontages form part of the street’s identity, and even relatively modest redecoration or signage can affect how a unit presents itself at pavement level.

For people interested in heritage and city-centre design, the listed building consent route is significant. It means the council will assess whether the proposed works are appropriate for the building’s listed status, including the impact of internal alterations, shopfront treatment and signage on the building’s character.

For the wider city centre, the proposal is another sign of continuing movement in Edinburgh’s prime commercial streets. George Street has seen a mix of retail, hospitality and leisure uses over recent years, and applications of this type show how individual units continue to be adapted for new occupiers.

What happens next

The application was received and validated on 18 May 2026. Its current status is awaiting assessment.

The City of Edinburgh Council will assess the listed building consent application before issuing a decision. People who want to examine the plans, drawings and any supporting material can search the council’s planning portal using the address or reference number.

The planning reference is 26/02115/LBC.

The application can be found on the City of Edinburgh Council planning portal by searching for 92 George Street Edinburgh EH2 3DF or 26/02115/LBC.