The opening of the St James Quarter is one of the most highly anticipated events in Edinburgh after the St James Centre closed its doors for redevelopment in 2016.

Originally, the St James Quarter was going to open in the latter half of 2020 – but with the impact of the coronavirus, is this still the case?

This is everything you need to know about the St James Quarter, from the shops and restaurants confirmed to be included in the centre, to when it will be opening to the public.

What stores will there be?

The new St James Quarter shopping centre boasts many big name clothing brands, with over 80 shops for members of the public to browse through.

Clothing stores include Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Russell & Bromley and Hackett.

Other stores include ones that already have branches in Edinburgh, such as H&M, Zara, Next, New Look and JD Sports.

Bershka, & Other Stories, Stradivarius, Mango, Pull & Bear and Joe Browns have also all been confirmed to have stores in the new shopping centre.

Stores specialising in accessories and jewellery include Sunglass Hut, Breitling and Omega Boutique, Pandora, Goldsmiths, Perfume shop and Rituals.

Health and beauty stores include Boots, Superdrug and the Body Shop.

While the John Lewis store that was attached to the old St James Centre didn’t close during the refurbishment, it will enjoy an expanded store once the St James Quarter opens.

Other retailers include the likes of mobile phone store Three and O2, banking with the Halifax Bank of Scotland, the Lego Store and Miele, a German manufacturer specialising in home appliances like vacuum cleaners, ovens, washing machines and everything else.

There will also be a Hotel Chocolat as well for all of your chocolate needs.

What restaurants will there be?

Several restaurants have been confirmed for the new shopping centre.

Bonnie & Wild will boast a 16,600 sq ft artisanal food hall on the fourth floor of the new building in a “first of its kind” contract.

It will consist of restaurant operators alongside fresh and packaged food and drink from a variety of artisan butchers, fishmongers, grocers, cheesemongers, chocolatiers and bakeries, and three unique bar concepts.

Visitors will be able to taste flights of whisky, purchase freshly carved salmon and experience Highland stalking in a virtual shooting range.

The Alchemist is a creative cocktail bar and restaurant serving up breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner selections, as well as a huge selection of cocktails made by their specially trained mixologist bartenders.

Five Guys offers up American style burgers and fries and @pizza specialises in all things pizza, letting customers customise their pizza with a huge range of toppings.

Yo! Sushi had initially secured a spot in the shopping centre, however, Martin Perry, director of development for the project, said that the restaurant would not be able to take up its unit due to financial issues triggered by Covid-19.

What entertainment venues will there be?

Included in the lineup for the St James Quarter is a five-screen Everyman Cinema offering conference facilities as well as films.

It will screen everything from mainstream to independent and classic films.

This will be the first Everyman Cinema in Edinburgh, and the five screen theatre will offer a unique moviegoing experience in keeping with the Everyman Cinema brand.

Whilst watching a movie, customers can also enjoy a range of food and drink and comfortable sofa style seating.

What hotels will there be?

There will be a Roomzzz Aparthotel on the premises which will provide 75 rooms which are suitable for guests to stay anywhere from a night to a whole year.

Roomzzz Aparthotels is a luxury service which combines the style of a classy hotel with the convenience of a services apartment.

In addition to this, there will also be a W Hotel with its distinctive “ribbon” exterior and 244 bedrooms.

The hotel will have a rooftop bar, outdoor terrace, spa, restaurant and event space. It will be the second W Hotel in the UK.

When will St James Quarter open?

Originally, the shops in the project were due to open in October of this year, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, this opening has been postponed.

Instead, everything in the St James Quarter is set to open soon after Easter 2021, except from the W Hotel, which is scheduled for 2022.