Abandoned Edinburgh restaurant of 'disappearing Armenian cook' joins the market

Edinburgh Live

20-06-2025

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An abandoned Edinburgh restaurant that is 'shrouded in mystery' has been put up for sale.
The historic building at 55 Abbeyhill dates back to 1896, when it was designed for use as a police station. It closed in 1932, and was owned by a church until the '80s.
The derelict structure had a second (or third) life as an Armenian restaurant. An elusive eatery, entry was 'notoriously gaurded' - and the spot was found only by rumour or word of mouth.
The owner, and cook, was a man who liked to be known simply as Peter. His restaurant, however, had a more extensive honorific - Aghtamar Lake Van Monastery in Exile - though locals labelled it simply 'The Armenian Restaurant'.
Edinburgh resident Jo Spiller ate at the restaurant in 2010. She told the BBC: "I heard about it from friends, who heard about it from friends, and it was so difficult to book. My friend thinks he was calling a public phone box to make a reservation."
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Out of nowhere, Peter disappeared in 2012. The restaurant, which has sat empty for over a decade, closed down.
Having become a well-known figure in Edinburgh, residents were left perplexed. This was until 2021, when a segment on BBC's The Nine set out to find him - and it didn't take long.
They found Peter had owned an Armenian rug shop, which was also in a derelict state. They ended up leaving a note for Peter, who agreed to meet them. Speaking to The Nine, he said: "People were so keen, I couldn't control the numbers.
"Some nights we had guests in the three figures, people would bring chairs from home for more seating."
As it turns out, Peter had been in Edinburgh the whole time. A robbery at the restaurant had seen all of his priceless Armenian antiques stolen.
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Peter was distraught, and simply shut the eatery down and retreated from the public eye.
Allied Surveyors Scotland's head of commercial agency Iain Mercer said: "'For years people have driven past these properties and often wondered about their past and, indeed, their availability.
"As such, we anticipate they will pique the interest of domestic and international buyers such is their rich and colourful history. Whilst preserving their historic interest, the buildings would now lend themselves to a range of potential uses such as residential, gallery, museum, brewing or restaurant."
Now, the B listed property is on the market. offers over £500,000 are being sought.