Grand Cafe Edinburgh in Edinburgh, City of

The Grand Cafe has beautiful decor and a superb location, thank you to our waitress Deborah; a friendly welcome and service with a smile!

Excellent afternoon tea with lovely atmosphere and staff Debonah and Neda very attentive Thank you Very impressive savoury and sweet Took some home!

Deborah was our server and she was excellent, very polite and a great server. The service here was incredible and so was the food, would definitely come again if I was in the area.

It was really delicious and fast! We had a great time. Our server Deborah was very kind and very good. We would absolutely come here again :)

The food was amazing. My server Deborah was super sweet and friendly. Helped us understand new scottish items and such. Thanks again!

Yihong & Fiona were amazing i would definitely come back again.

Wonderful place for afternoon tea. Tasteful dishes and nice atmosphere. Our waitress Abbie was really friendly and thoughtful.

We saw the lovely Scotsman hotel and went in for dinner in the evening. Fabulous live music! Lovely service by Irina too. Thank you.

We had a lovely time and shanel was very kind and helpful.

Went for dinner on 22nd December. It's a nice building in a good location but the experience was very poor. It seemed like the serving staff were scared to ask anything of the kitchen. In response to any question about the menu they said "I'll ask the kitchen" but from the tone and body languange it felt like they were bracing to be shouted at. This wasn't any particular person but seemed across everyone we saw at our table and the tables near us. If the serving staff were trained to know the menu better then this might help a little but the problem seemed to stem from either poor management or someone running the kitchen not being happy. My daughter ordered the Crudites as a starter. Now this should be a range of finely sliced veg with the hummus dip, but what came was just some bread with hummus. When we asked about the veg we got the typical resigned "I'll ask the kitchen" and they came back with an unpeeled carrot that someone had roughly hacked up! It was so bad that we actually laughed when we saw it. Other food ranged from poor to fine, nothing great. We noticed other tables around us having similar issues, with half a table getting their food and having to ask when the others were coming with the sighs and "I'll ask the kitchen". It really seemed like there was some major disconnect between the kitchen and waiting staff, or that they were just being treated badly so that there morale was very low leading to a very poor atmosphere. As a result we didn't stay for dessert.

shanel was amazzziiiiiing! great food

Shanmuka was amazing! Thank you for such great service.

Beautiful place and great service by Shanmukh

I have been to Edinburgh 5x and I come here every time for high tea. Our server Shanel was amazing and too much fun.

Great service by shanmukh will be back

Food was good and shanel was great!

Shannel was amazing, very good service and atmosphere:)

We were just having a glass of wine but found the service and ambience top class. Particular thanks to Shanmukh who was really charming and helpful and to another gentleman staff member who found my gloves for me which I had left earlier.

Came here for some food and drinks and couldnt have had better service from Emma Rose and the other! Great service and a good laugh also. Food and drinks where also amazing. Worth a drop in if you are passing

This is a very honest review of the lunch I experienced yesterday (2nd Feb). I had very high expectations of this restaurant based on various pictures and reviews I had seen. My wife and I were greeted well and shown to our table and unfortunately went all downhill from there. We both ordered the Cullen Skink for starters but only one arrived. After a few minutes it was apparent that they had forgotten one so I asked if it was on its way? No explanation as to why there was a delay was given, nor was there an apology. Obviously the waiter had just put one on the till instead of two. Easy mistake to make and all would have been forgiven if only there was the slightest communication from the waiting staff. When mine finally came it looked very different from the one that came previously. One lacked any liquid and reflected more a broth in texture, the other was swimming in liquid. I will attach pictures to show. For my wife’s main course, she ordered the vegetarian hot pot which on the menu said included seitan (protein made from wheat). When she asked the waiter upon ordering if the dish was good, he replied “I’m not sure as I don’t eat meat”. Hello, the dish is vegetarian! The waiter should know the menu he is serving to his customers. When the main came, my wife noticed there was no seitan in the dish, therefore we notified the manager who didn’t even know what it was as he responded “yes there is finely chopped sage in there”. We said “no, not sage, seitan” and he had a very blank expression indicting he had no clue either what the ingredient was that was supposed to be an integral part of the dish. The manager disappeared for 5 minutes to then come back and tell us due to the six nations there was a supply issue. The six nations wasn’t even on that weekend due to the two week break so hardly a valid excuse. Being in the industry myself, the first thing a restaurant manager should do is ask the chef if anything is off the menu today, because if they don’t know, then the customer certainly won’t know either. The atmosphere was completely ruined so we asked for the bill. The waiter took 10% off the bill for the wait on the starters but still had the gall to charge us £22 for a vegetarian hotpot that missed the main ingredient. We expressed our disappointment about this and it was removed. It is a shame as this place looks beautiful and the company has clearly invested money into the restaurant but a restaurants biggest asset will always be their staff and I did not witness anything that day to merit me wanting to return. Service needs to be the main focus here, and if the “manager” spent less time dancing at the bar whilst waiting for drinks and more time overseeing the restaurant, it might have half a chance in succeeding.

Great service by shanmukh will be back

We had the lovely Shanmukh serving us for our Sunday Roast. The best roast I have had and wonderful service. Friendly and attentive but not overbearing! Halfway through our booking there was a pianist and singer that started performing which created a really lovely ambiance. Highly recommend.

Shanmukh was amazing! Provided great service and the food was incredible!

Shanu was great and I really enjoyed the food. Chilled atmosphere with prompt service.

Shanmukh has been incredibly attentive all evening and has been a pleasure :)

The staff is very friendly. The food was very good. Not too expensive Also the toilets were amazing and very clean so i had a great day

The staff was friendly. The toilet was very clean and the cafe is nicely furnished.

Very luxurious decor and attentive staff. Food and drinks were excellent

Been fo afternoon tea and was bit of disapointment. Food was dry and bit tesless

Food and service very good , friendly staff especially Shanmukh who was attentive.

Gorgeous! Stopped for a light lunch and were blown away by the beauty of the Cafe. Shanmukh was an amazing server and made us laugh. Oh and the food? CHEF'S KISS. Try out the Grand Cafe at The Scotsman if you can!

Wonderful place, beautiful view, and stunning food (and drinks). Our server, Shanmukh, was professional, personable, and funny in equal measure. Would recommend and will definitely be visiting again. Try the Malt & Mango :D.

Elegant coffee. To waste time. Magnificent attention and decoration.

We past by this posh looking restaurant. Menu is reasonably priced. I really enjoyed the Venison stew and Liqueur Coffee here. Will be back for the coffee in one of the afternoon!

Excellent atmosphere, great service and the food was very tasty. Sam was our server and he was very attentive to our needs.

Shanuk gave us one of the best experiences of our life for afternoon tea

Came here for afternoon tea and was amazing. The food the atmosphere and the service was great! Shanmukh served us and was very kind and attentive throughout our meal! Would definitely come back again!

Live music and good food, what else do you need

Well worth a visit Sam waited on us was excellent

We have a lovely dinner at the Grand Cafeé! Amazing food, ambiance and excellent service from our host Sam.

Wonderful experience last night! Ordered from the A La Carte menu - Lamb Rump and The Scallops - Both perfect. Excellent service from Abbie and Sev? (Think that was his name) . Great atmosphere with the Pianist playing upstairs. Will be back!!

Quiet evening but a lovely venue nonetheless, only criticism was a bit chilly and draughty it was a cold night. Sam who served us was very helpful and attentive we had a good conversation with him he is a real asset to you

Not a busy evening but a lovely location and setting. It was a bit cold but a chilly evening outside, turn up the heating maybe? On the other hand Sam who served us was excellent very helpful

Very Nice restaurant and friendly staff. Food was delicious. Sam was great, very friendly, gave us some information about the city and where to visit.

Amazing Experience at Grand Café Edinburgh! Delicious food, a great atmosphere, and outstanding service! A special thanks to Sam, who was incredibly kind, friendly, and welcoming. Highly recommend and will definitely be back!

Ambiance and atmosphere of a cozy coffee house, paired with a creative menu and great service. The waitress Sam in particular was attentive, polite and a real help when choosing food or drinks. The whole place is an oasis to relax and find peace between the hustle and bustle of a city trip.

Central location, beautiful classic interior, very good food and wine. Sam and Emma provided first class service.

Couple of weeks ago I and my family stayed in Scotsman hotel what a place really loved it such an impressive interior with rich heritage giving extraordinary vibes will be back soon especial shout out to shanmkii she was so sweet had suggested few drinks which was so good

Fish and chips were too soggy, burger is not extraordinary and Lamb is meh at best. Wouldn’t recommend for anything other than a drink.

Place was so beautiful. Service was great and food was delicious!

Sam the waiter was really friendly with all of us same as the rest!

Perfect afternoon tea, thanks Deborah!

Great service by Shanmukh loved him will be back

Our waiter Shanmukh was super lovely and helpful!

Great food great service and a great atmosphere, but mostly I was impressed with the luxurious entrance to the toilets , as puctured

Super nice and well located place with an amazing decor. Staff was competent and friendly. Veggie burger wasn’t good unfortunately, weirdly sweet sauce and chewy meat substitute. The lamb plate was very good aswell as the fries ! Recommend for a drink, tea or coffee.

We celebrated a birthday at Grand Café, and Shanmakh made it an unforgettable experience! From the moment we arrived, Shanmakh went above and beyond to ensure everything was perfect. Their warm and attentive service truly made us feel special. Shanmakh paid attention to every detail, from personalized touches to thoughtful recommendations that elevated the meal. They had a genuine smile, impeccable timing, and made the celebration feel unique and magical. The care and professionalism Shanmakh displayed turned our evening into a cherished memory. If you’re visiting Grand Café, make sure to ask for Shanmakh—you won’t be disappointed. Thank you for making our birthday celebration so wonderful!

Shammukh was amazing service and very friendly will be back soon

Thanx for the service sam and adi! We loved it! 🥰 💍👩‍❤️‍👨

Great food with excellent atmosphere… the best moment is the live music with a piano… super recommended

We really enjoyed the atmosphere, the decor, and the history of the venue. We have often visited this venue when we have been in Edinburgh. The food was delicious. They met our individual dietary needs. The service was a bit slow at times. The waitress was very friendly and professional. We will visit again the next time we are in Edinburgh.

Popped in to what looked a beautiful cafe. We selected two boozy hot chocolates, one with amaretto and one with Mozart. When they finally arrived the waitress got them the wrong way round, and they were barely warm. To top it all another waitress walked past after having just passed wind..which kind of sums up our experience!

The local fish soup is highly recommended. The sandwiches from 12 p.m. are also very tasty. Very cozy place. Irina did an awesome job. ❤️

Booked the afternoon tea for my daughter’s birthday. Had told them when making the booking it was for her birthday and they said, no problem, there were extra bday related things they would add in, table decorations etc. On the day there was nothing bday related, even rang them up and asked on the day. Food and drink was great but unfortunately the lack of promised decorations was a let down.

We wanted to enjoy our afternoon tea here. Unfortunately you have to pre-order this. So there was only café and tea. Nice atmosphere but nothing more. Too bad. There are much better cafes and tearooms in Edinburgh.

Shanmukh was amazing server will be back

Very glad we dined at the Grand Cafe. We were walk-in’s for dinner the first night and liked it so much that we decided to come back for brunch the next day. The restaurant was fully booked for dinner when we arrived but the Maitre d’ showed us to a “spare” table and took our order himself. The dining space was beautiful and the food comparable. Some highlights: mussels, Jerusalem artichoke hot pot, and Scottish Pancakes at breakfast.

Great service by shanmukh will Be back

What a fantastic setting, the decor and tables are fantastic, however, the service was terrible. We arrived around 13:00hrs, in a great mood and excited to be at the Grand cafe, as we had heard such great things about it. Then it went down hill very quickly and did not get any better until we left to come home. We got seated, asked about allergies, no offer or request if we wanted drinks. I advised her no fish for me, but others were fine with fish. We had to ask to order drinks, the order was taken. She explained Savoury then sweet. The Savoury arrived, minus the fish for me, but no alternative on the plate, Our drinks arrived, the ones we ordered plus the bubbly. The cocktails were delivered in normal glasses, were of poor quality and tasted off, not what we have had before. The bubbly, filled 1/3 of a glass, was flat and warm. We had to ask for water, the gent brought it, filled each glass then took the jug away?? After the Savoury, we waited well over 30 mins, then had to ask about the sweat part, which was eventually brought. No plate was brought, so we asked, and they brought saucers?? We also had to ask for cutlery as well. During our visit, no one came near the table, we had too always tried and get their attention, then they just came, and went, no request for more drinks, if everything was ok or any other type of interaction. Added to this there was an elderly gent and two older ladies, who attempted to pay their bill, asking more than three times for the bill, we asked after them and by the time we paid and left, he was still waiting. Overall, if I was to score out of five, I would give the experience a 1.5, yet the potential was there for 5 out of 5, with just a little effort and customer focused staff.

The food was great and Yihong was especially great. Fantastic service

Great service by shanmukh loved him

Shanmuck was great. He looked after us throughout and made us feel very welcome.

Shanmukh provided brilliant service, we had a lovely afternoon tea and will come back soon.

Shanu was amazing !! Loved him so much 🫶 he made our day

Shanmukah was a great waiter! A great dinner to celebrate Christmas Eve together.

Food was soooo salty. Even the salad. Great atmosphere and served by Sam who was fantastic. But out steak, salad, mussels was soo salty and burger dry

My mum and I had lovely liquor coffees and cake - we were served by Marla, Amelia and Sam, who gave us a great experience and made sure we were enjoying the superb atmosphere of Grand Cafe. Will definitely be back!

Shanu was epic! Very polite and full of banter

Stunning restaurant with great service from our two great servers Lara and Maggie, made the experience very enjoyable, quick service and great energy. Made my day a little brighter, atmosphere is gorgeous. Would highly recommend

lovely atmosphere and good food! Our servers Lara and Maggie were quick with helping us and were very enthusiastic, really showcased the positive vibe of the cafe. They really made my day. Would recommend.

Shanmukh was just the perfect person to make our anniversary special a great place to have afternoon tea

Absolutely shocking service! Went for after work drinks. We had table booked from 5, only 6 of us in middle of bar. First round ordered, fine. Time goes on, our glasses empty, staff just keep walking past eyeing our table, not checking on us or clearing glasses. Clocked 4 men in suite and around 8/9 servers not including barmen. Venue had few dinners but was not busy at all. Lots of wondering bodies. Felt we had to wait till someone made eye contact to ask for more drinks. Which took an age to come to table. And again for 3rd round and again when asking for bill. Took almost 30 minutes from asking for bill to paying it. We were there 3 hours, had the service been attentive and of standard they could have made more money from us with more drinks or offering food or nibbles. Such a shame for such a gorgeous venue which I’m sure attracts a lot of tourists and people passing to be let down by any form of customer engagement. Put a real dampener on our evening.

shamukh was a great server will be back

A very nice Scottish restaurant in the heart of Edinburgh. The afternoon tea consisted of great handmade sandwiches, cakes and cakes. Since a visit to a restaurant in Scotland is generally a bit more expensive, the price and performance are completely okay here. Dinner is after this afternoon tea no longer necessary. We would be happy to come back.

Shanmukh provided great service and very friendly.

Visited for the second time this weekend and both times the service has been beyond abysmal. Orders don't arrive, basic requests for cutlery, glasses etc aren't taken care of. There's a lot of staff in the restaurant, but in this case doesn't indicate attentive service. The food is nice and the venue is beautiful, but really needs to invest in staff training

Brutal! Very nice place and great food. They made a mistake... totally human and they more than compensated us on the bill. Super friendly waiters and manager. The Angus burger is delicious and the price is right. A 10.

Shanmukh was great great cocktail will be back

Shanmukh Was really great his service Was top notch

Great service by Shanmukh will be back

Had a wonderful meal and recieved terrific service from Sam. Recommend highly. No photos because I ate it all….

I haven't tried the food, but it is a very nice cafeteria, worth a stop even if it's just for a coffee

Gréât service by shanmukh has very best recommendation for whiskey loved it

Great service by sassy witty shanmukh he was gem server will be back

We had the fabulous dinner and service from Shanmukh. Wonderful evening!

Shanmuta & yihong did a nice job in Service. Thanks

Shanmukh was very helpful and friendly.

Nice atmosphere, friendly staffs, and delicious food, Sam gave us really good service.

Beautiful restaurant. Venison stew and fish and chips was amazing. Service was awesome, Sam was very friendly, he even helped us scoot in the very cozy chairs 😊.

The place is very nice, the food is very good and Sam, the waiter, was very friendly and helpful.