The Tea Rooms at Edinburgh Castle in Edinburgh, City of

This was a gift for my husband’s 70th birthday how do you tell them how bad it was as it was meant as a treat,We got there early as it stated to be there 30 minutes beforehand we got turned away twice despite it pouring down with rain, eventually got seated only to wait 30 minutes before being served. Everything was pretty tasteless,you couldn’t get more tea or coffee only the one pot the jam and cream was barely enough for one scone but they wouldn’t give you any extra we were the only Scottish people in dread to think what the forgien visitors thought of this experience.

Booked a table for four online beforehand for the afternoon tea and they were lovely in letting us be seated prior to our reservation start time since we got there early. Note that you buy this experience when you purchase tickets for the castle. It’s good for big groups as well as small parties. You get your choice of a nonalcoholic beverage as well as a generous supply of sandwiches and pastries. We had an amuse-bouche of watermelon and feta which was interesting and tasty. My favorite sandwich was with the smoked salmon. I had the English breakfast tea and they provide a lot of sugar and milk on the side.

Booked a table for four online beforehand for the afternoon tea and they were lovely in letting us be seated prior to our reservation start time since we got there early. Note that you buy this experience when you purchase tickets for the castle. It’s good for big groups as well as small parties. You get your choice of a nonalcoholic beverage as well as a generous supply of sandwiches and pastries. We had an amuse-bouche of watermelon and feta which was interesting and tasty. My favorite sandwich was with the smoked salmon. I had the English breakfast tea and they provide a lot of sugar and milk on the side.

My friends and I had a wonderful visit to the castle and an incredible afternoon tea. Jaime was so nice to us and his sister was our server. What a perfect day we all had.

Delicious afternoon tea in a beautiful place. Friendly and helpful staff.

The entire tea room experience was phenomenal! Jaime made the day with his sense of humor and local knowledge. He was super professional, very informative, and just made the whole experience! Would absolutely do this experience again!

Please do not waste your money on afternoon tea here! There’s so many other amazing places in Edinburgh to go. We went here last week and it was awful! The customer service is poor, we was sat in a cold room with no atmosphere. None of the tables around us had been cleared and was all still full of dirty pots despite it not being busy and staff available to clean them. We found hairs on both sets of scones and when we told the manager about this although she did replace them she did not apologise or try to offer us anything to make the experience any better. It sounds like it would be a really good experience but it isn’t and definitely not worth the £39 they charge for below average food & experience! Such a shame as they could have something great there to add to a fabulous day around the castle.

The food was very meh, the service was absolutely terrible, the staff had zero interest in customers and we saw several people having to call out to staff or follow them in order to make food or drink requests, despite the hall having maybe 4 other tables in during our visit, it took over half an hour for a cup of tea to be bought, 40 minutes for the pre-made sandwiches to be bought out, and when we queried the gin that was supposed to come with our meal the waitress tutted and said we should have ordered this when we first sat down....none of this was communicated with us at any point at all.very disappointed as this was supposed to be a treat and in such a beautiful landmark.

We booked our high tea at Edinburgh Castle as soon as we knew we were visiting Scotland. Later on we learnt of the high tea we could enjoy after our tour of Holyrood Palace so we booked that in as well. So glad we did! The Castle experience was SUCH a disappointment. Cracked cups, dried out savoury items, poor service, plain place settings, limited milk options & dull surroundings…not worth the price at all! If you want a lovely high tea do not go to Edinburgh Castle. We were very happy with our Holyrood Palace High Tea experience though!

Make sure you make a reservation separately from the castle reservation several days in advance or you won’t get to dine

Many thanks to the professional & friendly staff for such a wonderful afternoon tea. Served in good portions, and tastes amazing, I would highly recommend this experience.

I went to see Edinburgh Castle and have afternoon tea. The atmosphere was really nice and the view out the window was great. For me, who likes bread, the portion wasn't that much and was just right. I ate everything and left. The person in charge of us was very kind and came in the middle. You asked me this and that, and anyway, you were so kind. I think I felt better haha

Quiet (bright and very spacious) retreat in the castle. Advance booking required - that's a good thing: when the crowds outside increase, you'll find a quiet spot here with enough time to enjoy your high tea.

Loved the afternoon tea in the castle, served in a lovely room with things to read whilst we waited. We went a bit earlier than the time we booked and they said no problem as it wasn't busy. We were the only people in the room. The afternoon tea was absolutely beautiful done by the chefs there, such quality food and the best taste. Wonderful service too and the best afternoon tea we've had. Thank you 😊

I was there with my partner and his friend and had an appointment for Afternoon tea that we had paid for in advance. We got there about ten minutes before, so that we would have time to go to the toilet before. We got in quickly and were shown to a table, but then it took time. People who came after us got to order (you were supposed to order drinks), but not us. After about half an hour, my partner went and told the master of the court (or whatever position she had). Then it would have been missed and we would immediately get help. Soon after, a waiter...came to the table next to us...and I heard him being very attentive and mentioned something about them having to wait so long. Then he had gone to the wrong table and those sitting at that table had just arrived there. 😡 Well...finally a waitress came to our table anyway, but I think she should have told us more about how the Afternoon tea worked since we've never been to it before. The only thing she did was ask what we wanted to drink, like. Then we got our tea and Prosecco, but after that it took a long time until we got some pastries etc. Our tea got cold before we got what we wanted. Well ... the pastries/snacks were pretty good anyway. But I think they should have compensated us somehow for the lousy opening.

A truly beautiful experience inside the castle, worth the - high - price requested. Elegant environment and top notch staff. From sweet to savory, excellent quality raw materials, well cooked and presented. All the tea you want is included in the afternoon tea, excellent; other extra drinks for a fee. I would definitely go back.

Wae were expecting a castle feel/atmosphere for afternoon tea , instead a standard type tea room within the castle ground (the courtyard right next to the tea room has the castle experience). The food was nicely presented, some hit and miss dishes. The scones with clotted cream were very nice (wished a bit more cream) Service was fine.

Very cool experience after touring the castle grounds. Highly recommend. Must book in advance.

Sadly the Christmas Afternoon Tea was disappointing. The hot chocolates we had were already barely warm when we got them and quickly became cold. While that's not surprising given that the room isn't particularly warm (it is a castle after all), pre-warming the cups and serving the drink promptly might have kept them warm a bit longer (and not keeping leaving the doors open would have helped). It seems like it was perhaps a cheap hot chocolate mix based on the taste, plus there was a mix up with our drinks order. For £50, what you get for the afternoon tea isn't much, the Brie in the half a tiny brioche bun definitely wasn't freshly cut and some of the cakes/the mince pie contained alcohol, which my girlfriend doesn't like. Confusingly, there were prices listed for the hot drinks and it wasn't clear that, as we found out, it was actually included in our package. Good points: was that the scones were very nice, and the staff were friendly. Edit: I'd agree with another review: you had to flag down staff, and perhaps they were not so experienced in hospitality. Edited 6 months later for spelling and grammar correction - review relates to Christmas 2023.

The tourist map "Edinburgh Castle site map" shows toilets on the territory of the fortress. One of the toilets is listed in The Tea Rooms. But the staff at the entrance said that this toilet is only for restaurant customers. And the only toilet for clients of the fortress is at the beginning of the route through the fortress. Either remove the toilet from the map, or let everyone in.

On the visitors map there is a toilet marked here. But they don’t allow you to use it for until you go to the restaurant. Tea starts from 39£ per person. So you pay to enter the castle and are not allowed to use the toilet.

Food and drinks were great! Wish we got a view with tea 🥲 for the price I felt we deserved a good view but we were just inside a great hall. The tea selection was decent, I got the Mango strawberry and added nothing to it, it was very good. My husband got a vanilla cappuccino and said it was good as well The Scones were a bit too dry for me. The sandwiches were the best part! Salmon Avocado on rye Chicken curry on white Egg salad on a bun Quiche Tomato Mozzarella basil bruschetta The desserts were lack luster, none of them were my favorite Orange macaroon Toffee pudding cake Banana tartlet Strawberry tart with vanilla pudding

We loved this tea experience. We arrived an hour early for our reservations, cold and hungry. Host Jamie was incredibly welcoming and he was able to accommodate us. Then our server Caitlin was prompt, efficient, patient and knowledgeable. Both employees were very inquisitive regarding any food allergies, which I appreciated. The drinks were served promptly. The food arrived in a timely manner, and was plentiful and delicious. This was an excellent experience for our very first visit to Edinburgh. We hope to return one day!

A disappointing experience. When paying a premium for afternoon tea, you expect a premium experience. Sandwiches were either soggy or dry and the cakes weren’t fresh. The scones were dry and like rocks. After our disappointment we decided to have a Prosecco in the bar. They had obviously run out so there was a long wait for our drinks. When the wine came it wasn’t chilled. Come on Edinburgh Castle - you should do better for the price you charge.

The tea service was an absolute delight and well worth the cost. The tea tower was simply beautiful and delicious, accompanied with lovely tea. It was a great reprieve after exploring the castle and was such a treat. Reservations required.

Great experience of the afternoon english tea. Pre-booking is required. The food is average, i waited 20 min to get my table ready although i came as per my appointment. i was expecting it has view either to the castle or the city, but it was inside the dress room of the queen.

I would recommend treating yourself to the tea with gin or Prosecco package. We had such a wonderful time! The food was delicious and the experience was a great way to escape the crowds.

Lovely to be able to sit and relax after a morning exploring the castle. The tea room is pretty and relaxed and the actual afternoon tea is delicious as was the the gin and tonic. Most of the staff were lovely, however one young man was, whilst not rude, was on the verge of it. Apart from that it was a lovely afternoon.

only accessible after reservation.

We visited the castle in mid April. My husband surprised me with afternoon tea at the tea rooms and I’m happy he did. Caitlin was our server and she was so amazing! I have told everyone about how friendly, helpful, and just a delight she was….She made our first full day in Scotland a memorable one. Also I cannot have milk but really wanted the full afternoon tea experience so she chatted with the chefs to be sure what would work best for me. The hot chocolate, tea, sandwiches, and deserts were all delicious! My husband tried the whisky flight and he said it was good as well. Wish I could remember the name of the middle one…I may need to call and find out because it was quite tasty and it’s quite rare for me to find one I like. We highly recommend making a reservation when you visit the castle. It was perfect to visit right after the castle’s guided tour.

We pre-booked a party of 6 for the Queen Anne room during the holiday season and while the atmosphere was lovely, the whole experience was quite disappointing--especially considering how much we were paying. They thought the booking was only for 5 so we were at a pretty small table and they didn't seem prepared for us at all. The food and tea took ages to come, almost laughably so. Luckily the alcohol came pretty fast, I think we had 2 drinks before any food arrived. We asked several times for water and even had to ask a few different servers before some was brought out to us. I would suggest going to another spot for high tea as this doesn't seem worth the price tag.

I recently visited Edinburgh castle and I went to "The TeaRooms at Edinburgh castle" with my wife and daughter and unfortunately, our experience left much to be desired. Upon arrival, we were hoping to enjoy a pleasant afternoon tea, but instead, we were met with blatant discrimination. Despite being the first customers to arrive, the waitress informed us that there were no available tables. However, moments later, a British couple walked in, and without hesitation, the waitress offered to find them a table. It was evident that our ethnicity played a role in her decision-making process, which was deeply disappointing and unacceptable. As a customer, I value equality and fair treatment for all individuals, regardless of their background. Discrimination has no place in any establishment, and it's disheartening to encounter such behavior in a supposedly welcoming environment. I urge "The TeaRooms at Edinburgh castle" to take immediate action to address and prevent instances of discrimination within their establishment. Every customer deserves to be treated with respect and fairness, regardless of their race or ethnicity. I hope that by sharing my experience, "The TeaRooms at Edinburgh castle" will take the necessary steps to ensure that all customers are treated equally and that incidents like these are not repeated in the future.

I had booked an afternoon tea for my birthday That day I was informed that the tea had to take place at a different location due to construction work It can happen, but: Unfortunately, unfortunately the new location didn't do this special event justice It had something of a fast food restaurant about it That's really a pity! I was so looking forward to this event 😢 But the tea (scones, etc.) was very good

Paid £110 for entrance with afternoon tea with prosecco. Room was moved due to renovation so was seated in with people having drinks and crisps. I asked for no fish we got 2 finger sandwich and 2 cheese puffs i asked for another sandwich as only had 2 she took away came back 3 fingers but chef took 1 cheese puff back. Nowhere near enough jam and cream for scones tea was like dishwater and 1 pot forgotten. My friend was told only 1 coffee allowed!!!! What a joke for £110 said she would have to pay £3 for another...please do not have this tea absolute rip off. Ive had many many many teas and this was by far the worst! Looked forward to having tea inEdinburgh Castle for years and was upset and disappointed. Staff didnt seem to know anything. Rubbish

On 4th February 2024, my wife and I visited to Edinburgh Castle by using rewards of Edinburgh city resident. It was a nice experience. We were very lucky to have an afternoon tea at Queen Anne Room without booking. All staff were very kind. Afternoon Tea Sets were also very good. Thank you all.

🫖 Espectacular place to rest and enjoy how tea time was in this beautiful Castle. 🍰 Take a few minutes to enjoy the view and a good desert 💰 Good prices, good quality 🧑‍🍳 Great staff

I've been to other tea places in London, but this one in Edinburgh has been my favorite. Everything on the tea platter was great!! I definitely recommend it if you're going up into the Castle 🏰

Very nice and attentive staff. Questions about allergies and intolerances. It's best to book the table in advance with the entrance tickets to the castle. As many have already reported, it is a little chilly in the large hall, especially now in winter. The afternoon tea had a nice selection of small treats and was very filling. The tea was excellent.

The service was great, but for high tea, I was expecting some background music or a little more ambiance, the room was a little stark with a cold draft.

23 December weekday The amount of food was medium good. Christmas menu was good Mulled wine 88 Popcorn 40 Earl grey 83 Small crispy chestnut roulade 80 Turkey finger sandwich 75 Brie and cranberry brioche 80 Smoked salmon blini with caviar 81 cinnamon raisin scone 78 cold Plain scone 75 Cottage cream 78 Preserve 80 Mince pie 72/60sweet Pumpkin chacolate tart 83 /80sweet Macaron 80/90sweet Snowball 78/95sweet

Visited for a festive afternoon tea, food was nice but you're certainly paying the premium for the setting. Staff were all friendly but felt inexperienced, felt you had to flag someone down any time you needed anything and what's included etc wasn't very well explained. Overall a nice but clunky experience, not sure id rush back.

I don't know where I will start. Afternoon tea was really disgusting. All products were stale. All of them looked like wait outside for hours. Tea was not special. You can buy tea bag of afternoon tea at Lidl and prepare yourself at home. Anyway if you throw money to bin this is the best option.

We really enjoyed our high tea experience. I think the fact we were sitting having tea where once the Kings and Queens of Scotland were was just a fun feeling. Its a surreal moment to take in all the history as you sit right at the top of it all. Only downside is the room needs a little more something something. They could style and decorate the tea room to jazz up the experience a bit.

A really good time, selection is very tasty and filling. They could do with using quality teapots and cups. What about using China cups and saucers?. For the expensive price you pay it should be expected. An indoor market cafe uses better quality. Chairs could be more comfortable too.

Yea rooms looked inviting but the only option offered was afternoon tea at £35 per person for tea or coffee some small sandwiches and equally small cakes. On top of entry tickets this is just too expensive

Excellent! We pre-purchased the tea experience when we booked our tickets to the castle. We were pleasantly surprised to find that all hot drinks were included (including coffee and hot cocoa). The food selection was really good and covered a wide array of flavours. The service was a tad slow, but gave us more time for catching up and chatting. It was a bit cold in the room, so be sure to bring sweaters if you aren’t visiting in the summer. We did see another table with multiple children, who got a more child friendly version of the menu. It was nice to see this kind of establishment cater to younger kids!

Unsure what went wrong but I had to find a staff member after 40 mins to ask for our food. This was a pre booked high tea reservation and everyone else had their meals. Very disappointing as we were looking forward to the experience and at £50 a head it wasn’t cheap.

Afternoon tea is taken in a rather soulless room, the conservatory area looked rather nice if your seated there. The food was good, but as we'd already waited 45 mins for it after our reservation time surrounded by filthy tables and disinterested absent staff it took the enjoyment out of it a little, you'd do better having an afternoon tea elsewhere and having refreshments at the castles red coat cafe instead where the staff were prompt at serving and cleaning and very pleasant

エジンバラ城のお城内にあるアフタヌーンティー。予約は必須。城内を見てまわった後に アフタヌーンティーの時間を予約するのがベスト。セイボリー、スイーツ、マフィン全て美味しかった。アフタヌーンティーの会場は近代的なあしらいになっているが，お城の中でアフタヌーンティーを楽しんでいると思うだけで気分が上がる。

Yea at Edinburgh Castle was wonderful! Everything tasted amazing and the service was kind and thoughtful! Worth it!

The high tea was ok. The atmosphere of the room is not that great. The sandwiches tasted like they had been made many hours before. The scones were good but the cream... not that good. It was ok for the price but not the best.

If you ever wanted to have tea while lording over the peasantry, this is the place. Right royal it is.

Definitely an experience to do! The service was great and they accommodated my desire for no fish without issue. Very tasty and delicious! I never felt rushed and was well attended to (even by American standards). The only (very minor) critique is that there could have been more wall decoration in the room itself. Also, unrelated, this couple was letting their 2 girls run wild

Had the morning tea experience there, was expecting more of the place but it was a basic hall with limited view to the outside, service was average, wouldn’t recommend

A fun experience if you've never had British style afternoon tea before. Dress code is more casual than you would expect. Everything served was the highest quality.

Perfekt sted å ta en matbit mens man er å utforsker slottet.

Very good service. Great for experiencing what “Afternoon Tea” for the English is all about…

Enjoyable afternoon tea experience, overall impression was good but thought the service was a little lacking and disorganized. The server was not sure what all the items were on the tray of sweet and savory items when it was brought out. The tray was also missing the cotted cream and jam had to be brought out later. Noticed on the way out that all the other tables had sugar cubes in a bowl, ours did not and we were never asked if we needed any.

Very enjoyable lovely cup hot chocolate friendly staff

Wanted to try the English tea in a special atmosphere. The room totally gave royal vibes, especially with the queen's pictures and information. The tea wasn't that special, unfortunately. I thought maybe it would taste stronger or differently. Ordered the fruit scones with jam and cream and a loaf of lemon cake. Forgot to ask the waiter if it's Halal or not, so hopefully didn't do something wrong. I suggest they add a barcode outside the tea room that will take you to different videos about the tea room, the tea room etiquette, the options if they are vegan, vegetarian, halal, etc. In the end, the experience was nice, and the waiters were nice and cooperative.

Stopped here for a warm cup of hot chocolate and a scone. The scone was very good.

Food was decent, but service was disappointing. Arrived on time and were seated promptly but after that service quality dove off a cliff. Waited patiently to be served, while watching tables that arrived after us being served. The table next to us came 5-10 minutes after us but got served before us 🥲. After 30 minutes, still no one came so I had to go the bar area and ask someone to come over. Finally 1 hour after arriving we got our afternoon tea 🙌🏼.

Leckere Scones und Kuchen. Wenn man zeitig da ist eine absolute Ruheoase direkt im Edinburgh Castle. Gutes Preis-Leistungsverhältnis.

Staff was lovely, but the food was subpar and definitely overpriced. Edinburgh castle itself is worth the visit but this is a tourist trap.

We had a cup if tea and a piece of cake while visiting the castle. The food was decent (a bit shy on the clotted cream) and the staff was friendly. Although it took a while to be noticed when we wanted to pay. If you want to have an afternoon tea I would recommend booking a table in advance.

Nice little stop for afternoon tea

We had visited Edinburgh Castle a number of years ago and went into the tea room looking a non-cafeteria style lunch. When we returned to Scotland this summer for a trip, we made a special trip out to the Castle just for tea. The staff is friendly, the surrounding lovely, and the food and drink very good. If you are in the city, and are planning to visit the Castle, be sure to consider having tea there for a unique experience.

Sorry to say that none of our three pastries nor scones were fresh!! The scone cream was actually bad! Our teas were warm. That’s about it.

Great place to stop and take a break. They have gluten free options although like most places seem to want to keep it a secret, so if you need them make sure you to ask

There was no queue and no need to book at around 11.30am. Crowds started coming in after 12. We had the afternoon tea set and it was delicious. Cheerful and warm service was given to us.

We had the afternoon tea package, which was not really good. The pastries and sandwiches were not tasty. The tea choice was very basic. The place itself lacks decoration. The staff was friendly.

The staff were very lovely and accommodating but we were quite disappointed with the quality of the food and the service. Soup was served without a spoon, tea without a cup or milk, and the chicken on a salad was unpleasantly cold. We had to keep calling the waiters back to ask for things again. It feels like this café gets away with a fancy atmosphere that will impress tourists, without putting any thought or effort into the quality of their service.

Amazing food ;) highly recommended;))

Reasonable price and delicious 😋

Très bien pour le goûter et prendre un bon thé et de très bon gâteau, par contre le prix et un peu chère.

bad service. old food. over brewed tea.

Nice place for tea, afternoon tea and coffee.

Good place for an afternoon tea at the Edinburgh Castle! One menu enough for two. Enjoyed the place although given the rain and wind outside, could’ve probably been a bit warmer. Although they forgot to bring tap water, good food and tea altogether.

Been in this Tea Room 2 times and had both times bad experiences. The locals were always prefered and the waitress were only about to serve them. We have been waiting for our tea for 2 for over 30 minutes. The waiters always "forgot" our order and when we finally got it, the tea was cold. When I asked for the receipt we had to wait again for over 30 minutes. Asked 3 times for the receipt. I didn't even want to order anything else than tea even though I really wanted to try the cakes but the service for foreigners was just horrible. My experiences outside of the castle were much better

5 stars for service and quality of food ..and 5 stars for the tea room itself..

Loved this place, homemade Scones were delicious as we're the cakes. Very friendly staff.

What better experience than to have lunch in Edinburgh Castle. Simple food and a variety of hot drinks and sweets to refresh you on your tour.

Called here while visiting the castle, the scone with jam and cream although tasted good was lacking in butter, jam and cream. Had to eat most of our scones without anything on them, a teaspoon of clotted cream with a 4/5inch scone is far from enough. Either give more cream, butter and jam or make the scone a lot smaller. And yes we asked for more butter twice.

Light lunch of soup with a slab of wholemeal bread, a pot of tea and a fruit scone - delicious and great value. And the setting is excellent too.

Strange unfriendly environment

Went for Afternoon Tea, the food was very average and pixie portions. Had afternoon tea in many places but felt the savoury options were tiny. The service was excellent and a lovely gentleman named Africanus made the visit special.

Food was delicious. Great experience, well recommended.

El lugar muy bonito, pero la degustación no vale el costo que tiene. Pero la experiencia de estar ahí fue linda.

Delicious soup and lemon drizzle that was sharp and sweet. Lovely break on a castle visit.

Good service. Lovely food at reasonable price .

Ridiculously expensive for 2 cups of tea, 2 coffees and 4 pieces of cake. Could have bought 4 cakes for the price of 1 slice!! Service was reasonable. Wouldn't recommend.

A fantastic afternoon tea in a wonderful calm environment. I was given excellent service from the moment I walked through the door and was greeted, all the way through the service and to the point where I was delivered the excellent food. Cannot recommend highly enough. The staff are charismatic and professional, I would happily come back again!

Really nice place. Food was delicious and reasonably priced. i was actually shocked and expected to pay more so that was a nice surprise

Fabulous !!!! We had to book but well worth the wait . The member of staff that attended to us was the an absolute credit to the establishment. He helped us choose what to eat , describing the menu for myself and the children and made the whole experience an absolute pleasure . The food was first class and everything was fresh and top quality ingredients. Definitely worth a visit .

We popped in for tea and cake at the end of our visit to the castle. It took a while to be acknowledged at the door and were advised of a short wait for a table. The tea room is quite modern with well spaced tables. The slices of cake were of a good size and the tea was hot and fresh. The service inside was good too.

We had a fantastic experience at the tea rooms. We had afternoon tea for two. Great choice of hot and cold drinks and food was lush! Well worth the money and big shout out to Amy to taking our order and making sure we were well looked after in a very friendly but super professional manner! My only recommendation for customers is to take some cash out before hand as they don't accept tips by card!

A nice place to get away from the crowds at Edinburgh Castle. There are not alot of tables currently so there is good Covid precautions being taken. Food was good, pricing is a little high. It might pay to book ahead if you can.

Sehr empfehlenswert nach einem Tag auf Edinburgh Castle

Quite and lovely staff, loved coffee walnut cake

Tranquillo, tipico, personale gentile, dolci e tè da leccarsi i baffi