The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant in Edinburgh

Popped in for bacon sandwich breakfast with the kids, and was massively impressed. Nothing worse than a disappointing bacon sandwich, but this was far from that. Plenty of good bacon; not flaccid, not wet, decent thickness, not fatty, with a touch of scorching that gave a slightly barbecued taste. Excellent (really, really good) rolls; slightly crisp crust, soft, airy bread with a rich texture, well-buttered and slightly toasted on the grill. It may be some time before I'm as pleased with a bacon sandwich I haven't made myself, and even then I'm going to struggle to match that bread.Service was quick & friendly, view from our window seat was great, pot of tea an fresh orange juice was as you'd expect (£4.50 for a juice seems steep, given for an extra quid you could have another bacon sandwich - do that instead).

Absolutely superb food, choice, service. Victor and his staff are just brilliant. Astrid was such a laugh and such a joy after 2 years of Covid restrictions. If you love smoked salmon, the royale buttery is for you!

I had a great time having tea and cakes with my daughter. The setting was beautiful and the staff were lovely and super friendly. It also had great views of princes garden and the Scott monument.

My friend and I had a lovely brunch at this beautiful restaurant. The food was delicious and we had a stunning view from our table. A polite waiter called Atanas took good care of us. I hope to come back some day!

I booked lunch here as a treat for myself during a working visit to the NLS. And what a treat it was! The most delicious food during a week of very good Edinburgh eating. Poached eggs, smoked salmon on a buttery (a rich flakey Scottish pastry which tastes halfway between a croissant and a bread roll) with a dash of caviar. It was absolutely gorgeous. The café is committed to sourcing all their food from Scotland, so your meal is a tasty snapshot of the best in national produce. Despite being in the tourist centre, the service was excellent and genuine as soon as I arrived: I had a lovely seat looking out onto Princes Gardens in the sunshine, and friendly attentive waiter. It's a beautiful stylish space too, as you'd expect for the flagship restaurant of the National Gallery, with lovely classic wood and textile pieces by young Scottish artists on the walls. It was a great place to lunch alone but it would also be the perfect place to meet friends---I've already promised to do that next time in Edinburgh.

This waiter was impolite and rude. He asked me whether I just ordered only a cake, I said yes then he was very unhappy. I asked a bottle of tap water, then he threw the bottle to me. I felt very uncomfortable, he was so disrespectful. Other waitresses were kind and gentle.

Had an amazing traditional Scottish breakfast here which was really good. We were lucky enough to sit outside as well, as the weather was lovely. Incredible setting, food and coffees. Thank you!!

This is a gem. The wall sized windows with a view over the green make this a perfect spot to stop and enjoy the city. The staff were friendly and accommodating when we stopped by just for tea and cake.Sadly we overheard another customer berating staff for the amount of tea for the price. We certainly found the prices fair and portions generous, so felt compelled to leave this review stating so. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience, minus the minor annoyance of the other customer’s poor manners. The cake and scones were beautifully presented and the tea was just right. We will stop here for lunch or drinks again as the menu seems to have a variety of options and the space is very pleasant.

Very delicious scone with jam and berries! Tea and a small bite was an absolute pleasure here. Their traditional tea time meal looks excellent, I only wish we hadn’t already eaten. Great views of the old buildings downtown Edinburgh. Fast, kind service.

Tried the vegetarian afternoon tea. Sandwiches were brilliant, but the sweetness of the cake was overpowering. Good staff and great venue