Best Afternoon Tea in Edinburgh with Kid Friendly options too.
The Best Afternoon Tea in Edinburgh, with Kid Friendly Options Too
Palm Court at the Balmoral / The Red Bus Bistro / Fingal / The Ivy on the Square / The Dome / Colonnades at the Signet Library / Holy Cow / Eteaket
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1 Palm Court at the Balmoral Hotel
Afternoon tea at Edinburgh’s Balmoral hotel on Princes Street is a beautiful experience. Start with the setting – palm trees, glistening chandelier, a huge glass dome overhead, handprinted wallpaper highlighting Edinburgh follies and elegant bespoke crockery and silverware.
The tea is poured with a flourish as a part of a tea ceremony, then the food arrives. It starts with an amuse bouche of white bean and fennel soup. The savoury platter highlight for me was the Parmesan sablé with asparagus and egg yolk. A trio of sweets are presented like works of art. The simplest one tasted the best – a traditional strawberry and chamomile choux. An adapted children’s afternoon tea is available too.
Upon departure we were gifted a small tin of loose tea in a Balmoral Hotel tin. What a great way to make memories. Excellent and attentive service too – wish I could have stayed the night.
Afternoon tea – £60 per person
2 The Red Bus Bistro – Afternoon Tea in Edinburgh
A great way to see the sights of Edinburgh is by hopping aboard the vintage Red Bus Bistro. Kids over 8 are welcome too.
Upgrade your afternoon tea to a ‘Gin Tour’ and sup on flavoured Scottish gins mixed with aromatic herbs, decorated with edible flowers. The food offering? Scones with whipped cream and jam, quiches, finger sandwiches, rolls, wraps, and a selection of cakes. What will you see? The routes passes the Scott Monument, Edinburgh Castle, Greyfriar’s Bobby, the Elephant House Café, the Grassmarket, Arthur’s Seat, Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament. Pick up and drop off from St Andrew Square.
Afternoon Tea £42.50/Gin Afternoon Tea £48.50/Children aged up to 9 – £20/Kids 10 and over £42.50
3 The Lighthouse Restaurant, Fingal
If you’re looking for something different yet utterly refined, step aboard Fingal. This former Lighthouse Board ship that served out of Oban and Stromness is now docked in Leith after a £5 million conversion into a luxurious floating hotel.
It boasts a 2-star AA Rosette Lighthouse restaurant with Art Deco inspired interiors. The afternoon tea commences with an amuse bouche of sweet potato and chive soup. The savouries follow and they’re so delicately put together; a highlight being the Wye Valley asparagus and chorizo tart.
The scones are dished up with Perthshire Preserves strawberry jam. And my sweet highlight was an Arran Gold chocolate truffle with a gold trident decoration. I took the geometric amaretto and raspberry white chocolate bar home to my children. While there’s no children’s afternoon tea menu, simply call ahead and the team will create a child-friendly version at a child friendly price!
Staying the night aboard Fingal is wonderful experience. Book a standard cabin or a suite, each one individually named after a Scottish lighthouse. My room, Kinnaird Castle, set in the bow of the ship was stunning. Creating a shower room right at the front of the boat took some creative ingenuity, but it works. It’s worth noting that Fingal is part of the not-for-profit Britannia Trust, and guests receive free tickets to visit the Royal Yacht Britannia, a 5-10 minute walk away.
Afternoon Tea – £50 per person
4 The Ivy on the Square – Afternoon Tea in Edinburgh
When the ‘Dream’ platter arrives the dry ice makes a fab first impression. My favourite savoury was the grilled chicken and truffle mayonnaise brioche. The sweets carry on the ‘au natural’ motif. The almond and black bee honey macaron is adorable, I dug into my honeycomb and dark chocolate plant pot, and I loved the edible flower on my red velvet cake. We upgraded and raised a glass of Nyetimber sparkling wine. I noticed that our sandwiches had been made earlier that day and refrigerated but at the price point this beautiful tea delivered.
Afternoon tea £29.95. Kids can choose from a Little Dreamers menu that includes a ‘Build your Own Sundae’.
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5 The Dome – Afternoon Tea in Edinburgh
The Dome is known for dishing up a mix of afternoon teas and it’s ridiculously booked up in the run up to Christmas so get organised to experience festive cheer! I tried one of their morning teas (pictured above, £16), and must admit I was slightly underwhelmed and the service we received wasn’t amazing either, but it’s a beautiful setting and the children’s afternoon tea menu is wonderfully simple and only £10. Afternoon Tea £29.95.
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6 Colonnades at the Signet Library
This afternoon tea is simply exquisite. Dine in the elegant surroundings of the Signet Library and its smart, white Corinthian columns. The first silver platter to arrive displays the most intricate and beautiful savouries – the eye-popping one is goat’s cheese ice cream served in a bright red cone. The second platter of sweets (yes, you receive two platters!) looks stunning too. Highlights include a watermelon macaron with a shot of margarita, a honeycomb lolly, and a cute mushroom pavlova. There is style as well as substance and great flavours here. Vegetarian and gluten free menus are also available.
Afternoon tea – £60
A Few Extras
If you’re seeking a vegan/vegetarian cafe that dishes up afternoon tea head to Holy Cow on Dundee Street – £35.
If you’re keen on the tea itself then the Eteaket Leaf Tea Company is the place to go. Its afternoon tea is £22.75 and includes an Earl Grey panna cotta. Eteaket also serves High Tea, Cream Teas and a ‘Little Brewers’ menu for children.
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If you found this guide helped you plan a break then please consider subscribing here or buy us a cuppa to support our work. Please join the conversation on Facebook, or check out the bonny photos on Instagram. For any queries or opportunities please email scots2travel@hotmail.com. Content and images copyright of Scots2Travel. Contains affiliate links. Check out our Privacy Policy here. I visited Edinburgh on a press trip receiving complimentary tea at Balmoral’s Palm Court, The Cauldron, The Ivy on the Square and Fingal for review purposes.
