Edinburgh, Afternoon Tea - Restaurant Guide

Executive pastry chef Ross Sneddon (ex-of Claridge’s) is, say fans, “the best in the country so it is no wonder the afternoon tea is simply outstanding” at what they hail as “Edinburgh’s best hotel by miles”. While a visit to its glass-domed, leafy lounge is “more performance art than afternoon tea” – all “Victorian grandeur, hushed conversations” and “harpist serenading guests”, it’s “one of those bucket-list experiences for wealthy tourists” – there’s no doubting the “to-die-for patisserie”.

Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan was – as of mid 2025 – rumoured to be on the verge of buying a £1 billion stake in Richard Caring’s restaurant empire, of which this famous brasserie chain is the crown jewel. Presumably, he’s more interested in ‘rolling out’ the brand in The Gulf and beyond rather than dropping by for a Salmon Fishcake and ‘Ivy Chocolate Bombe’, but if he’d asked the opinion of our annual diners’ poll, we’re not sure that he’d sign on the dotted line. “How can a restaurant with this heritage produce such uninspired, tick-box food?” is a question merited by its poor ratings, ditto what explains the “very slow and disinterested service”? The answer may be that “you don’t come here for the food, obviously” but for the “gorgeous” interior design and “picturesque” locations that continue to underpin their appeal. Let’s hope for the Sheikh’s sake that the middle classes of the Arab World are as undiscerning as those from the UK!