Scotland and tea have had a longstanding relationship since the 17th century, with the first tea being served at Holyrood Palace in 1680. Originally, tea was smuggled into the country and only affordable to the very wealthy, but by the mid-19th century it was becoming a regular afternoon tea with bread and butter, and the rest, as they say, is history: a saga of sandwiches, scones, cakes, cream and, later, champagne. Afternoon tea has never been more popular and (apart from Dundee cake) nowhere in Scotland does it better than in floodlit Edinburgh. Where else would you find tea served in a library, a greenhouse, a luxury lighthouse and a vintage bus, all in the same city?
For even more inspiration for Edinburgh, check out our guides to the best hotels, restaurants and cafes, nightlife, pubs and bars, shopping, activities and free things to do.
Find a tea room by area
Prince’s Street
Willow Tea Houses
Fantastically popular with locals and visitors alike, this Charles Rennie-Macintosh-inspired establishment has the master’s chairs, tableware and ornate screens, as well as some very fine original Art Deco windows overlooking Princes Street gardens and the castle above. It’s busy and noisy, with efficient staff who whizz around as if on roller skates, serving up a generously portioned traditional tea: think egg sandwiches, a squat but tender scone, the shortest shortbread imaginable, hefty slices of carrot cake or towering strawberry tarts. There’s a savoury version too (haggis on oatcakes and mini tomato and cheese tarts). All for a very reasonable price.
Contact: willowtearooms.co.uk
Reservations: recommended
Prices: €
Palm Court at the Balmoral Hotel
Imagine you’ve died and gone to heaven – there’s a harp playing, after all. And dreamy hand-painted bucolic scenes on the walls, with palm trees, of course. Think a delicate sip of vichyssoise to start, then zhuzhed-up savouries (beetroot pate, wasabi caviar), sandwiches with a sophisticated twist (smoked salmon and mascarpone), clotted cream and Balmoral jam with your scones, and the most exquisite pastries you can imagine. Proust would swoon over the apricot, lemon and white chocolate madeleines. All that, a choice of 88 teas and impeccable service. Opt for the champagne version and you’ll feel like you’ve landed in paradise.
Contact: roccofortehotels.com
Reservations: recommended
Prices: €££
Old City
Clarinda’s Tea House
Named not after its owner but the “Fair Empress of the Poet’s Soul” in Burns’s eponymous poem, there’s evidence that coasters aren’t dead all around you, along with rose-patterned wallpaper, lace tablecloths and floral, gilded china in this little tea shop/time warp on the Canongate. It’s easy to imagine Miss Marple tucking into a scone with seeded raspberry jam, blushing as she sneaks a chocolate kiss. But the real star is a savoury cheese and chive scone with plum chutney – unsurprising given they’ve been making scones here for around 50 years.
Contact: clarindastearoom.com
Reservations: walk-in only
Prices: €£
Colonnades in the Signet Library
You may be in a library, but that doesn’t mean you have to whisper. Next to St Giles on the Royal Mile, this elegant Georgian room is home to a centuries-old society of lawyers who served the king. Tables are spread out under the gallery between rows of legal books and down the central aisle. Heavy silver glints and sparkles; the food is exceptional. Start with eight light savoury dishes, including a caprese tart and rich duck and pomme duchess; then five examples of serious pastry: a creamy strawberry Frasier or coconut mango tart. And a scone, of course.
Contact: thesignetlibrary.co.uk/colonnades
Reservations: recommended
Prices: €££
New city
The Georgian Tea Room at The Dome
A grand, classical building, originally a bank, now an elegant bar and restaurant with a velvety, chandelier-lit tearoom upstairs. Here you’ll find a surprisingly hearty afternoon tea, starting with sausage rolls and ending with a selection of sweets including a light elderflower and lemon puff, with sandwiches and scones in between. Tipsy tea too: three matching cocktails, the “Just Peachy”: gin, earl grey tea, peach and basil bush and lemon. Gluten-free and vegan versions are also available, as is a children’s tea. Come for the fabulous Christmas decorations, but make sure you book.
Contact: thedomeedinburgh.com
Reservations: recommended
Prices: €£
The Red Bus Bistro
Take a 1975 Routemaster bus with no suspension and a delightfully attentive crew who could row a drink out to sea in a hurricane without spilling it. The tables are set for fun on a winding, bumpy circuit around the sights of central Edinburgh, complemented by sandwiches, mini savoury tarts and meringues, cream pies, a glass of prosecco and also heavenly warm scones, somehow baked on the bus. Add a gin “pot-tail”: a selection of cocktails served in a clear glass teapot, filled with flowers and mint. Not gourmet perhaps, but worth every penny in laughter.
Contact: redbusbistro.co.uk
Reservations: recommended
Prices: €£
Leith
Vingal
A Northern Lighthouse ship that has been beautifully converted into a luxury hotel is an unusual yet glamorous setting for a delicious afternoon tea that is primarily savoury. A cup of intensely fragrant silky soup is an appetising amuse-bouche, followed by a new hot-smoked salmon and crowdie clafoutis, accompanied by a goat’s cheese tart, saffron and parmesan arancini and fluffy rare breed sausage rolls. And then of course sandwiches and sweets: yuzu and matcha macaroon, apricot and ginger cheesecake, a strawberry sablé and Tanzanian chocolate meringue. With all that and champagne, you might need a hand on the gangplank.
Contact: fingal.co.uk/food-drink/afternoon-tea/
Reservations: essential
Prices: €££
Mimi’s Bakery Leith
Easily recognizable by its zebra-striped awnings, a visit to Mimi’s is like stepping into a pastel-hued Disney film: expect Mary Poppins to appear in a starched white apron. Devoted to cakes (there’s brunch all day, but you really come for the sweet stuff), much of the menu is strictly traditional: filled rolls and scones with clotted cream. But the stars are the traybakes and mini cakes, such as Biscoff brownies that can make strong men weak, or a Jammy Dodger traybake for the nostalgic. Can’t wait until afternoon? Mimi’s also serves “Beforenoon Tea”, with banoffee yoghurt, cheddar scones, a mini breakfast roll, shakshuka… and cakes, of course.
Contact: mimisbakehouse.com
Reservations: Recommended
Prices: €
South side
Prestonfield House
Opulent, scandalous, romantic, theatrical – adjectives fail to describe this extraordinary hotel, set in beautiful grounds at the foot of Arthur’s Seat. There’s a setting for every season of the year, whether you’re sitting outside on the terrace, by the open fire in the Tapestry Room or in the Gothic teahouse tucked away in the rose garden. There will be a theatrical element to your tea too, served in fantastically heavy silver teapots and always decorated with a seasonal theme and a touch of humour: spring brings an edible flowerpot (with wild garlic hummus forming the base) and a lavender honey mousse and apricot “bumblebee”.
Contact: prestonfield.com
Reservations: recommended
Prices: €££
The secret herb garden café and bistro
Imagine escaping into a greenhouse of herbs and flowers, where vines snake overhead and tables hide in leafy arbors. There are hearty sandwiches (smoked salmon, ham, hummus), a crispy savoury pastry, scones and a selection of little treats: a fudge choux bun, an intensely chocolatey roulade, a macaron – all home-baked and served on your grandmother’s rosebud china. Definitely try the lemon verbena or apothecary rose tea, grown in the enchanting rose and peony garden. And visit the distillery to sample gins flavoured only with the garden’s herbs and petals. With no chemical fertilisers or insecticides, it’s delicious and guilt-free.
Contact: secretherbgarden-cafebistro.co.uk
Reservations: recommended
Prices: €
How we choose
Every restaurant in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to give you an insider’s perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from local favorites to Michelin-starred restaurants – to best suit the tastes of every type of traveler – and consider food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price point in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to stay on top of the latest openings and provide up-to-date recommendations.