Beautiful, historical bar on the down an alley of Edinburgh. We only went the to the bar side, we did not eat here. We went in the evening during the week, so it was not overly busy during our visit. The interior is beautiful: gold and dark wood, molded ceilings, ceramic art on the walls. The bar loops around the center. We had a minor issue that they did not make my friends drink correctly, but mine was good. Overall, a lovely visit in an amazing city. read more

The Cafe Royal - Exterior - Seafood Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

What can someone say about such an iconic place? The architecture and decor are classic; beautiful and sumptuous. Somehow the words don't seem to reflect the beauty and warmth of this place. The food is also top notch. Their take on haggis and neeps is quite nice with just a bit of warmth to it. Great Scotch whiskey selection. The waitstaff is professional without being stuffy. Just a lovely experience overall. Certainly, there are loads of tourists, but you shouldn't be put off by that. It's a big open place and you and your party can enjoy yourselves without worrying too much about what's going on around you. read more

The Cafe Royal - Interior - Seafood Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

It was an experience coming here since it was our first time in Edinburgh. First of all I had reservations but we were running a tad late so I called the restaurant to tell them we would be 15 min late. When we got there the hostess said we were "late" (regardless of I called) and she would see if our table was still available and if she could squeeze us in. Honestly it wasn't busy for a 5pm Sunday roast dinner but luckily we were still able to get seated. I loved the ambiance and decor of the restaurant. It was cozy and the vibe was so there. The food was also delicious. We came here for Sunday roast and fish and chips and it didn't disappoint! We were satisfied and it was very flavorful and delicious!! After a long day of sight seeing and walking, we just wanted to sit down and have a drink! They have a great selection of whiskey so we got the Belvanie 21 and the Tamdhu 12. I would definitely recommend this place for food and drinks! read more

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My favorite bar in the world. I was at the Cafe Royal with my then-university student son. I returned yesterday -- 13 years later -- with my wife and it was even better than I had remembered. As my wife said, Cafe Royal manages to be both comfy and opulent -- at the same time. It's still located "up a wee sneaky path" if you are coming on foot from Princes Street. We had the sampler of cured salmon and after an appropriate amount of time we ordered up some fabulous, briny oysters in this the oldest oyster bar in Scotland. All accompanied by just the right amount of beer. What a lovely way to get out of the Edinburgh rain. A tip of the hat to crime novelist Ian Rankin for directing us to the Cafe Royal on some ancient podcast. read more

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The atmosphere is perfect! The energy was present as soon as I entered. Wonderful old world feel. Dinner was splendid. I had the seafood combination plate and was very pleased with my choice. The little lobster thurmadore was spectacular as was the salmon tartar. I would recommend this recipe establishment to anyone traveling through Edinburgh. You will need reservations! read more

If your looking for a great place for oysters and ambience. Fun place to visit while in Edinburgh read more

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Nice spot! Great for a drink and a casual bite. I enjoyed the cauliflower and squash curry, and the fish and chips were great.

We were just forced to leave the bar...the waiter (fellow dressed in tweed) took our drink order fairly quickly, then ran around the bar for 20 minutes before I had to flag him down to take our food order...beers were empty by then, but the food never arrived. Waiter refused to acknowledge us, and continued serving everyone else! After over an hour we finally left (what I assumed was the correct amount) payment and vacated. I get that Americans aren't popular with everyone right now (we're not happy with it either) but this is honestly the first negative experience we've experienced in Great Britain. I hope we just caught the guy on a bad night. read more

Came here just for a quick serving of oysters when visiting Edinburgh. Had good feedback online and was located very central and easy to find. Inside it's really pretty. A classic setting. Like a classic french upscale brasserie. Really cozy. Had half a dozen of scottish oysters with chili, lime and gin dip sauce. And some extra Tabasco. A glass of white wine with that. 19£ for six oysters is really reasonable. The oysters were fresh and of high quality. Scottish oysters are just really good. Matched only maybe by oysters from the Normandy. An overall very nice experience. The menu looked really good. Surely a place to come back to one day to try some more and other items from the menu. read more

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Poor service and rude staff. I wish we booked at one of the other local establishments

It's expensive for what it is. The servings are small and basic. We left hungry. We didn't have rezzie, there's no hostess to check in with. We were made to feel like they were doing us a favor by letting us pay £200 for dinner. Thanks? read more

Small restaurant area that almost feels like an afterthought to the more larger bar area. The food was good, especially the roasted bone marrow served with the haggis. read more

The Cafe Royal - Fish pie - Seafood Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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Easily one of our favorite restaurants in Edinburgh. We have never had poor/rude service here as some reviews note. Such a cool spot to sit at the bar for a drink and admire the stained glass or have a comforting, delicious meal. I always look forward to visiting this place! read more

Magnificent experience! Gorgeous atmosphere, attentive staff and phenomenal food. We had the ribeye with blood marrow gravy and chips, halibut dish with an amazing seafood bisque and 2 desserts, the sticky banana pudding and raspberry cheesecake! read more

We didn't end up eating at the restaurant because the wait was so long but we ordered appetizers and drinks at the bar downstairs and it worked out great! One of the best espresso martinis I have had read more

There is something very cool about the vibe once you walk in. Maybe it is the decor but it screams old school charm. The fish and chips and the other dishes we tried were all pretty good and we enjoyed the chips with beef drippings too. read more

I was recommended this restaurant by a family member who had dined here a few months earlier and was excited to try it. We had a reservation confirmed for a month prior to our arrival. Upon arriving, there was no indication on where to check in, and when I flagged someone down to ask, I was rudely scoffed at and pointed in the direction of a back room. Right as we were about to be seated, the host told us she was unable to let us stay due to "regulations" as we had someone in our party under 5 years old and her "manager was giving her a look". We promptly left, disappointed, confused, and hungry. The "regulations" that we were told about only apply to locations classified as pubs without a separate dining area away from the bar and only apply after 8PM for individuals under 18. Our reservation was at 6pm. I'd give this place 0 stars if I could. Terrible service, rude employees. Don't bother making this restaurant a part of your trip, and if you do, I certainly wouldn't expect decent service. read more

This place was recommended to us by our tour guide. We arrived less than 2 hours before closing and it was very crowded however they were very kind and accommodated our group of 4. I honestly could not choose between dishes and was famished so I went for the Seafood Tower and the Venison. Thankfully, although brimming with lots of ocean delicacies, the tower is lots of shell so it didn't fill me up. The Venison was tender and delicious on a bed of red cabbage and red wine jus. read more

The Cafe Royal - Venison - Seafood Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

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My wife and I along with my Son and Son in Law stopped in for drinks. The place is beautiful and has a great Scottish vibe. The bartender's took excellent care of us. My only regret was not getting contact info from David who bought all of us a round. He was so nice to us and tolerated our American accent. A great friendship missed. Slanjevah read more

The Cafe Royal - Seafood Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The ambiance was old world pub style. The stained glass panels are amazing. The food and drink matched the atmosphere.

We went to the bar for lunch and ate off the bar menu. We liked it so much we came back the next day for lunch again. It can sometimes be busy so you may have to wait for a seat. I had fish and chips both days because it was amazing. The fish was perfectly coated with a tempura batter - so light and yet buttery. The chips were also nice and salted perfectly. They also had a good selection of beer. read more

So let me give you a background -my boyfriend, his parents, and myself were staying in Edinburgh for 8 days. We went to 4 different restaurants the first 4 days - either ones that we found on Yelp, ones recommended from travel videos, and others recommended from blogs. Some were downright awful. Some were just okay. Some were WAY too overpriced for what they gave. My boyfriend and I came to Cafe Royal one night because it was recommended by our Airbnb host. We ordered haggis, mussels in white wine, mushroom risotto, and pork pate. All tasty dishes and our waiter was awesome. Next day, we went to dinner with his parents to a DIFFERENT restaurant. It was not good. We came here to Cafe Royal for dessert and drinks- cheesecake, cranachan, and crumble of the day were tasty with our lattes. We visited YET AGAIN the next day (yes...3rd in a row)- this time for dinner. Ordered king scallops, salmon fillet, and duck. We were so happy because FINALLY we were getting good food- and not just good, but EXCEPTIONALLY good food. And great service yet again. This time-we ordered creme brûlée for dessert and it was delicious. So what did we do the 4th night? WE WENT BACK TO THIS PLACE YET AGAIN. Yes, ladies and gentleman. We were just so tired those first 4 days of being disappointed by our food at other restaurants. So tired of going to highly recommended places and being let down by the meals and the service. So thoroughly impressed by this place where EACH and every meal did not disappoint us or rob us by overpricing their meal, and so satisfied with the atmosphere and service- that we went to this place...4...out of the 8 nights...we were in Edinburgh! All in all- if you are visiting Edinburgh...you must visit this place at least once. Beautiful stained glass windows accompanied by delicious food. I am aware this restaurant has tons of history behind it too. 5 stars. read more

The Cafe Royal - Seafood Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Great drinks, beautiful location! The service was pretty fast even when it was full! Will definitely return.

Poor service, lost order, surly staff, lackluster food. There are so many other options, there's no need to waste your time and money on this place. read more

Absolutely delicious dinner! Service was superb. Our waiter was friendly and helpful with ordering. Our gin and tonics were perfect. Local fresh oysters were amazing. I really enjoyed the Cullen skink, so delicious. Their sticky toffee pudding was divine. We had toured all day on foot, covering 9 plus miles of beautiful Edinburgh and we were treated to a delicious and relaxing, no rush dining experience in traditional setting. Just perfect to get to know this beautiful City. read more

Very nice ambiance and kind staff. Small but efficiently ran. LGBTQ+ friendly. I ordered the red sauce pasta and was not a fan, but everyone else's food looked delicious! Good choice. read more

Great pub/restaurant with a lot of history. We ordered drinks and appetizers. We had the Cullen Skink, Haggis Fritters, and the Smoked Haddock Scotch Egg - delicious! read more

Great food, loved the atmosphere. Well taken care of. Would go back. Easy walk within New Town.

Looking for something not too far from Hotel Indigo -Where we happened to be staying. Atmosphere was lively and fun. It had a Peaky blinders feel to it. Service was slow but they were pretty crowded. Seamed a little understaffed. I got the fish and chips. Food was pretty good. I'd like to try them again on a better staffed night. read more

A wonderful, traditional pub tucked off of Edinburgh's Prince's Street. We sat in the restaurant area for an enjoyable, well-prepared and delicious meal. For starters, the Scottish salmon & prawns were tasty. The sweet potato chili soup was also satisfying. For the main course, the Scottish venison and red cabbage was divine. The Cambrian, herb encrusted lamb was also succulent and delicious. Desserts were similarly satisfying. Good beer selection, friendly service and impressive interior details circa 1861. Enjoy a fine meal and a satisfying pour of ale here. read more

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This is probably something that isn't ordered often, but get a side of kale with harissa oil. It's heavenly. The vegan risotto is also amazing! read more

I was very excited to come here based on previous reviews and the menu. However I received the worst customer service of my life at The Cafe Royal. We were moved tables and eventually asked to leave the restaurant because not everyone in my group was dining. We had told our waiter one of us would not be eating and he said that there was no problem and we would have the table for an hour. Our server Peter was extremely rude and told us he would not serve us because we were not all ordering food and gave us a check for our water... The situation could have been handled a lot smoother on their end and Peter's tone and comments were not necessary. read more

This place is an Edinburgh institution not to be missed! Beautiful classic atmosphere, seafood and tap selection whilst retaining the standby haggis, neeps & tatties. An essential experience, no Scotland trip would be complete without it. read more

This place was AWESOME! A bartender from another restaurant recommended this place to us. We were only in Edinburgh for 3 nights but ended up going here twice because it was so good! Food was excellent, Champagne was bubbly and the staff was super friendly! Highly recommend getting the Scottish Beef pie. The 3 oysters and 1 glass of champagne for 15 pounds was a great deal too :) read more

My guy and I were out in Edinburgh for the day/night and decided to duck in to this pub to escape the rain and have a tasty bevvy. What a great pub! We were only here for one drink, and it was packed elbow to elbow, but just the overall vibe of this place was great. There are loads of tables and table tops to sit down at, but this place was mobbed, it being a saturday evening and all. Everything is decked out just now for the holidays, which made for a festive wee drink here- especially since I ordered a holiday cider they had in bottles (rekorderlig winter cider) which was very tasty! We were able to get a wee spot close to the door to have our drinks and chat about the day before heading off to the next pub. One thing to mention, the toilets are downstairs below the pub, so watch your step coming up, there's a wee lip of a step as you're heading back to the pub area that both me and my guy managed to trip on. I'm very clumsy so it's not very shocking that I did. read more

The Cafe Royal - Lovely building all decked out foe the holidays - Seafood Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Beautiful bar in the center called Circle Bar, which is an experience to drink and eat at, for sure. So ornate and traditional, you film movies in here. The oysters were redic tasty and the cask ales were refreshing. Seems like a dress-to-impress joint, but it really is very chill. read more

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My first time in Edinburgh and didn't have any idea where I going to. I saw the pub from the road and I thinking this looks amazing place. It was what I dream about typical Scottish pub with great service and the bar was amazing. It was full today so I had to stay in the bar. I order a fish and chips and I enjoyed every bite. I enjoyed the differences of the Scottish beers I had for my visit. The great thing with this pub it is that you can see differences years and feel that you are a part of the Edinburgh and Scotland when you are there I will get back here to feel the culture of the Scottish pub life read more

The Cafe Royal - Scottish Venison with mashed potatoes - Seafood Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The chicken was over cooked and the peas were hard. Nice atmosphere. It took us asking a waiter to serve us. We waited 20 minutes. There were four of them standing right next to us chatting away. read more

As a lover of all things that have a historic significance, the Royal Cafe was a terrific find the other night to have dinner with friends. I had seen it on my travels around town but could only get in on my final night in Edinburgh. This historic pub almost met it's demise back in 1969 as a hotel bought the property that it stood on and they were ready to sell it to Woolworth's to be torn down to make a parking lot. Well thank heaven the city and neighborhood got involved and blocked that sale so that today, people can still enjoy great food and drink in a historic building. Take a close look at what look like paintings on the walls- they are really a collection of Dutch Delft tiles that combine to make a series of large pictures. Really something! They are known for lobster but I chose to have the salmon wellington which was like a deconstructed pot pie and was delicious. My friend had the surf and turf special of the night which was also good. We also enjoyed some of their fresh oysters, on this night they were Scottish Rock, a type I had never heard of but tasted like some of the east coast ones I am able to get in the States. Service was quite good and since it started raining during our visit- they even called a cab for us and we sat comfortably at the table until the cabbie came into the restaurant to get us. Loved the atmosphere, the history, but most importantly the food! And whether you sit on the bar side with the huge round bar or on the restaurant side- you will be sure to have a great night out! read more

Food, service, and ambiance were all great plus some cask conditioned ale options. We ate from the appetizer menu - and plan to return to try some of the entrees. read more