Taking further advise from a friend, i visited for a pre dinner cocktail on a short visit to Edinburgh. What a place! Don't let the outside fool you, as inside a rather ordinary looking columned building lies a stunningly decorated bar and restaurant! Decor brings to mind a great gatsby wort of vibe, with a massive stained glass dome, commanding round bar in the centre of a room dotted with oversized chandeliers and floral arrangements. It's the cocktails we came for of course. Staff were very friendly, advising that if there anything we wanted and didn't see on the menu, that they'd be happy to make. In the end we ordered espresso martins (it had been a rather long day!) which were expertly shaken to frothy perfection! We moved on to a strawberry and basil smash which was just the right balance of sweetness with a hit of black pepper. Lovely spot for a drink before a night out! read more

See all

I'm torn on this review because there was so much hype about checking it out on my visit to edinburgh but it looks like the dome is amazing during Christmas due to the decor and Christmas lights and tree that adorns the venue. This review is based on our dinner experience at the dome grill. I would recommend reservations since they take them for Saturday nights. My friend and I visited and it was alright. It was indeed an extravagant and fancy place so immediately we didn't fit in since we were wearing super comfortable casual clothes from touring the city all day. Our server was fantastic, she recommended some of her favorite menu items. We ordered the haggis appetizer and it was our first time trying it. The sauce is misleading as it tastes more like vinegar rather than the way it looks (gravy). However we enjoyed it. The pastry added to the crisp and texture of the overall bite. They also offer slices of bread (white, wheat, olive bread) I ordered the grilled sea bass and although it was a tad salty, it was cooked right and wasn't dry at all. The rice was very bland. I suppose the dome is one of those places you have to check out inside because the interior is quite beautiful. read more

See all

The Dome has got to be one of my favourite places to go out in George Street! The grand building and its interior immediately makes you feel that you have entered somewhere of class and style (especially for a student!). As you enter the Dome, the warm colours and smell of incense makes the place appear warm and friendly. When at the bar, you will be surprised at the prices for beers and your typical spirit and mixer - not as expensive as one would imagine! However, if you get carried away and order a whisky or a brandy then you will be handing over a lot more coinage! The food at the Dome is also to be recommended, with the Grill room and Club room both great places to eat. My favourite dishes include the haggis for starters, fillet steak for main and a yummy fudge cake for deserts! Food is of a high quality and in the Grill room food is quite expensive! If you want to experience some class then the Dome is the best place to go! (Also at Christmas they have a very, very large Christmas tree on top of the bar! - Worth a visit just for that!) read more

The Dome - Champagne Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

We came here for their afternoon high tea in the Georgian Room. It is very beautiful and elegant. The service was impeccable - they were attentive and responsive. We both had the Scottish black tea which was flavourful. We had the typical three tiered trays of savoury, scones, and desserts. The sandwiches were good, but, I didn't enjoy the vol au vent which was filled with a strange tasting mousse. The fruit scones were good - once you add clotted cream and preserves it elevates any scone! The desserts did not look appealing at all so did not touch them. Our server offered to box them up for us but I politely declined. Overall, a bit disappointing for us but the experience and service made up for it. read more

Now The Dome is marvelous and situated in a beautiful building. But I must point you in direction of the Garden Cafe, which is the outside cafe area located at the back of The Dome. The same fantastic food but outside in the sun! Entrance is via Rose Street so don't wander inside The Dome and get lost like we did. My Gran and I sat outside here one day and enjoyed a fabulous lunch. We both had Caesar Salad which was delicious, as well as sharing a plate of chips. My Granny just loves chips so its great to get my carb fix. For dessert I had Sticky Toffee Pudding which came with the most refreshing Coconut ice cream. It had homemade shortbread too. It really was to die for and the highlight of the meal. While we were eating it started to rain and all the waiters hurried around us erecting these huge umbrellas. It was fun to watch and it felt like we were in a tent once they had finished. The Garden Cafe is only open in the summer months though, so it is great for that time of year. Otherwise I go back inside to The Dome which never fails to impress with the amazing surroundings and wonderful service. read more

The Dome - Champagne Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

The Good: The setting is amazing and our second server, a red haired man whose name I did not catch, was excellent. The Bad: Our server Tatiana was having a rough night. She was nice about everything and very apologetic, nevertheless, she was a horrible waitress. She over poured my champagne and it overflowed onto the table. She had to go ask what the soup of the day was in the middle of us ordering our appetizers, which seemed to be the only thing she had to remember as there were no specials. We also asked for water when we arrived and it took her 15 minutes to provide it. She also forgot to put in one of our orders, so we had to wait with our food getting cold while the last order was put in and made. Eventually she was replaced by a new waiter who was really on top of things. However, it was an overall bad experience. The food was ok, I would give it 3 stars. For such an expensive restaurant, you would think they would have better quality. This place is a really cool experience and atmosphere, but I wouldn't go for the food or service. read more

Love going here for a cocktail in the main bar, especially at Christmas time when they put up a huge Christmas tree. Espresso martinis are fantastic! Only complaint is that the drinks are overpriced, but I guess you are paying for the setting as well. read more

The Dome - Christmas tree in the main bar - Champagne Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

Service was excellent, but the cream tea was just OK. I loved the heavy silver tea set and the collection of tea, but was disappointed by the finger sandwiches. 2 out of 3 sandwiches were a little stale, where the bread was dry and felt like it was left in the fridge of a long time. The scones and clotted cream were lovely, and the top-shelf cakes were all very tasty. While The Dome had beautiful interior architecture, note that the cream tea is served upstairs in The Georgian Tea Room. Whereas the main Dome dining room is on the ground floor, serving regular lunch and dinners. read more

Best espresso martini I have ever had. Fillip was my bartender and was wonderfully talented read more

See all

Interesting that now matter what search I do Yelp never shows this as a restaurant. Definitely needs to be in both categories. Bar and restaurant I'm guessing this is the most fantastic interior of any restaurant. He dramatic dome is something to behold and the menu fits the ambiance. If you are in town for a few days. At least pop in for a drink. If not dinner read more

The Dome - The menu. For the Bar that's also a top notch restaurant - Champagne Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

Outstanding bar with a great atmosphere and very eclectic decorations. Loved it staff was great thank you Lauren. read more

See all

Beautiful building and the staff were great. Tip#1 Make a reservation! We were seated promptly and served quickly as well. Tip#2 order the haggis in filo pastry! So good! Smoked trout and goat cheese app were also very good. For our mains, 3 of us ordered venison, and 1 ordered mussels. The venison was so tender we just had a butter knife to cut through it. Overall, an amazing dinner. read more

See all

Absolute madhouse around Hogmanay. Couldn't reserve a table but tried the walk-on option for the main room, as advertised on the website. Stayed just long enough to see the fabulous decorations and then split. Maybe next time.... read more

Stunning place, classy atmosphere, high quality food and great service. I highly recommend this restaurant!

First night out in Edinburgh and from a guide book we had The Dome was listed as a place for the deserving diners who wanted luxury. The building itself on the outside is nice, not impressive, but once you get into the place and past the hall your eyes just feast on the opulence of the restored interior of the Victorian former bank and the well designed bar area. They certainly added to the interior when the bar and restaurant was designed, someone really knew how to make the most out of this Victorian interior. We ordered our Tom Collins (perfect, great start when they get your cocktails right), and asked to see someone about possible seating in the dinning area. As the place looked busy we thought we would have to wait a while, but this was taken care off very swiftly by the Restaurant Manager 'Alan' and shown to our table by a very helpful waitress who applied the same high standard of service all night long, and we were in no rush. The food is as you would expect for a fine establishment, first class, also the service by the various staff was again first class. Anyone going to Edinburgh for work or play, treat yourself to a wonderful dining experience and go to The Dome, it's a must. read more

See all

The restaurant and bar are beautiful and the service was spot on. We went for a late lunch and really liked the food. The haggis appetizer with puff pastry was one of my favorites. read more

Gorgeous surroundings. Excellent location. Mediocre-good food but reasonable selection.Terrible service unfortunately. A disappointment.

If you don't know what "premium mediocre" means and happen to be in Edinburgh, I highly recommend checking this place out. Alternatively, read this: https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2017/08/17/the-premium-mediocre-life-of-maya-millennial/. read more

I had heard this place was absolutely gorgeous and did a fancy little afternoon tea. Why not I said. I arrived to the most beautiful Christmas decorations ever! They even have a machine outside that makes little snow flurries! I didn't eat in the main restaurant, rather the Georgian Tea Rooms. I got the champagne tea- one flute of bubbles and all the tea you can drink! They had a great selection of teas as well. The meal itself was three finger sandwiches (egg mayonnaise, ham and mustard, and smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber). There was a plain scone and a fruit scone served with jam and clotted cream. There was a lovely selection of desserts to finish it all off. Service was outstanding! I'd highly recommend this for anyone looking for a lovely afternoon tea- particularly when the Christmas decorations are up! read more

See all

We accidentally walked into this place for some tea . The Georgian tea room looked unbelievable ! If you go definitely try afternoon tea with CHAMPAGNE!This place offers the best ambiance and price for its selection !! read more

See all

Last night was not the first time to visit the Dome, but it was defintiely the first time to visit during the Edinburgh Christmas season and for Dinner. We were a big group and got two tables reserved. Personally, I thought this is a shame as a bigger table would have been much nicer. But then, I doubt that the DOME has the capacity to manage a BIG table for more than 10 people in the restaurant area. The interior of the Dome during the Christmas season is amazing and definitely the main attraction during this busy and overwhelming period. There are Christmas trees everywhere with a very, very large one in the centre, raising towards the sky and towering over all its visitors. The room sparkles with glittery lights and oozes GLAM. I was less impressed by the food and the time it took to get the food. At 11 clock we managed dessert ?!? The whole table ordered venison, garnished with beetroot and potatoes for a main, and we all pretty much liked it. The middle was soft and juicy, but the outside a bit dry. As a starter I got salmon sprinkled with red onions, lemon juice and capers served on a small silver plate that looked like a throw away plate. The service was nice enough and the prices pretty steep for what you get. For dessert I opted for Scottish Ice Cream - Butterscotch and Vanilla flavour. However, the place is defintiely worh an experience all year around as the architecture is really one of a kind! read more

See all

Whenever we have visitors from outside Edinburgh we always take them to the Dome to experience what must be one of the most beautiful bars in the world (and yes I've seen a few). It can be described as being more of a tourist attraction than a local. You can spot the tourist's as they are either looking up at the Dome in amazement or taking photo's. Staff are friendly as well as very formal. Serves lovely (expensive) cocktails and champagne. All in all a must see bar if you visit Edinburgh (even if it's only for a coffee). read more

To be completely honest I was totally disappointed. We made a reservation back in May for our trip in August. The setting is beautiful. But the wait staff is poor at best. Our waitress could not tell us anything about anything on the menu. I inquired if the venison was good and he reply was " I don't know . I serve it but I have not idea." I asked another waiter if they had had it and they said the same thing. Then I inquired about wine and received basically the same response. My wife has a mild food allergy to shrimp. The waitress asked if anyone had a food allergy and she replied yes a shrimp allergy. The waitress response was basically " eat at you own risk we cannot guarantee no food contamination . I've worked in a lot of restaurants putting myself through school and we had to taste all the dishes and wine in order to assist our customers with selections . The tomato salad was good. Nothing wonderful. Someone else at the table had the haggis and black pudding which tasted like an underdone hush puppy. I had the espresso martini and it tasted like a watered down chocolate milk. The venison was good not great. The potato cake and vegetables were excellent. My wife's sea was was good. The risotto pretty good. The pork belly was undercooked. We split the sticky toffee pudding which tasted like sawdust with burnt Caramel sauce over top of it. I was truly expecting this to be a wonderful night out and it was a large disappointment. We have been to many other restaurants in this area with much better food and service. I would not go back to this restaurant. This restaurant has to be surviving due to its wonderful setting not the quality of the food or service. read more

They have a Gluten Free menu but beware... I got horribly glutened here and was unable to eat for at least 48 hours after this meal. If you are a coeliac or very gluten sensitive DO NOT EAT HERE. This was the worst "Gluten Free" restaurant experience in over 4 years of being on a GF diet and it ruined part of my business trip to the UK. I expect it will take at least a week to recover from this. read more

Delicious! Fine dining with out the super high price tag...the salmon was cooked perfectly and another favorite was the pea and pesto orzo. Great drinks too! read more

Every Christmas, my mum and I get butterflies about going to The Dome. If you've seen the Christmas wreaths wrapped around the pillars, you'll begin to see why, and if you go inside you will understand completely. It's like they have a room spray of all the Christmas smells and keep it constantly puffing out in plooms of fairy dust and laughter. Every year I have to catch my breath when I go into The Dome, because it is quite simply breathtaking. The decoration is beautiful and the whole atmosphere is electric. Even when it's not Christmas, The Dome just has a magical feeling about it. It's like a fairytale. Yeah it's a bit pricey but worth every penny. You can't go to somewhere like The Dome and not expect to pay for it. It's also a hot-spot for celeb-spotting (although the amount of celebrities in Edinburgh is extremely limited). read more

I visited the Dome with a large group for a post-graduation meal, wanting to find somewhere my family would enjoy. The Dome seemed to tick all the boxes. Arriving at the place, it's impossible not to be impressed. The building is stunning, both inside and out. In fact, my mother was initially attracted to this place by the amazing decorations they do at Christmas time. We arrived a while before the reservation, so were invited to get a drink in the Grill Room before eating. What a stunning room it is! The grill room is a large one, with the bar in the centre, overlooked by the beautiful dome itself. I was awe-struck. Drinks prices are not too bad- circa £4-£4.50 for a pint of beer, with a large range of wines and cocktails available as well. When the whole group arrived, we were moved to our tables for the meal. Service was decent, although slow at times. There is a good choice on the menu, including a three course set meal, which I chose. In the case of the set meal, the portions are not massive, but this is fine, as it allows one's stomach to actually fit in all three courses. The food was very nice, enjoyed all round. I had a mushroom soup, followed by haddock and chocolate fudge cake for dessert. Everything was great. Overall, the Dome, as a venue, is one of the best places I've been to Edinburgh. Everything from the steps up to the entrance, to the porter at the door, to the awe-inspiring interior, left me with a great impression. The actual meal and service inside did not quite match the expectations set by the building, but everything was very nice, so 4 stars is a well-deserved rating. Recommended. read more

My boyfriend and I went there for his birthday dinner in November. The decor and the building is beautiful and if you like Christmas decorations this is the place for you! The food was fine but I kinda expected better because everyone recommend it, I personally would not recommend for a foodie. Our waiter was absolutely horrific. She was rude and unhelpful. She first got annoyed when I asked for a bit more time before ordering. Later after we ordered I asked her for the wine/beer menu she seemed bothered about having to go get it and when I had to ask her again 15-20 min later about it(because she didn't bring it) she rolled her eyes at me and said she was going to get it. The menu was at the bar and we were sitting at a table next to the bar.. I then saw her manager get involved and he brought it to us and he was quite nice and took our wine order. read more

We were recommended this place by our hotel reception and a cab driver. FOOD The food wasn't bad but it was over priced for what we got. We were a large group and tried a variety of dishes including the lamb shank, mushroom pasta, teriyaki salmon and the pork. At 20 to 30 ibs, none of the dishes were exceptional. The plating was nice though. ATMOSPHERE The decor was lovely. The building and neighborhood were nice and the bar area is quite elegant. SERVICE The service was average. There was no one to greet us/hostess at the front. Service was inconsistent. Food came out in a very timely matter but it took a long time to get menus and pay the bill. OVERALL Overall if you're a foodie, I don't think this is the place for you. The ambience of other customers were mostly tourists. If you want a nice place to hang out, go for cocktails then this could be a good place to start. read more

I would have given a higher rating however I did find that the Christmas decorations were more impressive than the dining experience. If you are in Edinburgh in the festive season you really must visit the Dome because it has the most beautiful Christmas decorations. So, even if you only opt for a drink you will have a pleasant experience as you can take in all of the Christmassy surroundings. However we did opt to have lunch there and we found the sandwiches and scones to be a little disappointing. That being said we did see food that had been ordered from the A La Carte menu and this looked much more up to scratch so perhaps it is better to give that a go! Either way still worth a visit at Christmas time. read more

Was at this fabulous restaurant last night with clients. Thursday night in Edinburgh and at 8pm it was packed, when we finally pushed back from the table at 1115 it was still packed. In Portland on a Thursday night at 1115, just about everything is closed. The room itself is fantastic, converted from an old bank, it is incredibly ornate with a huge stained glass dome hanging over the room. Yes I did have the haggis, wrapped in phyllo as an appetizer and it was amazing. The rest of the meal was of equal quality and the service was impeccable. If you find yourself in the Scottish capital make your way to the dome read more

Beautiful Christmas decor! The food was pretty good as well, I recommend the goat cheese starter. Cocktails were all well made.

Love the cosmopolitans. And a visit here is a must at Christmas time! A consistent deliverer of quality cocktails in a high end, decadent environment. read more

The Dome - Champagne Bars Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

See all

I had heard about this place but never been here until we had family come into town last month. We decided to make a trip for Afternoon Tea and to see all the fabulously outrageous decorations! Here's a breakdown of their score: 5 for the food 3-4 for the service So the food was awesome. There were 5 of us, we ordered 2 afternoon tea sets with scones, desserts, sandwiches, etc. They were technically meant to serve 4, and we were eating them for lunch, AND we still have food leftover! Yes, we probably looked like chintzy people when we asked for a take away box for our leftover desserts we couldn't stuff into our bellies after the amazing scones and sandwiches. And yes, we may have asked for foil when they didn't have any boxes. And yes we may have even taken a few of the leftover darling mini jam jars....Yes, we are those people. But so what?! It was sooo delicious! And affordable, which may be saying a lot for this particular venue. Now onto the service. Um, it was quite lacking. I understand we were a group of 5, which is a bit awkward for tea, but they crammed us into a table in the corner near the kitchen, which kinda killed the atmosphere a bit. Then they switched servers on us..twice, I think. They just seemed like they wanted to get us out of there as quick as possible, yet when it came to asking them for extra cutlery or drinks or even the bill, they were nowhere to be found. I definitely recommend it for the experience as the building itself is really gorgeous and the food is great too. read more

5 stars for the BEAUTIFUL Christmas decorations! Totally got us in the mood for the holiday season! 3 stars for service- it was nice, but sloowwwwww. Our waitress actually forgot to bring the tea for our "afternoon tea"... Though, I was perfectly happy with my champagne, but still... 4 stars for the delicious afternoon tea spread: smoked salmon & cream cheese, roast beef & horseradish, egg salad-my fav, and ham & mustard sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted or whipped cream, and cutesy little cakes and macarons on the top! Yum! It was so much and so filling, we couldn't even think about having dinner. If you're thinking about a great holiday tea with your family or with the ladies, the dome is the best! read more

We visited here for hot chocolate at Christmas time and my god it felt like we were in something from a movie. The place felt so magical and Christmassy It was amazing. So much thought and detail went into the interior here and it was a breath taking visual to experience while having hot chocolate. It really was one of the highlights of our trip to Edinburgh for Christmas. The hot chocolate was also very warm and tasty and was perfect for our experience here. So Beautiful. read more

The Dome is in a great location and the décor is truly stunning. This extremely special restaurant proves to be surprisingly affordable, perfect for lunch, dinner or drinks. The menu is vast, the staff are very helpful and, as I said previously, the prices are very reasonable. The magical surroundings make the restaurant a jewel in Edinburgh's culinary crown. A truly fabulous restaurant which I'd highly recommend. read more

Love Love Love! What more can i say?!....... Well, let me start with the wonderful smell of mulled wine and cinnamon that hits you as soon as you walk in then to see the most spectacular entrance with a dazzling chandelier! The chrsitmas decorations thay have up are nothing but lovely and warming. We opted for cofffee, unfortunatley the Club Room was too busy but we got seats no problem on in The Georgian Tea Room on the 1st floor. We ordered a latte and coffee, and recieved 2 little tasty mince pies free! Total spend £6!! Service was fantastic and to top it all off they had the snow machine on outside! Now my favourite place :) read more

Located towards the eastern end of George Street, this beautiful building was originally commissioned by 'The Commercial Bank of Scotland' and was designed by architect David Rhind (1808-1883). I always assumed the grand facade with its gigantic Parthenon-like pillars and ornate pedimental (the triangular shaped structure above the pillars) was directly inspired by the classical Greek style of architecture but apparently it was inspired by William Henry Playfair's 'Surgeon's Hall' building, itself inspired by what's more specifically known as the Graeco-Roman style. Construction started on the 4th of June 1844 when a wealthy Leith Merchant named James Wyatt had the honour of laying the first foundation stone. In 1959 'The Commercial Bank of Scotland' and 'The National Bank of Scotland' amalgamated into what was known as 'The National Commercial Bank of Scotland'. The building operated as their head office for another ten years until 1969 when this bank was amalgamated with 'The Royal Bank of Scotland'. With its head office a short distance away in St. Andrew Square 'The Royal Bank of Scotland' decided to concentrate its administration and the building lost its designation as head office. Things were set to change again when 'The Royal Bank of Scotland' decided that keeping the building was no longer viable. In 1993 the building was sold to a company called 'Caledonian Heritable Ltd' which converted the bank into what you see today. If you'd like to dine or drink within one of Edinburgh's most beautiful and opulent venues look no further than The Dome. Don / www.edinburghphotowalks.com read more

See all

Gorgeous place! Was there for Hogmanay while all the Christmas decorations were up. Just lotsa pretty going on here. And it used to be a bank! How awesome is that? I was served the best Cosmopolitan I've ever had the pleasure to sip, hands down. Amazing stuff. Next time I'm around, this will be the FIRST place I visit instead of the last. read more