The Scottish Café & Restaurant
- Telephone 0131 225 1550
- Opening times Mon–Sat 9am–5.30pm; Thu 9am–7pm; Sun 10am–5.30pm.
- Seasonal times Festival: open until 6pm (8pm Thu).
- Food served Mon–Wed 9am–5.30pm, Thu 9am–7pm, Fri/Sat 9am–5.30pm, Sun 10am–5.30pm.
- Pre-theatre times Afternoon tea daily 3–5pm
- Website www.contini.com/scottish-cafe-and-restaurant
The Scottish Café and Restaurant is currently closed as part of the Gallery's transformation project. We'll update with an opening date when we can.
Scottish ingredients showcased with Contini high-class in picturesque Princes Street Gardens.
The 2018/19 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £7.95 (+p&p).
Jan 2019: The Scottish Café and Restaurant is currently closed as part of the Gallery's transformation project. We'll update with an opening date when we can.
Excellent as the National Gallery is, you don’t need to visit there before popping into the Scottish Café. You can go for breakfast, lunch, brunch, Sunday roast and afternoon tea – and indeed, you should. The setting is smart and airy, the service warm and welcoming, with each waiter wearing a badge showing the languages they speak. (And with 35 in total, is this the most polyglottic team in town?). For breakfast there’s a range of porridge, scones, hot breakfasts and rolls; lunch features Scottish classics like Cullen skink, haggis bonbons and venison burger, or sharing platters bursting with excellent local fish, pâtés and cheeses. Afternoon tea is picture-perfect with pretty treats and seasonal sandwiches – when a plate looks this good, who needs to go and see the paintings?
The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant is situated at the gardens entrance of the Scottish National Gallery on the Mound with iconic views to Princes Street Gardens. Open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, this is the perfect venue to have a taste of Scotland through our 70 artisan Scottish suppliers. We take great care to showcase these stunning flavours simply, with a big warm welcome.
The best traditional afternoon tea
Text supplied by third party.
- Private dining: Up to 90 covers
- Provides: Vegetarian options (at least ¼ main courses), Children's portions, Children's high chairs, Wheelchair access, Outdoor tables, Free wi-fi
- Music on stereo: Classical, jazz
- Live entertainment: Harpist on summer Sundays.
- Capacity: 250 (80 outdoors)
- Largest group: 250
- Open since: 2009
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 12
- House wine: £20 per bottle
Reviews & features
Zero Waste Scotland's Good to Go scheme aims to tackle 'plate waste'
28 Jan 2019
Free support available to help your restaurant cut waste and save costs? Yes, Chef
Zero Waste Scotland is inviting restaurants and cafés to take advantage of the free support available to reduce the amount of good food going to waste in Scotland. It's estimated that one in every six meals prepared by the hospitality industry is thrown…
Best arts venues for food and drink in Edinburgh
16 Apr 2018
Contemporary or classic art, these cafés will all satisfy your lunch and coffee cravings
From the city's grandest buildings and national treasures to quirky corners, arts collectives and social enterprises, Edinburgh's arts venues often include marvellous places for musing and munching. Tourists will gladly stumble upon them and locals will…
