Cafe Royal is, hands down, the most gorgeous bar I have ever been in. High ceilings, mosaics, beautiful old bar, well laid out. As such, it is especially fun for a special occasion, but it really isn't the kind of place I find myself frequenting on a regular basis. The beers are priced exactly as you would expect them to be in such an opulent setting, and the selection isn't terribly extensive, but is perfectly acceptable. I've eaten here (in the bar) twice. My fish and chips were amazing and I was thrilled to be given my very own bottle of vinegar so I could overdose as much as I liked. My second eating experience was not quite as pleasurable. The food was highly praised, but it was the service which has knocked off a star. There were two of us, so we each ordered food. However, when only my meal showed up, we asked the waiter about our other order. He said he would check for us, and never returned. I was appalled. We waited 20 minutes before I finally went up to the bar because no one would make eye contact with us. I explained the situation to the person who finally helped me, including the fact that we told our waiter what had happened and he never came back. The saving grace was the fact that that member of staff literally ran down to the kitchen to see what happened and then sent us a free round of beers to make up for it. This I appreciated SO much because it was a recognition that the original waiter handled the situation very poorly. It is a shame, really, because every time I have come here the service is the only down point of the whole experience. Despite that, the rest of the experience is really quite nice. I've not eaten in the proper restaurant but my guy absolutely gushes about how amazing it is, so it looks like something I will have to try out one of these days. read more

I have passed this place tons on my exploring Edinburgh trips, but have never had the chance to go until Thursday night. From the front, it reminded me of my beloved Rogano as it shouts out seafood (and oyster bar in particular) and champagne. I went in and found it so gorgeous inside - beautiful ceiling detail with the cornicing, oval bar and little booths around it. I was only in less than an hour but it seems to attract an afterwork crowd - good and mixed of all ages which for me is the sign of a great bar. Great choice of drinks - didn't try food but the chips that went passed looked and smelled fab so I intend to return and sample food! read more

A very pleasant evening at the restaurant part. The service was very friendly and polite. Each course was a real deal and very very nice if not perfect. The noise from the bar was quite high, but there was not music on top, so it added the place a character and didn't distract, making the whole experience more formal yet with a hint of proper higher class dining. Don't expect miracles, but you would be hard pressed to find a better quality food around. read more

I ate at the bar, where the servers and bartenders were quite friendly. I ordered the Slow Cooked Beef Pie, which I'd certainly have again.

Stopped for a little lunch and The Royal Cafe didn't disappoint. It's a beautiful place with friendly service. The food was great and I would recommend you stop in if only for a pint! read more

As others have said the restaurant isn't easy to find but you will get there with some trial and error by entering the semi-secret door through the bar entrance. There was a mixup and our reservation for the restaurant was lost but they found us a table and we were seated immediately with multiple apologies. I enjoyed a glass of the house Rioja. Oysters on the half shell were fine if not a bit small. They are offered multiple ways but we chose "natural." Had haggis for the first time in their bon bon appetizer. As the saying goes "anything deep fried..." but in all seriousness these were really good. Nothing funky about it at all and I look forward to trying it elsewhere. My other half had the 7oz aged angus filet which she enjoyed. I tried it and it tasted a bit too gamey for me but that may just have been my palette tonight. I enjoyed the perfectly cooked sea bass filet over seafood risotto. Service was very attentive and seriously apologetic about the reservation mishap. read more

I quite like this bar. Not too pricey for where its situated. Staff pleasant. Lovely place in the Summer months. A lot if tourists use this bar. I like to visit at least once a week to chill out. I have never ate there but the people that have had a meal come back for more. I like this place. read more

I've written a review about the Waverley, which is a proper bohemian bar in that the loo's are rank, etc, but Cafe Royal is a bar that lets you pretend to be a bohemian when you have enough dosh not to be. You'll be alerted to the Cafe Royal by a large sign that is reminiscent of the mise-en-scene of Moulin Rouge. The Cafe Royal is in a beautiful building, and the room is indeed circular. There are big, lush booths to sit in, if you get the opportunity, but the tables aren't 1/2 bad either. There are a variety of beers on draught- but this is, surprisingly, limited given the hugeness of the bar itself- its in the center of the circle. The spirits are where its at, here. Its very lovely in that Moulin Rouge sort of way. There is a menu serving oysters (17.99-18.49 per dozen of various modes of preparations) and mussels on offer, so the fare is swank, and lovely. And there is a proper champagne sparkling wine list that includes a 115.00 Dom Perignon, and a Rose Lindauer from New Zealand at 18.99. This is the place to escort upscale arty's, or to splurge out on the fare. If the lack of variety of beer gets to you after a while, the Guildford Arms is next door in the same building and they have tonnes of beers on tap- including many micro-brews. This may be a first stop of the evening, or a long afternoon sort of place. read more

The Cafe Royal - Cafe Royal Circle Bar - Seafood Near Me - Edinburgh, EDH

I've been in here to drink on numerous occasion over the last 20 years or so but last night was the first time I'd had a meal in the place so now seems like a good time to post a review. The ale behind the bar is always in good nick and the service there is generally very good and we found this to be the case in the restaurant too as we were looked after by a particularly professional pair of wait staff (in fact the only negative for the whole visit really was the rudeness of a fellow diner who took no responsibility for causing our waiter to spill a whole caffe latte over the end of our table thereby putting the restaurant in the position of giving us a 3rd cheese board for free). No one raised an issues with the food (for my part the beetroot & goats' cheese salad, fish & chips and very good cheese board were all of a high standard) and the 1kg of mussels was especially well recieved. Definitely one of the jewels in Edinburgh's eatery crown. read more

Grand, well-known landmark of a pub, with huge tiled portraits and little booths. OK for groups if they get there early-ish. Its glory days have gone a little, sadly, although for film buffs, I believe a scene from the film Chariots of Fire was filmed here. But at least it's not pretentious. read more

Great decor and atmosphere. Had some good whiskey and beer here but disappointed we could not get a table to eat seafood after. Still heading over to Seadogs was a pleasant surprise. Review to come read more

for selfish reasons, i want to give this place 1 star. i don't want too many ugly americans discovering it. i'll go out on a limb and put my faith in my people and tell the truth: it's a really, really great bar. i'll just cross my fingers and hope you can't find it. the food is amazing. the soups are good, the mussels melt in your mouth, sandwiches reliably tasty...i've never had anything that was less than stellar from the menu. usually a fairly quiet place to get a nice afternoon drink. staff is friendly. it's gorgeous inside. sometimes a little difficult to get a seat. just don't be an ass and hog the tables/booths for hours. it's not nice. read more

If you like seafood, this is the place to go in Edinburgh. From oysters to mussels to other delicious items on the menu, this was our favourite place in Edinburgh on our recent visit. Make sure to make a reservation as they do get busy. read more

Great find near our hotel. Beautiful and I mean beautiful pub from the 18 fifty's. An upscale menu in the dining room and a very upscale pub menu in the bar. Son and I had the best fish and chips we have had. My wife had great salmon. They also have a wide variety of draft beers on tap. One of the highlights of our trip. My son and I went back the next night for a late night lager. read more

Absolutely beautiful restaurant and wonderful food! I attended a wedding rehearsal dinner here which took over the whole back room, service, wine and meal were beyond compare. The bubble and squeak was one of the best things I ate in Edinburgh. The pate and chocolate torte were also phenomenal! Definitely check this place out! read more

Okay service. Super busy. Food was alright. Nothing too fancy-- up scale pub food. Solid choice for a night out.

Dined at the restaurant (not the bar) for our 1-year anniversary. The Blue Cheese & Spinach Gnocchi was solid. The oysters were amazing, and we're from San Francisco and have had oysters all over the world. These were some of the best we've ever had. My wife had the fish stew, which she thought was just okay, but I thought it was excellent. I had the duck confit over roasted rosemary potatoes and red cabbage. I usually expect duck dishes to be small, but the piece of duck I received was much larger than expected, and I was quite full by the end of the meal. We both agreed that my duck dish was better than my wife's fish stew. It was also nice that this place serves bread and butter, haha. I miss that. read more

I've been here a couple of times and it's been really busy- for good reason. This traditional, grand pub with its circular bar and lavish high ceilings is the sort of place you'd take a visitor to show off the Edinburgh drinking scene; an old traditional pub that's also quite fancy. The service was pretty slow when I was here but not so bad that I'd complain about it. The good atmosphere compensated. read more

My wife and I went there on recommendation from our seperate colleagues and we really liked it. Service was impeccable at first but we did have to wait quite a long time for our main course. We ordered two recommended ales (I'm not usually an ale person) which were really tasty and we ordered 6 oysters which were really delicious. They had been grilled and covered in bacon and had a really strong taste which we loved. We then saw various dishes flying by us so we ordered Sunday roast lamb and a steak and ale pie. My steak and ale pie was delicious and my wife's roast lamb was gorgeous. The staff were really friendly and really helpfu and the decor fantasticl. The only thing that stops me giving it 5 stars is the really long wait for our main courses. read more

We had dinner at Cafe Royal as a group of 7 on April 22nd. We initially walked by the restaurant early in the morning before it was open and were looking at the menu when a gentleman came out and asked if we wanted to come inside to see it. We were pleasantly surprised and came inside and asked if we would reserve a table for that evening. The only time that was open was 9:00pm on a Sunday because they had a large party coming in that night. However, this was not a problem for the staff at all, it seemed. We were not rushed at all. We had a fantastic dinner. I wish I could remember our servers' names because they were AMAZING - everything was perfect. Food was delicious, wine was great! We were a bit of a loud table (we were celebrating a birthday!) and the table next to us was clearly not enjoying our presence, but our servers made a point of telling us not to feel badly about this, which was really nice! Cannot say enough great things about this place. Would absolutely recommend dinner here if you're in Edinburgh - it might the best meal we had in Scotland! read more

The bar is the highlight of this place. Victorian stryle room, oval bar, high ceilings, wood carved fireplace etc...quite the atmosphere. The dining area is adjacent to the bar and surprisingly small in size. the oysters were very good, however my main course, Monk Fish was a bit dry and bland. Good selection of malt whiskeys though made up for it at the end of the meal. Bar is definately a 5, dining, 3. read more

The food was OK as in its edible but there was only one waiter when we went and everything took a long time even though the restaurant itself wasn't busy. The steak was a lot more cooked than we asked for and the oysters were different sizes with some being extremely small. For the prices they offered for food that is merely edible, I don't think it's the best place to go. read more

Really cool oval bar tucked away for the traffic of the street. Drinks were cheaper than a lot of other bars and pubs... We stopped by for a couple after dinner drinks and had a great time. Atmosphere is great and our bartender was awesome, best service I've had at a bar in Scotland. read more

I had not been to the Cafe Royal Restaurant and as a friend was coming up for the weekend I thought I would give it go so booked a table for a bunch of friends. The decor as expected was captivating which made the eating experience even more disappointing. I do not think I have been to any restaurant where I have been unable to eat my meal until now. The first course failed to stir up my taste sensations and was lack lustre to say the least. The bread did not arrive until our starters and that's only as I had to ask for it. Then came the main course. The first time round it was over cooked and cold, coldness seemed to be a theme. I sent the main back and the second time round whilst it had not been overcooked it was bland and was not at all enjoyable. I also ordered mash potatoes and these were also bland and lumpy..i actually added butter and seasoning and tried to remash them to make them edible but failed miserably. I absolutely love puddings but simply couldn't face another let down. On the plus side the waiter, Fraser, was extremely good at dealing with our disapointment and my main meal was taken off the bill and we were given a bottle of wine. Our complaint was handled well, but I booked this restaurant for an eating experience and was completely let down. With prices as they are, you expect to be fed food at least on a par to what you get at home....this wasn't anywhere close! I will not go there again which is a real shame. read more

Yesterday myself (I am a South African lady) and my partner (a Scottish Chef) had the misfortune of coming to The Cafe Royal. We received shocking service and had a very unpleasant experience. I ordered 6 natural oysters and upon revival noticed that they were not very fresh. They had a off-white/ yellow thick sticky liquid which I know means that they are either old or dead, they did not smell very pleasant either- my partner checked and confirmed as he deals with oysters on a daily basis at his restaurant. I told the waiter that they are perhaps not fresh and that I would not risk another plate. he took the oysters to the kitchen and then returned them after a while back to me saying that the chef said that these where Scottish oysters and meant to be like that. I am South African by origin and I have an accent BUT I have been in this country long enough and have had oysters here on numerous occasions, never have they looked like this! I proceeded to say that I would not like them and will not take the risk of being ill- he then told me that either way I would have to pay for them no matter what I thought! I paid for them in shock only to be approached by a lovely waitress who apologized on behalf of her colleague and chef and returned my money. I find this absolutely shocking service to be told that even though the food was bad I would have to pay for it anyway, and to say that it is Scottish oysters after hearing I am a foreigner is even worse of an excuse! read more

Perfectly pleasant surroundings, we ate in the restaurant part of the bar and it was pretty grand. On the whole, the experience was disappointing. The food was fine, but nothing outstanding and given the price, I expected something a little more interesting. On receiving (and polishing off their mains in under 2 mins) the members of our group who order scallops enjoyed it but were left hungry and feeling short changed. We went there on a work trip and when I first sat down I hoped it might be somewhere that my husband and I would go on a special occasion, but I certainly won't be returning there especially if I'm paying! read more

Starting with dessert first. The sticky toffee pudding was to die for. The service was outstanding. We had a group of 27 from the US and they were incredibly accommodating. Very memorable experience. Main course was steak. Nicely cooked paired well with grilled veggies and chips. Appetizer was the haggis Bon bons. Tasty. Overall highly recommend the experience. read more

Beautiful Bar on a quiet lane just off Princes Street, I really like Cafe but everytime I go I leave feeling slightly disappointed. First of all the bar is very impressive, a circular bar in the middle of the pub. The tiles on the walls also look very impressive and tell a story, there is also a good selection of beers and the bar is frequented by a good cross second of society. What disappoints me is the service, or maybe I just stand in the wrong place but it always takes me ages to get served. read more

We recently dined there while visiting family in Scotland. The food was very mediocre. I ordered the salmon. I took a couple of bites and knew it was NOT fresh. I called the waitress and told her. She said she would tell the chef. They did not offer to replace the dish and charged us for it. I became very ill in the night from the spoiled fish. Not only was the food bad but the service and management was worse. We would never go there again! read more

Beautiful pub, great beer. Stopped in for a quick refresher on the way around Edinburgh for one night, loved it!

My family were up visiting for the weekend so I thought we might head somewhere a bit fancy and posh for some delicious seafood. After much umming and ahhing it was agreed we would head to Cafe Royal (the restaurant, not the pub next door). What a crying shame we did. We arrived at the restaurant (which is stunning! beautiful and full of character and history) at 8pm (as per our reservation) to find it empty bar one other table of Japanese tourists. To be honest alarm bells did ring at this stage, but I thought ah come on give this place a chance. We looked over the menu and decided some would have a starter, some wouldn't and my siser and her husband opted for the seafood platter so assumed a starter wouldnt be neccessary. I began ordering with the waitress (who I might add kept making a strange gurning face at me every time I spoke) and said we'd like 1/2 dozen oysters to share to kick us off. This seemed fine. I ordered the black pudding for a starter and a bowl of mussels for my main. The waitress then continued to ask me (at least 5 times) what I was having for my entree.... this caused no end of confusion, as far as I was concerned the oysters were our entree, she then kept saying how very small the portion of black pudding was and wasnt really a starter more of a taster (which turned out to be absolute rubbish, the portion was a great starter size). The exchange ended with me stating quite firmly that I was quite happy with the choices I had made and that she please move on and take requests from the others. All a bit stressful really. Our oysters arrived..... there was a dissapointed silence around the table, I have never seen such miniscule oysters in Edinburgh. I ate at Fishers by the shore a week previously to this and we were served big, fat lovely oysters, 2 of those were enough for a starter! My mum made a timely comment at this point that it was clear they are buying very cheap and inferiour produce and selling it at sky high prices (£8 for 1/2 I believe...). Very dissapointing. My black pudding was delicious, I have to say, a great portion size, cooked brilliantly. Top Marks. My mussels were also great, but lets face it how hard is it to get a pot of mussels right?! Every pub in the city will knock you a bowl up for under a fiver pretty much. A point I almost forgot to add was the waitress leaning right across me (there was plenty of room for her to get around the table) to deliver my mum her main course which was an overcooked anorexic seabass apparently. My sisters seafood platter arrived, and looked great, plenty to go at and decent portion sizes. Unfortunately the lobster was very overcooked, a great shame as it is not currently in season which means they must have it shipped in from god knows where, at what cost, to do horrendous things to it. The potatoes were not new and looked like something you might receive upon ordering loaded skins or similar in a pub, there was no rosemary in sight. My sister highlighted this to the waitress and she was told that as she had eaten a fair bit of it there would be no discount, but we would be entitled to a free pudding. We declined and thought best to just leave the restaurant to head home..... via the chinese. Overall a complete dissapointment. read more

Arrived in Edinburgh after long drive and headed here for pint of EPA to join the post office crowd before heading for food. Great atmosphere and service. Mix of Victoriana and Art Deco read more

Having dined at the Cafe Royal on every visit to Edinburgh I was expecting good food and warm service. However, after my visit today, I can confirm that I have never in my life received such disgusting service in any restaurant/pub I have visited. Our main courses took an hour to arrive and after asking what appeared to be the manager where our food was, we were told that she had already cleared our plates away. Informing her this was the starter, we asked to have our food soon or have our money back. We were then told that it was our fault it was delayed as we had 'moved tables'. Having been sat in the same spot without as little as a bathroom break, we were understandably puzzled by this. After complaining in a reasonable manner we were told we couldn't have our money back, only the money from the main courses that weren't delivered - no apology was offered. We were then asked to leave the restaurant, hungry and disappointed. Don't go here unless you're looking for frankly disgraceful service and mediocre food. read more