We did eat here but the food was standard pub fare, not really worthy of comment...so I'm writing this as a pub/bar review: What a beautiful, lavish, ornate, eye-catching mesmerising room! The ceiling is covered with elaborate plasterwork painted mainly white with read and gold highlights. The walls have tasteful tilework mosaics depicting inventors and scientists of the past. Lighting... More

We ordered the Seafood Platter at a cost of £44.95. At that price you would expect something spectacular..... It wasn't. The oysters were raw (which was not stated on menu) We asked for them to be grilled which wasn't a problem. Meanwhile we started on the rest. The small lobster x1 (halved) was rubbery and we couldn't prise it out... More

We had lunch at the Cafe Royal Restaurant this afternoon. I have to say I was distinctly unimpressed. The food was bland and unseasoned and mine, scallops with choritzo was extremely small, four minute scallops, for the exorbitant price. My husband's sea bass was obviously frozen, the skin was dry looking and not crisp and the flesh was dry, we... More

The restaurant is part of a pub and is quite small. So if you want to eat there, it is best to get a reservation. The food is pretty decent but not exceptional. Service was good. Reasonable wine prices. Since it is part of the pub, the noise level is quite high. More

Booked a table the night before.... Arrived to be seated in a corner next to the revolving door. Not the best idea due to the weather climate in Edingburgh in early May... First mistake! Moved to a slightly better table. Waited ages for oyster starters which were supposed to be grilled, so one would assume they would be warm. Alas!... More

Reading all the hype over this establishment my wife and I visited the Cafe Royal, booking a table for dinner. The decor of the property is quite something, however this is where the good stuff grinds to a halt. The food was awful, really awful(we stopped half way through the 2nd course) - my wife and I came down ill... More

As others have mentioned, this place seems to have multiple names on TA, which really should be merged to avoid confusion - I am refering to the main bar. Its a lovely place, recently refurbished, with coloured tile murals on the wall and an elegant bar. There are seats at the bar, at high tables, and in semi circular booths... More

We had a great night in the Cafe Royal on a recent trip to Edinburgh. A beautiful old building with stained glass windows of sportsmen and tiled murals of historical figures such as Faraday and Caxton. The place is always packed, but we were befriended by Lyn who promised to get us a table by 8.15 - and she did.... More

I am perplexed by the variety of reviews for the Cafe Royal (raves and pans) under four different headings across a number of years--I think they all refer to the same place--TripAdvisor may want to consolidate them to avoid confusion. Also, as with many pubs, Cafe Royal offers both a bar menu as well as a restaurant menu. My review... More