Food & Drink
1–2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
£42
per adult
Red Bus Bistro
Red Bus Bistro
4.5
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Full view
About
Red Bus Bistro - a truly moving restaurant experience! Running all year round... a totally new experience in dining for residents and tourists alike. See the sights with a glass of fizz or a beer. Afternoon Tea not to your taste? Then try our later Evening Dining Experiences ... we have Antipasti & Wine, or Pizza & Prosecco. Our vintage 1966 Routemaster bus (the iconic red bus on the postcards) is equipped with a fully-fitted stainless steel galley kitchen, seating for up to 40 diners, an expert & talented onboard chef and congenial staff to help make your experience that bit smoother. All tours are offered subject to late cancellation by us due to emergency maintenance issues.
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4.5
1,793 reviews
Excellent
1,217
Very good
240
Average
115
Poor
90
Terrible
132
Gordon F
1 contribution
Mar 2023 • Family
I received this as a Xmas present in 2022 and when I tried to book the experience in early March 2023 I was told that the company that the tickets were bought from Red Bus Bistro no longer worked with that company needless to say after trying to get the cost of the tickets refunded was a complete waste of time, and the Red Bus Bistro did nothing to help us get our money back.
Written 9 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WhoMe?
Belfast, UK1 contribution
Dec 2023 • Family
We were so looking forward to this trip but it turned out to be such a let down! i had spoken to customer services before hand on several occassions about a few queries i had and i have to give them 10/10.
However the day before our trip we got an email to say there was a problem with the bus and that they had to substitute it with another and that we would have to sit upstairs as there were no seats downstairs, we understand these things happen but the bus that arrived was something else!!!!!
Our table was soaked with liquid and we were unable to see out any of the windows as they were constantly steamed up. The music was so loud and the volume of the guys mic was also so loud that his voice was distorted and we couldnt make out a thing he was saying. We werent the only people who thought the music was too loud and when the people besides us asked for it to be turned down it suddenly went off and turns out the speaker had broken and was replaced with a portable mini speaker that kept cutting out as it wasnt recieving the wifi signal.
There was a constant drip on my head and the floor was very wet so much so that the strap on my bag was soaked and i wasnt able to wear it for several hours afterwards.
To say the bus was a riggity bone shaker is an understatement we had to hold onto our drinks as they didnt fit into the holders on the table and the food on the stand kept falling off.
We actually thought we were on a hidden camera tv show as this was all the type of thing you would see happen to people on a game show!
On a positive note we have to give the food 10/10 as it was warm fresh and totally delicious and seasonal.
Its a pity the rest of the trip wasnt as good as the food!
When the guide said at the end to give a good review there was complete silence from everyone on the bus so i guess we werent the only ones who thought the same as us?
However the day before our trip we got an email to say there was a problem with the bus and that they had to substitute it with another and that we would have to sit upstairs as there were no seats downstairs, we understand these things happen but the bus that arrived was something else!!!!!
Our table was soaked with liquid and we were unable to see out any of the windows as they were constantly steamed up. The music was so loud and the volume of the guys mic was also so loud that his voice was distorted and we couldnt make out a thing he was saying. We werent the only people who thought the music was too loud and when the people besides us asked for it to be turned down it suddenly went off and turns out the speaker had broken and was replaced with a portable mini speaker that kept cutting out as it wasnt recieving the wifi signal.
There was a constant drip on my head and the floor was very wet so much so that the strap on my bag was soaked and i wasnt able to wear it for several hours afterwards.
To say the bus was a riggity bone shaker is an understatement we had to hold onto our drinks as they didnt fit into the holders on the table and the food on the stand kept falling off.
We actually thought we were on a hidden camera tv show as this was all the type of thing you would see happen to people on a game show!
On a positive note we have to give the food 10/10 as it was warm fresh and totally delicious and seasonal.
Its a pity the rest of the trip wasnt as good as the food!
When the guide said at the end to give a good review there was complete silence from everyone on the bus so i guess we werent the only ones who thought the same as us?
Written 8 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathleen
Rice, TX2 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
Celebrated my mums birthday with afternoon tea on the big red bus Glasgow … we had the best time … Nicky and Shane were just fabulous and my mum said the whole experience was astounding 💕 food was lovely and lots of it … it’s an old bus so was bumpy and windows steamy but that was all part of the experience… thankyou 💕
Written 8 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lily M
United Kingdom96 contributions
Dec 2023 • Friends
Thoroughly enjoyed it. Bits we could not hear what the driver saying. Food was lovely. Staff excellent
Written 4 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RedBusBistro
Hello thank you for taking the time to leave us a review of your experience onboard . We will have the crew supervisor look into any mic issues we do apologise for this . We are pleased to read you enjoyed the feed and the staff looked after you all well . We hope to welcome you back int he future
Written 5 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
johnos20
1 contribution
Dec 2023 • Friends
AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!! After a horrendous start to our trip from London to Edinburgh after a cancelled flight and massive diversion we were one hour late to our 12pm bus tour! There is 6 of us we paid £225 for afternoon tea with gin
We were told by the bus staff that if they had availability on the 3pm tour they would take us we went back at 3pm but unfortunately the bus was full so we were advised to call Monday morning! We were told that the customer service were incredibly helpful they couldn’t have been more wrong!
We made the call to try and rearrange the tour but was told that apparently we checked a box to say no to ticket protection this must of be in tiny print as we were unaware that we had refused protection, after numerous phone calls to management we were refused any kind of amendment or refund and even told we couldn’t have the food and drink we paid for! I have NEVER EVER experienced worse customer service in my life and would advise anyone thinking of taking this trip to think again!
We were told by the bus staff that if they had availability on the 3pm tour they would take us we went back at 3pm but unfortunately the bus was full so we were advised to call Monday morning! We were told that the customer service were incredibly helpful they couldn’t have been more wrong!
We made the call to try and rearrange the tour but was told that apparently we checked a box to say no to ticket protection this must of be in tiny print as we were unaware that we had refused protection, after numerous phone calls to management we were refused any kind of amendment or refund and even told we couldn’t have the food and drink we paid for! I have NEVER EVER experienced worse customer service in my life and would advise anyone thinking of taking this trip to think again!
Written 4 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RedBusBistro
Hello firstly we do not tolerate any form of abuse or foul language that was used when communicating to our team which was horrendous . We also do not adhere to any threatening behaviour and we where aware from the threatening phone calls to expect the review that you advised you would leave alongside many other threats . Like many business we have terms and conditions and when you made the booking you agreed to these terms .The terms and conditions and ticket policy option is a MANDATORY FIELD and unless you acknowledge these fields you can not move on in the booking process THERFOR YOU MUST HAVE SEEN THIS AND MUST HAVE TICKED THE BOX TO DECLINE THE TICKET POLICY OPTION IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE BOOKING . As you opted out of the ticket policy and had travel issues we are not liable for the refund or food that was not used and wasted when you did not show for your original tour . We would strongly advise that you take accountability for your actions and take ticket protection for bookings if there is a possibility you may have travel issues or cant attend the event you have booked . Finally we would advise to be cautious when speaking to people in the manner you did and the the threats that your party made We have also responded to the same review you have left on other sites
Written 5 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Amanda B
4 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
Myself and sister took the bistro bus yesterday 3.12.23 and it was fabulous would highly recommend. The Christmas decorations made it feel very special, the afternoon tea was lovely the mini stake bake was my favourite 😍 thank you to nicki for looking after us up top and the driver for the smooth ride around Glasgow perfect way to spend the afternoon x
Written 4 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RedBusBistro
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review and share your lovely photos . We are so happy you both enjoyed the time onboard and our Afternoon tea experience . We will ensure to pass this great feed back onto Nicki and the team . We look forward to welcoming you back in the future 😊
Written 5 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kay R
Sunderland5 contributions
Dec 2023 • Friends
Very poor - awful stench - food mediocre to say the least. Half a cup of cold tea served, gin was ok but nothing special. Very squashed on the front seats - we are both size 10 and 12 but still couldn’t fit comfortably on the seat. Microphone far too loud so distorted the sound couldn’t hear what was being said. Some of an aging decoration fell into our food so that completely put us off what little appetite we had for it to start with. I mentioned this to the girl and she said oh it’s only plastic it’s fine and proceeded to put the decoration back … however the aging oasis that held the plastic thing had already crumbled into our food when it fell - save your money not worth it at all ! I shall be emailing the company
Written 4 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sandra F
4 contributions
Dec 2023 • Friends
Amazing festive afternoon. My friend and I loved this tour. It was a cold Glasgow day but the warmth from staff and hot drinks made it a great experience. As the other reviews make mention, the windows do steam up but they gave us a wiper to keep them clear. It is also quite a squeeze into the seats so I wouldn’t recommend for anyone who is “broad shouldered”.
Lots of lovely food and fizz made it great value. We were just getting off and talking about booking again.
Lots of lovely food and fizz made it great value. We were just getting off and talking about booking again.
Written 3 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RedBusBistro
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review we are so pleased you enjoyed a festive day out and enjoyed the Afternoon tea experience . Thank you for raising about the windows we are so pleased after feedback from other passengers that the work around we have put in place is working well . Thank you for providing great feedback and we hope to welcome you back in board in the future
Written 5 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jen
Inverness, UK95 contributions
Dec 2023 • Couples
Too cold in winter. Quite a distance from town to board and not clearly marked for pick up. The food was ok not what I asked for but replaced quickly. Only given one cup of tea the second I asked twice for then too late to drink it. There is a pit stop half way round for a bathroom break with the doors left open so became cold quickly and parked quite a distance away. It’s a good experience in general if you have a nice day to enjoy the views through clear windows. The staff are attentive and our server was good. I would recommend a different tour guide as the sound was too high and catered only to the top deck. It’s a good idea but needs some updating
Written 3 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RedBusBistro
Hello thank you for taking the time to leave us a review , We do advise in winter months and can be colder and we do heat the bus prior to customers boarding and we have blankets available for any passengers that feel the cold we will pass on feedback to the crew to keep doors closed at the comfort stop. We are a little confused about the distance from town we pick up in the city centre of Edinburgh and we advise directly outside the Malmaison hotel so we can be located easily . We are pleased to read the staff where very attentive and the crew where good and that you did enjoy the overall experience .
Written 4 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Linda G
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Family
One of the best afternoon teas I have had, staff were lovely and created a great atmosphere.
Would highly recommend to others, was a great experience.
Would highly recommend to others, was a great experience.
Written 3 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RedBusBistro
Hello thank you very much for taking the time to leave us a review and provide great feedback of your time onboard . Thank you for the recommendation and we will ensure to pass this great feedback onto all the team . We look forward to welcome you back onboard again in the future
Written 4 December 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Is there a toilet facility on x38 bus from Edinburgh to Falkirk
Joel Beth N
Surfside, FL2 contributions
No
Steven R
1 contribution
My group (3) is getting into Edinburgh at 1:00 PM baring any flight delays, June 11th. Since I believe there are no refunds if late, can we book a 3 PM Edinburgh Afternoon Tea Experience at the last minute (subject to availability)?
Bob9958
United Kingdom20 contributions
I think you can book last minute but it would be via the website if seats are available. I don’t think you can ‘pay on the day or arrival’.
Alison E
Glasgow, UK1 contribution
Why there was no apology when we left the bus and that the only alternative were cakes or Prosecco not really suitable replacement
320576
Bridge of Weir, UK108 contributions
Hi, can you advise if the bus is suitable for people with mobility issues? Slow walker and needs sufficient room between table and seat. Thanks
Scottish-Hidden-Gems🏴💎
Ayrshire, UK6,723 contributions
What is the gluten free and vegetarian options for afternoon tea?
laurelkait
Nottingham, UK36 contributions
I would check their website as they have the menus posted there. We had the Italian offerings of pizza or an antipasto plate for our tea so neither of those would work for your needs/preferences. Perhaps contact them directly and ask if they offer veg/gluten-free options. I think most places would. Good luck!
SuziePAP
Scotland, UK521 contributions
What food is provided for children?
Gillian B
Glasgow, UK141 contributions
HI sorry for delay in replying only just seen this! :-(
It is an afternoon tea which is provided to guests, including the usual of sandwiches, scones and wee cakes. They are really nice but worth maybe giving the company a call to see if they could offer something slightly different for children? Staff were really friendly and helpful.
grassrootsgoddess
Inverness, UK6 contributions
Can we book the regular high tea and decide once we’re there if we will upgrade to the gin version? We’re coming from an overnight flight and may not be up to cocktails yet.
LJCM
4 contributions
I'm sure you can as we had hot drink & a bubbly with the afternoon tea then added a few rounds of gin to it ..at £6 a wee pot which was fab, expected drink to be much dearer
How long are the stops at each attraction?
RedBusBistro
Edinburgh, UK10 contributions
Hi there Frances.
Thank you for taking an interest in the Red Bus Bistro.
The tour does not have any pitstops. As we travel around the city and you enjoy your Afternoon Tea, our guide will announce points of interest along the way.
sandieh02
Ebgland - UK21 contributions
How much are additional drinks onboard the bus?
lynnecam1uk
Edinburgh, UK11 contributions
sorry I am not sure as I did not buy additional drinks you would be best asking them yourself as they will know best