Peacock Alley

One of the most beautiful and grand bars/​cafes I’ve been in. Really welcoming staff as well which put you at ease despite being in such formal surroundings, it was a real joy to come and have a few drinks here!
The cocktails themselves were surprisingly well priced as well, given that they also offered free snacks of nuts and crisps etc and they were exceptionally well made.
Without a doubt a 5 star hotel, and a 5 star bar!

I love afternoon tea, with the love affair starting at the Top — The Savoy and the Ritz in London. Therefore, it’s been a hard slug to find comparable experiences in Edinburgh and usually after doing some research, checking menus and reviews — I don’t even bother trying. One of my turn-​offs is when the chefs try to get too creative with the savouries — I LIKE FINGER SANDWICHES. So, when I check a menu and it lists crostini, open-​faced sandwiches, anything warm… I don’t even bother anymore.
So when, a friend wanted to do ‘tea’ we scoured the menus and the Peacock Alley came tops for a traditional offering. We entered the Tea Room from the main reception and instantly felt like we were high-​class. I love that this space was converted from an external courtyard and all the exterior stonework and fancy moldings are sill in tact.
Although the space was gorgeous, a wee niggle was that the chairs were low and the table small, with a cross bar that meant we had to sit with our legs sideways. A bit awkward and uncomfortable for a marathon of tea drinking, sandwich nibbling and cake devouring.
The tea selection was also impressive with a large choice of premium teas, which I was delighted to discover, were available at no extra charge! So of course, ‘go big or go home! We both chose a fruity white tea blended by the Waldorf. As the table was so tiny, we were hoping it would come in one pot and save space, but no — we each got our own pot as the premium teas are loose in a pot with a brewing chamber.
When our tiered stand was elegantly placed on the table we did a quick double-​take… No Scones? The server smiled — the scones are served warm and brought out once we finish the sandwiches. So where most places serve a tier of sandwiches, a tier of scones and a tier of cakes, we had 2 tiers of cakes and scones on their way — score!
The sandwiches were tasty and satisfyingly traditional. Another wee niggle — not enough sandwiches. We, like many diners around us, couldn’t finish all the sweets (can be boxed up and taken home). I would have preferred 2 or 3 more sandwiches and only one tier of cakes. This is one of the things I miss about my London experiences — the sandwiches were all you can eat — with the servers refilling the tray at your request. (maybe this is an option elsewhere in Edinburgh? — still looking!).
Serving warm scones was a nice touch but they were a bit dry and oddly flavoured. We had 3 mini ones — plain, citrus peel and nut. I would have preferred one moist fruity scone as the plain was boring and I don’t like citrus peel.
Despite the little niggles — this is so far the best Afternoon Tea I have had in Edinburgh and wouldn’t hesitate to come back (after I try the other 2 at the top of my to-​do list).

A lovely afternoon tea. We should have made reservations but the staff made room for us. We had a few sandwiches (three 3 bite sized cuts), mini Passionflower raspberry cake, hazelnut mini macaron, cupcake, panna cotta but the true star was the scones, clotted cream and jam. The scones were pecan, citrus, vanilla and plain. My husband and the peacock blend tea. I had camomile and jasmine. They had a wide assortment of teas and very comfortable chairs. I do miss having more sandwiches though.

I did afternoon tea here this past weekend and it was splendid. My mom and I wanted to have a big, grand tea on our first trip to the UK together and figured the Waldorf Astoria would be the place to do it. While the tea was pricey (£27 pp) I feel I did get value for my money. The waitstaff at this hotel is incredibly friendly too! Since we were there on Valentine’s Weekend, there was a harp player serenading us with beautiful music while we nibbled on everything. The assortment of baked goods and scones were DELICIOUS and the sandwiches were also lovely. For an extra £12 my mom got a fancy glass of champagne with her tea.
Like I said, it is expensive, this is clearly a special occasion tea but I thought it was lovely and would return for a special occasion or maybe a birthday tea like I saw some other ladies doing!