Clarinda's Tearoom — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

We had envisioned our holiday in Scotland to include a delightful meal at Clarinda's Tearoom in Edinburgh. Although our research led us to the opposite side of town from the Edinburgh Marketplace rail station, our journey along the Royal Mile was truly enriching. We encountered the vibrant sights and sounds, exploring numerous Scottish souvenir shops and the Edinburgh Museum, both highlights on our itinerary.

Finding Clarinda's on the Royal Mile proved easy. Upon arrival at lunchtime, the tearoom buzzed with energy. We were fortunate to connect with a warm and friendly American woman who generously shared her table with us after another guest departed. Our conversation flowed effortlessly, as we exchanged stories of our experiences in Scotland. At the same time, she spoke of her recent arrival from Boston and her anticipation of a camping adventure in the Scottish Highlands with new acquaintances. Her spirit of adventure inspired us!

Clarinda's Tearoom lived up to its glowing reviews, offering a charming atmosphere, attentive service, and delicious food. I savored the broccoli and cheddar soup paired with a cup of chai latte, a recommendation from a Google reviewer. Typically eager to capture food photos, I was captivated by our engaging conversation instead. Leaving Clarinda's, we celebrated checking it off our holiday list. With welcoming staff and a cozy ambiance, it left a lasting impression and truly enriched our...

Clarinda’s is a part of our family’s life, history and tradition. My folks spent significant parts of their late adulthood and early retirement in Edinburgh. Clarinda’s became a big part our family life aBout twenty-five years ago. My folks brought all of their children with families to Edinburgh to celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary. The grandchildren — eight of them - ages 8 to 18 — used Clarinda’s as a home base — because some combination of the adults could be found there almost continuously from opening to close. Over the time we were there, staff became adept at carrying messages among family members. And yes, we gathered for tea and scones. My youngest daughter has celebrated her birthday by request with “high tea - like Clarinda’s” most years. Just a couple of months ago when the extended family with now great grand children gathered to celebrate Mom’s life —- the cousins — those 8-18 year olds — suggested we host the gather by serving “tea and scones- like Clarinda’s. “. And that we did. A good number of family members, a sister completing an advanced degree at Edinburgh, and travelers like my wife and I, have made our way to Clarinda’s through the years. ...

Positives first . The place is adorable with vintage decor - very cozy . The cakes were delicious. Now the negatives : , the staff was very young and lacked proper customer service . We came for breakfast and we were told some items we couldn’t order because they didn’t have a third person on staff . But she told us anything from the breakfast menu was fine to order and desserts . So we said we would have cakes first then order our eggs. We received our cakes and then we were literally ignored for 30 minutes. Literally 30 min ignored! I finally got the waitress to take our order and she said we could no longer order our breakfast because it was after 11. And that we couldn’t order anything but more desserts . The Staff was rude and not helpful. And so disorganized It was incredibly disappointing and poorly handled. Probably the WORST customer service I’ve experienced. Especially for a tea room. I wouldn’t recommend or go back. Waste of time and money and...