The Caley Sample Room — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

An extremely disappointing experience.

Went here with my family for Sunday lunch, as the restaurant has received awards, and has numerous good reviews.

The interior is well decorated and themed, with classic pub stylings with a modern feel. Bar is well stocked with craft beers and a good spirit selection, including artisan gins.

The menu is well presented, with just enough options and choice, a smart layout and attractive options.

I and the rest of my family went for the Sunday carvery option. This was priced at £13-15 depending on choice of meat. The service was a little slow, despite a semi empty restaurant - certainly not busy- and we didn't receive any cutlery until after our food arrived (and only one napkin between 5).

When being served, my mother and sister had gravy spilled all over their jackets and persons, which put the meal off to a bad start.

The meal itself was shocking. What we expected for the price and presentation, was a full on traditional style roast, with quality touches (such as creamed horseradish as advertised on the menu).

What came was something akin to a school dinner. A few slices of well cooked meat (read - a little dry), one, depressed looking yorkshire pudding, a few fried potatoes and a selection of starchy, cubed, nondescript root vegetables.

The gravy was watery and bland.

Thankfully, the bar manager was kind enough to inform us that the staff were very new, hence the poor quality of service, and offered us 50% off our bill.

Overall I would be wary of this restaurant until the staff is better trained,...

My visit to "Caley Sample Room" in Edinburgh left me with mixed impressions, which I would rate with three stars. The food was decent, but there were certain aspects that could use improvement.

The menu offered a variety of options, but the execution of some dishes fell short of expectations. The quality varied, and some flavor profiles were not quite balanced.

The ambiance at "Caley Sample Room" was pleasant, yet it lacked a certain charm. The decor felt simple, which slightly affected the overall experience.

The service was polite, but there were moments when attentiveness waned. Orders took longer than expected, and communication could be enhanced.

The prices were reasonable, but considering the experience, I would have expected better value for money.

Overall, my visit to "Caley Sample Room" was a mixed bag. Improvements in taste, service, and ambiance could make the culinary experience more worthwhile.

#MixedImpressions #RoomForImprovement...

Went in this evening. Had never been before. 3 members of staff chatting at the bar so we went and found a seat ourselves. No menu on the table. Only the wine and gin list. Had to go and get a menu ourselves and it was only a limited menu. Had to them stand at the bar to wait to be served with bar staff sitting under the bar out of view. Let’s just say was not a very nice first experience and I very much won’t be going out my wait to try a 2nd time. End rest of feeling like we weren’t wanted we left and went somewhere else for dinner :(

In reply to the response. I appreciate it was busy however the at the time we had come in all the tables were set with not one table with plates to collect. Again sorry if you don’t like it and it may not be the normal but the experience we had received I would not come back. First impressions are everything and go add my review wasn’t done out of anger it was a factual account of wha myself and my friend...