The Colonnades at the Signet Library — Restaurant in City of Edinburgh

Agressive and shamelessly rude personal. One girl even found it acceptable to snap in front of our 80 year grandfather and reply with a raised voice: "It's none of your business!" - and a distorted facial expression that said much more than that. The arrogance and disdain had quickly escalated from the young girl when we began to ask her colleague what the reason was that they had "closed" 30 minutes earlier than clearly advertised on their website as the last seating for afternoon tea (5pm); unable to give a reason, pressed on an explanation, she spoke to us like some teenager speaks to parents in a household with no decorum. To witness an employee snap like this - totally unbridled and with no compunction - she left us nothing short but stunned and mortified. I am happy our 80-year-old grandfather only understands Danish, albeit he left the reception shortly after her character manifested itself itself since her entire demeanor was unambiguous and the temper tantrum unforgettable. Needless to say we followed him soon after. Never have we experienced any place where staff found it okay to speak to guests in such a tone and manner - least would we have expected a place with such good reviews in a city full of fine restaurants with excellent service. This is the first time I write a review, and I only do so because the girl who snapped in front of our 80 year old grandfather only did so because she felt entirely free to do so with no fear of a manager cutting her loose. I have sent an email to The Colonnades with the exact same message - however, if you hire with this lack of standards, I don't expect them to fire on a more rigorous set. Hence, to write this review was actually more for myself than for them. We went to Palm Court at the Balmoral instead for our afternoon tea, and I can only recommend people to...

Excellent afternoon tea! It is definitely on the pricey side but in my opinion, we got our money's worth. It is 50GBP per person and it comes with your choice of unlimited tea or coffee and 3 trays of gourmet savories and sweets. We came around noon after we have worked an appetite after strolling around the Royal Mile for 3 hours with our guide. By the end of our tea time, we had struggled to finish everything on our trays! The food was presented and crafted beautifully, most of them were too pretty to eat! I ordered the Signet Library signature tea; my husband ordered the Darjeeling and both teas were excellent, they almost could give Kenyan tea a run for its money (emphasis on almost). The ambiance was also unparalleled- who would've have thought you can eat and drink in a place rich in historical significance?? The Colonnades is right next to St. Giles cathedral, right in the heart of the Royal Mile. I believe reservations are required; it is easy to do in their website. Although we saw plenty of empty tables when we came in...

I recently went to the Colonnades with partner for afternoon tea to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Firstly the building is absolutely beautiful, with high ceilings and lovely alcoves in which we sat to eat. The service compliments the amazing surroundings with nothing being to much trouble.

Myself and my partner are vegetarian and vegan respectively and the Colonnades could not have been more accommodating with specially prepared food just for us. To top this off the staff were knowledgeable about all of the dishes prepared, describing each one in detail. Additionally the selection of tea was vast, with the freedom to try as many as you like included in the price!

To top this all off the champagne cocktails were fantastic with a large selection available.

If you are looking for a decadent treat, whether for a special occasion or just for an amazing lunch, I cannot recommend the...