Effies of Perth — Restaurant in Scotland

Every so often something comes along that is both unexpected and wonderful. I happened upon Effies almost by chance while looking around Perth City centre, and decided to venture in for breakfast. Lunch and other meals are served after breakfast time.

It was like walking back in history to a bygone age. Proper tables and chairs, all laid out with tablecloths, silver condiment sets, and even silver sugar bowls with sugarlumps and silver tongs. Proper china teacups and saucers too. Superb!

The walls are adorned with a multitude of framed pictures of yesteryear, both scenic and of people. You could, quite literally, spend all day looking at them and you still wouldn't see everything that they depict. The rest of the decor is traditional and splendid.

The full Scottish breakfast was of the highest quality and the sausage, bacon, black pudding etc sourced from a quality nearby family butcher. It was all impeccably presented and it seemed almost criminal to eat it. But eat it I did, and it was absolutely delicious. The accompanying toast came in a traditional silver toast rack and the tea in a big silver teapot brought to the table.

All of that doesn't get there by itself. It requires a lot of painstaking effort from the friendly staff who clearly enjoy what they do and take great pride in doing it.

The price was very reasonable when you compare what you get at, say, Wetherspoons, for only a couple of quid less. When I am next in Perth I know where I'll be heading!

I understand that 'Effie' who gave her name to the business is, sadly, no longer alive, but the people who now run this amazing little restaurant are obviously dedicated to maintaining the extremely high standards she set.

All in all, a marvellous experience and worth...

The fantastic write-ups on Tripadvisor are not an exaggeration and Small Talk lives up to all of the wonderful reviews folk have taken time to write. We were greeted by the extremely welcoming and friendly proprietor who instantly made us feel like special customers - he succeeds in making all his guests feel like VIPs. The interior is pure nostalgia; an antique dresser piled high with a huge selection of mouthwatering cakes; iconic Royal Albert bone china; gorgeous vintage teapots; linen table covers and old photographs & postcards. The menu is packed with Scottish favourites, like haggis neeps and tatties, mince and tatties and macaroni cheese, but they also do a soup and sandwich combo, if you want to leave room for homemade cake! We had roast beef and horseradish sandwiches on gloriously soft granary bread and homemade chicken broth that was absolutely delicious. We followed that with "clootie dumpling..." made to a traditional family recipe that also includes a generous slug or two of brandy. Yum. Rich, moist, not overly sweet; this will definitely transport you back to your grannies' kitchen. Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, our host appeared with a slice of their famous carrot cake and two forks... Even if you are not a fan of carrot cake, give this one a go. The amazing reviews about this particular carrot cake are spot on. The cake is moist and delicately spicy, the topping is creamy and tangy with just a hint of orange. If you haven't discovered Small Talk try, it. You won't be disappointed! And remember to...

Best Victorian afternoon tea and Carrot cake

I’m so glad I found Effies, the vintage decor, friendly service, huge portion, delicious food and very reasonable price !

I ordered the soup with full sandwich and chips. There’s a lot of sandwich filling options you can choose from, from tuna mayo to roast ham. I opted for beef and horseradish. I also tried the salmon and cream cheese one. They are great I personally prefer the beef.

I also had Cullen skink here, it’s so delicious and such a huge portion, it’s super creamy, the best one I tried. 10/10 The mushroom soup is also great. They had many soup options that day as well.

They have a big selection of tea here, served in vintage silver ware. Darjeeling and Assam tea are amazing here!

Finally, star is the show, my absolute favourite, the carrot cake! You must try it, it’s so soft and moist, the cream cheese frosting is delicious, light. This is the best carrot cake I’ve ever tried! It’s their recipe for 25yrs! 10/10

The decor is amazing here, everything is so vintage and nostalgic. Super friendly service, love that it’s a family business. Everything is served quickly too. Effies is such a gem, totally worth the travel, make sure you book ahead, because it...