Cafe at the Palace (Edinburgh, UK)

The Cafe at the Palace is an efficient but elegant cafeteria space at Edinburgh's Holyrood Palace, and a nice spot for a lunch or tea.

By: Alisha Trenalone

I had part of a day on a recent trip to the UK to wander at will through Edinburgh.

With so much history and culture jam-packed into one walkable city, it can be a challenge to know what to focus on. Since the Royal Mile is book-ended by a palace and a castle, many people will end up at one or both.

At the bottom of the hill is the Palace of Holyroodhouse (a royal residence still in use) and the Cafe at the Palace. I decided to stop in for lunch. Here's what you might like to know if you're planning to end up there too!

Do I Have to Purchase Entry to the Palace?

You do not have to visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse in order to eat at the café.

Scotland is absolutely bursting with castles, and if, like me, you've got others on your itinerary, you might be satisfied with skipping some of the pricier ones (like this one).

The café is located in the same courtyard where you would buy tickets for the palace. This area is next to the King's Gallery, an art collection that fronts on the public street at the foot of the Royal Mile.

The palace is further behind this area, visible through gates.

What's Available at the Cafe at the Palace?

As you enter and join the cafeteria line, you'll first come to a cooler with ready-to-go sandwiches and drinks.

But I recommend you take a tray and head to the deli counter, where you'll find a great selection of hot food, Scottish classics, salads, soup, and cakes.

When I was there, some of the hot food options included a Scottish salmon fillet, a broccoli and stilton quiche, a mushroom and truffle wellington, or a vegetarian haggis roll.

Several steps up from what I would normally think of as cafeteria fare! Of course, it does have the word "palace" attached to it, so this is probably not surprising.

The selection varies by season. You should be able to download the current menu from their website.

I chose an open-face Scottish salmon sandwich, a delicious tangy potato salad, and a pot of tea. Everything was excellent.

You can also order afternoon tea service here, as the ladies seated next to me did. It looked lovely!

There is outdoor seating under cover of large umbrellas.

It being a breezy and brisk day (I know: typical for Scotland), I preferred to sit indoors.

From the indoor dining area, you can exit via another set of doors that leads you away from the palace courtyard and back to the public street.

Other treats we enjoyed not too far off the Royal Mile included ice cream at Mary's Milk Bar and coffee at the Edinburgh Press Club!