Review: Girdy & Birdy indulge in afternoon tea for two at The Glasshouse

Girdy & Birdy headed to The Glasshouse’s ‘Snug’ for an indulgent afternoon tea in luxurious surroundings. Check out the full review below, in which Birdy whinges about sandwiches.

Myself and Girdy had made what you might call a New Year’s resolution, and that was to have more afternoon teas in and around the ‘Burgh! Therefore, The Glasshouse’s ‘tea for two’ offer was one we just couldn’t pass up.

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Afternoon tea for two at The Glasshouse with Girdy & Birdy! #edinburgheats #afternoontea #diningout #edinburgh #edinburghreviews

♬ Through Glass – Ooyy

This was, I believe, my first time in The Glasshouse! Girdy was, on the other hand, quite familiar with the surroundings and had memories of being in the Snug before – more about that below.

The Glasshouse’s vibe

Our afternoon tea was set in the indulgent, premium-feel setting of what’s referred to as ‘The Snug’. It was cosy, and smelled reminiscent of Christmas-but-not-quite. Definite hints of cinnamon! How did they get it smelling so nice?!

There’s a lovely feel about The Snug, which luxurious, blue velvet comfy sofas and armchairs, and, of course, the majestic-looking firebowl – that’s a huge draw.

The video on the right shows it off far better than I ever could – and if you decide to visit the loos, you also get a fantastic view of the rooftop garden! Bonus.

There are also inner stairs leading to places unknown in The Snug, and they reminded me of the artist Maurits Cornelis Escher, which made me very happy.

Here they are:

The Glasshouse’s afternoon tea

When we arrived for our afternoon tea – I arrived first – we were presented with the following menu:

All seemed well, but wait! The only sandwich options seemed to contain cream cheese. As someone who isn’t a fan of cream cheese on sandwiches, I politely asked if there were any alternatively options for people who aren’t overly enamoured with cream cheese.

I was impressed with our server’s answer of going to check with the chef, and coming back to me with some options. I was given the option of chicken and pesto, which I agreed to – I also suggested that since I like both smoked salmon and cucumber, I could have both of those things combined on a sandwich. So, that was sorted! Or so I thought.

When our afternoon tea came out shortly after, it turned out there had been some last-minute changes to the sandwiches, and Girdy was presented with cold meat and regular cheese on both sandwiches – no cream cheese at all! I believe there was one salami & cheese, and one prosciutto & cheese.

I was instantly jealous, and a bit puzzled, as I could have happily eaten both of those sandwiches! And being not incredibly enamoured with pesto (just finding it more edible than cream cheese), Girdy kindly agreed to eat that one and let me have the prosciutto & cheese sammy (mainly because all he wanted to do was eat). What a palaver!

However, once we were over that hurdle, we were treated to perfectly acceptable afternoon tea. I believe some of the cakes were also different than promised, due to the same last-minute issues, but that was okay.

It felt like we got a decent amount of food, Girdy ate all the lemon-flavoured things, and I think he enjoyed the overall experience a tad more than I did. He had zero complaints, whereas I thought the scones could have been a little softer, and some of the cake a little lighter/less stodgy.

I have to admit, the tea options were quite impressive, and I was very satisfied with my tea choice, going for a traditional afternoon tea – whereas Girdy went with a peppermint variety.

Also, I have to add that the surroundings of the Snug made any disappointment in the food a little more palatable. Although I did feel like it gave the impression amazing things were coming, and it just didn’t quite live up to that expectation in the end.

I am also aware I’ve now spent far longer than I really should whining about sandwiches, but there we go.

The Glasshouse’s staff

The Glasshouse’s staff were very accommodating and welcoming when we both arrived – separately – to the reception area. I explained to the person showing me up to the Snug that I had a slight aversion to elevators, and it was incredibly kind of her to point me to where the stairs were for later.

I also remarked on some of the wonderful art on the walls as I was being shown to the Snug, and was pleasantly surprised to be not only told the name of the artist, but that I could grab one of her business cards on the way out. Which I did!

Once in the Snug, the staff were pleasant, polite and efficient – even when being met with my utter confusion at the result of the Great Sandwich Palaver of 2024. I could tell our polite male server wasn’t sure quite how to handle my incredulity when I exclaimed: “But there’s NO cream cheese on the sandwiches!”

He did look slightly uncomfortable and pointed out they’d made the sandwich adjustments I’d asked for, and I didn’t want to be an utter Karen, so left it there (whilst thinking in my head ‘but the original sandwiches have also been adjusted and so there was no need to further adjust mine, wut’).

I’m going to put it down to a bit of confusion with relayed messages, and possibly a misunderstanding that perhaps implied I’d wanted to avoid all cheese. It’s the best way. Let’s not dwell on it!

Things to do in the city centre

The Glasshouse is part of the Omni Centre, which a Vue Cinema, Boom Battle Bar, and only one Wetherspoons to avoid. The Playhouse is located nearby, and there’s usually something good on.

Just across the road, you’ll find St James Quarter, which is home to some fantastic shops, some “So-expensive-that-I’ll-never-shop-there” outlets and the Everyman Cinema. There is also, of course, John Lewis – which happened to be there first.

It’s only a few minutes’ walk to Princes Street and all the city centre attractions you’ll find there, including the looming but unmistakable view of the Scott Monument, many shops, cafes, hotels, the National Galleries, and Princes Street Gardens!

Overall

Depending on who you ask, afternoon tea for two at The Glasshouse was either a perfectly splendid feast, or an acceptable but slightly disappointing cakey treat time. In other words, I think it was a slightly off day for afternoon tea, but also Girdy is very easily pleased when it comes to food, and was happy enough.

So, if you want a decadent-feeling afternoon tea for two, The Glasshouse’s Snug is a wonderful, cosy and premium surrounding to indulge. There’s a good variety of teas, and of cake – and I’m impressed at the staff’s willingness to adapt the menu if there are items that don’t quite suit.