Birdy and Murdi headed to the Queen Charlotte Rooms for an indulgent and unforgettable Orient Express-themed afternoon tea experience – and the best afternoon tea of Birdy’s life!
Maybe you’ve heard there’s a place in Edinburgh where you can go and feel like you’ve immediately stepped through a portal and ended up straight in The Orient Express – where you can then indulge in glamorous cocktails, mocktails and an afternoon tea experience that is out of a history book.
Maybe you’ve thought ‘surely it can’t be that good’. It could even be why you’re here now, reading this review.
Well, let me put your mind at least on that front; this afternoon tea is absolutely worth the hype! I visited recently with my husband, for a Birdy & Murdi romantic and unique experience we highly enjoyed, so let me tell you all about it.
The Orient Express vibe
When you first enter the Queen Charlotte Rooms, you step into an early 1900s themed environment, with an old-fashioned telephone, signs for different coaches, masquerade masks, and Poirot playing on the TV. It’s perfect!
When you step into a room, it’s like stepping foot onto an (albeit wide) coach, with screens set up in the place of windows, from the viewpoint of passengers on a train (mostly – there were some aerial views over Venice, which was fun but also made me question the magical flying powers this train possessed!).
There’s classical music playing, but underneath, there’s also the subtle sound of a train; all giving the impression that yes, you are now onboard The Orient Express!
You are led to your table by the incredibly polite and immaculately dressed staff, and the route you’ll be heading on is explained to you.
It all sounds like a heckuva journey for the couple of hours max you’ll be spending there, but it also makes it far more interesting.
Anyway, it’s a very fun vibe and it definitely makes your afternoon tea more of a unique experience than any other I’ve been to in the ‘Burgh!
An indulgent and unique afternoon tea experience
Moving onto the food! This has without question been the best afternoon tea I’ve ever had; even without all the Orient Express bells and whistles.
For one thing, you can select any combination of standard or vegetarian finger sandwiches you would like. And you can enjoy your afternoon tea with a cocktail or alcohol-free mocktail and then be served your choice of tea with a scone.
To us, that was a fabulous order to do an afternoon tea in, and really quite different to the standard fare of just being served some tea and requesting endless refills. This felt preferable, and I particularly loved my mocktail, which was the Copa Cabana Tropicana.
The finger sandwiches were perfectly done, the pastries were just the right temperature and absolutely scrumptiously made. Soft puff pastry that just melted in the mouth, with wonderful fillings (my favourite was the chicken and mascarpone).
The desserts were out-of-this world; lovely crisp strawberry tarts, delicious possets with blackberry cream on top, and the fluffiest, lightest, most wonderful Victoria sponge cakes with jam and cream.
I scoffed everything, of course.
I sadly forgot to take a photo of my scone, but it was also delicious. You get three choices of scone; plain, fruit or cherry – we both chose fruit. My tea was the perfect accompaniment, and there was also jam, clotted cream and a citrus curd.
Queen Charlotte Rooms’ staff
I particularly loved the uniforms of the Queen Charlotte Rooms staff members, as it just added to the experience. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming, and took the time to explain different elements of our experience, which was lovely.
When Murdi (who usually never drinks anything hot – especially not normal tea or coffee) asked for a cranberry and ginger tea, and instead received an English breakfast tea to share with me (which I did order for myself), they immediately fixed it for us and brought him the correct tea. To be honest, this actually worked out as an unexpected bonus for me, because I got double the tea I ordered!
Aside from that minor blip which was quickly sorted, it was an incredibly smooth experience all round, and the staff were fabulous Orient Express hosts (and I got to drink a lot of tea).
Things to do in Leith
One of Edinburgh’s most vibrant districts, Leith offers a perfect blend of historic charm and modern hospitality. After an indulgent afternoon tea experience at the Queen Charlotte Rooms, you could take a walk down to the Shore where you’ll have access to some of the city’s best bars (and Michelin-starred dining, if you have any room left!). The area is also home to the Royal Yacht Britannia, located at Ocean Terminal, which is easily accessible via the new tram extension.
Visiting from further afield? In that case, Leith offers an excellent range of accommodation. You can find fabulous stays, from boutique hotels to serviced apartments, on Booking.com. For a more traditional luxury experience near the city centre, the Playhouse is at the top of Leith Walk. Not to mention, getting to Leith is simpler than ever with the tram link from the city centre, and you can plan your entire trip, including trains and flights, via Trip.com.
Overall
We had a wonderfully silly and unforgettable experience at The Orient Express Experience, Queen Charlotte Rooms.
Murdi Hubbandman loves ‘silly’ things, and this felt like such a novelty – but at the same time, it was also an indulgent and amazing afternoon tea experience. By far the best afternoon tea of my life, even forgetting the Orient Express setting.
I’ve been to quite a few different afternoon teas in Edinburgh, and this was by far my favourite – so much so that I’ve booked to take my mum there for her birthday later in the year. I’m sure it’ll be just as wonderful then. An absolute show-stopping experience, and definitely at the top of my list for afternoon tea recommendations in Edinburgh!
Review: The Orient Express Experience, Queen Charlotte Rooms
Summary
An incredibly indulgent, unique, novelty afternoon tea experience in the historical setting of The Orient Express. The afternoon tea itself is faultless, and I cannot recommend it enough. Absolutely more than worth the money.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
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