The Place To Eat - Edinburgh, City of

This was our first visit to the restaurant since it reopened. As we had traveled quite a distance, we decided to dine at The Place to Eat - as we always do when in the store, and have always found it to be good. Understandably, there was a wait for a table, so we were given a pager to alert us as we walked around the store - no problem. We were seated fairly quickly, but upon receiving the menu, we were disappointed to find a limited selection of sandwiches, most of which contained eggs in some form, only two choices of scones (fruit or plain) in the cream teas, and the chelsea bun I ordered was hard, stale, and dry, looking nothing like a chelsea bun. It would have been helpful to see the menu before receiving the pager to know what was available. Most frustrating was discovering another cafe within the John Lewis store that offered a much better selection. We will likely try that one next time. While we understand the need for a reduced menu, the quality should not be compromised.

I went to this restaurant yesterday for the first time since lockdown to meet a friend for coffee. It took a while to load the NHS app and even longer to get a server to take our order. We had to wait even longer for our coffee to arrive. Despite there only being a few occupied tables, there appeared to be enough staff on hand, so I'm not sure what the delay was. I was happy to see that there is another cafe in the store for next time.

I have visited this café before, and none of my previous experiences were particularly memorable. I was not a fan of the commercially made cakes, such as the carrot cake and chocolate cake. This time, I decided to try a scone instead. Unfortunately, it was a huge letdown. It may have been the worst scone I have ever tasted. This experience has solidified my decision to never return to this café again, even if I have a free coffee and cake voucher. I strongly suggest the café changes their cake suppliers.

The popular café on the top floor of John Lewis Department store offers a choice of counter service for hot drinks or DIY which can get a bit busy, the quality of food offered is very good, the tables are cleared quickly.

Really like the new decor. Nice cakes and scones etc plus hot food, sandwiches and soups. My friend and I go there quite often and sit and enjoy the stunning views over to Fife from the huge windows.