About us

Gateway Restaurant

The Gateway Restaurant is an integral part of our visitor experience, its menu and relaxed service perfectly complementing the award-winning architecture and stunning views of the Royal Botanic Gardens . Enjoy a unique setting at The Gateway , located in the John Hope Gateway building to the west of the garden, where breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea are served daily. The outdoor terrace offers outdoor seating for extra visitors to enjoy the stunning scenery while enjoying fresh food prepared on site by our team of chefs led by Jonathan Scott. Our menus take full advantage of the produce available right on our doorstep: Red Tractor accredited meats from all over Scotland, seafood from all over the Scottish coast and fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables from our own Market Garden.

Terrace Café

The Terrace Café serves delicious homemade hot meals and cold snacks made with the freshest produce from our own Market Garden every day. During the summer months we offer a wide selection of salads and light dishes, while our soups and tempting sandwiches are popular all year round. Visitors can enjoy an al fresco meal while sitting on the patio overlooking Inverleith Lawn and the unrivalled view of Edinburgh Castle.

East Gate Lodge and Coffee Shop

Located by the East Gate of Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Gardens on Inverleith Row, the coffee bar offers a wide range of light snacks and drinks. This Aspretto Coffee serves the finest 100% Arabica beans, which give our coffee a unique flavour and aroma. Visitors to East Gate can enjoy a cup of coffee to take with them as they explore the garden, or sit and admire the view in our outdoor seating area.

The coffee bar has been designed to RBGE environmental standards , and all our printed cups are made using 100% recycled paper and vegetable-based inks.

BARBECU

At the Royal Botanic Gardens we can offer several outdoor seating areas: Terrace Café , which overlooks the Inverleith House lawn with panoramic views of Edinburgh's stunning cityscape, for your summer barbecue or drinks reception. John Hope Gate , the restaurant space can be used indoors with barbecues and drinks on the terrace overlooking the stunning biodiversity garden. The Caledonian Room on the east side of the garden can also be the perfect spot for a barbecue overlooking the rock garden and waterfall.

Lecture Hall

Business thrives in Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Gardens. Our main venue for corporate events is a multi-level lecture hall with an ultra-modern design and a vibrant and dynamic space for aspiring groups. A full suite of audio-visual equipment is controlled via iPads in each room. The lecture hall has a lounge that can be used for catering or syndicate meetings.

Conference room

The Conference Hall can act as a separate area, a break-out area for the Lecture Hall or overflow for relaying the Lecture Hall presentation. The versatile nature of the conference room allows it to be used theatre style (up to 120 people), classroom style, as a banquet room, reception or boardroom. Includes computer and projector for full-length mobile pulpit presentations.