Which mid-price afternoon tea in Edinburgh do I want?

The Willow Tea Rooms on Sauchiehall Street in Edinburgh (Correction: I should have said "Glasgow" here; I believe the problematic WTR was in Edinburgh, though there's at least one non-Sauchiehall location in Glasgow, too. ) should be fine, I assume, but I read recently (maybe here) that one of the other Willow Tea Rooms (run separately) offered whipped cream out of an aerosol can with their scones, rather than the classic clotted cream. I wouldn't trust them to produce a good afternoon tea.

A full-fledged afternoon tea for six people will provide a large number of carbs.

Willow Tea Rooms is in Glasgow.

edit: at least the one acraven is talking about is.

This is an odd one, and a wee bit off topic to the OP's original question.

The "real" Willow Tea Rooms in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow is now known as "Mackintosh at The Willow". That's the one that was originally "Miss Cranston's Tearoom" with the Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed interior and furniture, dating back to 1903.

"The Willow Tea Rooms" in Buchanan Street, Glasgow is a newer pretender. It seems they snagged the trademark at some point and made some sort of knock off of the original. The Princes Street, Edinburgh one seems to be run by the same company and must be newer again, as I've never heard of it.

I don't have any real input to the original question, other than personally I'd leave The Willow Tea Rooms, Edinburgh off my list, just for being a poor imitation born out of sneaky trademark shenanigans, and if it gets poor reviews on the internet, doubly so.

What is modestly priced?

I had lunch (not Afternoon Tea) at the Scottish Cafe yesterday. It was very busy at 1:30 and a bit noisy.

On Monday I had Afternoon Tea at the Ivy on the Square. It was also busy but way more elegant and I thought the sweets were better. I think it was 34£ or so and I took food away.

BTW both restaurants added a 10% gratuity for a solo diner but the server at the Scottish Cafe told me I didn’t need to pay it if I didn’t want to! I asked if the gratuity went to him and he told me part did.

The "real" Willow Tea Rooms in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow is now known as "Mackintosh at The Willow".

I was not impressed with Mackintosh at the Willow's food. The decor was beautiful, and the service was good, but the tea wasn't all that great, and the scones, while quite large, weren't really up to par, in my opinion. And it's definitely not worth taking a trip from Edinburgh to Glasgow for.

Pam has excellent taste so I think the Ivy would be a good choice. Another option is Colonnades at the Signet Library right by St. Giles Cathedral. A friend of mine was in Edinburgh a few months ago and had tea there and said it was wonderful. It's is a bit pricier but she and her brother loved it. https://www.thesignetlibrary.co.uk/colonnades/afternoon-tea/

i was not impressed with Mackintosh at the Willow's food. The decor was beautiful, and the service was good, but the tea wasn't all that great, and the scones, while quite large, weren't really up to par, in my opinion. And it's definitely not worth taking a trip from Edinburgh to Glasgow for.

Good to know. The only time I've been in was the best part of forty years ago with my old man, and we left immediately when there were no tables.

I wasn't suggesting making a trip to Glasgow for it btw, if I read you correctly. It's just acraven surreptitiously moved Sauchiehall Street to Edinburgh in her post, without telling the Glaswegians :)

If you're in Glasgow it's probably still a good spot to visit if you're into Rennie Mackintosh. Now the Art School is a bust, it's a nearby place you can enjoy some of that "Glasgow style".

I can't vouch for Mimi's, but I will put in my usual plug for Leith. What a lovely area for a stroll!

I wasn't suggesting making a trip to Glasgow for it btw, if I read you correctly. It's just acraven surreptitiously moved Sauchiehall Street to Edinburgh in her post, without telling the Glaswegians :)

Oh, I figured that, Gerry. I was just saying that in case the OP was considering it. :-) It is a lovely place and worth a look (and maybe paying for an inexpensive something) but I wouldn't spend a lot of money in there. I was very surprised because it just seemed like the food would match the decor, but sadly it did not.

I have yet to have afternoon tea in Edinburgh, so no opinion on OP’s choice. However, the discussion led me to discover a site dedicated to afternoon tea options in the UK and Ireland, which I am bookmarking for my own future reference. It lets you sort by price and filter by dietary options. Here’s the Edinburgh page: https://afternoontea.co.uk/uk/scotland/edinburgh/

Mimi's is fantastic for treats and tea, so I imagine their afternoon tea would be very nice (though I’ve not had it).

My recent experience with afternoon tea in Edinburgh does not fit in the mid-price range (The Palm Court at the Balmoral), but it was a special occasion for us and we loved it. Like Pam at the Ivy, we each took home a box of treats. By the time the fancy desserts arrived, I literally couldn't even take a bite of any of them !

I would only go for afternoon tea somewhere fancy like the Palm Court. I really think that’s the whole point of it. After all, it’s only cakes and sandwiches which anyone can make at home easily enough. A more expensive tea should include proper pattiserie items and a very elegant setting which really elevates the whole thing from basic to special.

Thanks to all for your responses!