Café at the Palace

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 – in the shops now or buy online.

Occupying a wing of the outbuildings attached to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Queen's Gallery, the Café at the Palace could regard hungry tourists as easy pickings – after all, it's uphill in any direction to find an alternative. In fact the café, while busy, merits its own appeal, with a spacious and bright conservatory, outdoor seating and a respectable range of food and drink. It has recently been taken over by contract caterers Charlton House, who have indicated their eagerness to improve the food operation and are aiming at getting their supplies only from Scottish sources. Each lunchtime two soups (made in-house) are offered alongside two hot mains (one of which will be vegetarian) and various salad and baked potato options. Display fridges carry sandwiches, cakes, drink and nibbles, while the expected range of drinks does include a good standard of fruit juices and over a dozen teas, as well as beer and wine. While tourists to the Palace make up the main chunk of the clientele, locals-in-the-know make for the tables in the small garden area on the far side of the café with its shady trees and views of Salisbury Crags.

• High point: Reassurance that a decent lunch can be found at the foot of the Mile
• Low point: Wet weather really brings the crowds in