Scottish National Portrait Gallery Cafe, Edinburgh

When I visited Edinburgh, I made sure to make my way to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery   and its Café Portrait.  (Their website, which I just retrieved for this blog post,  has the wonderful line “Come face to face with Scotland, past and present”… good writing!)  The Portrait Gallery is located in a “neo-gothic palace” on Queen Street in New Town (on the ridge to the north of Edinburgh Castle, built up starting in the late 1700s, as opposed to Old Town below the castle, dating from the early 12th century or before.) Per their website, the Gallery opened to the public in 1889 as the world’s first purpose-built portrait exhibition.

Rather than using Fodor’s, I was using a favorite author’s books as my guide for the day’s adventures.  Alexander McCall Smith has two series set in Edinburgh and he likes to incorporate real cafes and shops in his narratives.  In his Isabel Dalhousie series, his characters particularly like to meet at the Café at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.  So I knew I had to check it out. 

I started the afternoon having lunch at Glass & Thompson, which figures prominently in Smith's books also. Had a wonderful mozzarella and tomato salad, and of course discovered that he did indeed take some literary license in the details. Sorry Alexander, you can NOT see the Firth of Forth down the hill from their front window.  Then I walked across New Town and down to Valvolla & Crolla’s original shop, established in 1934, and yet another frequent destination for his characters.  An amazing Italian deli, and I’m happy to report that his descriptions included no hyperbole there. 

Then it was back to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery to rest in the Café.  But first, I went upstairs to the galleries to go “face to face” with the inhabitants. Smith mentions one of the famous paintings, The Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch, by Sir Henry Raeburn, in the books.  I did indeed find and study that painting.  About a year after I visited, the painting became the subject of many news articles, here’s one and here’s another, questioning whether it was really a work of Raeburn (one of McCall Smith’s favorites.)  I can imagine he enjoyed the controversy.

The Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch, by Sir Henry Raeburn (?)  Image from www.nationalgalleries.org 

Finally, time to discover the Scottish National Portrait Gallery Café. It’s an airy mix of old and new design, and really is a pleasant place to meet friends or just rest after an afternoon of chasing imaginary characters around real Edinburgh.  There is a modern, streamlined deli counter at the back, with a friendly staff.  As I paid for my treat, a 50p coin fell right into my latte cup, and they cheerfully made me another.  Through arched openings there is a large seating area lined with art, as appropriate. They have a wonderful variety of salads, sandwiches, and desserts that they prepare right there, (no plastic-wrapped sandwiches delivered at 6 am… last Tuesday) as well as afternoon tea service. They’re proud to use local, organic ingredients and fresh seasonal produce.

A frothy latte and a luxurious slice of chocolate cake restored my spirits and my faith in Alexander McCall Smith. 

Photography by John Mckenzie   © National Galleries of Scotland, from www.nationalgalleries.org