Edinburgh

Aveline

Forget Princes street for shopping! All the old shops have closed. Phone shops and tourist tat!

So true. princes street now has primark ….and ann summers….and not a single café

Cafes not allowed on Princes St. However, due to the dire nature of the shops since so many retailers have closed or moved to the St James Quarter, there are plan for a rethink about the regulations regarding this.

Seems crazy given the footfall. We walked the length of princes street pretty much on way to station hoping to find somewhere for lunch, no joy at all.

Is that because of the desire to maintain the "tone" of the place Aveline? Princes Street is so different to how it was when I was young, and it would benefit so much from nice street cafes, I think.

I don't know why Alegrias. I'm sure the rules will change though. Would be nice to sit outside with a coffee and look over to the castle.

I bet Jenners and Binns used to have a café !??

I had Jenners' tearoom (never referred to as 'café') for getting my job in Kenya. The headmistress was home on leave - in 1964 - and a mutual acquaintance gave me an introduction. There was a grand view towards the Castle. Was never in Binns' tearoom but all the big department stores had them in those halcyon days.

Of course Jenner's had a tea room as well as several restaurants. Binns aka Fraser's had a cafeteria. Neither opened directly on to the road. I don't know why the powers that be vetoed restaurants and cafes on Princes St but I'm pretty sure they'll very soon be allowed. That'll affect George St and St Andrew Square where many bars are restaurants are currently located.

The tearooms/restaurants were usually on the top floor. My mum hated lifts but loved tearooms. So we had to trudge up about four flights of stairs after her.

Bainbridges in Newcastle had a tearoom/café called the Chattery,
My mother used to wear a suit (called a costume) and a hat when we went there !! There was also a model who would show clothes there.

John Lewis still has a nice cafe (and good loos) on the top floor with a view to the Forth.

It seems an age since Princes street was the place to go. Santa in the Toy dept in Jenners and the giant Christmas tree.

Where can you take DGC now to impress them?