Valvona and Crolla Food Hall

Oh dear. I was totally underwhelmed by the customer service and quality of food here that I really can’t even justify an ‘A-​OK’, although based on the surroundings it is probably more of a two-​and-​a-​half star rating.
Having the boy’s sister, mum and grandmother over the weekend from Ireland, we thought we would take them somewhere with a lovely view (tick!) in a beautiful Edinburgh-​y building (tick!).
For just under £30 we received five cakes and five coffees. Reasonable enough, but the service is what really let us down. No one could tell us what flavours the cakes were and we were left feeling like total nuisances for asking so we just stuck to the old familiars (scones, caramel shortbread etc).
After taking our seats we realised there was no jam or cream for the scones we had ordered, so the boy was sent up to retrieve some for us and was left to wait a solid five minutes while the staff member on the till stood chatting and hugging her friends. In the end we were offered the smidgiest-​smidge of pouring cream and were told that there was no jam.
When, we were finally brought the drinks, one of the (absolutely scalding hot!) coffees had a fly floating in it. We sent it back and received a new coffee, but again it took such a long time we were nearly finished by the time the new coffee was taken out.
We received an apology by way of a free coffee card, but for somewhere like Jenners I would have expected a little bit more cop on from the staff. The deli carried beautiful products and the view was gorgeous, but it didn’t impress this bunch of out-​of-​towners much and I can’t say I’d really want to visit again.

Not bad at all, which I guess means good to more optimistic folk.
Had a coffee, a delicious but slightly over-​salty quiche and a slice of Baileys cheesecake for my breakfast (cheesecake is so a breakfast food! Shutup!)
We sat in the café overlooking Princes Street and I must say it is a nice place to have some food when the sun is shining but the wind is blowing. Lovely view of Scott’s Monument and the surrounding area, with the hustle and bustle of the main street while you sit above it all!
The service was a bit slow, which I am a tad unforgiving about as there was two people serving and they were slowed down by chatting to a third employee. It’s a pet peeve of mine. Apart from that the staff were smiley and cheerful.
The price was ok, about £7.50 for what I ordered, which I can live with.
A lovely place for a tea or coffee and a quick bite while you shop in the lavishness that is Jenners.

I can only comment on the second floor Café overlooking Princess Street. I haven’t bought anything from the deli.
Decent coffee and a well stocked chocolate counter means you can get something fairly tasty to sit along side your caffeine fix. Down sides include fairly small cups and a problem finding seats. Last couple of times I’ve been in there was no space but (and here’s my big issue) there were at least four members of staff from the store having their morning cuppas. Don’t want to sound like an HR tyrant but I’d get the staff a decent place to have their breaks so customers can get a coffee and a shopping break.

I visited and fell in love with their food hall at Elm Row. I’d walked past what had initially felt like a mediocre street only to discover the most impressive deli I’ve seen in Edinburgh! They had all sorts of cheeses, olive oil, cold cut meats, pasta, sauces, and many more deliciously delectable things.
I had great hopes for this Valvona and Crolla, situated in THE department store of the city centre, Jenners. I was sadly disappointed to find it has much less character than the rustic and homey store on Elm Row. You will still find great food that I was impressed by the other store, and perhaps even more as they have an American Food section, with the popular staples such as Pop Tarts and Aunt Jemima mixes and syrups.
There is an adjoining restaurant with fantastic views over and beyond Princes Street, and two smaller cafes, one in the food hall, and another on a lower floor by the men’s clothes section.
The food here is a little pricier than going to a supermarket as would be expected, but for a foodie like me, it’s well worth it. Just go to the Elm Row one instead. Nuff said.