Experience extended summer evenings at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s Garden View Deck and Bar, offering shared plates, Maison Pommery champagnes and a garden-driven drinks menu
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has refreshed its visitor offering with a relaunched Garden View Deck & Bar housed in the John Hope Gateway. Launched for the season from May 8, the venue was developed in partnership with Maison Pommery & Associés and operated alongside catering partner Heritage Portfolio.
The setup is designed as an informal, al fresco destination where visitors can pause over drinks and light plates; the operation runs on a walk-in basis, so guests can arrive without prior booking and choose to stay after a daytime stroll through the collections.
Opening times have been extended for summer weekends to encourage lingering in the light evenings. The Deck & Bar welcomes guests from 12pm to 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 12pm to 4:30pm on Sundays. Importantly, while the wider Garden site typically closes at 5pm, the Deck remains accessible during those extended Friday and Saturday hours, offering panoramic views over the living collection and a relaxed atmosphere for sundowners.
The intention is to give visitors a different way to experience the Botanics as daylight stretches into evening.
Food crafted for sharing and seasonality
The culinary approach at the Deck emphasizes shareable plates and produce-driven recipes that reflect the Garden’s growing spaces. Guests will find a selection of stone-baked pizzas alongside artisan small plates curated to be grazed and exchanged across the table. Sample combinations include a classic Margherita, a spicy pepperoni-inspired option with nduja and hot honey, and a vegan white pizza featuring potato, caramelised onion and plant-based cheese. Much of the menu draws on ingredients from the site’s Kitchen Garden, which helps ensure the dishes highlight fresh, seasonal and locally grown flavours.
Alongside pizzas, the Deck offers composed small plates such as a cheese board for two featuring regional and stronger matured cheeses, seasonal pickles and Gordal olives. The food philosophy focuses on informal sharing, enabling groups to sample multiple items rather than one plated main each. That approach was chosen by the catering team to complement the open-air setting and to encourage relaxed social dining where conversation and tasting go hand in hand.
Drinks, partnerships and environmental intent
The beverage list combines classic choices and a specially conceived botanical spritz programme. Guests can choose from a curated selection of wines, beers and soft drinks, alongside emblematic cuvées from Maison Pommery that underline the House’s signature style of finesse and freshness. A playful menu of botanical spritz cocktails includes bespoke creations such as the Strawberry Meadow, which blends strawberry and elderflower, and the Provençal Bloom with lavender and lemon. The drink selection is intended to pair easily with the sharing menu and the easygoing pace of an evening outdoors.
Partners’ priorities
The collaboration has been framed around common values: a desire for quality, cultural engagement and environmental stewardship. RBGE leadership and the partners emphasise that this offering is more than hospitality; it is a public-facing way to celebrate the Garden’s mission to protect habitats while creating a premium visitor experience. Maison Pommery’s involvement highlights the link between product heritage and respect for nature, while Heritage Portfolio has designed a menu that champions local sourcing and seasonality in an open-air, convivial environment.
Visitor benefits and practical details
Members of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh are offered a small regular perk at the Deck: complimentary Gordal olives every Friday and Saturday evening between 5pm and 8pm upon presentation of a valid membership card. Beyond that, members continue to enjoy broader benefits across the Garden’s cafés and shops. For accessibility, guests should note the Gateway Café currently has no lift access; however, there is stair-free access available via the decking and staff are on hand to assist where needed. The Deck operates on a walk-in policy and is presented as a flexible option whether visitors are finishing a daytime visit or arriving specifically to enjoy an evening drink.
