Nor Loft is a champagne rooftop bar in Edinburgh at the top of the Market Street Hotel, which almost feels like a hidden gem as it’s mostly known to locals. For the warmer months of the year there is a lovely balcony to sit outside, but all throughout the year you can enjoy gorgeous views over Princes Street. Besides an extensive champagne list, there are also nibbles, small plates and afternoon tea available on the Nor Loft menu making it a great spot for food in Edinburgh as well. Nor Loft is definitely a fantastic spot for a glass of bubbles with a view and well worth adding to your Edinburgh list of places to visit!
Nor Loft Edinburgh: afternoon tea, champagne and stunning rooftop bar views
I love bringing my friends to Nor Loft, as it’s one of those Edinburgh spots that have not yet been discovered by everyone, in spite of being located right in the city centre. Their location on the 7th floor of the Market Street Hotel, provides a hidden oasis out of sight for people just walking by. You have to know it’s there to find it. Most of the Edinburgh visitors that stumble upon Nor Loft as guests staying at the hotel. I’ve been here for several special occasions and the first time I visited the bar was actually for champagne and oysters on my birthday!
Nor Loft is one of those bars that I just love coming back to – and the team here are really lovely and welcoming as well. I would recommend booking in advance as it can get busy on evenings and sunny weekends in particular. If you are wanting to try the afternoon tea menu, then I strongly recommend booking at least 24 hours in advance.
The Market Street Hotel, where Nor Loft is located is a stylish boutique hotel located right in the heart of Edinburgh in a perfect location for exploring the city with rooms from £160 per night. If you are looking for accommodation in Edinburgh, you can find my top recommendations in my hotel guide here.
Additional information
- Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday 12.00-23.00 & Friday and Saturday 12.00-00.00.
- Location: 6 Market St, Edinburgh EH1 1DE,(7th floor of Market Street Hotel)
- Website: https://www.marketstreethotel.co.uk/norloft
- Recommended dishes and drinks: blini platter, cheddar & chilli popcorn, Laurent Perrier La Cuvée Brut champagne, wild garlic arancini
The Nor Loft Champagne Rooftop Bar
The house champagne at Nor Loft in Edinburgh is the Laurent Perrier La Cuvée Brut, but there is a variety of champagnes available – from Bollinger and Pol Roger by the glass to magnum bottles of Laurent Perrier La Cuvée Rosé, perfect for special occasions. I would also recommend the English sparkling wine Leslie’s Reserve Brut from Balfour Winery in Kent. It’s made with the méthode champenoise just like champagne and has a lovely crips and fresh character with notes of citrus and green apple. Both the champagne and the English sparkling wine is lovely with food and goes well with one of the smaller dishes or the afternoon tea. There are also options like wine, beer and cocktails as well as alcoholic options available as well.
♥ For more fantastic bars for cocktails in Edinburgh – see my full guide here!
The food menu ranges from small nibbles like the cheddar and chilli popcorn that are a lovely pairing with a glass of crisp champagne to small dishes like gochujang chicken, oysters or wild garlic arancini. One of my favourite things to share with friends, which I would definitely recommend, is the blini platter served with crème fraîche, red onion, capers, cured trout and smoked salmon.
Seasonal dishes at Nor Loft: cheese fondue in Edinburgh’s city centre
In the cold winter months Nor Loft offers a cheese fondue as part of their menu. It’s served with crudités, pickles, roast potatoes and a variety of bite-sized treats for dipping.
Afternoon Tea at Nor Loft Edinburgh
The afternoon tea at Nor Loft is £30 per person and the theme changes seasonally. On my latest visit I had the pleasure of trying the Easter afternoon tea menu at Nor Loft and I walked over to the Market Street hotel on a lovely sunny day in Edinburgh, ready for some champagne.
» Read my extensive guide to the best afternoon teas in Edinburgh, which you can find here!
Easter Afternoon Tea
I of course could not resists a glass of champagne alongside my afternoon tea, especially since Edinburgh was showing off it’s best springtime self and the view from the Nor Loft balcony of the Market Street Hotel was particularly stunning.
The Easter afternoon tea menu had a mixture of seasonal treats as well as some dishes also available on the menu, like the arancini and the quiche. Some Easter classics, like the hot cross bun, had a little twist. It was served as a savoury version with bacon marmalade instead of sweet, which perhaps might be how most people would associate it. There was still a sweetness to it from the raisins, but overall a savoury flavour to it.
All the treats had a good size and it didn’t feel like an overwhelming amount of food. But it was still enough to make me more than full enough. I did end up asking for a box to take home some of the sweet treats to share with my husband. Although I couldn’t bring home any champagne home through the streets of Edinburgh for him, at least he got a little taste of the afternoon tea.
Nor Loft Afternoon Tea Menu
Scones
Sweet
Savoury
What I liked about the Nor Loft Afternoon Tea in Edinburgh
- The cute picnic table presentation
- Champagne and food together is such a wonderful pairing
- The coconut & mango chocolate egg was the standout dish of the afternoon tea. So delicious and perfect for Easter! I wish I could just come back and order this little egg and a glass of champagne again and again.
- The arancini was lovely and full of flavour. I sometimes find arancini a bit flavourless and overly mush, but this one was so lovely.
- The cheese and chive scone was great in both texture and flavour. It was also served warm which gets bonus points!
- That my water glass was topped up with tap water frequently without having to ask for it
What could’ve been improved
- I personally prefer when venues have a larger selection of teas. But I do happily go for Earl Grey so the main thing for me is that English Breakfast is not the only choice. There were also Chamomile, Green Jade, Wild Rooibos and Triple Mint as well as English Breakfast and Earl Grey.
- The sweet style scone were a tad on the dry side, but still had good flavour.
- I’m not a mussel fan, so unfortunately the mussel and saffron quiche was not for me. However that is just personal preference. I do think that someone that liked mussels, would enjoy this one.
- The rhubarb financier was moist and great in texture. However I would’ve wanted just a tad more rhubarb flavour (although I absolutely love rhubarb, so for me there is not such thing as too much rhubarb…).
FAQ – Nor Loft Champagne Rooftop Bar in Edinburgh
The afternoon tea at Nor Loft in Edinburgh is £30 per person.
Nor Loft is located on the 7th floor of the Market Street Hotel in Edinburgh. It’s right next to Waverley train station and the airport buses in the city centre of the city.
I would recommend making a reservation at Nor Loft in advance, especially if it’s with a bigger group or you wish to go along on an evening or weekend in the high season.
Nor Loft has a smart casual dress code so overly casual attire like gym wear is not recommended.
Nor Loft is open 12.00-23.00 Sunday to Thursdays and 12.00-00.00 Friday and Saturday.
Looking for other afternoon tea reviews in Edinburgh?
- The Best Afternoon Tea in Edinburgh, Scotland: Scones, Sandwiches & City Views
- The Gleneagles Townhouse Afternoon Tea: Relaxed luxury in Edinburgh’s most beautiful restaurant
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Meet Moa, our multi-talented writer from Sweden who now calls Edinburgh, Scotland home. With over a decade exploring Europe’s hidden corners—from Nordic landscapes to alpine villages—Moa brings a unique perspective shaped by her years as a travel guide in the Swiss and Austrian Alps. As a whisky book author and freelance drinks writer, she has an eye for exceptional food and beverage experiences, while her background as a photographer ensures she never misses a scenic moment. Whether she’s discovering old European cities or chasing golden hour in mountain villages, Moa’s stories blend cultural insight with a dash of adventure and plenty of authenticity.
