Champagne sunsets and botanical spritzes: The Botanics’ new summer terrace is Edinburgh’s chicest after-hours spot
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has unveiled its refreshed Garden View Deck & Bar in partnership with Maison Pommery — complete with Champagne, wood-fired pizzas, botanical cocktails and, for the first time, late summer opening hours overlooking the Gardens.
There are few places in Edinburgh more beautiful on a summer evening than the Botanics — and now, for the first time, visitors can stay long after the gates close to soak it all in.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh has unveiled its newly refreshed Garden View Deck & Bar in partnership with Maison Pommery, alongside a brand-new after-hours offering that feels tailor made for golden hour gatherings, relaxed date nights and long overdue catch-ups with friends.
Located within the John Hope Gateway, the open-air terrace will now remain open until 8PM on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer months, allowing guests to linger over Champagne, spritzes and seasonal sharing plates while the evening light settles across the Gardens.
A new way to experience the Botanics
While the wider Gardens close at 5PM, the Garden View Deck & Bar stays open, creating a rare opportunity to experience one of Edinburgh’s most scenic settings at a slower, softer pace.
With panoramic views over the Living Collection, the refreshed terrace has been designed as an elevated yet relaxed al fresco escape in the heart of the capital — somewhere that feels equally suited to a spontaneous glass of Pommery as it does a leisurely weekend lunch.
The new partnership with Maison Pommery brings a distinctly luxurious edge to the experience, with a curated Champagne offering that reflects the French house’s signature finesse and freshness.
Wood-fired pizzas, grazing plates and hyper-local ingredients
The food offering, created in collaboration with Heritage Portfolio, leans into informal dining designed for sharing and grazing.
Freshly prepared stone baked pizzas include everything from classic Margherita to pepperoni topped with nduja and hot honey, alongside a vegan bianca with potato, caramelised onion and vegan mozzarella.
Elsewhere, artisan small plates include generous cheese boards layered with Stilton blue, Camembert and Arran smoked cheddar, seasonal pickles and Gordal olives.
Like the Gateway Café, the menu draws inspiration from the onsite Kitchen Garden, with hyper-local produce shaping the seasonal dishes and bringing a fresh-from-the-garden feel to the menu.
The spritz menu we’ll be ordering all summer
Alongside Maison Pommery Champagne, wines and beers, the drinks list has a playful botanical focus designed with summer evenings in mind.
Classic Aperol and Hugo Spritz serves sit alongside the bespoke Garden Party collection, including the Strawberry Meadow with strawberry and elderflower and the Provençal Bloom with lavender and lemon — a line-up almost guaranteed to dominate Edinburgh Instagram stories this summer.
The perfect Edinburgh summer spot
Whether you’re ending an afternoon wandering through the Gardens or arriving specifically for sunset drinks and pizza, the refreshed Garden View Deck & Bar feels set to become one of the city’s most sought-after summer terraces.
And with Edinburgh’s long summer evenings finally arriving, there may be no better place to spend them.
The Garden View Deck & Bar is open Fridays and Saturdays from 12PM–8PM and Sundays from 12PM–4:30PM on a walk-in basis throughout the summer season.