SUSHISAMBA Edinburgh Afternoon Tea – Review

New for 2025 SUSHISAMBA Edinburgh has reimagined the classic afternoon tea, infusing it with its signature Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian influences and the result is a vibrant selection of bite-sized delicacies. The traditional finger sandwich is presented as a Highland Wagyu Katsu Sando and scones are elegantly presented in a bamboo steamer, every element offers an unexpected surprise. The Luxury Editor’s Ross and dad were kindly asked along to experience this reinterpretation of the staple British tradition and they just loved it.

I could wax lyrical about W Hotels (read our review of the W Edinburgh and W London), there’s no denying that the W Edinburgh has transformed the city’s hotel offering with its bold design and playful energy. At its heart, the Ribbon Building cuts a dramatic impact on Edinburgh’s skyline with its undulating, layered façade wrapping around in a fluid, sculptural motion.

Perched on the tenth floor of the Ribbon Building, SUSHISAMBA Edinburgh enjoys a prime position extending 180 degrees around the building. Upon entering guests are greeted by SUSHISAMBA’s central bar space with an illuminated tree with golden-hued leaves, a signature feature in all SUSHISAMBA restaurants.

The restaurant’s layout is designed to maximise its panoramic setting, offering views of Edinburgh Castle, Arthur’s Seat, and Calton Hill through floor-to-ceiling windows. Banquette seating flows around the space interspersed with traditional tables for two, four and six guests. Overhead, a reflective ceiling ripples like water while potted greenery is placed throughout. The wraparound terrace, which follows the building’s curves, extends the experience outdoors for those occasions when the Edinburgh weather allows for al fresco dining.

There is no such thing as a bad table, but to truly appreciate the view, we are given a table by the window. Our table is laid in preparation, featuring Japanese-style ceramic plates with an organic, wabi-sabi aesthetic, embracing the beauty of imperfection. These sit in juxtaposition to the British Willow Pattern teacup and saucer, symbolising SUSHISAMBA’s interplay of cultures. While a tall champagne flute stands alongside, ready to be filled with sparkling bubbles.

To start the experience, a curated tea selection features a range of premium options, including Sencha, Green Tea, and Genmaicha Japanese tea made from toasted brown rice. I opted for the Jasmine Pearls, this tea comes from Yunnan Province and these little hand-rolled jasmine pearls unfold in the teapot in contact with hot water releasing an exquisite floral aroma with subtle, honeyed sweetness. Champagne lovers can enhance the afternoon tea experience with a choice of Laurent-Perrier Brut or Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle. As I was driving, I opted for an elegantly crafted mocktail, a refreshing alternative that paired beautifully with the indulgent spread.

At SUSHISAMBA the traditional tea stand has been reinvented as a tiered tree-like structure taking on a theatrical and whimsical, Alice in Wonderland come Mad Hatter’s tea party presentation. The bottom features the savoury selection with flavours and textures building upon each other before reaching the sweet selection in the upper branches.

Offering both signature and vegetarian options, the standout signature savouries for me included the Highland Wagyu Katsu Sando, featuring a thick slice of Wagyu beef encased in shokupan bread, sriracha mayo, and topped with caviar. The Samba Waffle Toast offered an inventive take on a savoury waffle, adorned with delicate peaks of tuna, avocado, snow crab and sweet potato. Meanwhile, the Scallop Nigiri – a bed of sushi rice topped with a lightly torched slice of scallop using the “aburi” technique was balanced by a combination of passion fruit, onion, pepper, celery, and coriander.

Moving onto the sweets, our savoury plates are cleared and refreshed, tea topped up and table crumbed. Four different sweets are presented on the tree, Chocolate Cremeaux a rich, velvety dark chocolate infused with yuzu and miso, Japanese Milk Buns with passion fruit curds and mango salsa, an Almond Taco with plum mandarin and white chocolate and dainty Choux Buns, with blackberry and coconut almond biscuits.

You might be wondering at this point – where are the scones? After all, afternoon tea wouldn’t be complete without them. As a final surprise, two Honey and Tahitian Vanilla Scones arrive elegantly presented in a bamboo steamer accompanied by strawberry compote and rich clotted cream.

SUSHISAMBA Edinburgh offers an unforgettable afternoon tea experience perfectly showcasing creativity, flair and culinary expertise. Paired with exceptional panoramic views over Edinburgh, this refined yet contemporary take on afternoon tea serves as a perfect introduction to SUSHISAMBA’s unique fusion cuisine. A sophisticated balance of tradition and innovation, this is an experience not to be missed.