Waterstones Booksellers, Ltd

If you are a single person and visit the Cafe here, don't buy anything because chances are, you'll get nowhere to sit to nest it or drink it. it's happened twice to me, and I've had to walk out without consuming my purchases. Unfortunately, Students and tourists use the cafe purely to use the internet, hence they sit at tables for a considerable amount of time blocking seats and tables for genuine cafe customers. It's a nightmare cafe that needs managing correctly, in other words, removing students and tourists that overstay their welcome.

Staff completely ruined the experience for me. Like another person mentioned in the reviews, I had to sit down on the floor as there was no room or available seats, and as both an autistic person and someone with chronic fatigue, I struggle to stand while reading. A woman immediately came up to me and my friends and spoke in a very patronising tone, calling us “girls” and that we shouldn’t sit on the floor. Felt as though I’d been transported back to primary school. Why would I pay money in an establishment that doesn’t even show me respect? If you want to visit a Waterstones in Scotland, go to the Dundee one. Super friendly staff, everyone minds their own business and are happy to help. I’ll be the one siting on the floor if you want to say hi.

This used to be a lovely cafe but it has now been taken over by the 'laptop brigade'. They are there early and takeover all the tables on the lower floor with the lovely view. There are quite a few of them upstairs too. They are there for hours on end. Many locals now avoid the place. I feel sorry for visitors who would enjoy the view. The staff are lovely and work very hard but obviously do nothing about this situation.

What a cute cafe! Overlooking princes street with a view or the Edinburgh castle, surrounded by books. Staff were friendly and made an amazing coffee. Amazing place to come if you want to update your book collection whilst sitting down for a bit to eat and drink. Loved my visit here xx

The bookstore is fine, the cafe is not. I used to go to the Waterstones Cafe quite often in the past as it offers a nice view, is quiet enough and I love being surrounded by their many books while I'm having my tea/coffee. Sadly, the staff made me lose the joy of going there. Always grumpy, surly, unkind, never a smile, they almost look at you like like if you're an enemy to get rid of asap. Especially one guy that seems to be in charge often. I could get over it for a few times, but at one point it became literally unbearable, so I rather prefer going to the nearby Costa, which has a better latte and a nicer staff, minus the books. Shame.

On second floor ,a nice ,peaceful area, where to drink a coffee,relax with a book and meet a friend. Real people ,not tourists .

We visited the store today on our annual visit to our home town from England. We homeschool our three young children and wanted to stock up on Scottish children's books. Our 6 year old son asked if he could sit down to look st some books he'd chosen so we looked for a seat in the children's department. There weren't any, but as the shop was quite empty, I found a quiet space and told him to sit on the floor. I was instantly told by an assistant that he couldn't sit on the floor because of health and safety. I asked how he was supposed to look at the books whilst I browsed the children's department with our other 2 children. The assistant said there was a seat at the other end of the shop, out of my eyeshot.
I tried to raise the issue with the manager, but she also wasn't interested.
How can you have a children's book department without any seats?
Is health and safety more important than inspiring a love of books in children?
Are Waterstone's doing so well, that they don't need me to buy my books there?

Always have come to the cafe here when up in Edinburgh visiting my elderly Mum mainly for the gluten free Cuckoo bakery cupcakes however today gutted to find you have swapped supplier and no longer have any freshly baked gf options only prepacked which make it the same now as any cafe. As a coeliac for 50 plus years the pleasure in finding homebaked gf options is immense therefore for me the change of supplier was a big mistake!!

Really close to heaven! Helpful, nice and skilled personel who with the help of small notes on shelves and signs at tables guides you to new discoveries and adventures. The cafe just adds to the superlatives! The only thing to develop is the music apartment which could have some more biographies and so of classical composers.

Very good book collection, helpful staff, very good cafe on the second floor! It is a very well equipped bookstore with such a nice and warm environment!!!