Tempus

I should start by congratulating the staff at Tempus with managing to make what surely must be the world’s smallest portions of bread to accompany their pâté starter dish. Remember to bring your microscope with you if you plan to eat here. The waiting staffs uniforms were also very disorganised with one waiter choosing to wear a kilt while the rest wore trousers. Personally I find this highly distasteful. Finally the contents of the Christmas crackers can only be described as far from jolly. A merry Christmas indeed.
The food was generally well met and our server was alright but could not remember what beverages were on offer without a moments hesitation.

On a previous visit during the Festival I had been really impressed with Tempus enjoying a cocktail and sharing a platter and some small dishes at what was a reasonable cost for such grand surroundings. Sadly this visit was less successful. The bar seemed understaffed as the sole kilted waiter rushed about and the bar top was cluttered with used glasses. Our first two drinks came fairly promptly but when our two friends joined us their martinis took absolutely ages. We had intended eating from the bar menu but after waiting for attention and finally trying to order at the bar (table service only we were told), we went elsewhere.

Amazing food. Highly recommend the «glazed carrots» and the cobb salad. The ambiance is very nice and pleasant. Not too loud. Usually there is live music playing which adds a nice touch to the feel of the place. The waiters wear kilts which is fun!

Tempus is really quite nice, and I say that as someone who tends to avoid drinking on George Street due to the high prices and the clientele.
I’ve been to Tempus a few times, usually for drinks, but never seem to think of it as somewhere to go, most often it’s a ‘what’s nearby’ kind of decision. But maybe I should, as I’ve never been unimpressed.
Most recently I visited with my mum and her good friend, who’d enjoyed a day at the Book Festival and the Fringe and wanted a drink and a bite to eat before getting the train home. We popped by, and whilst Tempus was busy, it was far from full, in fact we nabbed ourselves one of the nice booths (I was convinced it was empty because it was reserved, but no, it seems everyone else just preferred to sit at the high tables or at the bar, how odd).
Before we knew it a waiter had appeared, very attentive! We asked for a few minutes to decide and got stuck into the menu. Feeling in a cocktail mood we ordered one each (I had the Elderflower Tattoo — Sailor Jerry’s, St Germain, apple juice and lime, beautiful but a tad on the sour side). As for food, Tempus does a great small dishes selection. These dishes are £4 each, or you can choose 3 and add chunky chips to make a platter for £14.50. Decent value for money. We had tiger prawns, chicken satay and salt and pepper squid (along with the chips and some salad). Mum’s friend is vegetarian so ordered herb encrusted goat’s cheese and a side of courgette fritters. The satay was delicious, easily the best of the dishes we chose, and the squid was very good too. The prawns were a little on the chewy side, but okay. And the chips were those big Jenga style ones and had a tasty garlicky seasoning. I’m assured the goat’s cheese was good too, and having nabbed one of the fritters it was tasty and the tempura batter light. Yum.
Two cocktails, a glass of wine, a sharing platter and two extra dishes came to £44. That’s really not too bad at all, especially for George Street. The interior decorations are smart, as are most of the clientele, but you don’t feel out of place in your jeans. And the waiter was super attentive.
Tempus is definitely on my radar from now on.

It’s a bit more than ££, and maybe like ££-£££ with £6 apps and entrees £18 and £23ish for steaks. The food is solid and standard french fare, but by no means in the top quartile of places I’ve been. Of course, I’m a bit harder to please as French bistro fare is my favorite cuisine. Others at the table were all happy with their food. A crispy duck salad was okay, with the duck more chewy than crispy. A ribeye was tasty, but again nothing in comparison to an American steakhouse in regards to size and flavor. Others enjoyed a duck leg/​pigeon breast with risotto. I thought the risotto was a bit undercooked. The deserts were solid, but lacked a wow factor. Overall, a very nice ambiance and décor.

We stayed at the George Hotel while we were in Edinburgh, and ended up eating here twice for breakfast and twice for dinner.
The first dinner we had here was to die for. My rozmopolitan cocktail was to die for, and they made my husband a great drink as well. The smoked salmon appetizer was delicious– the potato blinis were the perfect vehicle for the salmon, and the horseradish crème wasn’t overpowering. For entrees, I had the four herb fettucine with steak and loved it. The noodles were definitely closer to linguine than fettucine, but the sauce was light and delicious and the beef filet pieces were grilled very well. My husband had the filet and said it was excellent; the fries that came with had a great balsamic sauce on top and the onion rings were a delicious bonus.
Our second dinner was less exciting, but still very good. We both had steaks; my sirloin was cooked perfectly at medium, but his ended up more medium well than medium rare, which was very unfortunate.
The breakfast is a standard Scottish breakfast, but everything is done very well. The eggs are fresh, the sausage is great, and there’s a wide selection of fruit.
Service is great at both mealtimes, and the vibe is classy without being stuffy.
I’d highly recommend Tempus, especially if you are staying at the George.

This is a review for the restaurant rather than the the bar.
My husband and I won £50 vouchers to the restaurant which was the reason for our visit. Not sure I knew they had a restaurant behind the bar before then!
This is not to be mean — everything was ok but it was all a bit «blah».
Service and food all seemed ok but for the prices (despite the fact we had a voucher) the menu was a little uninspired and plain and we only managed to keep to the £50 because we weren’t drinking and shared a dessert. Everything was nice enough — but none of it stood out as amazing or delicious. At the end of the night, my husband and I both said — well that was nice but don’t think we’ll come again.
All in all, I think if you were thinking about going here for dinner, I’d have another look on Unilocal and see if there isn’t anything with more interesting reviews than this one!

What can I say? I love Edinburgh and I love this restaurant/​bar!
Everything we tried was absolutely delicious even the haggis and especially the MINI fish and chips! Don’t get me started with the sticky pudding. Seriously that was the MOST memorable thing we had on our trip! No lie, it is one of the MUST thing you have to eat before you die. LOVE LOVE everything and the great staff!

maybe more expensive than an average bar but I always get a seat and the whole experience of drinks with friends is worth the cost. Decent customers and well located city centre bar. Can attract any age range I’d say, which is appealing. Not too fancy that you feel uncomfortable in your everyday clothes, which suits me.

Great bar, friendly staff. Downside is, they stop serving the tables at 10pm… Besides that, great beer! Recommend Peroni & Tennents

I agree with Emily T (not just because she has an excellent name), Tempus is my favourite bar on George Street.
It’s a tough place to attempt to visit on a Friday after work, but then so are most places in town. But, the quality of the drinks, food and staff are exceptional and I walked away from my visit very satisfied.
I came here with my parents (really the only way I could afford it) when they were staying in the George Hotel. I had an excellent bottle of wine I wanted to share for my graduation and we weren’t allowed to take it with us to Kitchin, so my parents tried Tempus. Not only were we allowed to bring our own wine, they didn’t charge corkage and gave us the same pomp they would have if we’d bought it there.
To accompany the wine we had THE BEST mussels in a garlic and cream sauce I’ve ever had. We were thisclose to drinking the leftover sauce from the bowl. We had a few other appetisers and drinks but man, three-​four years later my dad is still talking about those mussels and asks to go back for them every time my parents visit.

Tempus is the revamped bar in the George Hotel, previously not as cool, now looking like a modern, trendy, sleek and polished wine bar.
I wouldn’t rush here for a drink if you’re after the height of coolness and people at fashion’s cutting edge, as it still has that feel of a hotel bar about it, which can be a hard formula to get right sometimes. Maybe it’s because it’s still fairly grand, with a lot of open spaces between the tables, that makes it feel slightly cold and lacking in an atmosphere you can pinpoint, but you can’t deny that it looks good. The staff are really nice and keen to accommodate whatever you want, so I always rate the customer service, plus the cocktail list is fab, so I would recommend steering your eyes towards that first of all.

Another fantastic bar/​restaurant in Edinburgh which is ideal for when the sun is shining. Good food? Fancy swanky booze? Prime people watching spot? Sounds like perfection to me.
Don’t get me wrong, Tempus is expensive… in my book, very expensive. However, I’m a big believer in ‘you get what you pay for’, and this bar is certainly a textbook example of that. We didn’t go into the actual restaurant, as someone else was getting our drinks, and paying (phew!)
I went for a Lemon Meringue Pie cocktail, which was a combination with Citron vodka, Limoncello, lemon juice and angostura bitters amongst others, topped by a vanilla foam. It was seriously swish, and I enjoyed every mouthful! It was around £7, which is expensive, but like I said, I don’t mind if it’s outstanding, and it was.
We also had a few nibbles at the table, including mini haggis cakes with chunky chips, which we ordered from a ‘mini’ menu, available till 10pm. They were fantastic as well, and didn’t cost the earth. I noticed you could have chosen three dishes from the mini menu including chips for just over £12, which is great if there are a few of you who like different things.
I can’t wait to come back for dinner one night, as I have only heard great things about the restaurant.

Tempus if my favourite bar on George Street, and the standard is high. It is so unassuming, as part of the ultra-​trendy George Hotel it is passed by without much of a glance, but boy oh boy. It is so cool. The furniture is really nice, big and bulky. It feels expensive. The wine glasses are huge and yes, the wine is chilled to perfection. I came for lunch and had the Tempus burger which was probably one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. I went back the next evening for dinner and had duck — probably the best duck I’ve ever had. It was delicious.
The bar is my favourite part. The cocktails are expensive but really worth it (well, one or two) if he’s buying!!! If you don’t believe me, pop in for a look. You’ll end up staying, I guarantee it.

Really lovely classy bar, surprisingly not that busy through the day. Not the best food menu for bar meals, very limited but great place to have drinks. Lots of females in the place — would certainly recommend

Despite being a bar attached to a hotel on one of Edinburgh’s main shopping streets, Tempus is frequented by tourists, locals & guests alike which gives the bar a great atmosphere.
It has a luxury feel (and pricelist) but a great central meeting spot for an evening treading the, more decedent, tiles.
Ess

Edinburgh’s most luxurious bar, you just have to try their lemon Morang cocktail.

This is a really lovely bar. With its decadent décor with glam chandeliers and cosy booth seats it’s a great place to relax, and catch up over a drink or two. The food is also really good. Well worth a visit.

Tempus in my opinion is one of the fancier places on George Street but somehow manages to not come off pretentious. It is set out well with a bar and dining area very seperate, on different levels in fact. Its booths and high tables are really elegant and the bar staff are incredibly helpful when you’re ordering food and drink. The toilets are also worth checking out as they are amazing, really big and always kept immaculate. The bar also joins onto the George Hotel where if you are nice the concierge usually helps you get a taxi at the end of your night!