Sipping champagne in good company with a view of Edinburgh Castle on a clear Autumn afternoon. I wondered whether life could get much better. The answer was yes, as shortly after the thought had passed, a cake stand chock full of sandwiches, pastries and scones arrived!

The afternoon tea at The Tower is served from 2.30pm until 5pm daily and from what I could see all seats have a good view of the castle.

Firstly a word about the champagne. I’m not a massive champagne drinker but I found this one (Billecart-Salmon) particularly drinkable and it felt like a real treat to be enjoying it with that stunning view of the castle. My advice; if you’re booking for a special occasion, treat yourself and go for the champagne option.

Onto the tea; there were a selection of loose leaf teas by The Rare Tea Company which was founded here in Scotland in 2004, a nice touch I thought. I chose the RAF Blend, a portion of the proceeds goes to veterans and coming from a family involved in the military it felt fitting to do my bit – even if it was only drinking tea! My friend selected the camomile, both teas were very good.

Finally, the main event. The cake stand arrived and definitely had the wow factor. On the bottom tier were sandwiches, a sesame seed roll with pork terrine, and the highlight, a miniature goats cheese and beetroot tart.

The middle tier offered up plain and fruit scones, all freshly made of course with jam and the thickest of clotted creams. Alongside were a coffee cake and chocolate brownie.

The top tier featured a very good creme brûlée, and a chocolate and cherry chocolate patisserie.

The scones and sweet elements outshone the savoury elements, they were of a very high standard indeed. This is an afternoon tea that will certainly be appreciated by those with a sweet tooth.

Afternoon Tea at The Tower £22.50
Champagne Afternoon Tea £30

Find out more at The Tower website.