The Café Royal on West Register Street, Edinburgh, has a late Victorian interior that is a good example of decorative glass used in a commercial building. The Oyster Bar contains eight stained glass windows showing British sportsmen, set above an arcaded mirror screen.
The windows
The windows are attributed to Ballantine and Gardiner, an Edinburgh studio, and date from about 1900. Glass of this kind, in which painted figures are framed by coloured borders, was a popular way of giving a public house or restaurant a distinctive character.
A short walk away, the Guildford Arms on the same street keeps acid etched windows of 1896 with lettering and decoration cut into the glass, so the two buildings can be compared in a single visit.
| Place | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | West Register Street, Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Type | Pub and restaurant interior |
| Period | Victorian, about 1900 |
| Glass artists | Ballantine and Gardiner (attributed) |
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Related pages
- Stained glass tour of the UK
- Decorative glass for pubs, shops and restaurants
- Acid etched glass
- St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh
- The Crown Liquor Saloon, Belfast
- The Philharmonic Dining Rooms, Liverpool
Published 4 November 2026