Heritage Portfolio unveils refurbished Café Portrait at the National Galleries Scotland: Portrait
On Saturday 8 February, Heritage Portfolio, the specialist events and catering company within Sodexo Live! based in Edinburgh, reopened the fully refurbished Café Portrait at the National Galleries Scotland: Portrait, unveiling a more accessible, vibrant, and relaxing space for all visitors
Following the extension of Heritage Portfolio’s contract with the National Galleries Scotland: Portrait in 2024, the team saw an opportunity to refresh a much-loved café. The redesigned space now features modern furniture, soundproofing measures to improve acoustics, and a newly designed servery for a faster and more seamless service.
A highlight of the refurbishment is The Nook, a cosy, bookable table-service area offering brunch and lunch seven days a week. As its name suggests, The Nook provides an intimate and welcoming escape within the café. The Nook is also available for private dining and events.
The café itself remains largely self-service, with the addition of a dedicated coffee and cake counter, complimenting the main counter that offers a full menu of savoury dishes, sweet treats, and drinks.
To transform the space, Heritage Portfolio worked with design consultancy, Space Solutions. The refreshed interior takes inspiration from John Bellany’s painting "Queen Street Café," which hangs in the space. Its colour palette reflects the artist’s colour board , blending creativity and comfort to ensure art is not only displayed on the walls but embedded in the very fabric of the café —including its carefully curated menu.
The menu remains true to its core principles - fresh, seasonal ingredients prepared onsite. Under the guidance of Head Chef Alec, new signature dishes have been crafted, by the gallery’s artwork. One standout from The Nook’s menu is the Smokie Hash, a vibrant dish of smoked haddock, sweet potato hash, poached egg, wilted kale, spinach, grilled vine tomato, and cava beurre blanc. It’s a dish that’s again inspired by John Bellany’s Queen Street Café, which prominently features fish.
Café Portrait has always been a space where art, food, and community come together. This refurbishment reflects our commitment to enhancing the visitor experience. The new design and menu are inspired by the very artwork that surrounds us, creating a space where everyone feels welcome, whether stopping for a quick coffee or enjoying a leisurely brunch in The Nook. We’re thrilled to reintroduce this iconic venue to our guests.
We are so excited to celebrate the re-opening of Café Portrait and can’t wait to welcome visitors to relax and enjoy delicious food in beautiful surroundings.
The café is a staple for so many of our visitors to the Portrait gallery, whether catching up with friends for a scone or dropping in after visiting the familiar faces in the gallery, like Lorraine Kelly, Billy Connolly and Andy Murray.
Whatever your reason for visiting we hope that everyone will find the new look Café Portrait a warm and inviting space to make memories. Plus, visitors can now plan their trip ahead of time and take advantage of the exciting new bookable table service space, The Nook! Nestled amongst Scotland’s magnificent national collection of art, discover all that the brand new Café Portrait has to offer from this Saturday.
Our goal was to create a space that’s both inspiring and inviting, where visitors can relax and connect with their surroundings. Inspired by Bellany’s artwork, we carefully crafted the design—from rich colours to acoustics—to enhance the experience. It’s been a pleasure collaborating with Heritage Portfolio to bring this vision to life.
Heritage Portfolio’s continued partnership with the National Galleries Scotland: Portrait is a clear indication of its commitment to the catering and events sector and will bring about a new era of service excellence at one of Edinburgh's most beloved cultural venues.
Heritage Portfolio, a division of Sodexo Live! is a leading provider of private and corporate hospitality for cultural destinations. Producing outstanding catering and event services, it serves some of the most prestigious venues across Britain, delivering amazing experiences that go beyond the remarkable food it creates.
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