First look inside transformed café and bar within historic Edinburgh Zoo building

A view of the transformed interior of the Grasslands Café space at Edinburgh Zoo. Picture: Alan Rennie Photography

Two hospitality spaces within Edinburgh’s famous zoological gardens have been given makeovers.

Following a refresh of the zoo’s Penguin Café last year, design and build specialist Space Solutions has worked with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland to transform the Grasslands Café and Mansion Bar. The completions mark three projects delivered by the firm at one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions.

The café and bar form part of the historic Mansion House, built in 1793, which sits in the heart of Edinburgh Zoo and functions as a year-round event venue as well as a destination for visitors to relax and refresh.

Another view of the new-look interior of the Grasslands Café area at Edinburgh Zoo's historic Mansion House. Picture: Alan Rennie Photography

In the café, dark ceilings, large wall graphics and a colour palette said to be inspired by dry grasslands give the space a “new bolder look”, while the mansion bar’s softer palette is accented by feature wallpaper and colour blocking to complement the historic architecture. Further upgrades include improving noise distribution with suspended acoustic baffles from the high ceilings as well as updated toilet facilities.

Senior interior designer Isobel Jones-Watt said the spaces had been transformed to accommodate different event and guest demands. She added: “Our initial reaction to the Grasslands Café was to break up the space by introducing angles in both flooring transitions, furniture layout and suspended ceiling features. This mimicked more movement to represent the grassland’s natural environment, in a space which previously resembled a linear canteen. Much like the Penguin Café, we developed an identity for the Grasslands with graphic designer Heather Cumming, which complemented our bold colour palette alongside featured full bleed black and white imagery.”

Beccy Angus, head of discovery and learning at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), said: “We are delighted to have continued our collaboration with Space on two of our wildlife conservation charity’s most popular hospitality spaces. RZSS’s mission is to create a world where nature is protected, valued and loved, and the refresh of Grasslands and Mansion Bar offer improved spaces where we can encourage people to relax and reflect during their time at the zoo.”

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