Frequently Asked Questions

General Enquiries

1. How long does it take to receive a reply after I send an enquiry?

 

Our Administration team works from 9am to 3pm from Monday to Friday and from 9am to 1pm on Saturday and Sunday.

 

While we may reply outside of office hours, please contact us during the times specified above if you’d like a reply on the same day or if you have a high-priority enquiry.

 

Please note that while we aim to reply within 48 hours, we may need more time during particularly busy periods. We encourage all customers to consult our FAQs in advance, as many questions are answered there.

A. Bookings

1a. Do you accept walk-ins or should we book in advance?

 

It's always best to book in advance.

 

While we do accept walk-ins, we can't guarantee availability unless you hold a reservation. This is because we run a live booking system and availability may change over time (especially during weekends, a time when reservations sell out very quickly).

This means that in order to reserve a table, guests should book a Magical Potion & Smoking Shot Experience or a Cocktail Bubbler. Participants can then order more drinks during their reserved experience.

 

You can find more details about our cocktails in our menu:

Department of Magic - Magical Tavern Menu
 

2a. Is the Department of Magic open in August?

 

Our Magical Potions Tavern and Prophecies Quest escape room will be closed during August in order to support the Edinburgh Festival Fringe activities of our sister company, Monkey Barrel Comedy. We are usually also closed for several days before and after the festival.

 

However, our Dark Lord Resurrection escape room remains open throughout August.

 

The easiest way to make a reservation for the Dark Lord Resurrection escape room is to head over to our website, where you can see available slots in real-time.
 

You can access our Escape Rooms page from here:

Escape Rooms - Online Booking

 

From the page you will be able to choose the time slot you would prefer, add the experience to your cart, and reserve the booking.

 

3a. Does the Magical Tavern have any closing dates in 2026?

 

The Magical Tavern will be closed from the 1st of August to the 3rd of September and the Prophecies Quest escape room will be closed from the 27th of July to the 6th of September. This is to support the Edinburgh Festival Fringe activities of our sister company, Monkey Barrel Comedy.

 

However, our Dark Lord Resurrection Escape Room will remain open throughout the year.

4a. Do you have waiting lists? My ideal time and date is sold-out.

 

We don’t currently operate a waiting list.

 

However, our online booking system is updated in real-time and last minute cancellations will show up on the booking system.

 

How to book

Please access our Escape Rooms page from here:

Escape Rooms - Online Booking

 

Our Magical Afternoon Tea page from here:

Magical Afternoon Tea - Online Booking

 

And our Magical Potions & Bubbler Cocktails page from here:

Department of Magic - Bubbler Cocktails & Magical Potions

5a. Is the Department of Magic suitable for children and young people?

 

Any child of 4 years old or younger can join adults without having to book an experience, however table capacity is limited so please ensure this is confirmed in advance.

 

We also have one high-chair available for babies and toddlers. Its availability isn't guaranteed, as it may have been reserved already, so please make sure to request it in advance.

Please note: only participants included in the reservation (or additional guests confirmed in advance) are guaranteed service. We may not be able to accommodate additional, unconfirmed participants. If you wish to add additional guests to your booking, please make sure you email our administration team at info@departmentofmagic.com before booking your experience so that we can check availability before you arrive.
 

The atmosphere in the Magic Potions Tavern is more lively after 6pm, so younger visitors may wish to leave before then. Under 16s must leave by 10pm and under 18s must leave by 11pm.

 

Please note that in order to reach the Magical Tavern you will need to walk down a short but steep stairwell. 

 

Additional Details:
 

Escape Rooms:
 

• Families with children of under-12-year-olds need to have at least one adult present in the room.

• If the entirety of the group consists of under-12-year-olds then an adult is required in the room to supervise. In this case, the adult is considered a chaperone and therefore is not a paying customer.

  • This only applies for up to one adult. Additional adults are considered paying participants and not chaperones.

• Under 16s need an adult in the venue.

• Any child of 5 years old or younger can join adults without having to book an experience.

 

Magical Tavern:
 

• Any child of 4 years old or younger can join adults without having to book an experience.

  • This includes Magical Potions, Magical Bubblers and the Magical Afternoon Tea

  • Please notify our admin wizards at info@departmentofmagic.com after making a reservation so that our Bar Staff can allocate the additional seating.

• Guests under the age of 16 are required to leave the premises before 10pm.

6a. Can extra participants join an experience without having to book a reservation?

 

A reservation is required for each guest in your booking, except children of 4 years old or younger.

 

Please email our administration team at info@departmentofmagic.com so that our staff can confirm availability. Booking amendments have to be finalised via email and payment is required in advance.

7a. Can I bring food into the Tavern?

 

Food, such as birthday cakes, cannot be brought into the Tavern due to allergy restrictions.

 

However, in the early afternoon we also have the Magical Afternoon Tea Experience which includes the following:
 

• A tea tower full of smoking delights and delicious treats for a sensational start to your day.

• A choice of ‘Magical Make It Yourself’ tea.

You can access our Magical Afternoon Tea page here:
 

Magical Afternoon Tea - Online Booking

 

From the page you will be able to choose the time slot you would prefer, add the experience to your cart, and reserve the booking.

8a. What is included in the Department of Magic Table reservation?

 

The Magical Potion & Smoking Shot experience includes a Magical Potion, a Smoking Shot and a table reservation lasting 75 minutes.

9a. Can I book two Magical Tavern experiences for the same date and time?

 

You should only book one experience per time slot per person. 

 

If you are booking a Magical Potion & Smoking Shot experience or a Bubbler Cocktail you will be able to order more drinks during your experience. This means that you don’t need to make two separate bookings. Please note that additional drinks will be paid directly to our bar staff on the day.

 

Please note: you can’t order both a Magical Afternoon Tea and a Magical Potion & Smoking Shot for the same date and time. If you’d like to experience both, please book the experiences one after another.

 

How to book both a Magical Afternoon Tea and a Magical Potion Experience
 

The easiest way to make a reservation for both is to head over to our website, where you can see all available slots in real-time.

 

You will need to book the Magical Afternoon Tea and the Magical Potion Experience separately.

 

Depending on availability, you should be able to book the Magical Afternoon Tea and the Magical Potion Experience next to each other (either by having Afternoon Tea first or afterwards).  

 

To book both the Afternoon Tea and the Magical Potion Experience in a single booking, please book the first experience and then click on the following button before checkout:

 

You can access our Magical Afternoon Tea booking page from here:

Magical Afternoon Tea - Online Booking

 

And our Magical Potions booking page from here:

Department of Magic - Bubbler Cocktails & Magical Potions

 

From the page you will be able to choose the time slot you would prefer, add the experience to your cart, and reserve the booking.

10a. How many experiences should I book per person?

 

Please book one experience per person. Participants can then order more drinks during their experience.

11a. Our preferred time and date is sold-out. Could you still fit us in?

 

Our online booking system is updated in real-time, so if there isn’t availability on the website, it means that the date and time of your choosing is sold-out.

 

Please also note that we don't have a waiting list. However, last minute cancellations will show up on the booking system so you can check to see if there is any availability in real-time.

12a. How many people can I bring in for the Magical Potion & Smoking Shot and Cocktail Bubblers?

 

Our online booking system allows you to book for up to eight participants for the Magical Potion & Shot Experience and Bubbler Cocktails, and up to six participants for the Magical Bubbler Cocktails.

 

We welcome larger groups for the Magical Potion & Shot Experience, however due to seating arrangements and catering requirements our staff needs to check for availability in advance.

 

If your group is larger than 8 participants, please fill the following form:

Group Bookings | Department Of Magic 

 

Our Administration Team will then review availability and get back to you as soon as possible.

 

If your group has up to 8 participants, please book online from our Magical Potions & Bubbler Cocktails page:

​

Department of Magic - Bubbler Cocktails & Magical Potions Online Booking

 

13a. Do I need to speak English to read the potion making instructions or to play the Escape Rooms?

 

The Magical Potion recipes are written in English and the Escape Rooms have puzzles that rely on clues written in English.

 

Our magically-themed Escape Rooms also have additional audio cues meant to provide immersion, but these aren't required for the resolution of the puzzles.

 

Due to the above, an intermediate understanding of the English language is recommended.

 

Our game masters will explain and introduce your team to the escape room rules. Our team is great at making people feel welcome and at ease. If your team is struggling, our game masters will offer to help, and can provide as many hints as you require throughout the game.
 

14a. Can I book both Magical Potions and the Escape Room experience at the same time?

 

Yes, you can book both experiences in a single reservation.

 

Please keep in mind that the times for the Escape Rooms and the Magical Potions do not always match. Depending on availability, you should be able to book the escape room and the potions next to each other (either by having potions first or afterwards). 

 

The easiest way to make a reservation is to head over to our website, where you can see in real-time all available slots.

 

To book both the Escape Rooms and the Potions in a single booking, please book the first experience and then click on the following button before checkout:

 

You can access our Escape Rooms booking page from here:
 

Escape Rooms - Online Booking

 

Please access our Magical Potions & Bubbler Cocktails page from here:
 

Department of Magic - Bubbler Cocktails & Magical Potions

 

From the page you will be able to choose the time slot you would prefer, add the experience to your cart, and reserve the booking.

B. Our Offering

1b. Do you have a menu?

 

Yes, you can read our full menu here:

Department of Magic - Magical Tavern Menu

2b. Do you have Butter Beer?

 

Absolutely! What sort of Magic Potions Tavern would we be without both Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic butter beer!

3b. Do you offer treats and snacks?

 

We do! During your visit you will be able to order savoury snacks such as crisps, peanuts, almonds and cashews and sweet treats such as chocolate frogs, chocolate honeycomb, chocolate raisins and lemon sherbets.

4b. What are the prices?

 

Our prices are as follows:

 

Escape Rooms:
 

2 People - £50 (£25 per person)

3 People - £69 (£23 per person)

4 People - £84 (£21 per person)

5 People - £100 (£20 per person)

6 People - £114 (£19 per person)

7 People (Prophecies Quest Only) - £133 (£19 per person)

 

Magical Potions:
 

Magical Potion Experience & Shot: £18.50 per person

Magical Potion: £14 per person

Smoking Shot: £4.5 per person

 

Non-Alcoholic Magical Potion Experience & Shot: £10.5 per person

Non-Alcoholic Potion: £7.5 per person

Tipple (non-alcoholic Smoking Shot): £3 per person

 

Magical Afternoon Tea Experience:
 

Magical Afternoon Tea: £25 per person

Magick Tea: £4.5 per person

 

Magical Bubbler Cocktails:
 

Alcoholic Magical Bubble Cocktails: £8 per person

Non-Alcoholic Magical Bubbler Cocktails: £6 per person

 

Other Drinks:
 

Shaken Cocktails: £10 per person

Butterbeers: £4 per person

5b. What’s the difference between the Magical Potion & Smoking Shot experience and Bubbler Cocktails?

 

Magical Bubbler Cocktails are easy to brew but spectacular, while the Magical Potion Experience is more slow-paced.

 

For the Magical Potion experience, our guests will be given a recipe that needs to be followed closely in order to create a concoction to drink.

 

The Magical Potion experience includes one Magical Potion & one Smoking Shot. You can also order more drinks during your experience.

 

Our team of Potion Masters will explain everything before the experience, and will always be available for guidance.

6b. Are there non-alcoholic options?

 

Absolutely! We do have non-alcoholic options for our Magical Potions & Shots, for our Cocktail Bubblers and for our Butterbeers.

 

While the ingredients will differ, the experience will be the same for both the Non-Alcoholic and the Alcoholic options. 

 

Here you can find our menu for more details about our Magical Tavern offerings:

Department of Magic - Magical Tavern Menu


7b. Are there differences between the Non-Alcoholic and the Alcoholic Magical Potion Experiences?

 

While the ingredients will differ, the experience will be the same for both the Non-Alcoholic and the Alcoholic options of our Magical Potion & Smoking Shot Experience. 

 

In both cases our guests will be given a whimsical recipe that needs to be followed closely in order to create a cocktail that’s delicious and ready to drink. Our Potion Master will explain everything before the experience and will always be available for guidance.

C. Afternoon Tea Experiences
 

1c. How many people can I bring in for the Magical Afternoon Tea?

 

Our online booking system allows you to book for up to six participants for the Magical Afternoon Tea.

 

We can’t accommodate larger groups due to seating arrangements and catering requirements.

2c. Do you offer Vegetarian or Vegan substitutions for the Magical Afternoon Tea?

 

Currently we don't offer vegan and vegetarian options or other substitutions for our Magical Afternoon Tea. 

 

Below you can find the ingredients of each item available in our experiences:

Department of Magic Allergens & Dietary Requirements

 

You can also find our menu here for additional information:

Department of Magic - Magical Tavern Menu

3c. What is included in the Magical Afternoon Tea?

 

Participants will be offered a tea tower full of smoking delights and delicious treats and a choice of Magical Make It Yourself Tea.

The tray includes sandwiches, carrot cake, chocolate brownies, fruit tarts, cheese and plain scones, slices, jam, clotted cream.

D. On the Day

1d. Where are you located?

 

The Department of Magic is home to a Magical Potions Tavern, the Prophecies Quest Escape Room and the Dark Lord Resurrection Escape Room.

 

The Magical Potions Tavern and the Prophecies Quest Escape Room are located in 9 Blair St, Edinburgh EH1 1QR. 

The Dark Lord Resurrection Escape Room is instead located in 150 Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1RP.

 

Please note that regardless of your booking: all guests should meet at our Magical Potions Tavern where our staff will introduce you to your experience.

 

Wheelchair accessibility note: if you have booked the Dark Lord Resurrection Escape Room and you’d like to meet your Game Master Wizard directly at 150 Cowgate EH1 1RP, please let us know by emailing our Administration Team at info@departmentofmagic.com after you book.
 

2d. What if I’m running late?

 

If you believe you are going to be late for your reservation, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing our Administration Team at info@departmentofmagic.com.

 

Escape Rooms

Groups arriving no more than 10 minutes late should be able to enjoy the Escape Room as normal.

 

Please note: for longer delays, our Game Masters reserve the right to subtract  time from the game or to cancel the game altogether if it's too late to start. This is to ensure subsequent bookings are not impacted. 

 

Magical Tavern
 

The table will be reserved for 75 minutes regardless of the time of your arrival.

 

Please note that in order to properly enjoy your Magical Potion & Smoking Shot we recommend a stay of at least 45 minutes.

E. Payments and Refunds

1e. How can I pay?

 

We only accept payment by card - including debit cards.

 

Please note: we do not accept cash.

2e. Can I pay directly on the day?

 

All bookings must be paid in advance. This is because we offer live event experiences in a private space with dedicated staff and unique, perishable potions ingredients that need to be ordered in advance.

3e. Can I reschedule or refund my booking?

 

Rescheduling

Any requests to reschedule experiences must be submitted at least 72 hours in advance. This includes The Magical Potion & Smoking Shot, the Magical Afternoon Tea, and both escape rooms.

 

Refunds

Refund requests for The Magical Potion & Smoking Shot experience and both escape rooms must be submitted at least 48 hours in advance.

 

Refunds for the Magical Afternoon Tea must be requested at least 72 hours in advance.

 

As per our terms and conditions, we cannot approve refunds and reschedules outside of the above notification periods. This is because we offer live event experiences in a private space with dedicated staff and perishable ingredients that must be ordered in advance.

4e. Can I get a partial refund if the number of attendees change?

 

We can offer partial refunds provided that we have been notified at least 72 hours in advance. 

 

Please email our Administration Team at info@departmentofmagic.com so that our staff can finalise the refund.

5e. Why have I not received a confirmation email?

 

Confirmation emails are sent automatically after your booking is finalised.

 

Please double-check your spam inbox if you can't find an email from us and ensure you are checking the same email address which made the reservation.

 

If you still can’t find a confirmation email, it’s possible that the email address hasn’t been typed correctly or that there may have been a technical issue. In this case, please email our Administration Team at info@departmentofmagic.com and they will check the reservation details with you.

6e. How much time does it take to receive a refund?

 

Refunds typically take 5-10 days to appear in your account.

F. Accessibility
 

1f. Are dogs allowed in the premises?

 

Well behaved dogs and any service animals are allowed in our Magical Tavern and in the Escape Room.

 

2f. Is the Department of Magic wheelchair accessible?

 

Unfortunately our Magical Tavern and Prophecies Quest escape room are not wheelchair accessible. This is because the locations are below ground level and our guests have to walk down a short but steep stairwell to enter the premises. 

 

Our Dark Lord Resurrection escape room is in a different location, about 150 meters from our Magical Tavern, and it is wheelchair accessible.

At one point in the Dark Lord Resurrection experience, at least one player will be required to crawl for a short time. At least one player is required to stay in the main chamber during this part of the game.

3f. Where can I find more details in regards to dietary requirements and allergens?

 

You can find a full list of the ingredients in each of our menu items below:
 

Department of Magic - Allergens & Dietary Requirements (Afternoon Tea)

 

This sheet also includes dietary requirements such as suitability for vegetarian and vegan participants.

 

Please note that menu items that are not labelled with “contains gluten” could still contain traces of gluten, and menu items that are not labelled with “contains nuts” could still contain traces of nuts.