Dunbar Garden Centre Restaurant in East Lothian

I’m pleased to report the quality of the breakfasts has improved and the Dunbar Garden Centre will be back on our list. Thanks for taking our constructive criticism seriously. In particular the quality of the gluten free bread is much better and it made a very good bacon butty for my breakfast.

Unbelievably busy with 20 mins queue for food .. air con was pumpin down on us making it even far too cold for penguins to even survive ..... IN SEPTEMBER !!!! Let us enjoy a warm lunch surely at this time of year ...... gawdstrewthhh ....

Great place to visit. Nice selection of deli produce, unusual snacks for every dietary requirement. Great selection of household items and gifts plus plants. Staff are so friendly and welcoming. Equally the restaurant has a fantastic selection of cakes and meals. We ate here twice, once for tea and scones then breakfast another day which was amazing. Definitely be back next time we are in the area.

Positives: beautiful French toast, cakes and lovely staff Negatives: the full breakfast was overpriced for dry bacon and sausages, overdone eggs, black pudding that tasted soapy and just not the same quality or presentation as previous times.

Popped in here for a cuppa and cake. Greeted at the wait to be seated sign in the restaurant by Michael. He told us which area we could sit in and showed us the cake cabinet before some others of our party went to sit at a table. He was really lovely. He was in the middle of putting out fresh cakes and showed us them all first incase we wanted any of them first - even pointing out the gluten free flapjack! He was friendly, approachable and lovely to chat to. The food in here is usually spot on and these were no exception today. All home made in the cafe I believe as well. It is a bit more pricey than others but you definitely get what you pay for.

Go quite often for breakfast coffee and cake. Went this afternoon for lunch. Ordered a baked potatoe with haggis and cheese. No cheese on potato so I just started into it anyway. Went to mix all together but potato a bit dry so I went up and asked for a couple of bits of butter for my dry potato. 20p each just told them to leave it not paying almost £9 for a baked potato and paying extra for butter. Ridiculous.

Food was lovely (a bit on the expensive side and was told the prices were going up which I was slightly shocked by)! I ordered the macaroni and my husband had the burger! Must give special mention to the man, with the Scottish name I can’t remember, who served us as he was wonderful and very helpful with explaining everything

We stopped off here on the way to Swarland and both had a sandwich and a drink.The bread was nice and soft and the filling good the facilities were also spot on we are heading back there this weekend so thumbs up to them.

Seated myself waiting on my friend to chairs getting tipped up at 2.40 . Asked if they were closing early no we like moving everyone to sit at one side so we can clean for the morning the side I was in .asked if I could move no as its not even 2.45 but in the end i relented . Watched lots of older couples still trying to enjoy their not cheap food with tables getting put up right next to them ....this is terrible as it made them very uncomfortable as I watched them ask the same question. Then to add insult to injury as I tried to enjoy my coffee now 4pm all staff at the counter hovering and conversing ready to swoop on out tables . To all effect if anyone came in from 3.15 you would be hard pushed to know the cafe was still open . This is terrible customer satisfaction let's hope your never in need of customers as this I'm sure will put alot of the older generation off knowing they cannot relax . Poor show DGC

We took my aging mother-in-law here as it has easy access, is all on the level and there is plenty of seating. Sadly, her lunch was badly cooked and she didn't eat much. Then, the plate collector dropped a milk jug which shattered on the floor and splattered our clothes. She was very upset but nobody came to help her.

Called in for breakfast with granddaughter. Large selection, good to see several gluten free options. We had toast, scrambled egg and bacon, well cooked, and brioche French toast with fruit and syrup. Very enjoyable, served quickly by helpful staff. Would highly recommend

We were eating breakfast, my avocado smash with tomato and mushrooms was mainly inedible as the food had a metallic taste. I thought that it would be hard to ruin avocado smash but they managed it. The mushrooms and toast were tasty though. My husband’s cooked breakfast was ‘okay’ he said! No smiles from three of the staff and one was particularly unhelpful.

The food came suspiciously quickly. It had clearly been cooked and kept warm for some time even though it was only just gone 9am. Everything was overcooked and the toast was soft.

Hadn’t been here for a while as I think it’s got pretty expensive but the breakfast always used to be nice. This time it was absolutely cooked to death. The sausage, bacon and egg looked as tho they had been kept warm for so long they were rock hard and practically inedible. Very disappointing!

Disappointed 😞 my friends and I stopped at you restaurant this morning, ordered toasties with chips sadly my sausage was cold, the girl had the audacity to correct my friend as to how long we had waited, returned it and wasn't happy the way we where treated and for kitchen staff to come out to stare at us and look through the glass door was so rude sadly we will not be back also after speaking with the manager who was sympathetic he never returned to let us know his findings!!!!! Maureen Liz & Michelle.

Cold bacon roll Sausage roll cold and very poor quality. Will return give it another chance to redeem

My mum and I came in for coffee and cake....as you do! We had a lovely well presented coffee and great service. There are so many different options to choose from and although busy the tables were clean and ready to sit down at. A busy wee cafe and understandably so!

On a day trip to Dunbar Garden Centre I bought the Havana Duo Garden Seat which came as a flat pack. This was assembled by a joiner but was found to be faulty. I emailed the Garden Centre explaining the problem and had a prompt and positive reply resulting in a replacement seat being assembled in their workshop and delivered to me free of charge. The staff at the Garden Centre are friendly and helpful and their customer service is exemplary. I am grateful to Sarah for dealing with my problem so efficiently and to my complete satisfaction.

Breakfast was nicely presented and in a good quantuty by helpful staff. The fried egg, beans and mushrooms were great. But the bacon was overcooked. It was like an old boot. The potato scone was even harder. The black pudding tasted soapy and the haggis slice was slimey. This is not the way breakfast used to be here. However, there were plenty of appetising cakes and tasty coffees and teas. Maybe the kitchen staff are just bored of making breakfasts. I for one, will not be eating breakfast here again.

I love this place. Staff are very helpful and food is great. It’s made on site from local ingredients and tastes sooo good.

Stopped off here for some lunch on our way back from Scotland. It was advertised as dog friendly and has a large selection of dog related items toys etc. We went into what is nothing more than a cafe (laughingly labelled restaurant).As we had the dog with us we found a spot out of the way in a quiet corner. Member of staff approached us and asked us to leave the restaurant as we had a dog. We asked why and he said we couldn't bring the dog into the restaurant is was only assistance dogs and there was a notice at the entrance. We asked where we could sit in this alleged dog friendly establishment and were directed outside to the smoking area. Being non smokers including the dog we were understandably taken aback and annoyed. We were brought what we had ordered (which was before being told to leave), the coffee tasted terrible there was no creme and it looked like someone had dipped the cup into a muddy pond and heated the contents. There was no apology for the rude treatment and the unwelcoming attitude. If you don't want dogs then don't advertise yourselves as dog friendly

When taking Granny out for a run, we often stop here as there is easy on-the-level access and a good choice of gluten-free and lactose-free lunches for us. Granny was delighted with her quiche and salad. Try to avoid the lunch rush as they get very busy.

Stop here regularly. Had no complaints until recently when they started charging £1.50 for a mug of hot water. It used to cost nothing. Now that’s just water no lemon added. Now I understand with the price of gas and electricity this year they might want to claw back a little from the customer but £1.50 for a mug of hot water seems very greedy to me. 50p sounds a lot more reasonable. I emailed to complain about the high cost, saying I thought the price for a mug of hot water was steep and got a very cheeky reply from a lady. Not exactly customer friendly. We’re on the lookout for another handy stop.

Opposite Asda, great garden centre, plants are only a small part of the assortiment. Delicacies, jigsaws, clothing, bird food. Big café, very busy, serving great food in different portion sizes. All served with a big, big, smile.

Stopped with my family on the way down south, had excellent soup, fish and chips, tuna sandwich and the most amazing meatball sub!! Will definitely be going here again and told others

One of my favourite places to stop off for meals and coffees. Excellent baking and tasty menu choice. Looking forward to my next visit already!

Popped in for lunch and had the Special for today a delicious bowl of freshly made Spaghetti Carbonnara with bacon,you can also have with mushrooms if preferred. Lovely creamy sauce with side of garlic bread .Delicious. Hubby had Maccaroni cheese also delicious.

Lovely place, great food, and warm and welcoming staff. Can't wait to be back when I am down visiting the area again.

Stopped for a lunch, great choice of soup which was very tasty and gluten free carrot cake to die for! Good coffee and staff were certainly helpful and friendly! Loo,s clean and tidy. Will definitely be back in return journey!

Highly recommend a stop here great food well presented and their homemade cake selection is Fantastic. Thank you for keeping up the good work. I notice the prices have been raised inline with inflation which is perfectly understandable in these times. I have no problem...

Hadn’t had lunch here for a while tho it’s a place we used to enjoy. Found the menu choices fewer, the portions smaller and the prices increased. Won’t be rushing back

Very busy. Expensive for what you get. Wouldn't hurry back. Had to clear a table to eat at. As asda is next door you would expect the prices to be more competitive

We stop here often. Great for a wee lunch before our coastal walks. Unfortunately we were horrified to be charged £1.50 for a mug of hot water. This is an excessive amount considering in most eateries this is free of charge. We feel it’s very...

Great location to meet for coffee & cakes. Pleasant surroundings. Can be loud at times, making it a little hard to hear conversations. Food is okay, kids and granny's love the cakes and other sweets. Everyone is happy.

We came for a look round after shopping at superstore.Delightful place brought a few gifts to take home to S Yorkshire.Had a snack of lovely soup with bread and a scone All in all a good visit.

We called into the cafe at 11.15am on our way back home. We were in the queue waiting to order breakfast and the girl said we could have full breakfast and took our order just before 1130 (when breakfast stops) then came back to say...

We have not been to the cafe at Dunbar Garden Centre for a while but called in for lunch. My husband ordered a chicken caesar salad and I had a tuna mayo sandwhich and asked for no butter. We waited about half an hour for...

Girl at till told me it would be 15 mins before lunches started so wouldn’t take order - I went to ask family what else they would like to eat and when I returned two people where at other end of counter getting drinks, cakes...

We stopped in for lunch and a look around the garden centre. The food was good but chips a little greasy. The cakes and coffee were fantastic! We were helped by a man named Cameron who was fantastic, he double check ingredients as I have...

We've been twice in the last two weeks. Everyone was happy with their meal on both occasions albeit we waited a long time to get it the first visit. We got told off for pulling two tables together so maybe they should have an area...

£5.65 for a cappuccino and a mug of hot water, hot water was £1.50 apparently because electricity is so expensive!!!!! Used to be a favourite stop off. Absolute rip off, won’t be coming back

Very disappointing lunch today Baked potato was very dry Coronation chicken was plentiful but did not have a sauce also dry All in not good used to go there regularly but will not be back at least for a while

They only bring you your food, everything else is self service, including following the server to the till point to pay before you’ve received what you’ve ordered and you’ve to get your own cutlery - asked for the drinks to be served with the food,...

Staff pleasant, covid care good. Had to wait a while for table service, would have had no problem with this had elements of the breakfast we were served not been cold. Sausages, bacon and mushrooms had clearly been hanging around. Such a shame as the...

Fantastic service lovely staff very helpful, the meal was to die for yum yum , will definately be back and recommend the restaurant to everyone I know 😀

Expect to wait a while for someone to take your order after being seated and you then have to go up and pay and collect your own cutlery and condiments. We live in Covid times but having another person on the order taking may be...

We really have lost the plot. Told on arrival it was table service. So was expecting the full ‘table service’ treatment. Cut a long story short- table service only meant food being delivered to you’re table. I had to go get cutlery and then told...

At the side of a very good garden centre, this restaurant is full of light and great food. The staff are helpful, the food and drink at a high standard and it is very popular. We really enjoyed our visit here and there is the...

Consistently good, excellent portions, friendly staff, delicious food. Nearly always a table to be had that is cleared, sanitised and ready for the customer.

Went for breakfast as staying in Dunbar, garden centre was nice, although expensive ( think Dobbies). Scottish Breakfast was poor but the pancakes were good

This cafe is close to McDonalds so it has a lot of competition, but it still remains very busy. The food is generally spot on so I would have given it 5 out of 5 but on this return visit the mac cheese had been...

We visited after doing a spot of shopping in the Garden Centre. The staff were very courteous and welcoming. After completing the Test and Protect forms we decided to sit outside as it was a warm day and we brought our dog with us. The...

This place is a gem, just popped in on off chance as we were driving down from Fife to York. Friendly staff, great menu, reasonably priced, nice and clean, our smoked salmon & scrambled egg was delivered promptly and was certainly a generous helping! Also...

Have visited here frequently in the past but was very disappointed with the service and attitude on our most recent visit Leaving elderly and obviously infirm customers( not us ) to stand in the rain when there was distanced room inside doesn’t leave a great...

We came here for lunch with my husband,we was shouted at from a member of staff,she said that we had came in the wrong way,we explained we were sorry,she just ranted on & on,very unprofessional,we asked what way to go,she just stormed off like a...

Went for lunch today but limited to take away only because staff have come down with covid. Makes us anxious about new variant as this venue had been taking restrictions and hygiene really seriously. Problem is, no matter what you enforce in the workplace does...

Nice place inside weather was kind so sat outside for lunch and breakfast during our trip to Dunbar, good quality food good prices, service excellent well oiled machine for sure! Girls loved the breakfast pancakes!

Not too sure what the last review is talking about, the garden centre restaurant has my favourite vegan options in the area. I recently had the Mexican chickpea burger and it was delicious! The vegan soups are always really good too. The staff are always...

Lacks atmosphere, a bit grubby, quite pricey, not a great place to eat. Completely inflexible when trying to move a few items around to make a tasty vegan plate, they don't care so why should you. Plenty of choices in Dunbar don't waste your money.

Visited today although advertising bacon rolls told us they had stopped doing them. Why not take the board away? Asked for hot coffee arrived luke warm and tasted like milk hardly detected the coffee. Person who served us was less than helpful. Scone with butter...

Collected our Afternoon Tea Takeaway Box today,absolutely fantastic value for money and then some. Sandwich was filled to bursting( pesto chicken amazing) pate delicious as was quiche and sausage roll. Sweet treats galore biscoff cheesecake was fantastic, cup cake with lovely lemon filling omg all...

Visited Dunbar garden centre restaurant today for take away food!! The lady who served us was lovely and the food was hot and delishious!! Highly recommend!!

Decent brekkie - including haggis - for an OK price. It’s only served until 11.30am and there have been (out the door) queues recently. Good ‘Covid secure’ precautions in place and the shop has a bit of everything.

One way system in place through the store to the outside entrance to the cafe; very good cleaning systems in place, well spaced out tables and friendly helpful staff. Good choice of snacks,light lunches and main meals - well prepared and presented.Busy but still a...

Like many others, not been out to eat much this year but having read reviews and having not been for a long time, went with my partner for breakfast today. The covid measures in place were 11/10 and breakfast was great as always. Highly recommended...

Fantastic food and excellent COVID measures in place. Fresh cod lightly battered with chips & mushy peas highly recommend. Wife and father in law had Scones which were fresh and tasty. Reasonably priced for a garden centre.

Went along here with 3 other friends, detail to hygiene issues was impressive, although sparse with tables the atmosphere was very relaxing 😌

Went twice on this visit to Dunbar. 1st time was for coffee and excellent cream scone. We shared and it was more than enough for both of us. 2nd visit was for lunch and again can’t fault the choice and the food. The staff are...

We visited last week and the minute you enter are told a mask must be worn; the exception being whilst sitting at a table. This means when moving around one has to to wear one (because of it of its size this is totally uneccessary)....

First trip away from home since Lock down so slightly nervous of stopping for a coffee. Took a punt here. Cafe entrance at side of building,, met by a nice young man who explained the set up. If inside tables all spaced and mask required for ordering at counter. Staff took food and drink over to you ( they all wore masks). Nice day so we sat outside. Well organised and friendly. Prices OK.

Felt safe , good social distancing , staff helpful . Coffee scones as good as always. It is so bright and airy with plenty of ventilation

We ordered takeaway afternoon tea for 6 under the new lockdown system. Ordering was quick and easy and for £10 the amount of food was impressive. Each box had sandwiches, quiche or sausage roll, a scone, meringue and some other baked goods like empire biscuits or bake well tarts. The empire biscuits and bake well tarts were especially yummy. We collected in store which was easy and socially-distanced. Hope they start doing other takeaway food soon.

Great food, friendly staff, lovely atmosphere. Always a nice place to be. Easy access for all and plenty of space inside.

The staff are always so friendly and attentive here but the food on the last couple of occasions has been a bit iffy which was unusual. However it’s back up to par again and all 4 of us enjoyed our lunch.

Lovely selection of cakes but no customer service!! As I got my change the guy turned away and spoke to a colleague - no thank you or enjoy, obviously better getting a chat than paying attention to your customer

Visited the restaurant for a quick bite to eat on a Sunday afternoon. Food was excellent. Cakes also looked fantastic although we didn’t try any. Homemade macaroni was one of the best I’ve had.

Being disabled, I found joining the rather long queue a daunting prospect. Taking my coffee to a table was not easy either. It would be good if there was an area set aside for table service? Food and drinks good if perhaps on the pricey side. Lovely large and bright restaurant with tables outside in good weather.

A birthday treat for a friend - Afternoon Tea for two. Surprisingly good food for busy garden centre restaurant. Lovely choice of freshly made sandwiches with fabulous selection of scones & cakes. Excellent value for money too! Highly recommend. Sorry no photos, we were too busy eating the yummy food & chatting!

After recently getting back from a 2 week holiday in Falkirk I decided to treat myself to a BLT only to find out that in my absence they had changed the ingredients to bacon egg and cabbage. To say I was dismayed would be an understatement. Well I've got 3 letters for them - BLT which stands for Wont Be Back

Great food in the restaurant and in the food store and at the Deli counter. Plenty of plants in the garden section and goods in the household furnishing area.A good play area for the Kids.

Beautiful ornaments and plants. A good pet section for equipment and small animals. Best of all was the food. Very friendly staff and a great food at a reasonable price

Fabulous selection of cakes. Variety of simple lunches, but all tasty and good quality. Can be busy but there are loads of tables. Self service.

We noticed this on our drive north from Newcastle to Aviemoor and aimed to use it on the way back. We were pleased we did. The food was excellent with a wide range of choices from just snacks to full meals at surprisingly reasonable prices. The restaurant is located adjacent to a really nice, indoor shopping centre with an eclectic spread of goods, so may have spent longer than planned, but it was worth it.

lovely food well presented a must their home made cheese scones well worth a visit and everyone is so helpful nothing seems to be a bother

Every time I have had food at Dunbar garden centre, food has always been amazing. Home made soups are to die for! Served with huge slabs of him made bread. The only thing letting the place down, is they stop selling hot meals far too early.. I went in at 3.30pm with my kids for dinner and was told it's only light bites at that time. Considering the centre does not close until 6pm, half past 3 is a bit too early to stop serving hot meals.

Lots of options, gluten free haggis also which can sometimes be difficult enough to get a hold of in the supermarket!! Great value for money, portions were massive. As a personal pleasure, gluten free empire biscuits!!! Always wanted to try one of these. Bought one and wrapped it up for later as i was too full after lunch!

The toasties were really smashing. Other half had cheese and ham and loved it. I had sausage bacon and hash brown which was beautiful. The salad was really fresh and the dressing better than I make at home.

We stopped at this garden centre restaurant on a journey from Dundee to home.

As garden centre cafe - bistro’s go, this is a pretty good one. Reasonably priced (we got 3 main and 3 drinks for £28) it can be busy, but the wait time is reduced by an efficient kitchen team. Definitely worth a visit for either a lunch or afternoon tea, we have visited on holiday every year for the last 8 and it’s been consistent every time.

Nice seating area. Large very good scones. Coffee good. Large pot of tea containing several cups for one person. Pleasant staff.

A year ago the breakfast here was good but something has gone terribly wrong. Bacon congealed and undercooked, sausages overcooked, eggs like bullets - just appalling. I would add that this is not a one-off, I have given a few chances to go back and see if I just had them on a bad day but it is actually continuously bad.

Treated my mum to a gluten free afternoon tea and it was amazing. Almost identical to the gluten included afternoon tea so my mum didn’t feel left out. Sweet and savoury treats were amazing and plentiful and service was excellent! Extremely good value for money. Highly recommended!

Have visited this garden centre about five times now and have never been disappointed there is a large car park which is free of mud and potholes which are a let down on on quite a few garden centres I have visited. The cafe has quite a substantial menu from cakes light snacks to lunches and I had the battered haddock and chips with mushy peas which was most enjoyable and came very promptly. The toilets were very clean but the hand drier in the gents was not working but paper towels were provided. The garden centre is well stocked and has a nice outdoor area and a nice section for pets. Staff all friendly.will certainly return.

Cannot go wrong here. Everything first class. Reductions for pensioners. Child friendly. Disabled toilet. Next to delicatessen counter of Dunbar Garden Centre. This whole place is a magnet.

Great garden centre with very busy restaurant. Menu really good and food is lovely quite reasonable priced. Good butchers and locally sourced foods. Gifts for all occasions

We had morning coffee in this lovely garden centre and the coffee was very good. We sat outside as the wether was hot the staff were wey helpful. All tougher it was a good experience

The garden centre is nice and airy. Well set out, lots of things to look at and be tempted with. The restaurant is bright and airy. The staff are friendly and the food is fresh, plentiful and delicious not to mention the cakes and coffee.

This restaurant never fails to delight. Good food, friendly staff and a light airy room. The soup and quiche are my usual fair and they are excellent every time. The place is clean, roomy...even when very busy, and such good prices too!

Relaxed, lovely and clean with good food and good service, really enjoyable , easy parking and lovely surroundings.

We frequently visit when we are staying at East Fortune.On this occasion we were treating friends to Afternoon Tea. The service was 1st class. Staff excellent Best Afternoon Tea we have had anywhere. Will be back again in August and will certainly visiting Dunbar Garden Centre Well done!