Hunters Stables in Scottish Borders

Decided to cheat dinner (again!) We like the Hunters Stables as we have been before with the whole family. Proper Italian food made as it should be and presented in a professional manner. The staff were friendly and professional, making sure we had everything we needed.

As weary travellers we came upon this little bit of heaven!Splendid hospitality, exceptionally delicious food, excellent selection of wine, and the service was par excellence!! Family owned and run - clearly very passionate about their food and service. They so deserve to do well!!

The food was really good, I wish I had got a pizza as the size for the price was amazing. The lighting could have been a little less intense and more of a yellow hue opposed to the white one that it was. Our server was lovely and all the staff were really nice. I would say the star of the show for me was the baked cheesecake. I have never had anything like it, it was light and fluffy and the base to cheesecake ratio was great. Overall really good value for money and I would recommend.

As a walk in you might get stung, there were only 2 tables one was reserved for about half an hour after we arrived. Got seated in 2 minutes, no conditions no caveats. If you're looking to be in and out, mention to have all the food brought out as soon as prepared (else staff will wait for everyone to finish their starters). Selection of beer and wine good, burger and pasta real good. Portions just satisfying, priced a touch over but given how busy this place is on Sunday 6pm... Other mentions No parking there may be an odd space or two, but I wouldn't count on it, street opposite the entrance does the job. Staff attentive also all speaking Italian, couldn't pinpoint the origins. Seem like they'd jump through hoops for you. Definitely another part of Italy that got away.

Superb friendly family run restaurant

A very enjoyable dinner with friends. All four of us enjoyed our meals, which ranged from Sirloin Steak, to fish and chips and pizzas. All were prepared with love and served by people who cared for what they were doing. We were made to feel very welcome, despite them not having a dog friendly policy they accommodated us (and the dogs) in the quieter part of the restaurant. Having had a disappointing experience at the nearby Dryburgh Abbey Hotel a few days earlier, Hunters showed us that there really is a "Welcome in the Hillside". Well done and please take one peace of advice, when I ask that you consider making a small part of your lovely large restaurant dog friendly so that we can continue to enjoy your establishment as we come here for several weeks every year.

Wonderful find. Service (Jack) was spot on, food was delicious. BEST Seafood Chowder. HIGHLY Recommend!!!

Wonderful find. Service (Jack) was spot on, food was delicious. BEST Seafood Chowder. HIGHLY Recommend!!!

Great food and wine, specials tonight were fantastic 👌

Great food and wine, specials tonight were fantastic 👌

Today was my first visit and it didn't disappoint! Lovely food & very pleasant staff! I shall return!

On this occasion, we could only have a takeaway, but wish we'd been able to eat in. The restaurant was full and buzzing with a great atmosphere. Our pizza was freshly prepared, piping hot and absolutely delicious. We were delighted to discover an authentic taste of Italy.

Excellent evening. Warm welcome and outstanding service. The food was all delicious. Focaccia and arancini were amazing. Highly recommended.

Super family (and run by family) restaurant. Great staff, good solid menu, big portions, nice wine list. Prices per proper restaurant accordingly. Had an epic burger last time I was here, had to be rolled out the door

Absolutely fabulous meal - we travelled down from Edinburgh and was greeted warmly by Gail and all the lovely staff - delicious food and excellent service - highly recommended and will return

A lovely restaurant where you immediately feel relaxed and at home. The menu has some interesting diversions from the classic ‘British Italian’ staples and a variety of non-Italian dishes if you’re not in the mood for pasta/pizza. The compact wine list covers most tastes and is sensibly priced. Staff are friendly and attentive and several are members of the owner’s family. Our veggie son had a choice of dishes so he was happy too. Overall, a very nice way to spend a couple of hours.

Great takeaway pizzas, second time we’ve been here when on a holiday locally and always excellent!

Sal and the team are amazing and always happy and friendly food was awesome and the atmosphere was superb thank you very much for a great evening See you next year

I came here with parties of varying sizes 3 different times on a weeklong holiday in Scotland. The food is all delicious and is authentic, the restaurant itself is in a beautiful location, and to top it all off the staff is super friendly and top notch. We did not find a single thing on the menu not worth getting between the garlic bread, focaccia, pizza, calzones, and pasta. Highly recommend if you are in the area!

It was an absolute delight dining at the hunters stable and bistro. This was the best dining experience I have ever had. We dined here while on vacation from the United States 3 times in a week because this family owned restaurant made us feel like we belong. We are included and most importantly we are like family when being under their care. This family owned business makes it look easy and their team work is amazing. I will be planning a trip just to come back here and see this lovely family. We saw each person of this amazing family and they really included us. I can not say thank you enough to this wonderful beautiful family establishment

What a find. Family run business who have it 100% right. Excellent service, excellent food, excellent atmosphere and brilliant surroundings, a superb customer experience from calling to booking the table to leaving. Couldn't recommend more and will back. We had 2 wheelchair users with us and they could not have been more accommodating.

Great food and great staff. Real authentic italian food.

Delicious food in this out-of-the-way location. Once inside a big surprise. Recommended!

Absolutely amazing! Service and food is top quality 👌

The best Italian restaurant by far,🍕💕😎

Due to illness, we hadn't been there for almost a year, and the welcome and service that we and family experienced was just absolutely wonderful. Thank you all for the most loveliest time we will be back ASAP after your hols . Carol & Brian Gemmell. Anyone who is looking for wonderful food, atmosphere, and service look no further .

Rarely do I rate places nowadays... but this is a true gem. If you're in the area, just driving by... 100% worth it. I felt like I'm in Naples. Family business the way it should be done!

Just had lunch there today, it’s a dog friendly restaurant with a wide range on the menu, tough to choose. I picked the steak pie, my wife chose salmon, and we shared the bruschetta starter. The bruschetta was very good, fresh bread with light garlic butter topped with fresh red tomatoes. My steak pie was also excellent, with small potatoes cut up and baked. My wife’s salmon was cooked just right, we both really enjoyed the meal and service. Definitely recommend.

Fabulous lunch today, Sunday 16/6/24. Bruchetta followed by Lasagne, then salted caramel Cheesecake for my wife, Bruchetta followed by chicken piccante then sticky toffee pudding for me. Every plate of food was superb. And the most friendly, polite staff you could ask for. A very firm favourite of ours.

A fabulous dog friendly Italian restaurant serving a great choice of dishes. The pizzas looked fabulous but we had steaks which were cooked beautifully. We had a seafood sharing platter as a starter with calamari which was also beautifully cooked. The staff were friendly, welcoming and attentive. We will definitely be back and look forward to it.

A lovely atmosphere and friendly, welcoming staff. A great choice of food. Our seafood sharing platter and steaks were cooked beautifully, the wine list was very good, all in all a superb experience and dog friendly, we will definitely be going again.

Delicious food, and excellent service. The staff are well trained and passionate about their surroundings. Great quality Italian food, will definitely return.

The food was gorgeous. The staff were very welcoming and couldn’t do enough for you the atmosphere was friendly and relaxing. A lovely evening

Was looking for a place to buy a phone charger and happened upon this town. Just happened to walk past the sign for the bistro. Decided we were hungry and walked down the little road into the bistro. What a surprise when you walk inside. Lovely light and airy building with high ceilings and what a welcome we were given. Beautiful friendly staff that couldn't make you feel more welcome. And the food, oh my God the food. I was full before I got through it all but I had to push on. It was that tasty. Can't say we will be back because we live in Australia, but if we are ever back. We will be there.

This place is quite nice and the food was ok but the big standard mixed veg really let the meal down. And it was too al dente ie pretty hard!

Pizzas delicious. Relaxed atmosphere and very good service. Thank you for lovely venue for a family meal out. Definitely recommend

Fantastic lunch with three generations of the family! Lovely food (pizza was amazing) and the staff were as wonderful as ever. Lovely restaurant, Sal and his staff were excellent. Very relaxed and enjoyable meal. Highly recommended!

We had an amazing evening with great food and service.

We were greeted with a friendly welcome. The place had a great buzz about it and the decor was modern scottish. Light, bright and well placed tables, quite spacious. We both chose Rosemary focaccia to start and salmon pasta for main. After 5 mins of tucking into our starters the owner came and suggested she started cooking the pasta dish early so we could eat it with our bread, (as that’s what Italians do, double carbs why not!) It was a great idea because the sauce was so delicious we mopped it up with the bread. My friend had a sticky toffee pudding which she said was really good. I fancied the Roche, (a Ferrero Roche chocolate dessert) but unfortunately they had sold out. Never mind, I’ll save it for my next visit. I will definitely pre book next time and ask to reserve a Roche dessert. Great find.

Always very good food, friendly service, nice atmosphere

Delicious meal tonight, the roast beef dinner was delicious, I went for one of the puddings in the special menu, wow it was so good. Would highly recommend this establishment for others to try. First class service by all the staff. Everyone is warm and welcoming.

Hidden gem.....the best pizza I've ever tasted.....it was so good, I even ate the crust !!

Called in for quick meal when passing, excellent food & service. Pity there's not parking-- ended uon the street with numpty squeezed as close as he could to car but was still on double yellow lines & corner. Good restaurant

What a fabulous restaurant. So glad we decided to go after a recommendation from a friend. Food was absolutely delicious, would recommend pizza. Service was fantastic. We definitely be back 😋

Characteristic and elegant environment suitable for both important dinners and family lunches, excellent crunchy and well-seasoned pizza or spaghetti with seafood sauce, dynamic, young and attentive staff, excellent quality-price ratio, I will definitely return

Fantastic pizzas and great staff in a lovely environment.

We booked Hunters Stables for a 70th birthday celebration meal, for 15 family members ranging in age from mid-70s to 8 years. Wow! What a fantastic meal - two days later and we're still talking about it! The owner (Gail) produced a super menu, dressed a table wonderfully, and made sure they pulled out all the stops to ensure we had a really memorable night. All I can say, on behalf of the whole family, is thank you.

Very good food and pleasant, cheerful service . Enjoyable . Impressive goats cheese starter So good I ate most of it before taking a photo ! Burger was okay. Meat was cheaper type sadly . Would go back .

Fantastic, family run restaurant, great food, sensible prices and the friendliest of staff. Highly recommend.

Nice venue for our works Xmas party.

Another wonderful meal at Hunters Stables. Thank you to Sal, Gail, Jack , Georgia, Sal, and the rest of the team. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas.

A very cold cheerless restaurant. Food was disappointing-a seafood platter came as a dinner plate with a few prawns , smoked salmon and fried calamari. Waiter was over attentive hardly left us alone. Poor value for the money we paid .

So far I've done one takeaway and one sit in here. Both times I ordered the Sevens - the most delicious pizza in the world! It's a thin crust, topped with tomatoes, mushrooms, mozzarella, ham, and onions. Now I'm battling with the impossible decision of wether to keep ordering this choice every time - as I can't imagine something being better - or mixing it up with some of the other very appealing offerings in the menu? It's a struggle! They also have a solid list of starters, I tried the cheese-topped garlic bread and can totally recommend it. This is an incredibly welcoming place, honouring the history of the building it is housed in, creating a brilliant and cozy atmosphere. The service is world class, despite being so busy, the members of the staff will always take the time to answer questions and tend to your needs without rushing it. If you're looking for a hidden gem in the Borders area, look no further!

Travelled up from England and Visited here on 11/11/23 after Kelso races and must say it’s some of the best food we have every had. Definitely recommend it to anyone. We had the fish cake and pan fried prawns starter and salmon, spicy chicken mains. The metre pizza looked amazing.

Fabulous, tasty pizza and amazing chips. Lovely staff too.

The service is cheerful and attentive, the food (especially the pizzas which are exceptional) is always excellent and super-fresh, and the pricing is very reasonable. The place is very clean, especially the bathrooms. We always stop for a meal here whenever in or passing through the Borders. The families who run it are Scots-Italians and there is constant banter in Italian going on.

Beautiful food and a varied menu! Something for everyone

Great food and service. Highly recommend. Will definitely be back

Great restaurant on our doorstep. Have been here many times and never disappoints. Fantastic authentic Italian dishes with some added Scottish flare. Lovely decorated inside with a warm & welcoming atmosphere. All staff warm & friendly. Would recommend all meals …… think I’ve tried them all now. Great cocktails too. The outside seating area is a great addition where afternoon drinks have often extended in to the night 🤪 🍸🍹 Great addition to the village & glad to have it do near to home.

An excellent place with amazing food and service.

Lovely place and staff food good 👍 😋

Filling tasty pizzas, juicy prawns and delicious home made chips. Pasta was large portion but not much in the way of calamari in the dish. Focaccia was pizza dough with tomato & basil on it, not focaccia as you would expect it. Really just pizza without the cheese so if you’re having pizza after the focaccia, it’s the same dish minus the cheese. Service was intrusive. Waiter regularly interrupted our conversations & was overbearing making ‘smart’ comments. We were there for a catch up but not with the waiter.

Lovely people who own this establishment, but there are a few drawbacks. Firstly the noise level is overwhelming. As someone with hearing difficulties, it was exhausting trying to hear conversation. The pasta was More than al dente, it was hard. Also would have like a wine list to look at at the table.

Wir hätten in dieser ländlichen Region nicht damit gerechnet, DEN Italiener zu finden: gemütliches Ambiente, Essen und Getränke in bester Qualität zu angemessenen (eher günstien) Preisen und freundliche Gastgeber - einfach perfekt!

My partner just picked up a pizza 🍕 he said it was the best pizza he's had in the borders! also staff very friendly and welcoming. Will be back 🙂

Exceptional family run restaurant. Whether you are local, just passing or coming from afar it is well worth it. We were made to feel so welcome and part of the community even though we were 300 miles from home. The food was delicious and the service outstanding.

Wonderful Italian food! Great and friendly service. Pasta, pizza and good drink menu. In the middle of your hiking trip it is a great place to have a break

Excellent Staff are so positive dealing with gluten free dishes. Pasta, pizza the lot. I had pasta bolognaise. Service was fast, efficient and polite

Great place and great food, but waiter was a bit overbearing.

great service food grand shame young yins wont/dont conform to mask wearing but not serving staffs job its ours!!!! x

Very good service, lovely meal.

Just had a lovely meal here with friends and family, no complaints about the food or service all was great ,only thing I have to complain about is we had vouchers for the value of £30 but they said were out of date, but due to Covid-19 were unable to use them at face value but offered only half of the value.when I read through the vouchers there was no date on the vouchers to say when they were out of date. to I was disappointed that someone had paid that amount of money as a gift to us that they only gave us half the value . Ok we are going through difficult times ,it would be nice for them to up hold the value of the vouchers to us. Otherwise we had a great time.

Nice location, restaurant and service. Was quite disappointed as we had phoned ahead and asked if they could cater for vegans, was told it wouldn't be a problem but turned out there was only one pasta dish and a couple of pizzas which we could have without cheese, and no soya milk for coffee - so 'No', unless the menu changes they don't really cater for vegans.

Super meal tonight, great atmosphere. friendly, efficient and professional staff. Really enjoyed it and most certainly will return .

Excellent service and food .. can't fault it

Ordered a take away..prompt time for collection. Tasty pizza...and chips

First time visiting here. What a lovely little restaurant. Very nicely decorated, bright and airy. Staff were extremely friendly. Table service was good. Food was lovely. Just thought it was a bit expensive for a lunch. Would be better having a lunch time menu as the menu/prices same as in evening. Will definitely go again.

Fantastic food and sevice safe environment

Excellent service from start to finish. Food was fresh and very tasty. Could not find a single fault. Highly recommend.

Great food, great service. Pleasant surroundings! Thoroughly recommend!

Great pizza and nice atmosphere.

First time in this lovely little village whilst touring Scotland. Had lunch here with my partner's friend and his family. Great food, lovely atmosphere and decor. Totally recommend!

Excellent atmosphere. Really tasty food - big portions.. too much for me.. might need a child's one next time !!. Staff very welcoming and friendly.

Excellent! but in a manner that sickens me

Absolutely wonderful place. Superb food and very friendly service.

The food was lovely, couldn't eat all my meal, too much. The staff were very friendly.

Lovely meal, great staff. Would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Excellent all round. Highly recommend. Well and truly sono pieno !! Grazia

Beautiful freshly-made pizzas, which are absolutely huge! Great prices. Really friendly staff, and a lovely wee restaurant.

Fantastic food and lovely staff! 100% recommend if you fancy a good feed.

Had another lovely meal again last night plus a gift for Fathers day, thank you so much.

Very lovely roast dinner today....kids had calzones as big as their heads!

WOW, what can I say but total disappointment. Service was good when we first went in and greeted, but then went downhill, rapidly. We were at table 1, the table infront of the pizza oven, very very noisy, everyone walking past, staff and customers, did not feel covid protected at all. It was so loud we couldnt hear ourselves speak, had to repeat ourselves several times. Ordered drinks and they came quickly, ordered our food, mine came first and then had to wait for the husbands. Food was good. Table was cleared and ordered another drink, never got what I ordered, disoronno and coke, (approximately £4) I asked a waiter what it was, they said that was a disoronno and then walked away, it certainly wasn't what I had asked for. When I got the bill it stated disoronno sour (cocktail at £8.50). Once the table was cleared we expected they would come back with the sweet menu....we waited over 20mins and someone came to take the sauces away to give to the table behind us. Still no offer of sweets, waited a further 5 minutes then decided enough was enough. We caught the attention of a waiter and asked for the bill, we were pointed to the bar and told "pay there." We are currently on level 1 covid restrictions, but I felt there was no social distance, most staff had their mask keeping their chins warm and some who had them on, had them off by the end of the night (mainly management.) Sauces are passed from table to table and not wiped down. I expected sooooo much better from this type of place. Will not be returning.

Had a very good meal here. Beautiful pizza 🍕 a good menu with plenty of chose. Service was excellent. I can see us becoming regulars. They deserve 5 🌟.

Delicious food and good service for takeaway and dine-in

Enjoyed the food and the friendly staff. Will go again

Most enjoyable meal lovely staff would definitely go again when I'm in the area

Was staying near this village for a few days and found this gem! Really interesting story of how it came to be there. Absolutely fantastic food and excellent service. The waiters were all lovely and so lovely to my mum. Really great atmosphere. The chefs must be top notch , coz the food was brilliant. We absolutely loved this place and cannot wait to return. Good luck and success to you.

Lovely place, GREAT food and such friendly staff! totally recommend it

Loved it. Food great, service excellent!