Lanterne Rouge in East Lothian

We visited during covid times for a takeaway coffee and cake. Excellent selection of cakes and excellent service with a smile. Best Victoria Sponge I've had in ages! Great value as well. Will definitely be back to try more! Also very well done during Covid - was takeaway only when we visited, with a plastic screen at the door.

Decided to pop in for a lunchtime snack while on the way to Edinburgh as we had been treated to afternoon tea at the Dome for our 1st wedding anniversary. I had bacon roll and my wife had small soup and brie cheese sandwich. Sandwich came with salad and coleslaw. Portion was big, almost like a main course and the soup was a good quantity for a (small) soup. I had half of my wife's as she has a small appetite, and was also saving herself for the later Dome afternoon tea. All the food was excellent especially the coleslaw which had plenty of onion in it, and very tasty. Would go again if in passing although prices a bit on the high side, but it is a small village with not much competition. Would probably be very busy in the summer as there are not a lot of seats, but all in all would recommend for a tasty bite.

Stopped by for some toasties which were great, loved the coleslaw! Also not to fear which is a bonus would go again thanks

This was my first return visit to Gifford in nearly 40 years. After a nice walk with our dog we popped in for something to eat. Great looking, freshly baked scones were piled up on the counter as we entered. Hubby (and dog) shared a sausage bap & I had a scone. Really sweet, friendly local cafe. Clearly popular with cyclists.

My husband and I called in just before Christmas with our dog.It was a cold and wet day and we were cheered up by a warm welcome and though the menu was fairly limited the food was very good. My husband has food allergies, GF etc and though not advertised as such they made a great effort to accommodate him.

Warm, comfortable, friendly and they knew how to cook scramble eggs properly. Not something everyone can do. Small menu but fine for a pit stop.

Been here twice now for a lunch with a pal. Yesterday I had an excellent vege curry with chapati. Very, very good. My offsider had posh stovies which he reported were excellent. Great atmosphere and the tables filled up quickly with locals, Lycra clad cyclists and students and teachers from local Chippendales Furniture School amongst the clientele. Top notch attentive and friendly staff. Free refills of coffee & tea a really nice touch. Oh yeah, and I was introduced to courgette and pineapple cake. I will order it again too! Bloody delicious.

We live locally and there is always a friendly service and food is excellent. We had the deli special todsy, coronation chicken on sour dough with lovely coleslaw, salad and crisps. Coffee is lovely too. So popular with cyclists and locals, getting a table can be difficult at times.

Visited Gifford during our cycle to North Berwick and found this amazing little cafe. My friend and me were totally drenched by the time we reached here. The owner, such a friendly guy, welcomed us and within minutes had steaming hot coffee in front of us. This cafe is quite quirky and is totally geared towards cyclists, there were enough cycle racks outside and even a cycle pump at the entrance to top up the air in your cycle.Food was super yummy, we had lentil soup and a toastie each. We were also given another refill of coffee on the house!We sat there for an hour at least, waiting for the rain to stop. The owner also got a heater for us to dry our shoes!By the time we left our shoes and feet were dry and the rain had stopped, our only regret was we did not have space for cake!!But for that we will just have to go back!

Have been here several times. Always made to feel very welcome. Excellent food, fabulous home baked cakes and great coffees. Love this place its a wee gem

My friends and I visited the Lanterne Rouge yesterday - my very first visit to Gifford (what a stunning village!). We had coffee and scones on arrival - they were THE best scones I've tasted in a long, long time.....and I've tasted a lot of scones! They made us really tasty filled rolls for our packed lunch, all at a very reasonable price too.

Lovely wee cafe. Warm friendly staff, nice coffee & homemade cakes. Toasties/sandwiches are made from top ingredients. Ruby coleslaw is fantastic 😁

popped in for lunch and as usual it was busy,we had to sit at a dirty table until the waitress managed to clear it,we understood she was very busy but thought her manner was a but lacking.There was hardly any cutlery on the table and saw a few of the other customers were in the same predicament when the food was put on the table.

Here for breakfast, and had delicious waffles with smoky bacon and maple syrup accompanied by good coffee. Wonderful cafe, what a find. Obviously a great favourite with local cyclists, as bikes were parked 3-4 deep outside!

Spent some time here chatting with friends. Staff are very friendly and welcoming, good range of simple food, excellent home made cakes and free coffee refills. How many cafes offer free coffee refills? It's like visiting an old friend. Cyclists, dog walkers, shoppers, walkers, passers by, everyone is made to feel at home. Excellent! Long may it continue.

Fantastic little cosy cafe and doggy friendly thanks so much for helping us enjoy our visit and the food was fantastic and customer service 100 percent keep up the good work :)

Lovely food, coffee, cakes, friendly service, dog friendly, bike racks just outside, wonderful place for a stop on a bike ride, will definitely be back.

Always welcomed as old friends, this is the perfect cycling stop with a menu full of "cyclist staples" executed perfectly! The most perfect Fresh Scones, French toast and toasties with unlimited filter coffee obviously produced by someone who understands what cyclists love! We've adapted our previously too short(!) route to Gifford to accommodate more Lanterne Rouge stops (and scones!) .. and grateful for the extended credit today due to forgetting to bring the "treat purse"... We'll be back on the next windy day to settle up - thank you!

Came over to Gifford with my guide dog pup and a friend last week. As always, the coffee and scones were fabulous, but the best thing about this cafe is the warm welcoming atmosphere and lovely people. The cakes are beautifully and freshly made each day- if only I lived in Gifford I would be whale like. Whenever I have brought one of the pups with me, the staff have shown patience and understanding, (and maybe a little bit of infatuation?). Lemon Basil cake is unbelievable.Thank you!

A really nice cafe with great home-made food managed and operated by two very welcoming and helpful ladies who care about their work. If you are cycling in the area I strongly recommend calling in.

We went to a Gifford, an absolutely lovely village. We wanted a good cup of coffee and luckily headed into Lanterne Rouge. We were greeted like old friends. We chose to sit at a table by the window so we could watch people going by. We also enjoyed seeing people at tables and coming in for coffee or lunch or one of the tempting cakes. It was a comfortable diverse group of people enjoying the food and atmosphere. One couple had arrived on bicycles, three men on BMW motorcycles arrived and other people strolled in and out. We had already had lunch but look forward to returning with friends to have one of the sandwiches or soup. Great little cafe. Next door is a very interesting shop. We hope to return soon.

What an amazing wee place, feels like a hidden gem for us city dwellers. Such friendly and welcoming staff, great service and an awesome afternoon tea. Do yourself a favour, visit.

Stopped at Lanterne Rouge and really enjoyed their menu again. Simple choice of classic brunch options, plus great coffee. A warm and friendly cafe which seems to be more popular than ever with cyclists, tourists and locals. If you are in Gifford and hungry don’t miss this place.

The best cheese and tuma toastie ever! Really friendly, even with our slightly over excitable children. Can't fault good home baking and fresh well prepared food. There are no cafes like this anywhere nearby, so a recommended pit stop if you are on your way to or from the Lammermuirs.

One of the best of its kind i've visited, excellent soup, brilliant roll and cakes to die for what else do I require - nothing

I have been meaning to write this review for a couple of weeks. I live in the village where the cafe is, so I have been in a few times, but I just felt I had to tell the world about the bacon and egg roll I had here. My friend and I both gave very fussy orders: I asked for a bacon and egg roll with the egg 'slightly runny' and my friend asked for the same but with her egg 'slightly less runny'. Instead of being told off for being so fussy, we were served, cheerfully, with perfect bacon and egg rolls. I should really come here every day and I have no idea why I don't.

Found this lovely little tea room in Gifford,nice staff and lovely setting.Great cuppa and as for the cakes,tasty and so fresh.

Cycled to Gifford today from Edinburgh and found this wee gem for lunch. There were bars outside to tie your bike to and a very warm welcome. Nice simple menu. I had the Cheese and Ham toastie that was filled to the brim and my friend had scrambled egg on toast that looked like about 3 - 4 eggs, all washed down with tea and cappucino. All delicious and very reasonable cost wise. Great staff and even the locals were friendly

Passing through the village and saw the cafe. Lookwd good so thought we would try it. Very friendly staff. Decent menu. Reasonable price. Great soup. Clean and tidy with a good atmosphere. Definitely worth a visit especially if you are cycling through. Bike stands outside too.

I like the food and coffee and the feel of this cafe.

Flooded with light, friendly and the coffee kept coming. Came in after a walk in the Yester estate in glorious sunshine. Peat smoke in the street and chattering Jackdaws had me pining for the lake district. Ideal place for a little snicky snanky snoo. Treat yourself.

Popped in here during a cycle round East Lothian and loved the cycle friendly atmosphere. Fabulous selection of cakes and scones and great coffee. The staff were welcoming and even offered a refill of Americano and a sample of freshly made cake.

Came back to my home village to visit the folks, popped in for a quick light bite on a whim, got to say, great food and service, having seen many ventures over the years, this one feels like it could be here to say, thank you and good luck!

We really liked this cafe on our first visit as we were made welcome & the food was very good. It seemed a much nicer alternative to the poor service from the hotel across the road in Gifford. However on the 2nd visit we were given a small portion of soup in a cardboard cup. Some of our party only had about a third of a cup of soup & it was the same for the coffee. We were also given cardboard plates for our filled rolls. The lady serving did look stressed out. OK we were a big party who tried to give notice of our arrival. I believe that the message somehow perhaps did not get through, however this cafe really needs to be able to cope when seats are full and being busy. After all we are choosing to spend our money there.

Having never been here before I ended up here twice in the last two weeks. It's a great place to stop while cycling in East Lothian. Naturally it does welcome non-cyclists too, but at 10 a.m. on a Sunday most people will be in lycra, and carrying helmets. There are several new bike racks outside.

Had a lovely little lunch here today. Great toasties with generous fillings but not overflowing. Lovely bread too. Plates filled with salad, tortilla chips and tasty homemade coleslaw! We thought we'd be done after the toasties but then we spotted the delicious cakes on offer. We managed to squeeze in a slice to share - so worth it! Relaxed and chatty staff too, who were very attentive. We will be back!

Eaten here a couple of times and it's a lovely cafe; friendly staff, good service and tasty food. We'll worth a visit.

Small cafe with lovely staff who were very friendly and tolerant of my wandering 2 year old. Will be back

We were staying nearby, so decided to try the Lanterne Rouge , we had a piece of the sponge cake with mascopone icing covered in fruit, WOW, the best I've eaten! the staff were lovely, gave us some ideas on places to visit in Edingburgh, would highly recommend a visit.

Discovered this little coffee house in Gifford. A must stop for cyclists and equally for anyone who loves freshly made home made cakes, brunch, lunch, tea, coffee..... contemporary setting, buzzy atmosphere, a true gem that should not be missed if you are taking a drive/ride out in the Edinburgh environs.

We popped in here a few weeks ago with some friends for a bite to eat. What a great find this wee cafe is. The cakes are absolutely delicious, especially the chocolate brownie and sponge with mascarpone and raspberry topping. This is not the sort of place where you would be afraid to ask for something slightly different to what is presented on the menu, nothing is too much trouble for the friendly staff. The home made soup was delicious, as were the waffles. The decor has a fresh and slightly quirky feel, with a subtle (very subtle) cycling theme. The only problem you might find is getting a table, as it is quite a small cafe, with a constant through put of clientele. Well worth elbowing out the locals to get yourself a spot - highly recommended!

My husband cycles and today we met him at Lanterne Rouge for Sunday Brunch. The cafe has a real cycling theme with an enormous map of East Lothian on the wall. The food is lovely, I had waffles with maple syrup and bacon, it was delicious! The staff are very friendly and there is a relaxed atmosphere. My husband was impressed with the free coffee refill. It attracts cyclists from near and far and is definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.

We stopped in for breakfast with our children and we were impressed. The quiche, coleslaw, and scones were excellent! Waffles and bacon rolls are always kid pleasers, so overall, we were quite pleased. Great customer service and we plan to visit regularly.

So, staggered in, soaking from half way round bike ride and the last mile downhill put another level of ice on.

Enjoyable late afternoon spent in la Lanterne Rouge.

Have visited this café so many times - usually on the bike - but only just getting round to reviewing now.

What a great wee cafe - my mum and I originally ordered takeaway drinks from here this morning as we had our dog with us, however the manager came outside to tell us that dogs are welcome in the cafe and that we could sit in. After finishing our drinks inside, we were given a free pot of tea to share and we paid for a slice of delicious homemade Victoria sponge. Judy the dog was made to feel welcome with a Bonio biscuit. The staff were very friendly and welcoming, particularly the manager. Overall we were very impressed with the place.

25 Ramblers arrived (previous arrangement made) and the whole cafe was laid out for us. Excellent quick service for such a large group. Very good coffee. Refills of both tea and coffee offered. Best scones I have had for a while.

Popped in on a cold Monday morning for a cycling pit stop and was made to feel completely welcome. Even the locals were friendly and unperturbed with me sitting eating a fantastic scone with great coffee in my riding gear-go try if your passing, I'll be making it a haunt-tres bon!

I visited this cafe 3 times now and have never been disappointed. The staff are really friendly, the coffee is lovely and the cakes are fantastic! It is a cafe that attracts both locals and visitors, especially cyclists, so there is a good mix of people there.

Well....not often speechless but...we were regulars before and defo will be since the arrival of Cameron and his team. Great also he has Kat on board! Especially great renovation, most impressed. Bright, light and spacious! Food is fab..soup that bad to beat home made flavour served with nice fresh bread..even sausages in a roll there soooo tasty!! Freshly made Victoria sponge, brownies etc.No I'm not on commission just passionate about praising when due! Coffee great choice! Thanks Cameron you care but don't interupt. As a customer you hit it just so perfect. See you soon. Gilly T.

Went in for the first time today. Great friendly staff. Very tasty Bacon and egg roll. And apparently the other half said the French toast was to die for. Very good cup of coffee. Good decor and very nice atmosphere.

Ideal stop for lunch after winter walk in lammermuir hills. Quiet but it was a Tuesday in December. Soup delicious. Accommodating with gluten free options.

Lovely place for lunch after long walk across the Lammermuirs and we were allowed to bring the dog. Great soup, lovely quiche and sensational homemade slaw. The cakes look amazing. So friendly, relaxed and busy. We will be back. A real treat.

Had the waffles with bacon and maple syrup. It was the best I've ever had! Would definitely recommend to anyone with a taste for good food.

Loved this place! I had a cycle mechanical a long way from home and the good folk here could not have been more helpful and gracious. And how good ar the lunches? Utterly delightful!

A guide to Gifford tells all you need to know about this picturesque Scottish village in East Lothian. There are two fine inns offering wonderful food and wines and, rightly, well praised. But when an old work buddy and I wanted a lunchtime snack, it was almost by chance we stumbled across this gem of a cafe.The frontage, still awaiting its new sign, hides a treasure. It has risen from what a local described as a "greasy spoon" to a cafe serving simple but wonderful home-style cooked fare. Its French name - Lanterne Rouge Cafe - roughly translates as meaning the last person in a race such as the Tour de France. It was obvious as soon as we stepped inside decorative posters reflected the proprietor's interest in cycling. However, this is more than a simple bicycle-stop, and although a group of cyclists were deep into planning the next stage of a round Britain charity ride, most tables were taken by locals and visitors like ourselves. The menu offers a good choice of snack-like food, and we opted for bacon rolls and a large pot of tea for two.Even though we had been only peckish, they were so good we ordered a third to share and once the pot was emptied of two cups each a top up was offered. We refrained from indulging further from a lovely display of cakes. It is, all in all, a most welcoming discovery, hospitable and reasonably priced. The owner Cameron McVean tells me he and his wife opened the cafe some fourteen weeks ago. They are both keen cyclists so its theme was an obvious choice. I noted that he also provided a "take out" service from the menu to customers.

Redesigned and reopened and what a difference - excellent. Warm welcome assured from the owner Cameron and his friendly staff. Some nice touches for the cyclist - a couple of 'peloton' tables cater for groups, some spare tubes and other get you home bits n pieces for sale. Oh and the coffee, cakes and cooked rolls went down a treat. Cycling themed but there was plenty of local and passing through custom. Highly recommended and a good buzz about it.

Small, beautifully clean, popular with a range of customers (including cyclists and locals). The owner is charming. Great decaffeinated tea and the nicest tiffin I've eaten in two years (since Appleby-in-Westmorland, in case you're interested). Pretty estate village. Worth a diversion.

Great to see the cafe in Gifford open. The current guise is just fantastic. I'm just back home after taking my twins out for lunch. There is a good choice from the menu, which is refreshingly different from most small cafes.

It's a really surprising little place in a tiny village. The place is busy this cycling groups and you need to be patient. But it's worth the wait, especially for the French toast, bacon and maple syrups. A total hangover life saver.

Best local place to pop in for great coffee, wonderful home baking and they do the best ever toasted bacon sandwich that I have ever had.

A very warm welcome, excellent food and good value. Really excellent cafe discovered on a cycle ride today. Cycling theme decor is nicely done.

Popped into the cafe for a quick coffee and tiffin this morning, very impressed, bright, clean and welcoming. Soup, rolls, quiche, pannini, waffles, something for everyone. Muddy cyclists welcome well behaved dogs too! What more could you want?

We stopped at this lovely little cafe on the way from Duns to Musselburgh. The coffee is fantastic and the service is even better. Its the little touches that count - the free coffee top up and the SIS tablet in my water bottle top up. If you're cycling through pop in and give it a try.

Dropped by on a cycle for coffee and cake. Double espresso and brownie were superb. Service was friendly - even got a free refill with filter coffee. Geared up to serve cyclists - my pal got his bidon topped-up with an added energy tablet. Would definitely go again.

What a great cafe. Lovely coffee, fantastic cakes, friendly service and helpful cycle repair accessories. The treacle scones were especially good!

Great coffee, delicious home-made food, friendly staff, spare inner tubes and arm warmers and a track pump for cyclists heading in to the hills. Perfect really.

Lanterns Rouge is a tiny little cafe on the main Street, once you realise which is the door in! Everything is homemade on the short but interesting menu. Mostly soup, Panini's and sandwiches, with lovely baking to finish. There are a couple of very large tables catering for passing cyclists, which you don't really want to sit at when there's only two. The décor is simple but cosy. Food was delicious, highlight was beetroot coleslaw on side salad. Found the prices on the high side but quality of food justifies it.

Called in for a snack and not dissapointed. Had a great toastie coffee and cakes that are just devine..

A beautiful new cafe in Gifford serving lovely home cooked food and great coffee. The food is delicious and great value. It is ideally suited for cyclists and even sells spare inner tubes and the like.