Ochiltree's Dining in Scottish Borders

Lovely location.Excellent coffee but spoilt by dogs being taken out for coffee by their owners/parents.Dogs barking.Get a grip I like dogs but they should not be in cafes and restaurants.

Thank you to all the staff, especially,Steven, for making my birthday a really great day. Haven't eaten the cake yet, but will do so later with more coffee.

We started our weekend in the Scottish Borders with a lovely walk with the dogs through the grounds at Abbotsford before heading up to the café. As it was a sunny October day we decided to sit outside on the covered balcony and enjoy the views. Spoilt for choice from the options available on the menu my wife went for the fish and chips, with peas and tartare sauce; it was pronounced delicious. I was tempted by the Scottish Plate and it did not disappoint. A veritable feast of tasty Scottish ingredients. I opted to pass on the granary bread and add olives to my lunch. It was a taste sensation and very much recommended. We had lovely oat milk lattes to round things off and my wife had a tasty GF takeaway cake. The staff were so lovely and so kind to our dogs too.

We were staying in Melrose for a week & found this café in May this year when visiting Abbotsford,we went again in September so naturally chose this café again. It did not let us down. We chose the soup of the day with a warm roll, a cold drink & a latte. Service excellent & food the same,would not hesitate to recommend this venue & if in the area again would use it again.

Visited Abbotsford on a chilly day and were looking forward to lunch in the contemporary restaurant. It was very busy as there was a coach load of American tourists having lunch but we were lucky to be shown the last available table. The 3 waiting staff were rushed off their feet taking orders serving and clearing tables as well as making the hot drinks and also serving takeaways to people who wanted to sit outside. They were so professional and remained calm even when some of the coach party were a bit rude and impatient. We were served promptly and enjoyed our delicious lunch and hot drinks. The only downside is that they allow dogs, it really is a nice upmarket place and not the kind of place you would expect to see dogs.

Delicious lunch in a lovely setting. Very friendly and attentive staff. We had sandwiches, avocado with haggis and the beetroot salad- all of which were delicious. Would definitely recommend.

In contrast to Abbotsford House this is a bright contemporary style café which is located at the visitor centre just outside Melrose. It serves breakfast, light meals, snacks, cakes, etc and is licensed. There is a parking charge at the site of £1 for two hours or £2 for the day although it’s likely most visitors will also be spending time at Abbotsford House so that cost is less of an issue. It was a rare sizzling hot day when we made our visit to the house and gardens and it’s debatable if it was a wise choice by my wife and I to sit out on the café terrace for lunch. It’s a nice setting and the glass frontage provides a clear view of the house but we were exposed to intense heat. That feeling extended to the food which was their Sticky Chilli Chicken (£12.95) and on the chilli scale this was very hot for my taste buds! Thankfully a glass of white wine (£4.95) and a jug of tap water were chilled enough to offset the damage. Heat aside the food was good. Service was friendly and efficient in our experience and the setting was relaxing. That said, there was an ongoing complaint/rant from a customer with a manager disturbing the peace. This seemed to revolve around having purchased tickets for the house and not having time/ability to get there and look around with a less mobile companion…and presumably also fit in a visit to the café. A refund was eventually offered to resolve matters. The cafe is on the second floor of the visitor centre but there is a lift for those who need it. I would visit the cafe again assuming that we’ll be back at the house and grounds before the expiry of our visitor ticket within a year of purchase.

I've been here before over the years and it was lovely. I think that's why I was so disappointed when I arrived at 1.30 on 28th July and the blond haired girl with hair tied back was so rude to us. My mum had booked a table and I went in first with my 9 yr old son. This woman, without looking at us as she was facing the back wall, shouted "just wait there We will get you a table in a minute". The restaurant was not busy and there were about 5 staff milling about. I approached the bar and to the back of her head said "we have actually booked a table" The man behind the bar who was looking out to the restaurant gave us a sympathetic look. The woman replied angrily raising her voice " Just wait there! We will get to you in a minute" . The man at the bar looked mortified and sheepishly showed us the reserved table which was a metre away from us. I was horrified that this blonde woman with no manners should be allowed to talk to customers this way. I've read the reviews here which seem to indicate things going badly here yet the reply is " sorry its not our usual standard" . Clearly this behaviour is your usual standard. The menu also has more limited choices and I agree you don't get much on the side of your meals. The other waiters were friendly enough. It seems this woman is in the wrong job. To add insult to injury, the next customers who arrived were greeted personally by her (possibly friends of the woman with the blonde ponytail) and asked how they were and treated like royalty. She just clearly just could not be bothered with my child and I. Won't be back

Beautiful surroundings and a lovely atmosphere The staff were very welcoming and professional The food was excellent with plenty variety on offer and staff accommodated picky grandchildren, one grandchild saying that the crispy chicken was best ever, high praise indeed

Very busy with a beautiful view. Shown to the best table (we asked for one by the window which was cleaned for us) fantastic dedicated GF menu and great selection of goodies. Eggs florentine gf with salmon and the server recommended smoked haddock with a side of toasted sourdough. Coffees ordered and water delivered. Food was seriously first class, and beautifully delivered and presented by the staff. We even got a check back from the waiter to see if we were enjoying our food and it was very busy at that point. Top notch food and service Will be back.

Disappointed with the slip in standard . The bread for a sandwich and the platter had been sitting out as it was stale on one side. One meal, and one of the 3 coffees arrived after the first meal was finished. Also, sugar cubes are not acceptable in a cafe, kids and adults seen rummaging through them🤢bring back sachets please.

I had an enjoyable meal.and coffee in agreeable surroundings with a pleasant view , in rare Spring Sunshine. Meal was tasty. Parking is £ 1 for a huge car park near the Visitor Centre and House

This café is within the visitor center building, with a wonderful view of the estate. Great for a light lunch or something a bit more substantial. Try the soup and salad combination...a good sized sandwich, nice bowl of soup, crisps, green salad and coleslaw. Nice staff too.

After very much enjoying visiting the house, we stopped for a bite of lunch. Pricing was reasonable but, the soup portion was rather small and was served with extremely dry and stale rolls. We weren't offered the choice of white or brown, stale white it is. Our dessert choice from the menu was not available and so we left it at that. What was particularly poor show was, whilst waiting at the till to pay, we were totally ignored by the older of the three young girls coming and going behind the counter. Not even an acknowledgement as she walked past us and proceeded with her various transactions, punching information into the till in front of us. There was even a cross-ways glance from one of the other staff. Eventually, a head-up but no apology or smile etc. I get the impression that someone was perhaps called in to work today and clearly didn't want to be there.

Lovely setting but badly let down by poor-quality food. Sandwiches (£8-£9) consist of 2 slices of pan loaf (the cheapest of white bread) and fillings are on the mean side; a ham sandwich contained perhaps 1.5 small slices of ham. The ‘side salad’ was actually just a small garnish of browning lettuce, a couple of bits of cucumber and a halved cherry tomato. Coleslaw was cheap and vinegary. Hardly local produce. I see another reviewer has left similar comments so clearly this is a long-standing issue. To clarify, we already knew that the menu would be limited owing to staff shortage, so no hot meals, but this does not excuse such poor, cheap food and actually feels somewhat exploitative. Photo attached of the limited menu.

Visited here while at local sights. Gluten free menu excellent and staff very friendly. Despite being busy service was excellent and cafe clean and spacious. Would highly recommend and definitely visit again if in area.cream teas top class

Very friendly service indeed. We arrived on spec as a party of 13, wondering if there would actually be room for us. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful and accommodating. Orders were taken and delivered without fuss, and with helpful, friendly manner. Lunch was very nice, and our overall experience was very pleasant. Thank you!

Very limited menu due to short staffing - which we were informed of. Bowl of soup for £5 was nice but small, and served with 2 slices of sliced white bread (1 of which was stale) and a spread - not butter as described. Sandwiches were OK, but expensive at £8 for sliced wholemeal bread with 1 slice of thin pre packed ham with salad leaves - some of which had turned brown. Service was quite slow and soup arrived when we were at least 1/2 way through our sandwiches. Lovely setting - parking charges now apply.

Had lunch and the hot food from the new Witches Corner menu was awful. Paid £10 for a burger that came on a plain toasted bun with literally nothing else on, not even a scraping of butter with some scrappy salad leaves on the side. The burger was very processed and tasteless. Sides cost extra and were clearly from the freezer, nothing was fresh. It was the poorest meal I have ever been served in any restaurant or cafe. I have been to Abbotsford many times for coffee and cake, which has been fine but I would not order hot food again. Not sure what is going on but they need to sort their menu and quality of produce. They should be embarrassed to be serving this poor standard of food. Very disappointing.

How many one star reviews does it take for the problems in this cafe to be addressed? The venue is nice, we were warmly greeted and shown to our table. We found the food to be good but the service is awful. The thing is there is plenty of staff, it is just the system that is inefficient. Only one person appeared allocated to taking orders. If you only want coffee and cake you still need to be seated and await order to be taken and delivered. May I suggest all orders are made by customers at the counter. Drinks and cakes can be dispensed from there and items from the kitchen can be ordered and delivered to the table when ready. It is such a shame that this restaurant/cafe is such a frustrating experience.

Awful service. Small fish and chips was 2 tiny fish goujons for me. Partner got 3.Cutlery dirty. No one came to ask if all okay. Salt empty. Had to request that someone took our order.

Ochiltrees has lost its way. It used to be great but now gives the impression that they feel they don't need to try that hard. They charge restaurant prices but food and service does not justify this.

New menu disaster. £11 for a burger that came with dry salad leaves, no dressing, nothing else with burger, no chips. Absolute scam. Avoid

Absolut liebevolles Personal. Gutes Essen. Sehr schmackhafte Suppe und leckeres örtliches Bier. Schöner Ausblick auf Abbotsford. Wir kommen gerne wieder.

Lovely restaurant and location but lunch was a little disappointing. In particular, the chips were hard and tasteless. Definitely a case of quantity over quality but could easily be remedied.

Really nice place and outlook, part of Abbotsford visitor centre. Group of us popped in for coffees and light snacks after a run round the grounds - everything was good, including the nice staff team. Will be back again sometime soon, I’m sure.

Our lunches were enjoyable, but we thought that the prices were a little on the high side. But still waaaaaay better than most (English) National Trust cafés

We visited Abbotsford House cafe today. I ordered the Christmas Dinner, my husband the soup followed by the fish and chips. It was quite pricey for counter ordered food. The soup was average, the fish was good, but the chips were rock hard. The Christmas dinner was indigestible. It had spent far too long under the hot plate and was very dried out. Really very poor. Expensive too. I would not recommend. The view from the cafe to Abbotsford House is lovely though. I would only go for a hot drink after a walk around the lovely grounds in future.

Visited the cafe after a lovely autumn walk along the river Tweed there and the grounds of Abbotsford House 🍂 There is a good view from Ochitrees cafe. Service was excellent. Food tasty and a nice choice. Clear boards with the Specials. Lovely place. Friendly...

We had good intentions of having lunch there today only to find a delusional list of overpriced offerings. And the expectation that we would order at the counter as it it were a much less expensive establishment. I don't know about you but when I...

I've been taking my groups to Abbotsford for 27 years and the service they have got at Ochiltrees has always been first rate. The food is good quality, the restaurant spotlessly clean and I recommend it 100%.

We were visiting Abbotsford and decided to eat lunch in the cafe. There was no wait to be seated and the staff were very efficient. We were asked if we’d like a window seat and were shown to a good table overlooking the house. I...

My wife and I enjoyed an excellent lunch yesterday as part of our day at Abbotsford. We had booked a window table giving us stunning views of Scott's house, garden and estate. The staff were welcoming, friendly and very efficient. My wife absolutely loved the...

We were there for a short lunch break after doing a local photo shoot nearby. We found a table for four inside, staff were very busy serving food out of the kitchen - we had a simple order of scones, clotted cream with jam and...

Comfortable seating, limited menu, coffee good but not hot enough. Interesting view somewhat spoilt by the dodgy looking flat roof and abandoned building/cleaning equipment

What a delightful place to relax and enjoy Brunch. We hadn’t booked but still received a very warm welcome from the team. A great start to our visit. So much so we’ve booked again for afternoon tea later this week. We’d thoroughly recommend pancakes with...

Where do I start?? At the rather large etched dog and words ‘dogs welcome’ on their window? Or the numerous signs confirming dogs are allowed in or the inviting water bowls?? What I witnessed today was so disgusting I shall never be back, I shall...

I booked afternoon tea as a Mother’s Day treat & we all thought it was excellent. Staff were rushed of their feet but couldn’t have faulted the service. Staff all polite & helpful. Would recommend.

Booked for Mothers Day Very poor service. Menu not upto much and deserts lack of choice . Chips over cooked and dry. and cake just dumped on a plate. Not good value.

We have just had a beautiful afternoon tea the staff were lovely and very attentive we will come back another time when visiting this area.

We went to the Ochiltree for lunch and couldn’t fault it. Excellent, friendly staff who were incredibly attentive. Superb food - very generous portions too. The Ochiltree is bright and spacious and all dogs are welcome too. Will definitely visit again.

Beautiful situation with lovely views Spacious bright cafe,cheery staff, Will definitely visit Ochiltree dining again,

We arrived at this establishment @ 3:20 last Wednesday to be grumpily & sternly told by the "gentleman" who greeted us that they closed in 2 minutes. We were shown to our seats with menus & abruptly told it's coffees only, he stood & again...

I have eaten in the restaurant for many years and was really disappointed to be surrounded by dogs whilst eating my lunch. One table had three dogs. I love animals but I really don’t see their purpose in a restaurant. Hospitals are currently discouraged from...

Service was very poor and staff just seemed completely disinterested. Food was utterly dreadful. Fish overcooked, burgers low quality meat and half of our chips were not cooked properly. The operators of this establishment should be extremely embarrassed and are a let down to what...

I ordered the Beef pie and seasonal veg and chips. The pie was not piping hot. The pastry was really puffed up but when I put my fork in it - it crumbled to flakes on my plate (and all around) couldn't even get it...

Ochiltrees Cafe also operate a takeaway Horsebox in the lovely grounds of Abbotsford House which is very nice if you are outside enjoying them. This is where I visited today. The coffee was really lovely!!! ‘Three Hills Coffee’ which is roasted locally at Selkirk. They...

Popped in today for a coffee and scone. Can safely say this place has gone downhill dreadfully. Waitress took us to our table was miserable no pleasantries nothing welcoming at all in fact, sat us down with menus and track and trace info with no...

Booked a table in advance, for 13.45, had to wait in queue with folks who had not booked. Was knowledges by staff member at podium, to be told I need to clear a table, for the folks in front of us. On a busy day,...

We booked weeks in advance and expected good food and choice of menu. Sorry but we are about to do a fire alarm test and all power will be off and the kitchen will be delayed, sorry. Now if you hear this you expect an...

This is the upstairs of the Abbotsford Visitor Centre. It is spacious and beautifully equipped and has great views of Abbotsford House. The feel is upmarket and it's a bit pricey. Staff are friendly and helpful. We were probably unlucky with our menu choices on...

We found ourselves in the ridiculous situation of being turned away from the café by staff, having been told that they couldn't accommodate our party of 13... even though it was obvious to us that the seating of approximately 50 was, at best, half occupied....

Lovely space, views over the river, hills, and Abbotsford itself. Clean & fresh, sanitiser & mask wearing well signposted. Quick, efficient service & food freshly cooked & presented well. We had a bacon roll with egg on side - turned out 2 eggs, loads of...

Food and drinks fine but I was on the point of walking out when a member of staff decided to take my order. I had already told one of the staff that I was ready to order and he walked away and started to sanitise...

If you like being spoken to in a rude tone, left waiting whilst the staff are too busy talking and laughing behind the counter and then being told your impatient when you ask politely (after being there for 15 minutes when it isn’t busy) if...

Sitting on the veranda in the sun with their good red wine was great. Sadly the service was slow, and the food somewhat dry. We watched one couple walk out waiting to give their order. Perhaps an off day.

A very pleasant and airy cafe above the shop and reception at Abbotsford House. The food is very typical of this kind of eatery,but its done well and was tasty. Didn't like the fact that dogs were allowed in the dining area though.

I have to say that while on holiday, eating here and there for a week, this was the best meal we'd had. Beautiful presentation and taste. Lovely staff and bright airy room. I asked for a side salad to accompany our food. Not only was...

Had a lovely meal and the staff were brilliant would definitely go again. Lovely decor and pleasant surroundings.

I went with a friend today to Ochiltree unexpectedly . Tea coffee and cake served by a pleasant waiter in pleasant surroundings. All well so far but the floor under our table was filthy and littered with crumbs .Not only under ours but on having...

Excellent lunch, quick and courteous service. Well spaced & COVID aware. Delicious. Varied menu. Highly recommended

Came back for a visit and decided to have a decent lunch before trekking around the estate. And what a great surprise. My small fish and chips was plentiful. Definitely not a small portion. Very fresh fish and simply divine. Hubby had the border beef...

We decided to meet old friends that were visiting the area and take them out for coffee to somewhere we used to enjoy before COVID. Really disappointed. We booked our table online which was fine. We were met at the entrance with not much of...

Do plan to have lunch here when visiting Abbotsford! The BLT chicken sandwich was delicious and the burger was excellent as well! The staff are kind and friendly. The outdoor space is has lovely views. Greatly surprised.

What a brilliant cafe, with fantastic staff. Especially India, who was very pleasant and attentive. She is a credit! The scones were amazing, my boyfriend said it was the best cheese scone he's ever had! The tables were well spaced and the staff made us...

What a fine experience. It was a real pleasure to be served by young, friendly, respectful and highly efficient staff. Especially by Ruiri and India, well done you two. Food was excellent and the cafe is light and airy. The terrace affords lovely views of...

So impressed with the attentive and helpful service when we visited for tea and scones on a sunny Sunday. It’s a beautiful space, the scones were fab and it all felt very well thought out and safe in terms of Covid: staff in masks, a...

We ate in the café at the Abbotsford visitor centre. We booked online and were given the menu choices before we arrived. Even though things are a bit restricted due to COVID, the meal was excellent. It was explained on a laminated notice that the...

We travelled from Edinburgh by train to Abbotsford to visit the Walter Scott house. We booked lunch from the set menu on line, given the current restrictions under COVID. However, when we first arrived we stopped at Ochiltree’s for an excellent coffee and cake, sitting...

Two of us enjoyed some beautiful home baking with our coffee at this cafe. Atmosphere is lovely, very peaceful and not too noisy like some cafes. Staff were very friendly and made us feel welcome. Scones were just out the oven and the smell was wonderful.

Purpose of visit to meet up with a friend, we pre ordered and booked, our arrival we were greeted by very friendly male assistant, served by equally pleasant female assistant. Cake and coffee, service and setting excellent thankyou to your team. The whole experience was...

Wow! Sat outside with a lovely view and impeccable service during our visit. Despite being busy the staff remained very calm and polite throughout but the highlight was the burger, genuinely one of the best I’ve ever tasted and I eat a lot of them...!!

Have visited the cafe a couple of times since lockdown restrictions were lifted and have found the quality of the food, scones & coffees very good. The staff are always very friendly and helpful and they are adhering to the Government guidelines very well by...

Came here without booking and they managed to find us a table. Sat outside for a wee while but was too cold. Lady who took out order was a bit short. However the chap was just excellent. He was certainly most helpful. Our food arrived...

We booked a table and had to pre-order lunch. We ordered 3 courses. All three came together, in cartons in a paper carrier. I understand they were trying their best in the current circumstances but this was not at all ideal. The soup, in a paper cup only came with a flattish wooden spoon. All I could taste was the spoon and by the time it took to eat it our main courses, fish and chips and a quiche, were lukewarm. The tea, came in a small carton, a bit overpriced at £1.80. We had eaten in 3 other restaurants in Melrose that week, all were great and served as normal.

Enjoyed a preordered lunch at Ochiltrees recently. You can order your menu choice online when you book. I couldn't see any gluten free options online so I rang the restaurant and a very helpful member of staff very kindly assisted with the choices. Our meal was brought to us in a large paper carrier which i thought was a great idea. We thoroughly enjoyed delicious sandwiches with sides of chips, one of which was GF and drinks. Staff are very attentive and pleasant considering these trying times. I can highly recommend Ochiltree's Dining.

So impressed how this restaurant is serving under Coronavirus. The food is freshly prepared, absolutely delicious & the staff so welcoming, friendly courteous. Highly recommended & will certainly return even if just for a meal without visiting Walter Scott’s home at Abbotsford.

The prospect of a cut price lunch per courtesy of the UK government enticed us here after a couple of years' gap. All much more informal than before because of Covid but pretty decent nevertheless. Sausage roll mains and vanilla sponge cake especially good. Appalling weather meant the usually lovely views above to Abbotsford weren't great - means we have a good excuse to return!

Popped into Ochiltrees this afternoon for a bite to eat and loved the new menu, we had the eggs Benedict which I thought was a great addition to the new menu. It was very busy and had a bit of a wait for food but the staff working made a great effort to get everything out. We will be back again!

Popped in on Saturday for coffee and a scone, excellent as always! Came back today and had pancakes with syrup, a real treat! Busy both visits but the staff are cheery and always have time for a wee blether. Hopefully on our next visit it will be warm enough to sit outside and enjoy our coffee on the balcony.

Food was homemade and quite acceptable, staff seemed quite stretched and had I had any idea there would be so many dogs in the restaurant I would have gone elsewhere. A few of us were there for a proper lunch, not just coffee and cake, and the number of dogs around was unsettling as a member of our group was allergic. We were reseated without a problem but I won’t be back. Why can’t people just leave their pooches in the car for a wee while?

Three of us and a dog. Two went in for a take away coffee and a table for two. When the staff realised the take away was for the dog sitter they immediately invited all three in and the dog. A very warm welcome, with water and treats for the dog! Excellent locally roasted coffee and nice cakes, including gluten free. Great service from start to finish. First class.

Not one for leaving reviews online, but decided I had to make an exception. Visited on a cold, dreich Monday afternoon and decided after walking our dog with my husband and grandson that we deserved a cup of tea and cake to warm back up. On arriving we were met at the door and shown down to a nice quiet alcove, the girl working brought across a high chair and colouring pencils, even taking the time to amuse our grandson while we asked MANY questions about the menu and cakes available. In the end the adults had for two cream teas and a bowl of chips for the child. Everything was absolutely perfect and you can tell the whole team takes pride in their jobs! We will definitely be going back soon.

Nice coffee and great selection of home baking including Gluten Free options. Friendly atmosphere and good service from the staff on our visit.

Very welcoming cafe in a lovely setting with views of autumn woodland. Perfect stop off if you have been walking or visiting Abbotsord Houise- which is fascinating and so well preserved. Had a very nice lunch and staff were friendly and helpful.The scones are to be recommended.!!

Enjoyed a lovely lunch at Ochiltrees, with a beautiful view of Abbotsford house. Service was excellent. Staff are all very kind and helpful and I will be visiting again!

It's so disappointing that this place hasn't managed to maintain the quality it had when it first opened and seems to continue to deteriorate. The breakfast sandwiches are dry and come on 2 huge slices of bread that aren't even cut in half. They always bring the hot drinks before the food too, which means they're cold by the time the food arrives although that's maybe a tactic to get people to re-order. On most recent visit was markedly quieter than I've ever seen it and I'm not surprised....it's just completely lost what it had.

Been here on a few occasions recently. First the good news - tea and coffee excellent, chocolate and coconut tiffin to die for. And reasonably priced. Now, the service. The last 3 times we have been here we have had to go and ask to be served. This last occasion, after being shown to a table (by window, excellent views), we were summarily ignored for 15 minutes. Very odd. Maybe it is due to the serving staff being very young, I don't know. Needs improving though.

There was a good lunchtime menu and what we ordered was freshly produced and very tasty, The view from the restaurant of Abbotsford House and area was superb.

Really friendly and helpful young staff are the best thing about this cafe. The food and drink are very good. Delicious fish and chips served as a meal deal for two with scrumptious Scottish shortbread. Some outdoor balcony seating but - almost unbelievably - it was so sunny we had to eat in!

As with all historical tourist attractions, a visit to the cafe is a must. Set in the visitors centre and upstairs, the cafe is light, airy and spacious. Pleasant staff and quite nice food. There is a viewing area overlooking the house and gardens and outside tables and chairs weather permitting.

I often have a light lunch at The Ochiltree as it is a good meeting place with a friend.

Called in for coffee on arrival and later for a light lunch. Food and drinks very good. It was very busy but the staff while being run off their feet remained cheerful and professional. Food a bit on the expensive side.

The food here is excellent and the service very good BUT £4.95 for a bowl of soup and £7.95 for a sandwich is just too expensive and leaves a "bad taste" in your mouth for the wrong reason. Consequently we shared a sandwich and didn't buy a drink. There are limits but sadly they have spoiled the cafe by overpricing. They would have had an excellent review if they had charged a fair price.

Visited today 07 August 2019 our experience in my opinion was at best disorganized bedlam. Long wait not be served waitresses that ignore you had to place my order at till then wait further time for food and no drinks with meal only to arrive 5 to 10 minutes after we had all finnished our lunch. I complained to the girl on the till who was pretty dismissive about it. Poor Front of House team will ruin your business this very much needs your attention. So so dissapointing shame as this was one of my favorite casual dinning places great location and surrounds but it will be a long time before I can be persuaded to return.

When securing our tickets for the Abbotsford visit we were advised last orders were at 16 30. On completing our visit around 15 30 we arrived at the restaurant to be told that they stopped serving meals at 15 00. Slightly disappointed we settled for soup but sadly it was not what we expected. Disappointing version of a favourite soup. The young staff were enthusiastic and welcoming but the experience disappointing after a great visit to Abbotsford.

Arrived today and enjoyed a wander around Abbotsford house, decided on coffee and a scone. Did notice it was busy but still tables available and we were shown to a seat. No mention to expect a long wait. Someone eventually arrived to take order! Took order of next table who arrived after us before ours. Delivered drinks to other table first then ours, then delivered their sandwiches also before ours. I must point out we only wanted a scone and coffee. Scones were in a glass cabinet along side other cakes so I assume all they needed to do was pop two scones on plates with the appropriate butter and jam and bring to table. After finishing our coffee with still no sight of the scones. We had waited by now almost 20 mins. We got up and paid for the coffees and left. Staff who took money just said we’re busy today. From where I was sitting there appeared no one in charge and coordinating so sorry not impressed.

You cannot not try homemade black puffing when visiting Scotland and I was not disappointed.

We had lunch very recently, lovely space but shame about wooden ballastrade obscuring view. Slightly shocked at prices of coffees, absolutely at the top end. Looking around the room I would say it was 70% woman, with this in mind it was strange to find such a carb heavy menu, no interesting salads, and sandwiches made with doorsteps of bread. My husband ordered a bacon sandwich that he said was the most tasteless bacon he had ever eaten and, strangely, used olive bread. At the risk of sounding like Peter Kay, 'olives and bacon'...... We mentioned this when we paid, trying to avoid the online review route but were told 'people had asked for it', which seems unlikely to me.

A lovely modern, glass walled building nestled into the hill overlooking Abbotsford. The upper floor restaurant has fabulous views over the house, garden and Tweed valley and is open and spacious. The staff who served us were very friendly, helpful and neatly turned out. The upstairs terrace is fabulous on a sunny day but what a waste not to have a glass balustrade round the balcony as the wooden one completely and ridiculously blocks the view from a seated position. The menu is rather limited, mainly sandwiches, but with salads and some cooked main dishes too. Plenty of cakes and scones in the display cases. On this occasion we had a variety of sandwiches. The bacon sandwich from the brunch section was literally two slices of buttered olive bread (not focaccia as the menu promised) with bacon. No salad, no tomato, no sauce. £5.95. Club sandwiches came with plenty of dressed leaves and were a little more interesting. The venue is pleasant, the coffee generally very good and the service is effective. I would not go out of my way to eat the food offer here.