Potting Shed Bistro in Dumfries & Galloway

Wonderful service , food was amazing , The staff were brilliant . the grounds looked from a different world , i shall be back in November .

On a beautiful Spring day we decided to visit Logan Gardens. The gardens were looking wonderful in the Spring sunshine and before walking further round the gardens we decided to have a bite to eat in the Potting Shed. What a lovely welcome from the friendly staff. There is a varied menu to suit all tastes. We settled for a bowl of soup which was delicious and was accompanied with a crusty roll. We followed this with cake and coffee. The staff could not have been more helpful and a visit to this restaurant added immensely to our enjoyment of the gardens.

Would recommend this if you are visiting the gardens. A lovely bistro with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Good food with great service

Just popped in for a bit of food and a warm drink. Excellent service, and the staff was great could not find any faults. Very clean nice place to eat, food was excellent has well very happy.

.. this cafe was bright, airy, clean and welcoming. Plenty of staff on to clear the tables and our coffees were fine. The cakes looked very tempting though their prices were not advertised.

Excellent bistro ! Food and service were very good - and topped off by being in the most beautiful location ! Mum had the special dressed crab and it was fab !

Both morning tea & excellent lunch. Cheerful service & good food. Not too busy and fellow diners were of a similar bent as ourselves.

Lovely little bistro on site in the botanic gardens. Wasn’t too busy when we visited so they were able to accommdate the 9 of us quite easily. The menu was varied without being too vast and they also accommdated a couple of off menu requests too. A little one the pricey side perhaps but everything clearly freshly made and the staff were friendly with service prompt with no issues.

This was a return visit for us to the Potting Shed, albeit with a few years having passed in between. The café is an integral part of Logan Botanic Gardens and is open between 1 March and 15 November (10am to 4pm). However during the period 1 April to 31 August it’s doors are open only to garden visitors i.e. those who have membership of RBGE or have paid the entrance fee. Bearing in mind its location the cafe are unlikely to get much “passing trade” from anyone who is not visiting the gardens so it seems unusual to have this restriction, but “rules is rules“. We are members of the RBGE and were happy to arrive ahead of the lunchtime rush, get a bite to eat and then have a stroll in the gardens to work off the calories. The menu is based on light snacks - salads, sandwiches, paninis, etc and of course no self-respecting café would be set up without plenty of coffee, tea and cakes. On the day I had their Crab Salad, my wife ordered a Baked Potato with cheese and beans and we had a couple of coffees. This was followed by a piece of homebaking each. To be honest I was slightly disappointed with the salad which seemed a bit basic in contrast to that previously experienced here and with that we generally receive at the RBGE café at Dawyck Gardens, nearer to home. Overall the food was “okay”, the cakes and coffee good and our bill, discounted for RBGE membership, was just under £30. Sadly on this occasion I couldn’t say it was anything other than satisfactory.

Having given the Botanical Gardens a well deserved 5 stars, the Potting Shed was extremely disappointing. The prices are too high for the quality of the food delivered. My partners sandwich was a 3 star and my ploughman's a 1 star. A ploughman's is expected to have a chunk of bread a couple of slabs of cheese and some salad - not - 3 thin crackers and some grated cheese. Very disappointing a certainly was not a ploughman's- it wasn't cheap either! I will be visiting again but we will give the food a miss.

Only the second time we have dared to sit in a cafe with our two autistic boys (and grandchildren) and it was a huge success due to the kindness and understanding of the staff serving the most delicious cakes and bakes. One of the boys chose ice cream then decided he wanted cake too; treated so well by the lady cutting the cake and I hope she didn’t mind the few crumbs he left on the floor! Thank you for your wonder attitude .

Very friendly and efficient staff - awesome food - lovely outside but covered seating area surrounded by the peace and tranquility of the gardens

While visiting Logan Botanic Garden we had a coffee and scone each in The Bistro. Excellent coffee and best scones I’ve had for a while. Friendly efficient service and very pleasant surroundings. We have eaten in The Bistro several times whenever in the area and it is consistently good.

Excellent coffee and cake, good value for money. Plenty to choose from on menu. Very clean and tidy, staff were very friendly.

Enjoyed a cream tan in this lovely café within the Botanic Gardens, staff were friendly and helpful, relaxing visist.

Quite a varied menu for a small cafe. Lovely sandwiches, home made quiche and lots of tea and cake. All in lovely surroundings.

Popped in for lunch with my Mum before visiting the gardens. Good selection available. Really tasty soup and cakes. Staff were really lovely and very helpful. Would recommend.

Great food, very friendly and welcoming staff on hand. Has a nice layout and wasn't too busy/noisy when I visited. Will be visiting Logan Botanic Gardens and the Bistro again in the summer.

Great place to have coffee and cake or lunch. Great setting in Logan botanic garden. Staff very friendly and good excellent

After a lovely couple of hours in the stunning gardens we headed to cafe in search of refreshments. The interior is lovely and inviting with quirky China teacups hanging on ribbons above the counter which looks really nice. There was good selection of light lunches,...

After spending more that a couple a hours walking arounf the stunning Logan Botanic Gardens we decided to go to the Bistro for refreshments. Unfortunately many other visitors had the same idea as ourselves so getting in and having our order taken involved a wait...

This used to be one of my favourite places as a child in the 1960's. I was so thrilled to visit and find it unchanged, except for a fabulous cafe serving delicious food. It was a hot sunny day and the setting could not have...

We had lunch in the Potting Shed Bistro, we had the soup combo, it was absoultey fabulous! Good fresh ingredients, the service was impeccable. Cant recommend this hidden gem highly enough!

This cafe/bistro is set in lovely surroundings, ideal for a pot of tea and a snack,whilst taking a break from exploring these wonderful gardens. The staff are pleasant and helpful,the food is well priced.

Very nice café with friendly staff, very accommodating of vegans...good selection of vegan cakes & fill range of drinks available in vegan form including hot chocolate with cream & vegan marshmallows. portions of cake rather small but good quality. Quite expensive. Clean & roomy in...

A great cafe / bistro in the exquisite Logan Botanic Garden. We usually try to get an outside table so we can look at the Garden while enjoying coffee or lunch. Ecclefechan Tart is a favourite!

On a warm October afternoon I was able to enjoy some wonderful food and coffee, sat in the garden, letting time drift by in utter bliss!! I had red onion and cheese quiche with salad, followed by Ecclefechan Tart and ice cream, and a coffee....

One of the best organized places in relation to Covid that I've visited recently. And the food isn't bad, while the staff are both efficient and friendly.

This is situated in beautiful gardens and has lovely homemade food. Service very slow due to a cumbersome covid system but worth the wait

Really friendly staff (especially ‘Michelle’ who went the extra mile!). Food was very good and well priced! Top marks.

Friendly service and great food, served in an attractive environment. Well worth a visit when you go to Logan Botanic Garden.

What a joy to visit Logan botanic gardens and the added bonus of the potting shed bistro. Lovely food, friendly service. Will definitely visit here again

A very good and friendly (& well set up for Covid) café, delicious sandwiches soups and salads, inside seating with large windows or sit on the terrace admiring the beautiful planting

We visited yesterday (14/11) at the end of the season. It was a beautiful day but cold, so it was nice to pop into the Potting Shed and warm up with a coffee and a slice of banana bread served with butter. Both coffee and cake were delicious and reasonably priced. Staff are very welcoming and friendly, highly recommend.

Enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Potting Shed Bistro at Logan Botanical Garden. Beautifully prepared food served by friendly staff. Can definitely recommend that you try their excellent food offer which will not disappoint.

Fresh local crab salad for lunch and a choice of drinks that don’t have artificial sweetener in makes me give this place a high rating. Very friendly staff. Lovely afternoon tea later on equally as good as the lunch.

Decent range of food available although rather pricey. Very generous serving of tea. Sandwich lunch was fresh and delicious.Lovely looking range of homemade cakes. Both indoor and outdoor seating.

Popped in here for a coffee and cake as were too full from a heart breakfast but lovely welcoming staff.Veggie /vegan options available, two choices of vegan cake one gluten free also, soya milk also available- I wanted to pop this review up so people (like me) could rest easy that they will be catered for :)

Can't comment on the food but espresso we had was great. Plus the surroundings are very nice, service polite, what else can one require after a pleasant visit to the lovely garden?

Having wondered around the stunning gardens, lunch at the Potting Shed was the icing on the cake. Fresh and tasty savouries, salads along with homemade cakes and puffs - lovely!

The Potting Shed Bistro serves a lovely homemade lunch made freshly on the premises. The ladies are extremely friendly and welcoming. Thoroughly recommended.

A very pleasant cafe in beautiful surroundings. The staff are friendly and helpful, and the menu has good choice of the usual lunchtime fare. A nice selection of cakes, scones, made on the premises is available. Our food was tasty and freshly prepared. If the weather is sunny, a seat on one of the benches overlooking the garden makes the lunchtime experience a delight.

We had a lovely morning walking in the gardens and exploring the exotic plants. Visiting the bistro was to top the lovely experience. The scone was excellent, not the cheese cake though as it wasn’t set, or sweet enough and the slice of lemon on top added nothing more but more sharpness to the taste. I couldn’t call it a proper cheesecake at all. The lemon could have been candied to make it edible. The service was good.

This little restaurant is handily at the entrance to the Garden. It does not pretend to be a high-class swanky eatery but is perfectly adequate for refuel and rewater (especially if you have come a distance). The staff were very friendly and welcoming but I did feel rather sorry for them, given the cramped getting-in-each-others-way the service counter and kitchen was designed, not to mention the service was necessarily a little slower than it might have been. Table service would be one solution, or revamping the layout another. This is not in any way to fault the staff.

We had the most lovely lunch in the Potting Shed Bistro! We had read that it had very good reviews indeed, and now we understand why. The food was absolutely delicious; we particularly enjoyed the soup and the home-baking (the home-made Malteser slices are to die for...!). The tea was also very delicious. But it was the staff who made the visit particularly special; they were absolutely delightful, and so friendly and welcoming! The service was also extremely efficient. And all at such a reasonable price. I cannot recommend the Potting Shed Bistro highly enough, and we shall definitely be back!

Really enjoyed lunch here, and if you like seafood you are well catered for. I can certainly recommend the ploughmans lunch and the Ecelfechan tart with ice cream. The views from the cafe onto the tropical gardens is wonderful.

A choice of quality cakes and a large cup of tea can be a rarity - but the Potting Shed met both criteria. The staff were friendly and welcoming. Moreover, the outside seating allows you to enjoy these wonderful gardens.

Crab salad special was offered and it did not disappoint, my other half had a prawn salad and both were fresh and tasty. Staff were friendly and the place was reasonably busy tables cleared quickly, a selection of cakes and coffees all at reasonable prices overall a good meal.

Disappointing from start to finish.

We were part of a large group (just over 50) but the bistro coped superbly with us in three groups. They were busy but so friendly. The salad leaves were so deliciously fresh that I asked if they were from the gardens but, no, they are supplied, as with most fresh ingredients, from local suppliers. It was a superb salad. made my day!

Our large tour group had pre ordered lunch and my quiche salad was amazing, greens with flavour!

We called in here whilst visiting the Botanical Gardens. The staff were all polite and pleasant. We ordered the ploughman’s and seafood salads. The most generous portion on the ploughman’s was the salad. Not sure why grated cheese, and a half slice of ham rolled in to 2 parcels? The seafood salad was a mixture of items from Lidl (I’ve bought them myself so I recognised them), and large amounts of salad again. Almost £20 for the salads certainly made me question the value.

After a walk around a rather cold garden, this was the perfect place to warm up. We received a very warm welcome and the children loved the small activity table. The coffee was delicious and we had the most beautiful piece of lemon meringue pie ever!

This cafe is set in a beautiful location. Staff very pleasant and food prepared fresh and good quality.

This had been recommended by our landlady.

Most delicious lentil soup, could not resist one of the puddings - the Ecclefechan pie did not disappoint. Freshly home cooked food, friendly and efficient service, view on to the Botanic gardens - could not ask for more

reasonable priced food and drinks.A welcome break when halfway through our visit. Shame about the rip off next door logan garden ugh!

The staff were all warm and welcoming. We had two soups, a haggis and cheese panini which was very tasty and two pots of tea for £13.25 which we thought was excellent value. We wouldn't hesitate to visit again.

Oído informes sobre Potting Shed y leer los comentarios. Tenía planes de visitar Jardines Logan pero tienen que pagar cuota de entrada a los jardines para llegar a la cafetería. Esto hubiera sido un extra de £20 + en la parte superior de almuerzo para dos entradas de adulto y dos concesiones. Sentimos la comida era demasiado caro

No pudimos probar la comida aquí como habría tenido que pagar £24 para la entrada en el aeropuerto Logan Botanic Gardens donde el café está situado. No quieren recorrer los jardines botánicos, especialmente porque mi suegra es demasiado frágil para pasear alrededor de ellos. El resultado neto fue que un grupo de 4 nos fuimos a otro lado y sospecho que no será la última si los Jardines Botánicos continúa.

Comimos allí y cafés. Fue buen servicio y muy amable. Feliz que tenían pan novia para acompañar el sopas y ensaladas.

Muy bellos jardines y luego almorzamos aquí, el personal es muy amable y excelente comida muy fresca. . Tenía la esponja. strawberry y que era un poco seca algunos mermelada de fresa en la esponja estaría bien, pero la comida era adorable

Mi esposa y yo tuvimos el almuerzo después de disfrutar de nuestro paseo por el jardín. El personal era amable y atento y la comida deliciosa. Tuvimos ensalada de cangrejo fuera de las ofertas especiales. La porción era impresionantemente grande y fresca y disfrutamos de una comida fabulosa. Fue una lástima que no tienen espacio para una de sus deliciosas tortas trozos de pastel.

Excellent variety of food including varied salads and cakes( home made). All soups are home made. The staff are very friendly and attentive . Disabled are welcomed and catered for very well.

Extra friendly service added to our great day out here. Staff were happy to be there and we actually heard them laughing in the kitchen! A great menu with fresh local produce added to the experience - and all reasonably priced too. Keep up the great work, happy ladies!

Great food, great staff. Homemade soup delicious. Had a great lunch. Seafood salad was great. Proper coffee available and cakes looked good too!

Nice little bistro, friendly staff, lovely produce. Not to be missed if visiting the gardens. Indoor and lovely outdoor seating area by pond, quite sheltered in parts.

This merits more than 5 stars.The Staff gave us a warm friendly welcome when we arrived for coffee. It wasn't busy and we enjoyed talking to them. The food on display looked fresh and inviting. The Windows overlook the beautiful garden. We returned to have lunch and we both really enjoyed the Sea Food Salad - served with a proper salad not a few wilted leaves etc. A beautiful Raspberry Cheesecake caught my eye, but sadly I did not have room after the very filling Salad. I was offered a piece to take away but thought that it might have been difficult to eat in the hotel - I wish I had given in to temptation.Five stars+ too for the provisions for disabled visitors, not treated as 2nd class citizens but provided with a spotlessly clean cloakroom with a coat hook at a practical height and a large mirror suitable for those standing and wheelchair users.Thank you all at the Potting Shed

When we visited the Logan Botanic Garden we had lunch in Potting Shed Bistro the food was delicious freshly made sandwiches and a great salad and lovely cakes and the staff were very friendly it was very enjoyable and the food was not to expensive would certainly return if in that area again.

Three of us had lunch here during our visit to the beautiful gardens. The seafood salad was superb with a generous portion of a good variety of fish, prawns etc. The quality of the food was excellent and the service was very polite, welcoming and friendly.Following a further walk around the gardens,we returned for an afternoon coffee and cake break. The coffee was very good and served at the correct temperature and the generous portions of cake were very good.I can thoroughly recommend The Potting Shed Bistro to anyone visiting these beautiful gardens.

This bistro far surpassed our expectations of a place to eat on a garden visit. The food was superb, much better than in a lot of expensive restaurants, the staff were very friendly and the view from the very clean bistro must be one of the best around. We would recommend a visit to the amazing gardens and eating here will only make the visit even more worthwhile.

We come here most weekends for a coffee and scone, on a sunday you can get a cherry one ☺ The staff are lovely polite and attentive, the Potting Shed is very clean and welcoming, with a good selection of foods.Lovely

Very friendly and helpful staff. Lovely food with local produce. Well served and presented with generous portions. Beautiful surroundings. Would recommend the salads and the cheese and haggis panini particularly.

The annual jazz festival was held on sat 30/7/16 what a wonderful evening with the sun shining ,and at the interval we had local fresh crab salads ,sooo tasty and well presented by very pleasant staff happy in their work and selling home baked fresh food .This restrauant well worth a visit as are the truly amazing gardens,a credit to all the staff.

This is a gem of a place. It is situated in the grounds of the Botanic Garden and is so relaxing and unhurried. We had a quiche salad and a seafood salad and they were both excellent - very well presented, lovely and fresh and large portions. The staff were very friendly and efficient and the bistro was clean and well furnished. If you are in the area this and the gardens are more than worth a visit especially if the weather is good!

Nice refreshment spot on the gardens of Logan.Tables available both inside and outside in the patio area.Limited variety of lunch food but all very tasty .I couldn't see any prices displayed but it wasn't expensive .I asked the pricebeforei ordered.I even noticed some toys available for children to use .The coffee was delicious and the quiche I had was very tasty.

As a group of 32 we had soup and sandwiches in the Bistro.Excellent quality and promptly served.The cakes looked amazing.

This is such a fantastic place to go for a light lunch, snack or just coffee and cake. Everything is freshly prepared, often using locally sourced produce. The cakes are just to die for! As a pp said it is the best cheesecake ever. The scones are the best too. Superb staff and service on top of wonderful food - it is no wonder that it is Dumfries & Galloway Life's "Cafe of the Year" :)

This cafe is part of the Botanic gardens, serving drinks and snacks. Everything is well presented and reasonably priced, and there is a good range of cakes - including gluten free ones.

Excellent locally made food staff very friendly ,great atmosphere .The soup was fantastic and fresh very popular with locals as well this says lot

Beautiful gardens, had the best cheese cake ever in the potting shed bistro, wonderful location and excellent service.

I last visited here in 2014 but have been many times since 2010. This is a very pleasant and friendly tea room/bistro. It has no pretensions and does what it says on the tin in the beautiful botanic gardens setting. The menu is varied and reasonably priced and your meal is freshly prepared and brought to your table. If you are looking for a relaxed lunch, do not pass by the Potting Shed.

We were welcomed by staff in the shop and went on to take a meal in the Potting Shed. I chose a crayfish salad and my huSband had a ham and cheese salad. The salad was fresh and interesting, full of taste. Overall, far the best meal I've had in this type of environment for a long time.

Wonderful cakes and wonderful service.Can eat inside and outside.Reccommend strawberry sponge with fresh cream.Enjoy yourself even more after looking round the wonderful Botanic Gardens.

This is a wonderful Bistro in a perfect location. Mouth watering home-made cakes and pies, delicious light snacks and wonderful coffees.I'm really surprised to see negative comments about this lovely place. I think it is unfair to give negative reviews regarding entrance fees to the gardens given that the Bistro is in the Garden. The Garden's entrance policy has no relevance to the quality of the food in here! The staff are fantastic and so is the food. Enjoy snacks or cakes whilst looking out onto the beautiful Botanic Gardens. Well worth many visits!

High prices for meals but good coffee and value.No table service and orders taken at counter that causes holdups in serving new customers.. Should be better organised...Kids menus on offer but who would take their kids there?

The last time we called for a coffee and cake on our return from Drumore I thinkThey would not let us into the Restaurant unless we paid the entrance fee to the gardens Obviously we did not stop I do not know if this arrangement is still in operation?ERNEST

Lovely place to have a break from exploring the gardens, with good food and friendly staff. A wide range of food available.

Lovely friendly place with a varied ,well priced menu.Tasty soup and bread and lovely freshly made sandwiches.Also great choice of cakes to die for!!Would have liked to have had table service for ordering rather than having to go upto the counter.Will be back soon.

Popped into the café whilst visiting the almost Jurassic gardens. Warm and friendly local staff who were willing to chew the cud whilst we made up our minds over which cake to eat (scones, Victoria sponge cake, pineapple tray bake and other scrummy delights)... eenie meanie minni moooo - Opted for the freshly baked Victoria sponge laced with strawberries and oodles of whipped cream... seved with extra cream (why not) and a proper cake fork - heaven! Locally sourced and homemade food, served in lovely surroundings.... what's not to like?

This is a terrific small café within the grounds of the Logan Botanic Garden and has core opening hours daily 10.00am to 4.30pm March to October, but at other selected times too. It’s mainly aimed at visitors to the Gardens however does open part of April and all of September & October to non-visitors. Best to check on the Gardens website for details (although it is operated independently).It’s a nice place with indoor and outdoor seating with views overlooking one of the ponds and grounds. The menu consists of snack style foods - soups, salads, paninis, sandwiches and homebakes which according to a notice are made to WRI standards! The counter service was very friendly and pleasant - our food was brought to the table when prepared.On the day we visited there were quite a few special items on offer and we were tempted by the Crayfish & Melon Salad (£8.50) and the Homemade Quiche Salad (£6.75) followed by Key Lime Cheesecake with ice cream (£3.95 per portion). The crayfish was served on a scallop shell with Marie Rose sauce and accompanied with a fresh salad which included shredded and diced beetroot, carrots, strawberries, spring onion, cucumber and pasta - excellent. My wife’s quiche was served warm as requested and was also well received with the same style salad ingredients.The Key Lime cheesecake came with cream or ice cream and we guess the latter, which we opted for, was from Cream O Galloway.With a couple of very good coffees added our bill came to just over £24 allowing for a Royal Botanic Garden Membership discount which we thought was very good value.There is no alcohol licence which was the only negative since we couldn’t enjoy a glass of wine with the food. The toilets, which include disabled access, were very clean in our experience.Highly recommended.