The Avenue Restaurant in East Lothian

Family lunch for 12 people reserved weeks before and were told we could eat upstairs in The Avenue at the time we made the booking. On arrival we were informed that the upstairs was being redecorated and that we'd have to eat in the bar. Had we been warned we would have changed our reservation. Food was a mixed bag: my calamares were not properly cooked - some were practically raw. My brother had patatas bravas which were also hard and undercooked. My sister in law's salad was apparently thrown together with the most basic and cheapest ingredients. The general consensus amongst the rest of the family was just OK and average, rather than anything more positive. Such a pity as we have eaten here 7 or 8 times and the quality has always been good. I hope things improve soon.

Four of us for lunch upstairs in the restaurant on a quiet Thursday afternoon. If booking (advised), check that the upstairs restaurant is open and that the bar menu is also available upstairs as the bar can get busy and noisy. Sadly, the bar no longer serves cask conditioned beers and I had to settle for Belhaven Best, which was the least gassy beer on offer. Our food was good although tapas portions were very small for the price; mains were generous with superb chips. Staff were very friendly and helpful throughout. The decor and furnishings in the upstairs restaurant are pleasant and properly distanced. We will deifinitely eat there again.

Manager was aggressive, obnoxious and threatening when we went to leave as they didn't have the drinks we wanted or let us eat from the normal menu instead of the tapas menu. One of our party had specific dietary requirements that would have been met with the normal menu. Dont think we will darken the door of this establishment ever again while this person is still in charge. The drinks order was totally wrong when it arrived and the staff couldn't provide us with what we wanted.

After reading about the a la carte restaurant in our local Toun Cryer magazine we thought we'd give it a try. Phoned to book a table for 4, when we arrived we were directed to a seating area in the open bar. Restaurant wasn't open, only bar menu available. I wish we'd been told this when we phoned to book, we'd have gone elsewhere! There is no separation from the bar a loud juke box, 2 tv's showing different things. 'Effing' language from customers at the bar. I'm not against people having a good time when they're in the pub but it doesn't make a good experience for people trying to enjoy a family meal. Incidentally we the only people dining so were like goldfish in a bowl! Nothing at all wrong with the food we had albeit it was definitely pub grub menu and the staff were pleasant and friendly. STREAK & ALE PIE 🤣 obviously no-one proof read the menu before it went to print. We did ask if there was a streaker just incase it was correct. I wanted to try the restaurant so quite disappointed. Not sure we'll be back.

We had our first visit at the newly opened restaurant after the lengthy time the establishment was closed,the interior upstairs very fresh ,however subtle lighting would have been preferred.Starters were fine,husband's steak not the best cut could have done without the tomato,lacked imagination.My salmon was not good,desserts were ok but cheese board unspired.An hour after I got home was very sick,Can't say what caused it but won't be back anytime soon,which is a shame as they are trying to build clientele and a message the following day to the restaurant was not returned.Not the best birthday experience I am afraid!!

This place looked really nice from outside but that was about it. The food tasted like instant meals from the supermarket but with more grease. There didn't seem to be any pride in the making or the serving of it and when we expressed our disappointment we were dismissed offhand by the petulant server. I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy and certainly won't return.

Excellent dinner from Craig and Kirsty for Hogmanay sad loss to Haddington after 10 years,will be sadly missed.Hope the new proprietor can live up to the excellent food and service.

Comfortable, good service and excellent food. Good value for money and a wide amounts of choices. Well worth a visit!

Had a very disappointing lunch on Sunday at the avenue, I ordered chicken broccoli in a creamy Stilton sauce with a pastry lid, which had clearly been microwaved my plate was an oil slick looked disgusting. My friends hubby ordered paella which was a rice dish but not proper paella it looked like and uncle bens rice pouch some peppers a few prawns and mussels, he said it was completely tasteless, my husband had a mediocre meal but was at least edible it was beef olives again microwave heated and gravy was congealed. My friends wife had fish pie which again she ate but was not great the mashed potatoe had big lumps in it and was dry as looked also to be microwaved. During service the young girl server was lovely but really busy we had to go to the bar to replenish drinks which was fine, but at the end when we did complain she's asked why we didn't tell her but we didn't get the chance as she was so busy we hardly seen her. When I mentioned my oil slick on my plate she did agree it looked disgusting and the two meals we complained about would be taken off the bill, but when the bill arrived both meals were not deducted at that I went to the bar to explain to the girl/manager on the bar she completely flipped and said the paella had been eaten all day and that they were a small business this was in the bar on front of people, was very unprofessional. I myself have a small business in Haddington so wasn't trying to be nasty but my food was disgusting as was our friends and the rest wasn't much better but didn't want to create any fuss as this lady had clearly no customer service skills whatsoever. I called twice to try and speak to a manager but sadly owner not around and manager not capable and still had an attitude on telephone! Very sad as have had some lovely evenings in the avenue but now I would say steer clear unless you want to come away feeling ripped off and berated. It takes years to build a business and customers and one incident like that to loose them and you lost 4 people two of which have businesses in Haddington themselves.

Just been to Avenue and had their new menu husband says beef olives are brilliant and my butternut squash curry ace

We've been to The Avenue three times now and the title pretty much sums it up: you just don't know what you're going to get at that place. First off, I should say that the service is good - it's a nice, family run restaurant and the staff are friendly. They do a lot of fish dishes, and generally can cook fish quite well. There's usually specials on the menu, in addition to some staple menu items, such as mussels (tasty) and steak. We've tried a risotto dish (which was good - rice nicely done), duck (not bad), beef (a bit over) and steak (cooked to our liking). Sadly, I had one of the worst starters I've ever had at this restaurant - battered fish balls that tasted like cardboard and had clearly come straight out of the freezer. Overall, the restaurant is simply OK, which is a shame, seeing as the atmosphere is good and it could be a great eatery. I'd go back, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

A local firefighter retired and we all decided to go to The Avenue, it was a set meal. I didn't like any of the mains and asked if I could have anything else, even a plate of chips, I was met by a curt Oder from the menu or nothing at all. The started was pate, which was ok, I opted for the fish and chips as I thought I would have the chips. When it arrived my plate was swimming in grease, fish straight from the freezer, it was horrid, my chips were past being limp. Pudding was sticky toffee pud but shame it was yuk. The truffles that were served with coffee were so old they were all dried out. Then they had the nerve to charge us £25. My hubby had sizzling pork, it was soggy over cooked pork, he couldn't eat it, so much fat on it was disgusting. Poor show Avenue especially to a service that is very involved in the local community and wanted to keep business local

Stopped here late on a Sunday afternoon and were pleasantly surprised by the menu choices available plus specials. Comfortable surroundings, attentive staff and good food and the cost was pretty reasonable

The meal was really quite expensive given the quality and the dining room was boiling hot, so much so we had to leave straight after eating (without pudding!).

Used to quite like it here, great burgers. It has been a while since i have been however the last occasion was just crap! Limited menu, ambivalent service. We all decided not to return again.

Stopped here with my husband and children on our way to Berwick on holiday for an evening meal. The menu is quite small with no children's menu. They will do half portion of fish and chips or chicken goujons and chips but other than that you have to buy a full adult meal for the kids.

Went here for lunch at the weekend. Between us we had quite a few dishes from the menu such as the mussels, fish and chips and the beef. The food was OK, nothing wrong with it, tasty enough but nothing stand out. The beef was quite disappointing, quite dry and had obviously been roasted a few hours earlier. The mussels were nice and the fish and chips pretty standard. The sticky toffee pudding was, however, very nice. You can see that The Avenue have tried with the menu - there are a few items which you wouldn't usually get on a pub menu, but they need to make sure that the whole experience matches the feel that they are trying to create, for example, the 'customer service' let things down a bit - it was a little hard to get the staff's attention which was frustrating as it was quiet and they were stood at the bar chatting. Equally the interior could maybe do with being a bit brighter, it still has the feel of an old fashioned pub but without the charm. Overall though, if you want somewhere for 'a feed' with no frills, this would do the job, but probably not for a special occasion.

En ganska medelmåttig resturang som dock serverar bra mat, men personalen var slö och utan service den kvällen vi var där.

If you are a "Yank" driving in the U.K. you welcome areas where the parking is accessible to banking, shops and dining. We ate lunch there a couple of times and were pleasantly surprised both times. Warmly greeted, graciously accommodated in a quick and timely manner we felt right at home. I ordered the Ploughman's lunch which arrived on a giant board almost the size of the table! It was filling and fresh. Later I was able to walk easily to the bank and some local shops. All round an A plus experience.

The family-run Avenue has always been a favourite of ours and we were keen to sample its new menu. On a glorious autumn evening it was buzzing, with the outdoor tables all occupied and the bar going like a fair as the saying goes. We dined upstairs where the atmosphere was more tranquil.Looking at the revamped menu,"fine diners" may rue the omission of former staples such as lamb, scallops and lobster. The intention has been to attract a wider range of clientele whilst keeping prices reasonable and competitive and including "casual dining" options such as the Avenue Burger. A hot crab dish caught our eye on the blackboard specials (and looked really good at another table), but we opted for Mussels Mariniere with a delicious liquor, and 4oz Rump steak & BBQ pork ribs as our mains. This dish had a wow factor, with the steak tender and perfectly cooked, whilst the meat just fell off the ribs. Battered onion rings and mushrooms competed the dish all served on a wooden board. However it was the side order of fries (served in the now popular wire basket) that stole the show - crisp and dry on the outside and fluffy inside - best fries of any meal anywhere recently.So, whilst the menu has changed, the standard of cooking and the execution of dishes remain at their previous high level. And its new format will particularly appeal to lunchtime diners. And who knows, some "fine dining" dishes may just find themselves back on the evening specials blackboard. Oh and we enjoyed a lovely bottle of Prosecco at under £20.

The offer here is very straightforward. Decent, reasonably priced food, freshly cooked and served by super friendly people who make it their business to ensure you feel welcome as soon as you walk through the door.Put like that, it doesn't sound too difficult but quite a few pub/ restaurants don't quite seem to be able to combine all the elements successfully.Although the menu here is not extensive, there seems to be something to suit most tastes. There are meat, fish and vegetarian dishes available. Most of the starters can be modified and served as main courses, a real bonus if none of the mains suits you.The bar serves real ales, decent wines by the glass (and bottle!) and and there is even a separate "Gin & Tonic" menu.The town centre location is great. If you don't want to drive, several bus services from Edinburgh, Berwick and around East Lothian stop within a few steps of the front door.If you're in the area, this place is worth trying for the warmth of the welcome alone!

I am afraid the service here is rather slow. Actually way too slow. Even for to take the drink order it took for ever and then it took for ever more to get the actual drinks. Food quality was not that great either. I had a steak and i am afraid it was the greasiest steak I had ever tried. Not butter greasy but oil greasy. Not how a steak should be cooked specially not one at that price. Save your money and go else where. For the price, One would expect the steak quality to be top notch, but I found it fatty and tasteless. Chips not that great either. Overall not a great experience.

In the past we have eaten at the Avenue a number of times and have always thought it excellent. We hadn't been for some time so decided to go with another couple. We booked last week early in the week having looked at the menu outside and seeing lots of options. We arrived on Friday night to be told that there was a new menu starting that day. I have to say that we were disappointed by what was on offer compared to the menu we had looked at, and were surprised that, on booking, we hadn't been told that there was a new menu for the night we were eating. To be honest we struggled to find things we wanted to eat. The menu has gone very 'pubby' rather than restaurant meals, and the quality when it arrived was fine but not any better than I could make at home, particularly the 'paella' that was made with long grain rice. I have to say that on the basis of this visit we won't be going back while the current menu is in place.

We visited at lunch time at 12 and had our pick of tables. The menu is simple and reasonable. Food was lovely. Great location in centre of town.

This is such a comfortable place to eat, with delicious food and a good variety. The staff are cheerful and friendly which makes having a drink in the bar a pleasure. Clean and well decorated, I really like visiting here.

Great night. Really good service and good, hot tasty food. We love this place - as a restaurant or a pub. Always plenty of staff on and a smiling face. Kirsty runs a cracking place. We'll done!More themed night please - they're great!

My best mate and I rely on The Avenue when we we have done a girlie day out. We don't particularly want a huge meal, just a few starters between us. They are usually quite accomodating, today was a bit different. The menu and staff have changed quite consideraby since our last visit and sadly not for the better. I think the missing - was our usual server, really missed her, hopefully it was just her day off as we don't usually visit on a Thursday. I do hope the change of menu, waiting staff etc doesn't also mean a change of owner/chef.My initial choice was soup and a toastie and maybe some chunky fries, whereas Gina had opted for a baked potato instead of the toastie, but then discovered that they didn't do the fillings that we wanted, the soup wasn't acceptable either, broccoli and stilton is a classic but not on everyone's wish list - oh dear back to the drawing board. Surely it wouldn't be too hard to provide a cheese and ham toastie for a more than average chef as there was a cheese and tomato one available??? The bread and butter, 4 largish bits of bread with one little square and I mean TINY piece of butter which barely covered one piece of bread (2 requests for more butter) was disappointing.Enough said.

Nice family dinner, but nothing exceptional.The pate appetizer was a let down, with an ice cream scoop of non-descript pate in the corner of a large plate with 3 oatcakes 'stuck' in the top, then a bit of garnish and the remaining 80% of the plate covered in swirls of a designer fruity sauce !Fresh haddock & chips were good, but again, not outstanding. The pork escalope with haggis had a great taste but was very heavy.Service was good and the overall value was OK, but with a bit more attention to detail and finesse this could have been VERY GOOD. I would try again to see if my experience could be bettered.

Popped in for a friend's birthday. Got a great table over looking the town piazza. Opted for the steak and rib combination. Seriously could not finish it.It would have fed two rather large Americans.Very tasty. Bill was very reasonable. Our waitress, Bethany, was exemplary.

Great food, I had fish and chips, massive serving. Customer service was exceptional. Very welcoming atmosphere. Loved it

Visted here on thursday as part of a group. Lovely meal for lunch had the shetland mussles which was very tasty. Staff service was good, our food came fairly quickly the rest of my group enjoyed their food too as there was hardly nothing left on their plates so good sign. Would have liked a table on the ground rather than being sat up high. Nice resturant to visit for bite to eat. I would recommend.

We visit locally and always enjoy our visits to the Avenue. Food is always top notch. Fish and chips were excellent, fresh fish and very crispy batter. Real ale in tap. Great service too. Thoroughly recommend.

I went there for a meal and thoroughly enjoyed it.The staff were friendly, the service was good and the food was excellent. The helpings were huge - big platefuls and they were of an excellent quality. The traditional roast beef and the pork loins were enjoyed by me and my family.There are a good choice of starters, main meals and deserts.I couldn't resist the sticky toffee pudding and found it was an excellent choice to round off a superb meal! I will definitely dine there again.

Had a very good evening meal with friends. The staff were very helpful and attentive. The menu was extensive, and interesting, and make sure to ask for their specials as well. Lovely ambience, good food, relaxed atmosphere. What's not to like?

Had a perfect night out here last night from start to finish. The food was excellent and staff were friendly and accommodating. If you haven't been here to eat yet you are really missing out on something really special. Great night out with our wonderful friends in perfect homely comfortable surroundings. Keep up the awesome job you are all doing. Five star rating

Eight of us had a lovely meal last night at The Avenue. The resaurant is so warm, cosy and inviting with a lovely fire which was so welcome on such a chilly night. The food was delicious, the drinks were great and the service was excellent. We'll definitely be back.

Was in here for a meal on 5/2/16...with friends before the rugby. The staff were very good and friendly. Beer selection could gave been better but the drinks we had were good quality and well looked after. The food and service was very good. Well presented...well cooked and priced reasonably. Well worth a visit. I will return next time Im in town.

We popped in on the spur of the moment for lunch,it was the run up to christmas and it was busy but they found a table for us.The staff were very friendly and polite and smartly dressed.As for the food it was amazing, i had the turkey and my friend had the pork loin.Plenty on the plate and very soooo good.

I really liked this restaurant. It is clean, quintessential "english" and had wonderful service. Food quality was great as was serving size and ambiance. We would definitely come back again!

The Avenue is a lovely restaurant with beautiful food. The staff are always welcoming and the owners are always around which is nice to see within local businesses. There's always a great atmosphere and the restaurant is very cosy and comfortable. We will always recommend the avenue on to others as we love everything about it! The steaks are my favourite!

We ate here and as a family enjoyed the experience. My pork loin was good but nothing special. My wife's breaded fish was really good and our son had battered fish which was again very good. There chips were really excellent.Service was better than average in Scotland.Atmosphere is very pleasant with a nice wood burner stove.Good selection of reasonably priced wines and a good bar.I was not overwhelmed with my food but I'd say this is a pretty decent place to get a nice meal.

Lovely meal with family, managed to accommodate all our needs, a my daughter is vegan, but prompt helpful service, obviously popular a tables were filling quickly. Plenty to choose rom the menu, also have a specials board, but that is actually behind one of the tables, you feel like your interrupting anyone sat at that table, but delicious food.

Our first visit to this restuarant was at an evening meal for a wedding recently ,thefood was lovely ,everything piping hot as it should be ,good choices for the tnree courses ,a very pleasant evening & will be back sometime & will recommend it to friends ,many thanks for a nice evening.

Been going here for just under two years now, found it first as a lunch spot then had a dinner. We have used both upstairs and downstairs for large family gatherings / meals or just adhoc dinner for two and the staff could not be more helpful. We have one older child in a weelchair and another with food allergies, always accommodated by staff in appropriate location and allergies catered for. Nice bar too, used on a few occasions for the odd pint and great to sit out on summer months watching Haddington go about its business. Food is great, well presented and large portions, fish in beer batter being a particular favourite along with the special black pudding poached egg...an artistic creation all on its own. If you haven't been to the Avenue, you must try it as you will not be disappointed.

The muni is put together with care and attention to detail. The flavours compliment each other and are delicious, using local produce. The staff were fantastic and made the dining experience a real pleasure.

9 of us booked late for a meal after 2 rounds of golf at Kilspindie.From start to finish we were well looked after by a well organised team. Food and drinks were first class.Well done. And keep up the standard.

We were in Haddington on a Sunday, looking for an early lunch, and had done our research on TripAdvisor beforehand. The Avenue at Victoria Inn is in centre of town, with parking quite near. Our order was taken promptly, drinks dispensed quickly and food served right on time. The portions were just right - trout and salmon dishes with accompaniments. The food was delicious and the service excellent. The interior is traditionally decorated, and whilst there was background music playing (my pet hate), it was at an acceptable volume! We were also impressed by the prominent board on the wall listing non-alcoholic wines and beers which are available. Full marks all round.

Nice pub setting. Tasty food. Friendly staff. Would revisit. Typical pub grub food and setting. Good choice.

My partner had been 2x with father 2014 and earlier fish lovers they gave it a thumbs up..we don't really go out in haddington since demise of waterside bistro but this is deff. A returner now for me too. All staff we encountered were so customer and service orientated,...refreshing. Large range of all courses. Huge portions....the venison burger was positively tower hamlets but tasty too..juicy but chargrilled with oodles of salad stuffed in it. Chunky tasty Chips came in cute dolls house fry basket . Partner and pals haddock and chips delic also. Apparently. 1/2 size they took looked enough!! Desserts deff. qualified as indulgent.

This is my 2nd review of "the Avenue". 2 years ago we had a great dinner and it seems nothing has changed. Excellent service, great tasting meals with good variety and value.If you haven't tried Haggis, this is the place to try it. A must stop for people visiting Haddington.

Just had a lovely dinner with friends in the Avenue, the food was first class, and the staff and service was excellent. Lady who appeared to be owner/manager was very friendly and helpful, Has a very good menu, with lots of tasty choices, we all had different food, 3 courses and everyone enjoyed it so much.

very nice restaurant and bar, very good menu and good quality dishes, staff very helpful, closes on Sunday evenings, you won't be disappointed booking at the Avenue

Visited this place on Thursday 2nd July in the evening never got as far as the restaurantthe rude and aggressive service we received from the young girl serving behind the bar was a disgrace dont think she new what customer service was and hygiene ! pushing strawberries into her mouth then handling glasses without washing her hands yuk wont be back

This restaurant has it all! Amazing food, great friendly service and wonderful atmosphere. We ate here for dinner with elderly family and children who were catered for by the attentive staff. Not the first and won't be the last time we visit. Thank you!!

We were stopping off in Haddington on our way to Berwick and we decided to go to the Avenue after being recommended by a local. With it being 2 couples plus 3 kids we were looking for somewhere to accommodate us. The staff were really friendly and we are seated and got drinks but im afraid if we hadn't have been we would have went somewhere else. The menu was really nice but not for families with kids stopping for lunch. There was no kids menu and no main courses were under £12. The food was really nice but quite expensive for lunchtime. I imagine the Avenue being lovely for a dinner and i cant say a bad thing about the food but its not great as a family restaurant at lunchtime.

What a find we stumbled on. We pit stopped here on our way back from a business trip!I had the mushroom/spinach tagliatelle & my colleague had the peppered steak burger. Meals came out steaming hot. So full of flavour.Prices were very good value for money! Service was brilliant. Very friendly.Shame this place is so far away from where we live!

Lovely relaxing evening , meals came at the right pace and staff were very attentive. Food was different and very tasty

Good service, very well prepared food. The scallops and mussels were very good. Meal finished off with a single malt from a good selection.

Decided to have lunch whilst waiting fro the weather to improve!! We had a delicious meal with charming service and guess what - the sun was shing before we had finished eating!

Three courses. All excellent. Thanks. Food of a high standard and good value. Good bottle of wine to go with it.

Small portions most main course £12 some veg with chicken and sweet potato would be good. Not good value for money

Food excellent and they cater for gluten free which is unusual in most B & B. It was nice having a key to door which leads to rooms as we could come and go as we pleased.

Having been out in Haddington for a few drinks we all procedded to the the avenue,It was 11pm! When we walked in the door the barmaids face was tripping her! Obviously wanting finished earlier!!! We had one drink and her friends left ! She was only interested in getting finished!What a shame never be back!!!

this was the first time I had been to the avenue, as this was a birthday treat from family . The service and food was amazing !!! I would recommend the sea bass ,and for sweet ,the sticky toffee pudding , which I may add is the best I have ever had !!!!! Wii certainly be back again .

I must confess first of all that I've often lunched at this restaurant (and enjoyed myself) as I live in Haddington and have known the owner since she was nine years old: hence there may be a slight bias here. However, a couple of weeks ago I had my 70th birthday and was instructed by my children to go to the Avenue for 12.30 for a family lunch. I duly arrived with my wife and instead of being shown to the restaurant proper we were taken upstairs to the function room where something like 40 guests awaited me! The whole room was made available for us and we were served throughout by Kirsty and her daughter. The service was impeccable, being neither hurried nor flustered, but always effective and efficient. A menu of four choices foreach course was offered. The food was of a very high standard, as usual, with additional children's menus for my four grandchildren aged four and two. The food was served hot ot table and included little details such as a candle on my dessert! There was plenty of room for the little ones to leave the table between courses and it was clear that they both thoroughly enjoyed their food and were able to be quite happy (and very well-behaved) away from the table whilst the adults caught up with them - even treating us to an impromptu "Baa Baa Blacksheep". All the adults enjoyed their food too, from the comments which I received during the lunch and afterwards and my son-in-law, who is a chef, retired into the kitchen to chat with the chef who is the other half of the ownership. We had a thoroughly enjoyable and prolonged lunch, leaving at 4.45 in the afternoon and my wife, who paid for it was more than happy to leave a very large tip for the service. The experience confirmed my belief that The Avenue is one of the best eating places in Haddington and I'm happy to recommend it to other people. As I say, I'm slightly biassed but when talking about restaurants in Haddington with other people, I have noticed that it always receives good reports: the mere fact that I notice in passing that it is quite busy even on week nights towards the end of the month say something for its quality and popularity.

We enjoyed an excellent evening meal at The Avenue in a very pleasant atmosphere, with very good service.Must be one to the best restaurants in East Lothian.

We ladies that do lunch LOL found ourselves in Haddington today and were a little put off as all the menus outside our favourite lunch places were Christmas Fayre, all very well, but a little early for those of us who will be doing the full shebang come the 25th, followed by a few days of leftover dishes. We eventually settled for The Avenue where they did still offer Fish and Chips, Steak and Chips or their lovely Mussel stew. We initially thought we might have to put our coats, scarves and gloves back on as we just didn't really fancy what was on offer - BUT the staff, ever attentive as usual did suggest that we could choose any options from their Festive Menu separately. So of course we settled in and chose 3 of the starters and a portion of their lovely bread and butter. Ideal for 2 (not so Fat Ladies) women who just couldn't cope with a 2/3 course meal. We shared the crab dish, the prawn dish and the mushroom one. There was another starter that we had thought about, but with the new drinking driving law we gave the one with the Drambuie in it a miss. We ordered a diet coke (for the driver) and a large glass of wine. Thoroughly enjoyed every morsel and all plates returned to the kitchen spotless.The service was excellent and the price was around £25 for the lot.

this was the first time eating here and it came highly recommended - great atmosphere - THANKS AGAIN

Just happened to be in Haddington around lunch time and found The Avenue.When we entered we were asked if we had a reservation, to which the answer was no. A table was quickly cleared, cleaned and re-laid.The service was very good, the meals were all presented well and in our opinion were cooked to order, not all freezer food.If we were ever to be in the area again, we would use this as a very good restaurant.Some of the desserts were a little over priced for what they were. Starters and main courses were well priced.

The food was delicious, the staff are welcoming, and friendly, the meal was excellent value for money. The decor is in need of a little TLC. I understand that the present owners haven't been there long, it's impossible to do everything at once, they are to be congratulated on what they have achieved so far, keep up the good work.! We were a group of 8, we all throughally enjoyed our meals, the restaurant was busy, but we all had a delicious meal, served with a smile!

Molto carino questo bistrot (ovviamente con zona bar) che affaccia su una delle piazze principali del paese.Guardate cosa propongono sulla lavagna perché potrete trovare qualche buona offerta "di mare", come i mussels e il seabass in crosta che abbiamo preso noi.Anche se c'è un tentativo di selezione di vini, la scelta è limitata e senza niente di nota: meglio stare sulle birre, in particolare la locale Tennent's sempre ricca e piacevole.Servizio cortese e attento.

Took a chance on Saturday night and just walked into the Avenue in the hope we could get a table. Our luck was in. The food was brilliant as always. The service was excellent as well. I was just going to have a main course but after reading the menu went all out and had 3 as did my husband. Always feel good after an evening here.

Nice food, nice ale, nice service, nice staff, nice bar, nice atmosphere, nice decor, nice place to visit. Nice.

We ladies that do lunch (locally) rate The Avenue as our second favourite place to enjoy our once a month natter. The food particularly sharing dishes when you can have a little bit of what you fancy is really good. BUT what is also very important is the service, the staff (all female on this occasion) here really pamper us and we leave with a feeling of being well-looked after, which is nice now and again.Looking forward to future visits when hopefully the sharing crab dish will be back on the menu.

A while back we visited the Avenue several times with mixed feelings about our experience's.Recently we have visited twice and on both occasions the food was very good as was the service, the menu was much more to our liking. Would recommend this restaurant nice pint of beer at the bar as well.

THE AVENUE is a busy, popular pub on the ground floor with the restaurant upstairs, with its own bar. The staff were friendly, welcoming and attentive in taking our orders, although a little forgetful when we asked for olive oil to go with the bread, glasses to go with the jug of water - and we had to wait quite a long time before they finally arrived after a little prompting. The food was excellent; I started with the duck lollipops in Hoi Sin sauce, which were very tasty, and for my main course I had the hake which was the second best fish I have ever tasted (the best being 'skrei' - sustainably caught teenage cod which migrates from the Barents Sea to the Lofoten Islands in Norway in February and March). Fried in the lightest of batters, it flaked off at the merest touch of the knife and glistened a brilliant white when exposed from the batter. Our friends had the mussels which were large and sumptuous, having been caught locally. Indeed, all produce in the restaurant is from local suppliers. My wife asked for fresh vegetables which turned out to be sticks of turnip (?) and carrot and she said she would have much preferred steamed or bright green broccoli with cauliflower and carrots. Her hake, fried without the batter at her request, was superb, she siad. The ambience in the restaurant (on a Saturday night) was buzzing - but all the guests had disappeared by a quarter to ten - and we were the only people there at ten o'clock, so felt a little pressured to leave as the waitresses began moving tables and chairs about and laying them for the next day. The owners have apparently transformed this establishment into a highly popular restaurant, but there is still room for improvement in terms of service. The menu, however, is just about perfect with something for people of all tastes, including vegetarian dishes. It is not cheap, but not overly expensive either. In any event, it is a restaurant deserving four stars, and I would have gone further than that had the service been a little more attentive.

We enjoyed a meal for four on Saturday night. Staff very helpful and friendly. Food very much enjoyed. Also enjoyed Corncrake Ale from Orkney and noted that Highland Park is malt of the month. Lucy's ice cream also excellent.

We popped in here for lunch on a day visit to Haddington. What a find, great food, fantastic service and very pleasant surroundings. Would highly recommend a visit.

A lovely, charming restaurant with good food and surroundings the locally sourced meat dishes were particularly good.

The food served up in the Avenue restaurant is excellent. Always a good choice on the main menu which is changed on a regular basis but there is also an excellent specials board. The service is first class and having been now many times have never had a complaint. Nothing is too much trouble for the kitchens even when we visit with friends with special diet needs. To be recommended.

We stayed at The Avenue in May 2014 for one night, and ate in the restaurant in the evening. The whole stay was fantastic, by far the best restaurant in East Lothian. The owners, Craig and Kirsty, have created a warm and friendly atmosphere with consistently good customer service. The menu was creative and varied with plenty of choice, even for the fussiest of eaters, and the quality of the meal was outstanding, with the freshest of local produce. The room we stayed in was large and comfortable, and a great nights sleep was followed by a breakfast of the highest quality.We are looking forward to a return visit soon and would highly recommend The Avenue to all.

Recently stayed here on a return visit of four years ago,and if anything the standard of this establishment is even higher than previous!Owners Craig and Kirsty are very warm and welcoming and Craig's full scottish breakfast's are of a quality that would set you back a hefty price in a five star luxury hotel in any major city!The room's themselves are very clean and spacious.The showers are unlike many at hotels and guest houses!(they're warm and powerful!plenty of sockets in the rooms for charging mobiles,golf gps etc!Would recommend this establishment to small groups of golfers looking to stay and play in the east lothian and Edinburgh area!Also! Craig,being a golfer himself is very helpful and insightful as to the quality of the courses in the area!

We live locally and this is one of, if not the best, places to eat in Haddington. Sat outside with a drink while perusing the menu, overlooking the passersby which was nice. We were late booking our table - a last minute arrangement and they fitted us in early on a Saturday night. Starters of pigs cheek and chorizo were delicious. My hubby had monk fish and I had the paella for main meal, both were delicious, although served almost immediately after the starter. It was clear they were trying to make progress ahead of a busy night in the restaurant. Food was lovely though, loads of seafood in the paella. We were stuffed - no room for dessert and that's unusual for us. Overall, food is great and probably the best place to get more up-market food in Haddington. But service could do with a bit more focus - a bit too quick and young girls serving were regularly chatting at the bar rather than focussing on the customers. Owner needs to keep an eye on this.

I wrote a review in December 2012 about The Avenue Restaurant after having had a meal that was well below standard. My husband and I tried The Avenue a couple of times recently as we could see that it regularly won awards and were very pleased to find that the food was lovely - very fresh, good sized portions, and well cooked. It's a comfortable restaurant and the service is also consistently good without being too unobtrusive. I think we were just unlucky on our first visit.

This was a very pleasant meal. The 2 waitresses were excellent. It was a Thursday evening and was very busy. The menu was varied and interesing and we struggled to make a choice because everything sounded so nice. The fish and chips were delicious. Nice light batter and very fresh fish. I think this is a real gem in Haddington, and so much nicer than the other similar restaurant in the town. We'll definitely be back and will be telling all our friends about it.

This was our second visit - we found our first lunch here a bit expensive and our waiter reeked of cigarettes. We were hesitant on making another visit, but we were pleasantly surprised. We had the crab and sweet potatoes between us, one large glass and one normal glass of wine each. We had second helpings of bread and butter and the bill came to just over £20 - a bargain! There was a very good menu and they do serve smaller portions if asked. Service was quick and efficient, which surprised us on a busy Friday.Parking can be a bit of a problem as it is slap, bang in the middle of the town, but have heard that the parking attendants are not as vigilant as they once were. This may explain why we were boxed in by a double parked car for 14 minutes.

Went here at the last minute on my birthday (Tues. April 1st) and enjoyed every minute of it. Staff were friendly, courteous, professional as they should be.The menu was perfect and the food that was delivered was faultless.A great last minute decision to be repeated.

Took mother here for Mother's Day lunch. Table upstairs. Lots of staff, all very friendly and efficient. Fixed menu for the occasion with good choice. Crab crostini, melon and shrimp, salmon, chicken and mushroom risotto followed by crime brûlée, raspberry mousse and cheesecake all went down well with glasses of lovely merlot. Place obviously popular as it was pretty full when we left. We'll come back again.

The staff are always cheery and welcoming at The Avenue. The food as always was excellent.We love the ambience here. A great place for a special occasion.

It has been a long time since we visited this restaurant and had been wary about going back ( after 5 years!) but we unexpectedly had the opportunity of a meal out on our own and grabbed it. The staff were pleasant enough although did not really engage with us or make us feel that welcome. It was very quiet but mid week so only to be expected. Starters were enjoyable but not memorable and I ordered the salmon fingers coated with capers as my main. My dining companion ordered the duck. I did not enjoy the salmon at all as it had an almost overpowering sea side /ozone smell, which for someone who cooks salmon fillets regularly I thought odd. And I usually love capers. I ate the salad and the chunky chips but had to give up on the salmon fingers which I passed to my partner, He told me they were far better than his duck!It might be another 5 years before we try it again.

First off, the place looked nice. Clean and well presented. In the nice town of Haddington too. Can't fault the place or setting at all.The srvice of the two waitresses was good too. No problems there.The food, however, was very poor.My wife had the carvery, which contained dried out bacon, dried out chicken and very dried out beef. The stupidly large chunks of undercooked veg and the most ridiculous amount of gravy we have ever seen (despite asking for a small amount) ((the gravy also having a strange purple tinge to it!))My meal had very odd 'sticky tomato rice' which was made with pudding rice and not fully cooked either. The low-light being the 'pesto pakora' which was frankly bizarre, with it's almost neon colour, and none too tasty, being very dry and not too hot either.I know some folk will say 'well why didn't you complain?'... well, quite frankly sometimes you can't be bothered and prefer to just eat what you can and leave.2 mains and 1 drink - £26 completely wasted.

I have eaten at The Avenue several times during the past year and can honestly say that I have never had a bad meal there. Haddington is not well served by quality restaurants but the husband and wife team of Craig and Kirsty Hunter have raised the bar and won many East Lothian food awards since they opened.My last visit was with friends for Sunday lunch and we really enjoyed the carvery in the upstairs restaurant. Portions tend to be large but the carvery allowed us to limit our main course and that way enjoy one of their excellent desserts afterwards. Staff were attentive and polite and the atmosphere relaxed.

Saw the steak night offer on Facebook and headed down with the wife and a couple of friends to try it out. It was really busy for a Thursday night and the atmosphere was great.Food was outstanding. Loads on the plate and really tasty. Two courses for £20, one of which was a whopping great steak, and they even threw in a beer.You can't say fairer than that can you?

Ate here with a large group of colleagues on a business trip. Dinner choice was excellent and the service was slick and cheerful. Nothing was any trouble and the food was delicious. Can't recommend it highly enough and will be back.

The menu had something to suit everyone. I don't like food that is too fancy and I thoroughly enjoyed my meal

Ate here on 16/11/13 and there were signs of rodent dropping in the upstairs gents toilets.I'd advise you to check the toilet before you eat.

Our daughter and new husband decided to take us and her new inlaw and grandfather out for a meal to say thank you for all we did for them during there wedding preparations, we went to the Avenue and had a five star meal and excellent service ,We will definately return.

We chose to go to the Avenue based on all the good trip advisor reviews but we felt really let down as the food was not at all as other people had described. We're not fussy eaters (my husband will eat virtually anything) but the food we were served was practically inedible. The highlight of which being the tomato and avocado starter which was tasteless warm mush- really not pleasant! Also, a lot of the food didn't really seem fresh and the fish we had was a bit chewy- nice. It's definitely overpriced for what it is.On the plus side, the staff were super friendly and attentive. It's just a shame that they have to serve up food that is worse than mediocre. Needless to say, I doubt we will eat here again and we certainly wouldn't be recommending it to anyone.

Food is reasonable priced with a varied choice all served piping hot and the sweets are heaven. If in HAddington eat here. Lovely friendly staff as well.

My partner and I were on the hunt for a pub lunch one Sunday afternoon and got in the car and drove and ended up in Haddington. We chose this place as it looked quaint but modern from the outside. inside, we were lead up the stairs to The Avenue. The menu looked delicious and I will definately be back to try some of the other food that was on offer. I chose the BBQ Pulled Pork burger that came with home-made coleslaw and Chips and it was absolutely amazing. The best Pulled Pork burger that I've had. The staff were nice enough and attentive enough. The only problem was that the table was a bit wobbly, but nothing a couple of beer mats didn't help (and the waitress offered to help us but we were bette roff doing it ourselves!!0 and we chose a seat next to a veryt draughty window on an extremely windy day - Next time we'll sit up the back in the middle. Will defo go back!!!