The Contented Vine in Scottish Borders

We visited the Contented Vine twice. I very much enjoyed the starters of Greenland Prawn salad and Hot Smoked salmon salad. My main course of supreme of chicken was rather lacking in flavour, because both the stuffing and sauce were rather bland. My duo of fishes was a very large helping with two different kinds of fish and lots of potatoes and vegetables. It was well cooked if a bit unexciting. My husband enjoyed his steak and lamb shank.

Great ambience in this converted cinema. The food was good too!! My surf and surf was perfect. Attentive staff. Well recommended.

Visited with three friends on a Saturday, early evening. Food was of average to good quality, perhaps lacking in flavour a little. Restaurant was very hot (air conditioning not on, just a side door propped open). Not a bad experience overall, friendly, attentive staff.

We came here on Monday for our first meal of our holiday. Our party of 4 had a wide range of food off the menu, eating three courses and everything was delicious and so well presented! The staff were lovely and attentive and the atmosphere was relaxing and calm. We would definitely choose to eat hear again if we ever come back to the area.

Superb food and attentive service in a relaxed atmosphere. Will be back as soon as possible. Nothing to find fault with.

We had a delicious meal, great service & reasonably priced Would definitely recommend & will return when we’re back in this area

Early Evening meal. Considering how busy it became the service was excellent and attentive. The meal was also top notch with the main course and cheesecake pudding of great standard. Prices very reasonable. Real value for money.Shame we had to move on the next day.

My girls and I went out for dinner this evening, the food was excellent. I’m always impressed at how good the service is, especially when so many of the staff seem very young. But they’re all brilliant, and I look forward to coming back.

I had ordered the seafood platter, which needs to be booked in advance and is explictly conceived as a starter. (For some reason, I had to reassure three different members of staff that the platter was indeed meant to be a starter. Yes, it was; there was nothing unclear about the arrangement.) Anyroad, the starter was very large, filling and satisfying. The linguini that followed was great as well; my partner was very satifsied with her pasta. We did not manage a pudding, but had some whisky and rum instead and left replete.A very good restaurant.

We had a wonderful meal in a lovely restaurant with excellent staff.My wife had a stuffed chicken breast main course which said was one of the best meals she very had.I had a lasagna , an old favourite but still totally delicious.Then we shared the three desert surprise , which was three small dishes, a creme brûlée, an intense chocolate cup and a lemon desert. All totally fabulous.The staff were very good too and could not have been more helpful.All in all a memorable evening which we will long remembered.We are not local to Kelso but will definitely dine there again if we ever return.

We are here twice during our 3-day stay in Kelso. Despite not having a reservation and the restaurant being very busy on our first evening, we were warmly welcomed by the manageress who, despite being rushed off her feet (diligently training new staff), remained attentive and friendly. We ordered the Greenland Prawn salad starter (large portion; fresh prawns) and the duo of fish (Seabass and Monkfish) - plentiful and delicious. The Chef's surprise dessert trio was all we could manage between us with our coffee; mini versions were a great finale to our meal. On our second evening, I particularly enjoyed the Wild Mushroom Tagliatelli and a lovely crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc; unfortunately no room for desserts this time! In my opinion, the best restaurant in Kelso and we will certainly return.

I booked this for 10 of us on our last night walking the Borders Abbeys Way. It had just opened that night Monday 17th May 2021 as new Covid restrictions meant 6 per table, alcohol with meal and we could now stay till 10.30. We all had a great night. Grerat buzz in restaurant when we arrived, lovely position of tables, attentive staff, great wine and excellent food. Could not fault it and would absolutely return here again.

My partner and I dined at the contented vine on recommendation by a friend who said that the crab starter was delicious. We were in Northumberland at the end of August and I had ordered the seafood platter well in advance. When I made the booking I asked what did the platter comprised of. I was told that its the catch of the day.That evening was my treat and was hoping that it was going to be truly exceptional.It looked very attractive on the plate but how disappointing that the catch of the day was probably from a supermarket. It was nothing like what we anticipated. The prawns needed a tooth pick and the rest carefully taken out of their packaging and attractively assembled. Not worth the price and wrong interpretation of catch of the day. Maybe the price but not the food.

Outstanding service, outstanding food, outstanding safe/Covid protocols!. I have had the pleasure of dinning at The Contented Vine for many years and Alex and the team produce the most amazing experience - be it lunch or evening meal. The pasta is "famous" and i always have the debate over Lamb Chops or the Double Fish!! The fish won this week but i look forward to the lamb on my next visit.

What a Stunningly Special Evening.The Contended Vine made us feel importantly welcome from the minute we walked into the Restaurant Within a romantic ambiance. the presentation of the sumptuous vibrant Seafood Platter created a memorable evening.The Platter ( Abundant with High Quality Dressed lobsters, dressed crabs scallops, langoustines, hot smoked salmon, smoked salmon, Greenland prawns, oysters, mussels and homemade bread. )Is full of top quality, delicious, quality , fresh Seafood, and Excellent Value for MoneyIt is deceptively filing, but oh so delicious, was thoroughly enjoyed and look forward to returning.If you want that " Something Special " dining experience, and an absorbing way to pass a memorably delightful evenings dining, then this is what we Highly Recommend indeed.Will certainly be back again.

Such a lovely place felt extremely Covid safe adhering to all government policies. The staff were so accommodating with regards to my disabled son. Highly recommend food definitely outstanding. Thank you to all the staff. Sheila

We two couples had dinner here on an overnight stop in Kelso. The food was wall to wall amazing. Meze platter, fish pasta, lamb shank, all great. Staff friendly. And in contrast to past reviewers, all covid social distancing obligations were strictly adhered to by staff and customers. Tables well spaced.

A fabulous meal at this restaurant - well spaced tables and social distance at all times during this strange Covid time. The food was excellent and lovely sized portions. The staff were knowledgeable of the food served and we were able to slightly alter the dishes, e.g. Extra chilli was requested for the pasta sauce.

As always when in Kelso a must, one of the few quality restaurants in the area. Ambiance and attention to presentation excellent. Only surpassed by the quality of food, staff were discreet yet attentive. They were especially helpful with my elderly somewhat outspoken mother. Unable to fault.

We were immediately uneasy as staff not wearing face coverings, one had something hanging round his neck. Lots of loud calling out across tables and people calling across restaurant to friends.. We witnessed people arriving and shaking hands with the waiter, member of the public walking straight into the kitchen and putting arms around staff. No attempt to ask people to wear masks when standing up. Other customers standing right next to use and chatting to friends at another table. Staff made no attempts to enforce rules. At this stage we left, having only had our starter which was very nice. We simply didn’t feel safe.

Kelso was the last stop on our trip in Scotland. Until we arrived in the Borders, the steps taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19 were extremely impressive. We were very surprised that, at this restaurant and the hotel we stayed in, measures were non-existent. Staff did not wear masks, nor did customers. We had got used to the “stand up, mask up, sit down, mask down” regime but this did not apply here. Having said that, the food was very good and we were very satisfied with our meal. I would have marked it higher if better precautions had been taken.

Visited this evening for a meal: no visors or masks worn by staff serving and no obvious signs of mitigating against Covid risk e.g. putting drinks on a tray for you to take off. Background music meant raised voices, was quite busy too which made us feel uncomfortable. Only visiting Kelso briefly and had booked on recommendation, were hungry and to be fair the food was tasty although the service was a little slow. Wish I'd read Janet's review.

We really enjoyed our meal at the Contented Vine. The food was very nice, and the staff (despite apologising profusely for the reservation mishap) were excellent and always attentive. The candlelight in the restaurant also created a romantic and airy setting to enjoy and all in all we thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

We are here midweek and it was still really busy (perhaps due to the govt eat out to dine out scheme). Despite this, the service was extremely efficient and the food was also really nice.

We went for a meal on Thursday evening, 20th August, although the signs were good in that they supplied hand sanitiser and advised that face masks should be worn to the table, we felt uncomfortable due to the fact that none of the front of house staff were wearing masks or visors.We considered leaving, but decided to stay and take a risk. The meal was excellent, but it would have been more enjoyable if we could have felt more relaxed and not be concerned about hygiene in the current situation regarding covid, which unfortunately still around.

Just had a meal here tonight, the meal was nice however I felt very uncomfortable with the surroundings. The room was very hot. The menus were ordinary menus( I cleaned my hands after choosing my meal and didn’t opt for a pudding as I didn’t want to touch the menu again) The front of house staff did not wear face coverings in fact one had his hanging around his neck. When we paid the bill the waiter did clean his hands prior to coming to the table.

If you are looking to have a meal somewhere with excellent surroundings, lovely staff this is the place. Food amazing and great value for money. For a meal out in Kelso, this would be choice, one tip book first.

Superb restaurant with service to match in the heart of Kelso. The Knox family and their staff go out of their way to make their customers feel value and welcomed.First went to the Contented Vine last year. It's even better now - my favourite restaurant in the whole of the UK. Mediterranean-style food at its best - and very good value for money.

The service on arrival and throughout was exceptional. The food was extremely good and very well prepared. A definate place to return. Under the current problems the hygine was first class by the staff and towards the visitors

We were a party of 7 on Friday night. The restaurant was busy, beautifully welcoming with candles on tables and a lovely, warm, friendly atmosphere.The food was excellent. The rack of lamb and the paella came in for special praise, but it was all fresh and elegantly presented, with decent portions. The service was efficient, friendly, patient and fun. The prices were very fair indeed.

Booked a table for my girlfriends birthday. Only eaten there once before which was with a group of about 25 ghillies from the river Tweed in November last year! That was a good night but this was superb. I had the haggis and black pudding starter, Maureen had bruschetta. Both very tasty. For a main she had a chicken and smoked parma ham dish and I had the duck. I would normally choose duck or venison if it was available on a menu and the dish the Contended Vine produced did not disappoint. It was absolutely delicious! Probably the best duck I have had in a restaurant with a phenomenal sauce and potato side. The young staff were attentive and good fun. We finished with coffee and two double espressos which came with mint creams. Looking forward so much to the next visit! Good choice of food on a mixed menu, must be something here for everyone! The wine was also very good and not overpriced for a restaurant. Cannot recommend this place highly enough....

Although other meals were good the gluten free choice was very poor Nice restaurant with inexperienced staff

Similar to a previous review on the poor service for a coeliac, we had a disappointing experience as a vegan. Admittedly, I didn't give much notice - but I rang up an hour before and asked if they had a table free and could cater for a vegan. Yes she answered quickly and in the same breath, asked, what time would you like to come? You don't usually get such a swift resounding yes when you ring up and ask that question when the menu doesn't show any vegan options: they usually talk to you about it. Anyway, we turned up just over the hour later. As we were being led to our table, I checked by asking, you do do vegan food? "Gluten free", she asked, "yes we do". No, vegan I said. She looked confused. We sat down... I asked if I could have the bruschetta without the cheese, could they make that vegan. And she said yes, "as they would use gluten free bread." Eh?? I asked again, what can you do for a vegan. And she said, "gluten free pasta." No, no animal products etc, and she offered the pasta. I replied, won't that have egg in it? So she said she'd go ask the kitchen. "We can sort anything from the menu", was her return reply. When the menu contains fish, meat and pasta (which you know would be fresh and therefore with eggs), I was beginning to lose the will to live. Coupled with the fact that the restaurant had some large groups and was insanely loud. The restaurant needs to educate its staff as to different dietary requirements. Won't be going back again.

Lovely relaxed and pretty Italian Restaurant. Great choice on the menu and excellent tasting food. Staff very attentive and polite. The whole experience was a joy.

My partner, mother and I visited earlier this week. Based upon previous reviews, I had been expecting great things. When we arrived (after 7pm) we stood alone at the bar for nearly 5 minutes - absolutely no one was in attendance. My partner was so hungry he was getting grumpy, otherwise we would have left. A young man then appeared and immediately swept us to a table with no apology for our wait - I had to call out after him as we were following him to our table to ask whether they catered for gluten free diets. This is normally a conversation I would have BEFORE sitting at a table - as a coeliac, I have to be so very careful and NEED to have conversations about ingredients, cross contamination etc before I decide to eat somewhere. An unscrupulous restaurant has landed me in hospital in the past. The only response I got from the young man (I'm not quite sure what role he had) was a smirk and 'yes' before he disappeared again. Allergens were not listed on the menu, apart from 'gluten free pasta is available' and no one came over to discuss the menu with me.When we ordered, I asked the waitress whether the gluten free pasta was spaghetti, to which she replied 'no, it's the kind that comes in bundles'. Right ........ I ordered gluten free pasta with seafood sauce, my two companions both ordered gammon steak and chips. When my pasta dish arrived it WAS in fact spaghetti, so I had to ask for a spoon to eat it with as I had only been given a knife and fork. I was not offered any black pepper but the dish had arrived with several rather large slices of parmesan cheese on top which I had NOT asked for, nor would I have as parmesan cheese should NOT be served with seafood pasta dishes. I just pushed it aside and left it. The sauce itself was quite tasty but it was a rather modest portion; I would have liked the full meal that my companions enjoyed. I have given four stars as this is a general review site (I shall be leaving a rather different rating on my go-to coeliac restaurant review site) so it is only fair to leave a general review and because of that, I have to say that both my companions immensely enjoyed their meals - my partner, who is quite the gammon steak aficionado, said that it was the best gammon steak he had EVER eaten. They both said their chips were lovely, my mother had an egg with her gammon which was cooked perfectly and my partner had pineapple which was cooked in wedges and charred so that it was partly caramelised - it looked scrumptious. We didn't have pudding as my mother and partner were full, so we got the bill which, to be fair, was very reasonable. The bill arrived with three after-dinner mints which I decided to avoid - they may or may not have been safe for me, but given that the waitress didn't even know what spaghetti was, I decided not to bother her with dinner mint ingredients. I doubt we'll be back which is a real shame as the non-coeliac food was excellent and even the gluten-free option wasn't bad. But the service let the whole evening down - medical conditions such as being coeliac, which can land people in hospital, are simply NOT funny. Either the menu should have allergens indicated or someone should have discussed it with me - this is in fact FSA regulations. And if (as was the case) there are several pasta dishes on the menu, then please train your staff so that they know what spaghetti is. And that it should have a spoon. And parmesan cheese, especially with seafood, should be optional. Of course, if your diet is not constricted by medical conditions, I would recommend The Contented Vine - excellent food for reasonable prices.

We boooked at the lat minute and were lucky to get the last available table. That said the service was superb with attentive waitresses so there was no delay waitng for meals. We had the Mediterrean Mezze to start which in my opinion was the best I have had anywhere! The main courses were also excellent. I can't comment on the desserts as we had no room left. With a lovely atmoshpere I cannot praise too highly. We definately will be back.

Just home from having a lovely family meal here nice sized menu care in food presentation relaxed atmosphere lovely waiting staff reasonably priced. For a nice meal out in Kelso would certainly recommend.

Excellent food, excellent service, set in an old picture house, they cook up old favourites even if not on menu....my go to for special occasions

Dined here when we were staying at Schloss Roxburgh, just up the road. We fancied an Italian instead of the fine dining option our hotel offered (excellent though it was).

Visited on a quiet Sunday evening.

While staying with friends in Kelso we booked a table here. Varied menu, great portions and warm atmosphere We would come back if we lived nearby.

Dined here on a recent visit to Kelso. Seemed popular with locals so would recommend booking especially for the weekend. Confirm the day before to make sure it’s been noted. Staff friendly and attentive. Food was very nice and reasonable sized portions. It is situated in an old cinema and had a good atmosphere. Would dine here again if in the area.

Was here with friends on Saturday night and I am not surprised it was as busy there was 8 of us and the quality of the food was amazing, each friends as good as the other, For my main I had the paella which was out of this world (see photo) there was lots of seafood in it and all really fresh. Service really good it was 2 girls at our table and they certainty made sure everything was satisfactory. Lovely meals, surroundings and atmosphere as I said we will return.

Without doubt, this place served up the best three course meal I think I have ever had. Fantastic quality Fantastic waitressing Well mannered and welcoming I will definitely be back.

We enjoyed a lovely meal at this restaurant and particularly recommend the orange chocolate mousse. The presentation is excellent and the service friendly. It is a pity that they are completely understaffed, which led to delays to the point of detracting from the pleasure of the evening.

We visit the area annually and I could just repeat what I said last year , no improvement to service at all, it really spoils what could be a good meal. We went for 7.15pm as we knew we had to leave by a certain time, two course took until 9.50pm :(

We are a family of 3 brothers originally from Southampton although now we live miles apart, once a year we find a nice cottage to enjoy a week with our wives. This year we stayed in Nenthorn just out side Kelso. On our last night evening we booked a table at the Contented Vine. Wine and meals ordered. Soon the starters arrived and we all enjoyed are various choices

So good that I ended up eating here for three successive nights. Outstanding food and service at great value. Very good menu - with many items discounted if you order between 6-7pm. A young team and business clearly going places - they know how to please and you won't come across anywhere better. I wish them well and this will be my first destination when I return to the Scottish Borders.

We came with a big party and we were well catered for by the young staff.All meals were to a very high standard and we returned a second time!

Ate at this restaurant last night and would highly recommend it! The food was excellent, very fresh and well prepared. The service was attentive without being over the top. Lovely restaurant with a relaxed vibe. Would definitely return.

Walk ins for dinner Sunday night .

We live in the area but ever really eat out in Kelso so when some friends staying there were recommended The Contented Vine we were glad to have a chance to try it. The decor is modern and smart, and we were quickly shown to our table. The menu is quite extensive with different and my wife and I chose the paella to share from the Mediterranean section. This came beautifully presented on individual plates with langostine, scallop, prawns, chicken and well flavoured rice. Our friends pasta dishes looked good too. The desserts were also nicely presented and I chose a special trio of 3 small portions of different types. Each was very good. Service was friendly, prompt and efficient. All in all thoroughly enjoyable.

I was a little disappointed with my Greek pasta dish, wife said ham steak was too salty. Surprised to find early-bird prices at 6pm. Many same dishes were available that were on regular menus for 8.5 £.

We were staying in Kelso and were recommended to try the Contented Vine. I had the rack of Lamb, and my wife had the Market's Duo of Fresh Fish. Both were exquisite. I normally like my lamb fairly well done, but I forgot to ask, so it arrived gently pink - it was a revelation and I may never again have well done lamb, it really was delicious and tender. In fact, it was so good that we invited the friends who had recommended the Vine for a meal there four days later - and both my wife and I had exactly the same again, the only difference being the varieties of fish were different, but equally tasty.

My husband and I loved The Contented Vine so much that within a week we went back and took two friends. The atmosphere was just right and the menu was varied and tempting. I had the same fish dish twice, whatever was fresh for the day. Sea trout and halibut, hake and plaice - all delicious. My husband had lamb, tasty and tender and we both enjoyed the same special pudding from a good selection - crème caramel and all the trimmings.

12 of us went twice in a week, all food was good, service helpful and friendly, very good atmosphere.

The atmosphere is lovely but I expected more flavor from my seafood pasta and my mom's lasagna. They were both on the bland side. My disappointment mainly comes from the service. Everything took a long time from our server first greeting us to ordering to requesting more beverage to our bill. In fact, we never really got our bill. We waited and waited. Finally we made to leave and stopped at the bar. We could have walked out. I think the problem was the servers took care of everyone but no one person was responsible for our table.

Liked the look of the menu on a day out in Kelso and so decided to come back. We did book but probably didn’t need to as we came mid week. Loved what was on offer on the menu and all 3 of us agreed it was well made and piping hot. Desserts were also delicious so very happy all around, my dessert was presented beautifully complete with chocolate spoon. Staff were lovely and the decor/set out feels special and relaxing. We had the ‘early bird’ menu which is actually very similar to the main menu and is superb value. For the 3 of us, main course/dessert and a drink each we paid just under £60. Highly recommend.

We turned up on Sunday night with no reservation and the restaurant was very busy. Staff were great & found us a table for 2

Nice atmosphere and the food was okay but nothing special. The service was very swift and we felt hurried with our main courses arriving whilst we were still eating our garlic bread starter.

My wife and I went for an evening meal here, whilst we were in Kelso. At first glance of the menu displayed outside, we took it for an Italian restaurant. But on closer inspection, once we were at our table, I would say it's more of a Mediterranean style place. They serve Italian and Greek style dishes. And they serve them very well. The staff were friendly and helpful, and we enjoyed our meal very much. Worth a try.

Beautiful decor and food to die for. Fantastic to have a place like this in Kelso as I'm from Glasgow and felt I was in the city with the atmosphere. Steaks melt in your mouth. Definitely book a table.

Welcoming, cosy atmosphere. We had an unfortunate start when our table wasn't free and had to wait 25 mins. However staff did their best to speed this up. Food was lovely and best creme brulee dessert I have had - lots of bits and pieces accompanying it. Reasonably priced and overall a pleasant experience.

Really enjoyed our family extended family dinner at this lovely restaurant. The food was tasty and reasonable variety of choice, but took quite a long time to arrive. Staff are pleasant and attentive. Overall an enjoyable experience.

We were staying overnight for Kelso races and after wondering around the town found this Italian restaurant and decided to give it a try.

Had a wonderful meal here tonight the restaurant is beautifully decorated and a lovely atmosphere. The 3 waitresses were busy but nothing was too much trouble for them and very friendly too. The meals were superb and beautifully presented. Next time in this neck of the woods will definitely pay a visit. Totally recommend this restaurant

Food was ok staff was ok mabies a bit rushed off there feet not a lot of choice behind the bar so only had one with the meal.

Excellent menu, lots of choice. Food was delicious, beautifully presented & special mention for the vegetables in a little filo basket, delicious!! My favourite.....surprise trio of desserts did not disappoint again, the white chocolate/raspberry cheesecake was out of this world.

A fine dinning experience in very nice surroundings served withpleasant staff. Also they have variety of gin which I also like.

Family owned and run, this large restaurant has great food every time. There is always a buzz, the wines are good and a regular change of gins. Service good.

Arrived for an early supper, first in the restaurant in fact. Burns night so we both had the haggis and black pudding starter. very good. Followed with the 'market fish duo'. It was halibut and plaice that night. These are two fish that are delicately flavoured and easily destroyed by overcooking or adding 'flavours'. Not here though, the delicate fish flavours came through a slightly crispy outer with a very delicate hint of garlic infused butter. A flourish of pea shoots adorning the fish and excellently cooked vegetables presented in a filo pastry basket made the meal absolutely delicious. I was so immersed in the cooking that I didn't notice the convivial rise of light chatter as other diners joined us. Having won on the 'duo' I elected for the trio dessert. It was an entertaining gem of a small creme brulee with a chocolate spoon, a chocolate mousse flute and a slice of vanilla cheesecake with a chocolate straw.

I recently arranged a surprise retirement party for a long serving employee. There were 26 of us in the party and each of us commented on how good the food and service was. From the moment I booked, to when we departed we were superbly looked after. A massive thank you to Alex, Selina and all the team.

We had a party of ten and as ever, somebody likes to challenge the waiting staff, in this case for a specialist gin. The successful delivery of this set the tone for a great evening.

Had a great night at the restaurant. We returned with our family after visiting it last year at the same time. Food and service was great. Prices very reasonable . Staff friendly Couldn't recommend this place enough.

We booked dinner for a family reunion event. We don't see each other often - split between Kelso, Derbyshire and Coventry - and were looking forward to catching up. Obviously we expected that Christmas Eve would be busy but the first part of our visit was utterly ruined by an unbelievably loud-mouthed guest (at a table of 6 or 8) immediately behind us. We could not hear ourselves think for some time but mercifully they left part way through our meal. This was NOT the fault of the restaurant but it was certainly a problem for us. Maybe there could have been a quiet word in his ear, I don't know. A really difficult situation for any restaurant to handle.

Have eaten here for many years always as good, plenty of menu choices, very reasonable prices, friendly staff. Always look forward to dining again

On a quiet Sunday night, we managed to find this place and have a decent evening meal. Pastas were ordered all the way round, chicken veg mixtures, and a veg pasts dish. Puddings were chease cakes and creme brulee.

The most perfect Gammon that I have had in a long time, my companion had the Veggie Moussaka which she said was lovely, it was busy but not unpleasantly so, it just made for a bit of life.

Whilst the food was very nice, it took 50 minutes for us to receive our starters. We then waited almost 35 minutes to be served with our main courses only to find that one of them was the wrong meal. It was replaced quickly but still meant I ended up eating on my own which was not great. The service was appalling and the food was extremely overpriced. Don’t think we’ll be returning to this restaurant.

My daughter and I visited the Contented Vine and had a lovely meal, she visited in the summer, with her husband so she knew we would have a lovely meal and we weren't disappointed. The staff were friendly and helpful and there was a nice atmosphere. I would definitely visit again

We went to the Contented Vine Restaurant having had it recommended to us by a local. We enjoyed the food. The rack of lamb was sweet and tasty and the baked lasagne was also very satisfying. This restaurant could be so much better. There were not enough menus when we arrived. The restaurant was only a quarter full. With some proper staff training and a smart dress code the place could become so much better. I don’t think it is appropriate to write the drinks order on your hand!

called in on a Friday with no booking. Made to feel very welcome. The food was superb and presented perfectly even although it was busy. No complaints here and the loos were spotless.

Haven't been back to Kelso for a while but went back to the contented vine and weren't disappointed. The food and the service great. Real buzz about the place. We'll be back.

Holds out high promises, but just fails to deliver. The food sounds a lot better than it actually is, and service is slow and generally pretty poor. Last time we went, there were only two waiting staff, and one was a new starter who was either clueless, not interested, or possibly both. Food came in dribs and drabs, and just didn't deliver at all. Save your money and go somewhere else.

We’ve visited Kelso on three occasions, at 12 monthly intervals, each time we have chosen to eat here. The food and atmosphere of this Italian restaurant are excellent. It’s nice to have a restaurant where the same high standards of cuisine and service have been maintained on each visit.

Popular local restaurant. Lighting a little low for me. Good food and competent staff. Reasonable menu choice.

We visited last year for my wife's big 60th. Staff were inattentive, starter (Italian platter) was obviously straight from the local LIDL and mains pasta was so tasteless my wife left most of it. Sorry but this is not a good restaurant. We paid £60+ for a very poor experience, my wife was so disappointed! Don't waste your money, go to Lemon and Thyme for a great experience! (this years birthday treat, which was fantastic)

We popped in here to suss it out as we wanted to book for dinner on a Saturday night after golf. We weren’t too sure how slow our round would be at Roxburgh GC. Ros suggested we book for 8pm but she was happy for us to appear any time up till 9pm. When we walked in the restaurant was heaving. We had drinks at the bar first while we waited on our table.

We were looking for somewhere to visit for food and The Contented Vine seemed to be highly rated. As we walked in and asked for a table they were happy to seat us for a table of 4 until they realised we had a child, then all of a sudden they were too busy to seat us. They kept apologising saying they have a big party coming in and unable to fit a high chair in. The impression we got was that they didn't want children in. We then walked to the Cobbles who were more than happy to squeeze us in despite being fully booked. We got amazing service and food. We know where we will be going back next time.

We visited one wet Monday evening while visiting the area and the place was nicely busy without being too full and nicely decorated.

Ate here again with some good friends.The last two or three times I have eaten here I didn’t write a review because the food , service and ambience was exceptional but thought I’d write a review as it was amazing again, everyone loved the food and the service was impeccable yet again ,we also had some quality wine .We are eating here again at the vine in a couple of weeks and know I won’t be disappointed. Very consistent all round.

On two visits to the Contented Vine we had a very pleasant meal in a nice modern restaurant. There is an earlybird deal available in the evenings, but otherwise the menu is well priced and the portions are plentiful. The menu is quite varied with two or more vegetarian options.

The food was as described, the service well-meaning, and the ambience didn’t match the price. Ideal for a big party occasion, but far from decent bistro in style.

The restaurant was excellent in pre-planning the details for a fairly large group of 18. The fixed price menu had good choices for each course with good pricing, alterations being easy to make for particular dietary needs. The ambience of the restaurant was good. The service was very prompt and all parts of the meal delivered as previously planned. The food and the presentation were both excellent and the company had a very good evening out.

Our fourth visit over the last year and gets better every time

The Contented Vine provides an imaginative and varied menu of traditional Italian dishes together with some traditional Scottish favourites.The food is well presented and the staff both welcoming and efficient. The wine list is well balanced and provides for most tastes of particular interest being the large selection of gins.

Had a great meal food was great and staff very friendly and helpfull nice atmosphere in restaurant highly recomed

The food is fantastic, if your in the area and fancy a romantic meal or otherwise, then you can do no wrong here, the food was excellent.

Firstly the Waitresses were wonderful. Very attentive and efficient. The meals however were not so good.

The Contented Vine is a fine place to spend an evening with family and friends. The food is great, the service friendly and efficient and it is also good value for a high quality product. It is clearly appreciated by regulars.