The Garvald Inn in East Lothian

Awful food chef had sexual words we uncomfortable worse time ever he came over to many times wee jokes hated it dogs in restaurant

Had a little detour off the A1 to find this Inn and we were not disappointed. Firstly the location is lovely; a really nice little village. We ate in the bar and were met with a warm welcome. The resident dog also came to check us out (a lovely golden lab). We had a chat with what we think may have been the owner and she gave us some great tips for our ultimate destination. We had the steak pie and the haggis stuffed chicken, both were absolutely lovely. No pretentious presentation, just good, honest, tasty food. The portion sizes were generous and bar a few redundant chips we enjoyed every last bit. We liked this place so much, we may even take another detour on our way home and pop in again. So, avoid the chain restaurants, take a detour and find your own little gem of a place.

Absolutely avoid this place Most unfriendly people and not welcoming at all Food is overpriced and very average Steak pie came dry with no gravy and frozen thin fries for £16 The place was empty but told a group who called in on spec that there was no free tables ? Never seen people turned away like this before

Delicious meal -very freshly cooked and all excellent quality.. Friendly landlord. child friendly and dog friendly. Beautiful children’s park very nearby. Wish we had found it earlier in our holiday!

Great food..! 7 strong group of golfers, some gastro snobs…not me I hasten to make clear ate here and had a great evening.. Food was varied and most acceptable. Cask ale was really good. This is a pub/restaurant that deserves more local support.. Use it or lose it..!

My wife and I had an excellent Easter Sunday lunch on the 9th April last. I had Breaded Haddock and Chips, absolutely fresh and cooked to perfection. Had the Garvald Inn been a mile or two nearer the Firth of Forth, and the haddock jumped from Firth to Frying Pan, it could not have been fresher. My wife had the Steak and Ale Pie; she found that excellent, as were the tasty carrots and cabbage, the latter with a delicious sauce. And she had the Lemon Posset and Raspberry Coulis, which she said was perfect. As to Dianne B's comments on "frozen chips;" ours at the Inn were excellent. Some years ago I took my wife for an expensive lunch in a very well known Glasgow restaurant, much praised for the quality of its food; as we left, there was a delivery van at the back/side door, and the van man was carrying in boxes of frozen chips. I commented on them to him; his reply: "Don't tell anyone!" I haven't, till now. That overpriced Glasgow lunch, years ago, may have given me a "Chip" on my shoulder. Not so the Garvald Inn. Give it a try. Andrew N.

Disappointed with the price of the food. £16.90 for a steak pie. The pastry was flat though it was meant to be puff pastry Chips were very thin frozen ones fried. The lemon posset was lovely but the raspberry sauce on top was full of quite large chips of ice 100% not value for money Also being placed in the bar area with guys at the bar having a loud conversation when the lounge area was set up with cutlery etc If we were looking for a romantic or celebratory setting then we would have been highly disappointed Will never be back. Owners seemed to be new and struggling

Another delicious meal at Garvald Inn. Peter is an excellent cook and we've never had a disappointing meal here. Venison burger was very juicy and tasty, roast beef cooked perfectly and very tender. Thank you once again!

another good night down at the garvald inn. the food is always excellent i had 3 courses which is very unusual for me. they always have a guest beer which is well chosen. service was quick and friendly as usual. and finally someone interesting always pops in for a pint, this time it was bean the dog who went missing with his much relieved owner. walked back to carfrae farm through crunchy frost under starry skies. great night.

We have eaten here many times and although sometimes received a less than warm welcome from the lady owner kept coming due the outstanding fish and chips . The gentleman owner and chef is very talented. However on the last few visits have noticed the...

We visited and was really disappointed. The lady manager/owner was rude to everybody who came in. We sat with our coats on as it was cold. The food was not great.

Stopped in for lunch and we were the only customers in the place, the service was ok but the food didn't match up to the prices that were charged. Sorry folks but you're missing the mark.

An unpretentious pub with character, friendly hosts and very tasty 'home cooked' food - and the cleanest pub toilets I've ever seen!

My partner and I were staying in Garvald for the weekend and decided to pop down here for Sunday Lunch. I would highly rate the food for a good local Lunch Option, I had the Fish and Chips (definitely recommend the Breaded version, very tasty!)...

We were staying at our friends' cottage in the village for the weekend and decided that we'd try out the local pub on Saturday evening as it had a decent-sounding range of traditional pub dishes with some specials, including vegetarian options for my boyfriend. Our...

We had a great weekend in Garvald having stayed at the Old Bakehouse just down the road from the Garvald Inn. We have stayed in the village before many years ago and had eaten here at the time and loved it. We were not disappointed...

We were staying in the village on a short break, and were originally planning on going to a nearby town, or even remaining in Edinburgh for our evening meal. However, after popping in for a swift one on our first evening, we made a very...

This place does traditional British pub food to the highest standards and with generous portions. Freshness of ingredients abound as do hearty and warm favourites. The menu is quite dexterous in terms of combinations and the care, prep and taste excel. While some pubs are...

Had a delicious lunch on Wednesday with a friend, were made more than welcome by Peter and partner. The chicken was superb as was the coffee, thank you, will recommend and will be back. Mary Gibb.

Visited with a friend on Wednesday, were made more than welcome by Peter and Wife, We ordered the chicken, it was superb, it was cooked fresh and was worth the wait. We had coffee which was the best ever, and plenty of it. Will certainly...

Después de haber oído cosas buenas acerca de sus almuerzos de Domingo decidimos visitar la Posada para probarlos. Teníamos el asado del domingo, que estaba bien preparado pero sin verduras. Que ha oído hablar de un asado sin verduras, sobre todo en una zona famosa por sus productos locales. El servicio fue una decepción. Nos dieron lo que sólo puede ser descrito como un tibio de bienvenida con personal teniendo poco interés en nosotros. Después de haber visitado una vez, es poco probable que alguna vez regrese, hay más acogedor y menos caro en restaurante East Lothian. Este lugar no justifica su facturación. Una gran decepción.

this is a delightful village pub which does excellent food. It is run by a friendly couple who are very welcoming. as is their lovely black labrador. I had the steak pie which I can thoroughly recommend - very tender meat and lovely pastry. Other...

We were the only customers on a lunchtime visit and why that is, is a mystery. Family-run, it's very unpretentious so one can't actually call it a gastro-pub, but the standard of food is up there with the best. The steak and Ale pie was...

Actually discovered this restaurant via the CAMRA Good Pub Guide. We were driving in East Lothian and wanted somewhere new to eat. The village of Garvald and its surroundings are beautiful, a bright sunny morning after snow the night before set the location off beautifully....

Very dreich day so Dad thought good to go out for a pub lunch. Weirdly everybody else stayed away. Superb food: my parents had the vegetable broth and I had the grilled tomatoes and goats cheese with pesto. Simple but so tasty! Then we all...

Yo llevamos a nuestro amigo chino para ver lo que ella pensaba que el pescado y las patatas fritas, que ella se ha convertido en un experto. Bien, como era de esperar que ella me encantó como I.

We came to the Garvald Inn after a muddy walk with the dog. We were made to feel very welcome, dog and all. We had the best wild mushroom soup we have EVER had! Haddock and chips was great as well. Friendly local pub with great food. Thank you

Used to be a nice wee pub but hadnt been in years so decided to stop in with friends and our children after sledging in the hills for a warm snack. Our children were immediately snapped at for "putting snow on the fire"...a small amount on top of the stove!! Then the kids were glared at by the female(owner maybe) behind bar when they started playing with the toys(which were under a seat in bar) my friend waited over 20mins for a cup of coffee and the atmosphere was frostier than that on the piste earlier!! Wont be returning. A smile would work wonders!!!

We had no complaints about the food. Very disappointed with the whole experience though. It was all capped off when one of our children was asked "did he not know he had to be one and a half metres away from the bar". Mmmm, no he didn't, why would he, he was nine year old...... Later he was referred to as having been climbing all over the bar when all he had done was stand next to one of the bar stools. Good pub food is a lot about good hospitality and creating a friendly and warm atmosphere? We just didn't get those vibes and so can't recommend.

We heard about this Inn on Trip Advisor and decided to go out for Sunday tea. Arrived at the Inn and did not feel welcome. If I was a tourist I would be very disappointed. What happened to the Scottish Warm welcome are we just too busy now to be bothered.

Lovely out of the way village but from outside Inn not very attractive. Inside is very good with a good atmosphere.Food is excellent with good choice.Worth finding!!

I spoke to a lovely man on the phone to book a table for as late as possible at lunchtime and he ensured me it wasn't a problem. On our arrival we were greeted by a surly lady, who clearly was unimpressed that we had a late booking. The reason being one of our party had been on night shift!!

Stopped here in our motorhome and the lovely owners made us very welcome and allowed us to stay over night in their car park. We had an evening meal ,good traditional pub food which was excellent can't wait to return .

Our first visit to the Garvald Inn, for a decent sized family lunch. Service was decent, and our starters (chicken liver pate and soups) were really nice. Our mains were lamb curry, fish and chips, and a childs fishfinger portion. Again, the service was good and they came quickly. The pub is very small, and the food is decent quality. It is an ideal venue for family get togethers that inlcude small people.

Little slice of British pub culture hidden away! Had a great walk from my house 5 miles away to this pub, arrived and immediately ordered a lovely COLD fizzy beer, couldn't ask for much more? So followed it up with a lovely lunch and then a taxi home... But wait we live in Scotland! No phone reception, never mind, before I even had a chance to ask I was offered use of the phone! Great little gem in the heart of East Lothian!

Found this on TA and couldn't agree more with the previous excellent reviews. The place just oozes tradition and character. The service and food were both excellent and we were certainly made very welcome by the proprietors. Well done for flying the flag for East Lothian and Scotland! We are just disappointed in ourselves for not getting here before now

Made to feel most welcome despite arriving in an almost hypothermic state and causing a drama at the fireplace. Soup and tea provided was the best aid to recovery. Really appreciated everybody's help and hospitality. Many thanks.

Hot tea and a friendly face as a bunch of hypothermic cycles caused a mallee in the bar after being caught out in a blizzard on the hill. Made to feel most welcome, and tea never tasted so good!

Went in after a walk in the hills on a Wednesday and had one of the best pizzas ever. Homemade and delicious. Also made one for my young daughter - to order. very family friendly and lovely hospitality.

I and I am sure most people are sick of seeing an endless stream of Tv chefs proclaiming the virtues of simple dishes made from the finest ingredients only to be confronted with 50 + item menus. Clearly this message does not get through to restuants as 50+ item menus abound. While at the other end of the scale pubs my have a limited menu but the chances are it will be frozen scampi and the pie and chips will also be out of the freezer

Garvald is a hidden gem of a village with a beautiful playpark next to a stream, beautiful red sandstone cottage style architecture nestled in a secret valley. I recommend treating it as a destination so go and drive round East Lothian and do something else with Garvald as your pit stop, or even better park up in Garvald and take a walk either up to the Old Nunraw Abbey (red sandstone castle style building) or the refurbished Stoneypath Tower or if you know your way around there is a loop. If you have kids the swingpark is well equipped! That should give you an appetite to head in to this lovely English Style village pub with its alcoves and beer garden and real ale on tap. The food is genuine good pub food but its the overall place that I rate so highly! I think you can even stay in the hotel.

Such a beautiful sunny day, lunch in the garden felt really idyllic until my mushroom and truffle

We popped in today to have lunch. Despite our taking the menu with us to our table in a second room as the main was too busy, we were not asked by anybody if we wanted any help or service. We sat for half an hour in a dark, cold room whilst staff passed us at least ten times but still nobody asked us if we needed anything. In the end, we just got up and walked out as hungry as we went in. Not very happy, no atmosphere either - be warned.

Fantastic from top to bottom, inside and out. Very tasty food! No room for pudding today, ill get that next time . ♥it

Garvald is a really picturesque old village on the edge of the Lammermuirsset in incredibly beautiful countryside. After a stunning woodland walk we returned to the Garvald Inn. In a balmy sunny evening we had a meal in the tranquil beer garden. Both our well behaved baby and dog were welcome, and we were made to feel at home, so we had already enjoyed our time before we ate. But little did we know what awaited us. Quite simply the most delicious and perfect meal I can remember having. It wasn't so much that it was fancy, but just delicious and perfectly cooked. Portions were just right as well.We live 25 miles away, but the journey is most definately worth it.

We were kindly invited to a friends birthday celebration at the very popular Garvald Inn. It is a while since we have eaten here so we were looking forward to sampling the varied menu. I chose the Sunday roast which was beautifully cooked, the beef was lovely and rare just as I like it. Our friends had a mixture of dishes off the menu, It was a very enjoyable experience the service was just right and the food was all delicious. Do give it a try, well worth the journey to Garvald with it's lovely park and nice walks.

After a lovely walk, 5 of us went here for lunch and it was truly wonderful. The soup was warm and soothing, the fish was ENORMOUS, the steak and ale pie truly tasted of ale and the chicken in honey & mustard sauce was creamy and delicious. Wish we'd had room for puds!

We visited as a family and enjoyed a fabulous meal. Menu seemed to be refreshed regularly (it was hot off the printer), limited selection but lovely choice. Food was very fresh, very tasty and of high quality. Owner, also the chef, was a great host, very relaxed atmosphere. We were the only ones eating and the pub as quiet, but we get the impression it can be very busy at times so best to book. (Note the address on trip Adviser is wrong, this place is in Garvald, not Haddington).

We were out cycling and the hills were big, so we arrived here much later than we had planned, expecting not only to have missed lunch , but possibly the pub being open at all, BUT, at 2.30, we were warmly welcomed. We had a great meal, especially the chips and the beer was good too. The landlord was very attentive and we had a good chat about our route as he filled up our water bottle for us. Shortly after we left, we were flagged down by a car, which turned out to be the landlord who had dashed after us in his car to deliver our water bottle which we had forgotten to pick up, which was incredibly kind of him.

Staff were great very attentive. We had starters of prawns and patte both came with side salad. Both dishes lovely. Both ordered burgers chips side salad. All cooked to perfection. Portion size great. We sat out back lovely atmosphere love this wee village. Can not wait to go back. Thank you to owners who made us very welcome.

We arrived outside this Inn on our bicycles just as a thunder cloud burst so were delighted that the doors were open. Didn't eat here but had a great pint from their hand pump ('Jarl' by Fyne Brewers) and a friendly chat with the landlord; the few locals in there were friendly too.

The food was excellent and well presented. Although we enjoyed the food very much we felt very unwelcome and the service was very slow, the waitress was sulky and with unpleasant manners. The surroundings are lovely and I am glad I went. Shame the service spoiled a bit the experience.

On a rare sunny summers day's drive into the East Lothian countryside this week we stopped here at lunchtime for some al fresco food served on their small but charming patio. Both of us chose the Fish & Chips and whilst its not the biggest portion you are likely to get, for taste and quality .... both of us agreed we have never tasted better. We will be back

I LOVE this place. Peter cooks fresh local produce in a beautifully straightforward way - no frills, no flourishes. Fish and chips delicious, roast beef and Y.P. on Sundays. He does something magic with cabbage and won't give me the recipe. Heavenly squidgy puddings. Have a Bloody Mary before lunch, they make a mean one there.

People recommended this place and we thought we would give it a go. sunday roast 12 pounds but food was just poor avarage.

The Garvald Inn is a wonderful and charming gem of a pub, hidden in the middle of East Lothian. We went there a total of 3 times in the week that we were in the area and each time received outstanding food and service. The atmosphere was cozy and relaxed; the food was exceptional and masterfully prepared. We can’t wait to come back to Scotland and the Garvald Inn will be one of our first stops!

We visited the Garvald Inn around lunchtime on a Sunday. One lady seemed to be holding down the fort practically by herself and despite it being busy, she was very efficient and friendly. We didn't experience any of the "locals only" unfriendliness others seem to have mentioned.

My wife and I went here for lunch. We were treated like muck and could not get served. The pub was empty apart from 4 people and I was at the bar waiting for a customer to be served. Just as I was about to be served a local walked in and the barmaid immediately turned to him and asked him what he wanted.

Our family of 4 really enjoyed our visit, even Robbie our dog was made to feel exceptionally welcome. A great example of what a country pub should be like, there was even one hand pump delivering a lovely real ale which was an added bonus. The food and service were both faultless. The menu was relatively short but well thought out with some additional seasonal specials. There was certainly something for everyone and the portion size was just right for us. Our favourites were the home made gravadlax, the venison and the bread and butter pudding. We'll certainly be back

We went here for St Andrews night & didn't know what to expect. It was a set meal which started with Smoked salmon [I think in honour of our President Alex] with prawns & a wonderful balsamic sauce. This was followed by chicken stuffed with 'MacSween' haggis with neeps & tatties and a great Drambuie sauce and finished of with Cranachan which is a traditional Scottish desert of Raspberries , Cream & toasted oatmeal and was to die for. The evening then continued with a great night of music from 'Yard of Ale' who describe themselves as Folk & Fun and it certainly was. A fantastic night which I look forward to repeating.

Despite being the lonesome customer I was faced with monosyllabic replies from the owners wife who disappeared after serving my drink never to be seen again. Despite a busy Flower Show in progress there was little evidence of any attempt to attract custom on the day.

A hidden gem in East Lothian. You can eat from the same menu whether or not you decide to eat in the restaurant or the bar which is a real bonus if you have been walking or cycling. So often if you are not dressed for it you are palmed off with a so-called bar menu. Chef and owner Peter prepares and serves beautiful food with great craic. Worth a small detour any day of the year. Oh and Garvald village is another hidden gem of itself too.

Although the menu does not vary greatly, it means you can look forward to what you are likely to choose! The standard of cooking is very good and is completely consistent as it is the same chef all the time. The Inn is welcoming with a fire in the colder weather and a garden in good weather. You can easily have two starters if you wish instead of a main-they are happy to accommodate your choices. The food is very nice and suitable for anyone, so a nice content and portion size for older, and younger people. it has seating in the pub for more casual eating but you can eat in the dining room for a more formal seating arena (same food in each )

The Garvald Inn was a BIG disappointment.

We regularly visit usually as a destination lunch or dinner. We have a 3 year old toddler who we are delighted to take along due to the child friendly atmosphere, box of toys, outside mini slide and excellent local park and riverside walks. The food is way above what is typical of a local pub and is utterly reliable, the short wine list carefully chosen and the beers always feature an interesting guest. In the summer we can sit outside in the sheltered beer garden and in the winter keep cosy in the intimate bar. The adjacent small dining room is ideal if you want a slightly more 'formal' setting but is a little bare. Service is very personal and attentive and (this isn't meant to sound patronising) the locals are really friendly and inclusive. The historic and picturesque village itself provides an interesting stroll or you could take a more adventurous hike from here too.