The Smiddy Bar & Restaurant in Scottish Borders

My husband, son and I spent New Year in the Scottish Borders and booked a meal on 31 December at the Smiddy Bar. We had never been there before and didn't know what it would be like. However, our expectations were exceeded - the dinner was excellent, for both the carnivore and the vegetarians. There wasn't much choice but my husband's sirloin steak was apparently very good while the butternut squash option was delicious. These were accompanied by four very tasty home-made sauces, including one made from hawthorns hand-picked in the local countryside, we were told. The dessert course was help-yourself to delectable home-made puds, presented in small glasses - but you could have two or three! The meal was rounded off with cheese and biscuits and coffee. All the above were included in the very reasonable price of £25 per head. The service was good and very friendly, the dining area small but pleasant and cosy, and altogether we had a very enjoyable evening.

My family happened to stumble across this while out driving around and looking for food. We aren’t from the area so had no idea what to expect. Truthfully, I didn’t think it was much to look at from the outside but the food was amazing and the staff were so friendly. I had steak and ale pie and although I am very fussy when it comes to meat, I didn’t find a single piece of fat on this. The whole meal was lovely and the chocolate fudge cake and ice cream just topped it off. We asked for a menu to take with us incase we wanted to order takeaway later on that day. I would 100% recommend this bar. Traditional home cooked food with a smile

Went on a Saturday evening. We had homemade pies with vegetables and it was first class. Service was spot on and prices were reasonable too. Good choice on the menu and would definitely have gone again if we hadn’t been going home. Landlord obviously knows what he is doing.

Excellent meal last night for 6 of us , two vegetarians and a fussy eater and we were all well catered for. Very friendly staff and a cosy intimate atmosphere. Food was excellent and the little extras were welcome, cheesy nibbles, home made, fresh home baked bread rolls and a pea & courgette soup before we had even started. Couldn't fault it, great restaurant for a special meal.

Party of four had booked for an evening meal. The menu was not over extensive but the food when presented was well cooked. The soup in particular being carrot with ginger and honey was unusual but was very good. I had steak pie which although substantial was disappointing. The fish and lamb courses were well received

Lovely welcome in this small country pub restaurant, pity it doesn’t open more often during the week. Thursday is fish and chip night so that’s what we had but would have gladly eaten any of the meals on offer. Very good puddings. Can’t fault it. Would advise booking.

Second visit to The Smiddy and thoroughly enjoyed it. We will definitely visit again when we visit New Woll estate.

We arrived to be met with the overwhelming smell of cooking fat which was immediately off -putting- the gentleman greeting us advised of all the necessary precautions and we were shown to our table in what could only be described as a dark and somewhat old fashioned small lounge area. We had been required to order our food the day before from a limited menu. My husband had ordered steak and when he asked if it was possible to have a sauce with it he was only offered mustard!!! - seemed as though there couldn’t have been any sort of chef around - even some garlic butter would have good and not difficult unless their kitchen was not well stocked. The rest of the meals, lamb and fish were mediocre and the price was that of a better restaurant than this. When we returned to our accommodation we noted that this pub/restaurant although being the nearest was not recommended by the owner and I can understand why- very poor start to our Borders trip

Had a gorgeous Sunday lunch here easy to book and all service was safe. We had roast lamb it was so tender and lovely fresh veg too and I had the lemon drizzle cake for pudding oh my life so light. We hope to be back soon

The menu was very divers! As a starter we had the tomato/sweet potato soup and the duck springrolls with hoisin. As a main wr have had the haddock and chips & the sirloin steak with seasonal veggies and baby potatoes. We had the chocolate cake with cream as a dessert.Service was very good and friendly. We even went back because we liked it so much and the drive from Ettrick Valley was also very nice!

Situated in Ashkirk, halfway between Selkirk and Hawick on the A7 tourist route, this characteristic and quaint country pub was our next stop.There was definitely something homely about this place and it was evident that the building itself was basked in history.As with our previous locations, it was a swift but enjoyable pint as we searched for the answers on our trail. The staff were very friendly and more than happy to give us a gentle bit of assistance / nudge towards the answers of the more obscure clues. Overall, I did enjoy my stop here and as the consensus of the menu was more than positive, a future visit in different circumstances is more than likely.

Happened upon this restaurant during a trip to Sterling. Very friendly and attentive staff and excellent food with good choices and specials board, very reasonable cost. Would definitely visit this establishment again if in the area.

We had a fish and chip special here and thoroughly enjoyed it. The haddock was white and fresh and cooked in a lovely light crispy batter and not too greasy.Deserts were very good if not superb - very passable indeed.Our ONLY quibble was that it was a bit chilly in the dining area.A place we will be sure to return to.Lovely

Real homely food which is extremely well cooked and fresh. Good chice of beers and wine to complement the excellent service.

Auf unsere Motorradtour kamen wir zufällig hier vorbei. Gutes frisches Essen sehr empfehlenswert. Das nette schottische Ambiente passt auch gut. Mittags aber nicht jeden Tag geöffnet.

We found this place by accident. Very hungry after a long drive, we weren’t expecting much from this place. However we were pleasantly surprised. We received a very warm welcome from the staff. The food was excellent and the toilets were immaculately clean. I’d definitely recommend it.

Dropped by for lunch, we all had fish and chips served with tea and bread butter, it was fantastic. lovely little place.

Nos alojamos fuera de Roberton en casa rural en una granja de ovejas. En el camino empezamos a pase de este restaurante, y decidimos dar la vuelta alrededor y comer una comida. La mejor decisión que he hecho en mucho tiempo.Gente maravillosa. Abadejo y patatas fritas! Mejor Dijeron que el dueño nos encantaría volver! 4 días más tarde volvimos y yo tuvimos la cena con asado de cordero. Maravilloso! Si y cuando alguna vez regreso a Escocia, estoy parado allí para una comida y una buena conversación!

Visited on 16th July. Very welcoming. Nothing ostentatious. Good quality food with good service. Yip that simple. Amazing. Great location.

We've been to The Smiddy more times than I can count. We keep returning because every time, you get a warm friendly welcome, and delicious freshly cooked food. What more could you ask for?

well, what a welcome, and what a lunch, this is how it should be dome, simple but great food done brilliantly, served and cooked fresh and quickly, no fuss, no nonsense, we all loved it, thank you guys a great day out, we will be back

No sabíamos pero nos reservamos en una escapada de fin de semana en la zona y el personal eran unfased por nosotros girando en ella. Era bastante cuando llegamos y mi marido tenía el plato muy inusual de morcilla, cerdo tarta de manzana y tenía pescado y patatas fritas. Decidimos tener el desierto en vez de un plato, pero el tamaño de la porción era tan grande que decidimos que no podíamos poner un desierto. La comida era precioso, y cocinados a la orden. Casa de estilo adecuado cocinado. No es barato, pero no es caro. Mi esposo aún está entusiasmado sobre el pastel y él es un experto de pastel, así que deben estar haciendo algo bien. Espero volver de nuevo si estamos en la zona.

Encantador restaurante con comida de calidad a un precio razonable. Buen ambiente y un gran servicio. Esposo e hijo tenía el cordero, que valoramos mucho, mientras yo tenía el abadejo - delicioso! Eyemouth ! ! Para una visita si se aloja en el nuevo, cuando su restaurante Woll está cerrado los martes

Nice little restaurant staff friendly food nice lovely atmosphere food simple home cooked style we realy liked our meal and...

Asistieron al Smiddy con mi esposa y familia. Al entrar, el restaurante nos pareció muy acogedor y muy acogedor. La comida estaba recién hecha y no pudimos encontrar ningún fallo. Recomiendo encarecidamente este restaurante.

He estado en el Smiddy en varias ocasiones y siempre he recibido una cálida bienvenida. El menú es pequeño pero siempre bien preparado y delicioso. El personal es atento y amable. Es un lugar tranquilo, no hay luces intermitentes o música. Estupendo para charlar.

Metimos en para el almuerzo, justo al lado de la A7, y vale la pena una visita, administrado por una familia, agradable bar & restaurante pequeño. El abadejo era excelente, pescado fresco con un ligero rebozado crujiente, el abadejo estaba preparado justo. Como entrante la sopa del día era muy sabroso y mi esposa tuvo el paté que le gustaba. Bueno, y servicio amable. En general vale la pena una visita.

Visited the old Smiddy for the first time, restaurant very cosy and welcoming. Staff very attentive. Although the food was a real disappointment given it was quite expensive was very basic and nothing special at all, especially when you are dining out you look for something just a bit different from what you would probably cook at home.

A family birthday celebration held here last weekend was our first visit to The Smiddy. We were welcomed into a cosy, friendly environment where the adults and children felt very comfortable and relaxed. The menu offered a good selection, and the food arrived well presented and tasted super. We all thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon there and would definitely like to return.

We had read some good reviews about the food at The Smiddy and were really looking forward to visiting it last month. It is very quaint and the service was efficient and friendly. However, we did get a bit concerned at the sound of a microwave being used a lot in the kitchen. We both had the Borders lamb which was tasty enough but the vegetables were uninspiring and the roast potatoes were very like frozen ones. However, our dessert of ginger pudding and custard was really tasty. We were staying in the area for a short break on a bed and breakfast basis but after this experience did not return another evening.

Saw that thursdays was fish and chip special day so dropped in on the way back to our holiday cottage and they were special, infact the whole meal was pretty good from the warm welcome to the refills of the tea and coffee that came with the meals. Glad that we stopped.

stopped by here on a THURSDAY NIGHT and was treated to the THURSDAY NIGHTS "SPECIAL"...Eyemouth Haddock and Chips...bread n butter and a pot of tea all for £8.75...and boy was it good..partner had a great meal of 4 sausages and gravy and pots and Veg all in a LARGE yorkie Pud...Highly reccommended..

We were welcomed warmly, and food was average and felt mass produced. Interior was very dark and didn't feel cosy. There were a few other couples in, but somehow there was no atmosphere. It's a cute building which could be so much lighter and welcoming.

First time here and really enjoyed by all. Three had the fish and chips freshly cooked with crispy batter, super duper. Friend had chicken sweet and sour and loved it. Great food and service in a cosy old fashioned pub. Really good variety of home cooked meals and excellent value. We look forward to going back again.

Stopped off for tea on the way home from Edinburgh. Had the Thursday evening fish and chips which we all enjoyed. As has been mentioned before a few peas would finish the plate off but the fish and chips are just first class as is the tartar sauce in a dish not a plastic sachet. Bread and butter too! We all had puds to finish off the ice-cream cranachan was lovely and so was the merigue as it soon disappeared.

Very friendly and pleasant staff serving tasty food at reasonable prices. The food we had freshly prepared and a special mention for the accompanying veg which tasted as if it came from the garden that very morning.If you are going to Woll golf club and are staying on site, try this place as we did, you will not be dissapointed, you are made very welcome and we stayed for drink at the bar afterwards.

I light of previous reviews, we were rather disappointed with a roast beef lunch for 4. The beef was ok, but the yorkshires and roast potatoes either were or were like Aunt Bessie's, not good home-made food. The wine was ok, but the "draught" guinness was poured from a can!!! Would not go back.

we visit Woll Golf Course annually and make sure we return to the Smiddy Bar during our visit.we have always had excellent service and the food is of a very high standard.once again this year was no exception with the owners maintaining their very high standards

Tiny place so traditional!! Owner is lovely and fish and chips on a Thursday evening are brilliant value!!!!!

This is such a lovely quiet place to eat. The server was welcoming and amenable. The portions were large but very well presented and tasted great. The desserts are a must. We got the sticky toffee pudding with ice cream and blackcurrant crumble with custard. Yum. We would definitely go back and would recommend this place to others.

We had a first visit for the Thursday night fish supper special - very light and crisp batter with perfectly cooked fish and chips. Surprised by some other reviews about this, as our fish and chips were very good, light as a feather, and good chips as well. Some mushy peas would have made it perfect! Wolfed the lot down as been out walking.Menu is traditional, we would visit again. Nice location and setting. Made welcome.

Only live 5 miles from Ashkirk passed the Smiddy many times and have always said to my wife that we should have a meal there. Well we did with 2 friends, great service, lovely atmosphere, locally sourced produce and very good menu. Well worth visiting.

We've lived in the central Borders for nearly 7 years and somehow never crossed the door of this restaurant - well, more fool us - what a lovely meal we enjoyed when we did go there. Authentic old smiddy ambience (although some of the 'tools' hanging from the ceiling looked pretty painful for the horses! ) Excellent range of food, and beautifully prepared. The dessert range (my speciality!) was mouth watering. We'll be back in short order -got to make up for lost time!

Three of us were staying at the Woll for five days golf. We wanted a last night meal out and, as we had seen the Smiddy on our way to and from the Woll, we decided to give it a go. We were not disappointed with either the meal, the warmth of the welcome of the pleasantness of the place and all very reasonably priced. If we are ever in the vicinity again, we will return.

Our usual restaurant could not take us so tried The Smiddy Bar & Restaurant at last minute. Had best fish and chips I have had for years, and sticky toffee pudding was superb. My wife had Sunday roast and this was served with lovely fresh vegetables which were cooked to perfection. All in all a really great meal, served by a very attentive host. This was our first visit but will certainly not be our last. I would thoroughly recommend The Smiddy to anyone looking for good, homemade, and honest food.

A lovely meal with fresh local produce, friendly staff and a nice setting.Have been for meals a few times and cannot recommended enough.

We went to the smiddy on a very rainy monday night and were the only customers and to be honest did not expect anything amazing but the service was quick and very pleasant. The food was very generous, I barely finished my enormous yorkshire pudding filled with sausage and gravy. For two people including drinks was £26!! Too full to have pudding but it was worth the visit.

I've recently returned from a holiday in the Scottish Borders and had dinner at The Smiddy six nights out of seven. On every occasion the food was terrific and the service exceptionally friendly and attentive. It's not like eating in a restaurant, more like being served in the comfort of one's own home. Difficult to think of anything that could be improved. My recommendations would be steak and ale pie or haddock and chips followed by chocolate brownie or ice cream crannachan. People who run an establishment like this deserve every success.

It is a nice place and nice managed by pleasant people. However, this is all about the food and you have to be honest with an opinion otherwise what is the point of those reviews. So, here is a an opinion as I would give to myself. We went for the special Thursday meal which was fish and chips at a decent sort of price that included bread and butter and tea, We threw in a plum crumble as an extra to finish off. So, fish was a lorra, lorra batter and not a lot of fish. Chips were chunky straight from the freezer and into the deep fryer. I have had a lot of fish suppers and this did not rank that high compared to the rest. The pudding was pretty poor at £4.95. Very stodgy and not much plum to be found. The service was great and very friendly. Hence the title to the review, I feel a it bad about the negative opinion but must be honest otherwise there is no point to this.

We popped in here at our toddlers' tea time and have never seem them demolish fish & chips and ice cream so fast. Friendly team and wonderful freshly cooked local food, a great find just outside Selkirk

Great choice for such a small place great use of local produce and a wonderful small local pub atmosphere :)

Visted sat 24/05/14 with two friends and what a find. We were made to feel very welcome. We all had steak kidney and mushroom ale pie with chips and veg and the meal was first class. The meat melted in your mouth! For seconds we had crumble and bakewell tart and again it was first class. We are all fussy eaters but we couldn't fault the Smiddy. If you are in the area please give it a try you won't be disappointed. Thanks to the Smiddy for a great meal. 5 star!

Just had great fish and chips - so light and tasty amazing - cosy pub - great service. Would recommend the pub - thanks

We did a bit of looking to find somewhere to eat on the 2nd Jan. They were pretty well booked, but made room for us and the food was excellent. I would recommend

husband and I had lovely evening meal . This is not the first time we have been. Everytime we have gone we have been impressed with the fresh cooked food .Amazing service from Phil.Very friendly and attentive. On this occasion I ordered Eyemouth battered fish. It was by far the best fish I have tasted in any restaurant.Lovely small family run bar and restaurantWell done to Gill and Phil. Keep up the good work

Shared a lovely meal here with the family. Fresh and cooked to perfection. Great choice for both adults and children. Staff very hospitable and really friendly. Great atmosphere. Cant wait to return.

We were looking for a good all round restaurant that sold good honest food and the Smiddy certainly fits the bill. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and I only wished I had room for dessert! The food was freshly made to order and served with a genuine interest in our enjoyment. Would we go back - definitely!

This is the third visit we have made at lunch time and on each occasion we have enjoyed a well presented and well cooked meal. Delicious! Cannot wait to return for a further treat.

Recently visited the restaurant with my in-laws and my kids and had a lovely meal. Good menu choice, I had the beer-battered haddock which was spot on and came with very tasty chips. Kids had sausage and chips and were very happy too. We were made very welcome and all left replete and happy, so a big tick from me!

Have visited this restaurant twice now. The first time, we stumbled on it on our way to somewhere else and decided to stop for lunch. An excellent menu selection with service by the owners being personal and professional. Second visit was very much planned! This restaurant offers an olde worlde charm which felt like an oasis from the hectic pace of the modern world. Good value for money with tasty food which appeared to be very much "home cooked" - harnessed with discreet service, this restaurant deserves to be visited time and time again.

The Smiddy is a nice little country pub with good food and friendly owners. examples of their menu include Borders lamb shank, beer battered fish and chips, vegetarian options, plus home cooked desserts and cakes. They do special on a Thursday at a very good price (fish, chips and peas, bread and butter and pot of tea), and have quiz nights which are very popular.

We has lunch at this small and friendly restaurant this afternoon and enjoyed traditional roast lamb which was very well prepared with some excellent vegetables. Roast potatoes were especially good! We rounded off our meal with cheese and biscuits and coffee, and with a drink each our bill for two was under £35. A pleasant restaurant which we will return to during our stay. Thank you.

This restaurant is a hidden jewel just of the A7 at Ashkirk (about 4 miles from Selkirk) and is well worth a visit. The menu contains something for everyone. The restaurant is well laid out and is traditionally Scottish. Most of the ingredients are locally sourced. The staff could not have been better. The service is impeccable, and the food is of a very high standard most of which is homemade. All of which are very reasonably priced. We were very impressed and recommend this restaurant as an eating place not to miss

Third visit to The Smiddy Bar & Restaurant, en-route to Edinburgh from the Scottish Borders. Situated in the village of Ashkirk on the A7 just outside Selkirk, this is a lovely clean small restaurant and bar. A warm welcome is guaranteed and the menu consists of good wholesome food with lots of choice. At lunchtime there is the special which on this occasion was fish and chips. To say the least, the fish was very fresh. Have never had a bad meal. Nice atmosphere.