Thomson's At The Castle in Scottish Borders

Stayed here on tues 28th May great expierance We phoned late in the afternoon to ask if they had A room available for that evening, thankfully, they did We were well looked after by the gentleman on reception who really was excellent, and Really helpfull our room was spotless and very quiet no outside noise but the real Highlight of our stay was the breakfast whilst it was a buffet all the produce was of a high quality and piping hot Nothing was dried out Full marks to the breakfast team probably the best buffet breakfast we have had For many a long time On checking out there was a discrepancy with our bill someone had put drinks on our room number however yet again, the lady on reception dealt with the issue Without any fuss In conclusion we really enjoyed our visit and will stay there again Well done team

Really enjoyed the food here. I had the steak & Ale pie the first night and the beef fillet the next. Large portions 😁 Service was excellent , staff very friendly. I would highly recommend the food! Coming back again soon!!

Loved the food in this restaurant - I had lobster the first night and sea bream the second - both delicious. Overall - quality ingredients, good ambiance, excellent service 10/10

Very enjoyable evening, all round nice place with friendly helpful staff. Food was well presented, slightly limited menu which was fine for us. Nice interior.

This is the restaurant in the Barony Castle Hotel so as we were staying there, we dined there, too. The food is very well presented and very tasty. Cooking your own steak on a lava stone is an experience. The menu is fairly extensive and offers a wide choice.

Excellent bar meal at the Blue Dug Bar.I had the chicken korma which was really nice, wife had the chicken burger which again was really nice. Service was spot on.Temperature checks at reception and all staff wore face masks.This was our first time here, will definitely be back.

Thoroughly enjoyed our meal at this restaurant. Food was excellent from starter to dessert. I had Cream of Mushroom soup which was served piping hot just as I like it, my partner had the mussels which he said were good. The steak on a stone was a fun experience you cook your own steak on a larva rock, delicious. My partner had Salmon with pasta. Next dessert which I couldn’t eat as I was so full but my partner had the lemon tart. Would definitely go back for dinner even if I wasn’t staying in the Castle.

Looking at the reviews re the food at the Barony Castle Hotel, I can only assume the evening I had a meal was an off night. Starter was ok, smoked mackerel, but felt it wasn't really worth the cost of it. My husband's mushrooms were nice. Husband's pork main course was nice and he enjoyed it however the salmon and pasta I had was the most tasteless dinner I have eaten in a long time. And I felt that the sauce for the pasta was so nondescript I could hardly finish it. I was quite disappointed. Then the pudding. Both opted for the iced orange and Drambuie parfait. What came wasn't a parfait, I couldn't actually get the spoon through it as it was brick hard. When I did it was shattered over the plate and tasted of nothing really. I have never sent food back but I had to this time. I didn't get a replacement. I have to say the waiter was extremely nice and we didn't get charged for the desserts, although my husband did persevere with it, and they also took the cost of the drinks from our bill. The restaurant is really nice, albeit the air con was quite cold but I am not a fan of air con. I was disappointed sadly as I think the Barony Castle hotel is impressive and I was really looking forward to it. Might try a lunch there to see if it was just a blip in my visit this time.

This restaurant inside The Barony Castle Hotel is nicely furnished and has a pleasant ambiance. The menu was limited however you are able to order from the Bar Menu which does help to give more variety. The food is well cooked and nicely presented.The Staff are particularly pleasant. This restaurant is probably the best part of TheHotel. ..pity the chef doesn’t do the breakfast buffet ( it was awful ).

Partner and I had a lovely two night break at The Barony Castle hotel, upgraded to a Prestige room with breakfast and it was fantastic!The food in the 1536 restaurant was absolutely brilliant and the walks round the ground, including the Map of Scotland were very pleasant and peaceful. Loved the break and would definitely return.

Was quite excited to treat ourselves to dinner here as the menu looked great. I ordered the trio of game- duck, rabbit and pigeon and the waitressed said that the duck and pigeon could be cooked rare but thought that the rabbit was slow cooked and didnt think this was possible. I was very happy with this as I eat a lot of game and understand the perils of cooking rabbit loin quickly!The food arrived and the duck meat was an inexplicable grey colour and the pigeon was like shoe leather. The rabbit was watery somehow. The saving grace should have been the red wine jus but it had split and tasted like vinegar. So for >£20 I was a bit dissapointed.I ordered some onion rings to nibble on and they looked suspiciously like frozen breaded onion rings rather than fresh cooked.Same for the churros - they looked like the ones you buy from asda frozen section with a filling inside them. Perfectly tasty but not really what you might expect from a professional chef...Other customers seemed very pleased with the steaks which you cook yourself on a hot stone - so many were being ordered in fact that the whole room was quite smoky. We also had breakfast here the next day and it was rather uninspiring... the fruit was mostly tinned type things and the cooked options didnt include lorne sausage or haggis which surprised me in a scottish traditional type hotel.

We ate here both nights we stayed at the barony Castle. The prawn cocktail was really tasty and cooking on the lava stones was good fun, a new experience for us and made our steaks taste amazing. We also had the lunch deal with huge portions, and a good choice of food on the menu, would highly recommend.

Ot alot I can say except simply amazing. Food cooked to perfection. Hats off to the chef. We dined twice here as well as breakfast,all being beautiful

Had a meal here recently while staying at Barony Castle Hotel.Have to say the food and service was excellent. Surroundings are very nice and staff helpful and friendly. Its not cheap but portions are generous. Quality of the food would make me happy to return.

Over 2 days we sampled various dishes from the menu and every meal was delicious. The ingredients were superb quality and cooked to perfection. The theatrics of cooking your own steaks on the lava stone was fabulous, cutting the raw meat into pieces is a work out though but the taste was sublime.

Visited for lunch twice recently. Once with my wife to assess the place before using it for lunch with a number of friends.

We had dinner at Thomson's last night whilst staying at the hotel, the staff were outstanding and provided excellent service throughout the evening, no complaints at all, I had the sirloin steak served on the hot lava rock, cooked to perfection, by me! highly recommended!!

We had the lobster risotto for starters, this was well presented and very tasty. We then had the steak on the stone, this was excellent, the fillet was very tender and fresh. Excellent choice of salts/butters and sauces to accompany the steak...unfortunately we were too full for a desert. The service was polite and prompt, all the staff were friendly and helpful, the restaurant was quite busy for a Monday which speaks for itself.

Yo cenamos en Tomson en el Castillo de y estoy bastante inexperto en restaurantes encontró inmediatamente de leer el menú que creo que sería difícil encontrar algo que me gustó. Conseguimos un pescado que sabía bastante bien, pero podía haber sido más verduras y salsa. El servicio ejemplar y buen ambiente. Así que en general fue una buena experiencia.

The service was great, we had starters and went for the steak on the lava stone, which was fun. Choose your salt, butter and sauce and cook your steak. I thought the meal was good value for money. Great venue, very relaxing

Este es un encantador restaurante, pero asegúrese de sentarse en la planta baja que dan a los jardines. El servicio es bastante bueno, pero sospechamos de nuevo jóvenes Uni camareras. Muy atentos, pero no muy hábiles. La comida es muy diferente. Muy bien hecha y presentada. Las entradas diferentes eran buenas y los dos filetes de lenguado bastante delicioso. Perfecto para una noche caliente de verano. Los vinos también eran excelentes y muy bien de precio. Nuestro sorbete y postres merengues eran abundantes y suaves.

Tenía en piedra esta noche. streak . . . . Fue increíble! ! ! ! Gran calidad de la carne, la salsa de queso azul que era excepcional y otros acompañamientos perfectamente complementado. Sin duda recomendaría si te alojas aquí x

Mi marido y yo pedimos los calamares para empezar y me pareció un poquito gomosos y decepción al ver una piscina de grasa en la parte inferior. Todos ordenados filetes para principal y todos estaban un poco cocidas.

Nos alojamos recientemente en el Barony Castle por dos noches y en ambas noches tuvimos nuestra cena en Thomson en el hotel. Esta fue una gran experiencia con la elección en el menú, la decoración del comedor, la atención prestada por el personal y el ambiente general de "buena" la naturaleza del comedor. Todo el personal de la llegada nos encontramos en hasta que nos fuimos después de una estupenda comida era agradable, servicial y atento, sin exagerar. Nada era demasiado problema y tenían un buen conocimiento cuando cualquier preguntas al respecto del menú. La primera noche comimos fuera del menú principal la cena, y hay una gran variedad donde elegir. La comida estaba bien presentada y todo estaba perfectamente preparado. En nuestra segunda noche descubrimos una opción saludable unas cuantas páginas pasado el menú principal de la cena y nos decidimos por un cambio a la orden de dicha sección. Este fue probablemente debido al hecho de que la cena del día anterior era muy abundante. noches Esto también fue una buena decisión ya que esta comida era diferente y se sirve de nuevo muy bien. Otra excelente opción y todo perfectamente presentado. Cuando volvamos a Barony espero comer en Thomson de nuevo. Como he dicho al personal cuando nos íbamos el comedor después de la cena fue una de las mejores comidas que he tenido durante muchos años visitando hoteles de todo Escocia. Yo también decía en este a la recepcionista cuando nos salimos de la propiedad en finalización de nuestra escapada. Espero que el elogio fue transmitida a todo el personal afectado. Todos ellos se lo merece.

Estamos alojados en el castillo barony y cenamos en el Restaurante esta noche de Thomson. Fue increíble, delicioso, maravilloso servicio, fuera de este mundo

We ate here after a lovely visit to Barony castle. Food was great and booked for an evening meal on arrival at the hotel, service was also excellent. Only downside is we did contact the restaurant directly via email prior to our stay and did not get a response. So my advice would be to contact the hotel directly before you stay to book into the restaurant.

We were very impressed with the wide range of dishes on offer. We don't eat red meat, so the steaks were not for us but there was still so much to chose from! I l absolutely loved the additional Healthy Options Menu, why don't more restaurants do this?Chef Thomson really knows his profession and is offering such a great variety of food styles that there really in something here for everyone, even the health conscious. The food was delicious; it's terrific to find a restaurant that appreciates that healthy food doesn't have to be bland or boring. So if your partner wants a big fat juicy steak and you feel like having a freshly cooked poached salmon wish lashings of delicious fresh veggies this is the place for you! Can't wait to go back.

Amazing food and service. The staff were extremely professional and courteous. The food was well presented and generous portions

Could not fault the presentation of the food we ordered great selection in restaurant and in the friendly bar so comfortable and relaxing friendly staff and terrific chef ,, our wee Spanish waitress was very attentive and our barman certainly were happy to wait on us ,

Popped in for lunch - waited, waited and waited then we got a table. It was quiet and I guess the staff were busy elsewhere. We waited again then got up and walked out. No one realised. It shouldn't be that difficult to get drinks and give an order. Can't say what the food was like as we didn't get that far! Meh! Won't be back.

Fantastic meal in relaxed setting. Very good choices on menu at reasonable prices. Waiting staff very helpful while making decision about what to have to eat. I had the butternut squash risotto which was extremely tasty and would highly recommend it.

Warm and friendly staff greeted us on entering following an impressive drive through the grounds.The checking in process was effortless and we were quickly on our way to our room which was vast with stunning views away from the front of the hotel towards the Moorfoot Hills.The fresh fruit and chocolate covered strawberries were very well received !The bar staff were friendly and the prices reasonable with a good selection of beers, wines and spirits (especially whiskey).Dinner was was in the hotel restaurant "Thomson's @ the Castle" and didn't disappoint. Fantastic to say the very least. The award winning head chef Willie Thomson, prides himself in sourcing the very best produce from the surrounding areas whenever possible and it was blatantly obvious that he takes great pride from preparing it and presenting it to do it justice. This passion also filtered through to the waiting staff who were professional and attentive throughout service.The menu was varied, with a good choice of vegetarian and healthy options with a wine list to match. I would rate Thomson's @ the Castle higher than the 5 stars if possible.I didn't have time to make use of the leisure facilities but they did look impressive.On the down side, some of the decor in the passageways was tired and in need of freshening up, but to be fair, plans for a revamp are in the pipeline.Overall, I wouldn't hesitate in coming back to this wonderful 16th century building and the fact that I would recommend it to my nearest and dearest should say it all.Thank you.

Booked our Anniversary dinner for me & my wife and weren't disappointed.From the starters, fantastic mains and desserts, all were very well presented and were delicious.A hidden gem of a restaurant with great service from the staff.Very relaxing atmosphere within a very stylish setting.A wee bit pricey but for the quality of food it was well worth it.

Had dinner in Thomson's on one of our nights at the hotel. The food is well cooked and well presented and delicious. Very good variety of locally sourced meat, fish and vegetables. The staff are extremely attentive.

I stayed at the Barony Hotel for 2 nights. The food was amazing. Three course dinner the first night then a 5 course dinner for my birthday. Each course was a gastronomic delight. It's great to see traditional, local produce cooked to perfection.

We had 4 breakfast and 2 dinners here. Food and service excellent every time. Very pleasant relaxing lower dining area overlooking the garden. There is a healthy eating Good Life menu. Food on this menu was excellent as was from the main menu.

Excellent restaurant set with the Barony Castle Hotel. Extensive menu with focus on locally sourced ingredients/ produce and quality, guaranteed to offer something for everyone's taste. Generous portion sizes, with food fresh and exceptionally tasty. Great service from attentive staff. Only downside was the wallpaper hanging off the walls, but looks like that is in hand with refurb works taking place in hotel, certainly not enough of an issue to spoil a great meal.

Having eaten in the Blu dug bar the previous night, we thought the restaurant would be a treat for us. Service by some of the service team was comical at times but that another reviewers story. Whilst the mains of Healthy salmon option was ok, the Piece of salmon used was not bone free. The main of corn-fed chicken although nice moist chicken, the black pudding lacked depth of flavour, while the sun dried tomato crushed baby potatoes and lemon butter sauce, is the wrong option, as the butter makes the whole meal greasy, again lack of flavour was there unless you found a sundried tomato. Food needs to be flavoursome not over seasoned, have a look at the options available with regards the items used, please.

We had an excellent evening meal here on our break down in the Borders. The restaurant was a surprising redeeming feature of what was otherwise a very mediocre stay in a hotel that needs to get its act together a bit. I had a beautifully cooked rib-eye steak and my fiancée had duck - the produce used is clearly fantastic. The wine list was fairly priced and we enjoyed a lovely bottle of Italian red. Service in the restaurant was great and these staff are a credit to the hotel, really showing up the rest of the service around the hotel to be awful. It is a nice extra perk that Accor Le Club Platinum members get 10% off food and drink, although reception were reluctant to honour this when we checked out - perhaps due to their ignorance of the programme.

I stayed at the castle recently and had a three course Evening meal here and it was one of the best meals I have every had . Just pity on the error on the bill what differed from the prices on the menu . But this was sorted and refunded but I surely can't fault the chef on the food due to this mistake . Highly recommend just double check bill .

We had a great family meal. The staff were very helpful and efficient. Good choice on the menu with the food being tasty and good sized portions. The castle itself is beautiful with an interesting history so stay and enjoy it.

As said in hotel review, we cannot fault this restaurant in any way.Attentive staff,beautiful ambience and fantastic food! We had a three course meal and expected the tiny portion type meal.Not what we got, all courses we perfectly proportioned and the tastes were unbelievable! We left feeling full, but not stuffed.The menu was varied, worth a look at website to see the choices.Our congratulations to the chef and team.The food was the highlight of our stay.

We recently visited Barony Castle for a lovely family meal. From our welcome as we entered the hotel, to our orders being taken, meals being served and to our taxi being arranged to take us home, we thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the evening.The staff who served us (Taylor, Donnie and Johnny) were attentive and polite, checking in with us at appropriate times to ensure we were happy with our food and had enough drinks etc. The food was absolutely delicious and great care was taken in the preparation and presentation of our meals, as well as the cooking to each individuals' specific requests. Especially appreciated considering the restaurant was busy. We felt like we had been celebrating a special occasion and not just the casual dining evening we had planned. We will most definitely be back! Many thanks to the Head Chef and his team and the rest of the Barony staff on duty for a truly wonderful meal from starter to our relaxing nightcap in the hotel bar!

The staff were welcoming and the food was excellent. Being on split levels, the steps may present a problem to those with walking difficulties, especially when collecting breakfast items.

Really good food served at both dinner and breakfast and despite being busy very quick service .compliments to both chef and waiting staff.

This was another meal added to our great meals in scotland,tasted and looked surperb,could not find a fault with our starter,main or pudding and service was great to.

had dinner here and thought that it was ok but lacked a little atmoshere.The food was OK and the menu had a good selection. Prices were average for the standard. not certain I would return for a meal but the drinks were well priced.

We had lovely food and great service here. The Thai prawn and crab salad starter was outstanding and the breakfast had local produce which makes a difference. Lovely place

Excellent service and food - both for dinner and for breakfast.The fish course was especially good.

On 5th November, my husband, myself and two very good friends thoroughly enjoyed an evening meal at the Blue Dug. The choice of courses was excellent and everything was beautifully presented and piping hot. The staff were very pleasant and eager to please. It all made for a very enjoyable evening. Thank you.

Enjoyed a fantastic meal in the Blue Dug restaurant on 2/11/14. The menu was very good, there were several dishes we liked the sound of. The food was good quality, extremely tasty and well presented. The service was excellent too. Good value for money, and we definitely plan to return.

Regrettably, I have to report that I was made extremely unwell by eating in the Blue Dug Restaurant experiencing classic food poisoning symptoms for 8-9 days afterwards. I cannot be certain whether the problem arose from the Chicken & Black Pudding dish I had for main course or the Meringue/Ice Cream dessert which tasted quite raw (eggs). Service was not unfriendly but it is difficult to look beyond the nightmare that followed I'm afraid.

My friend and I were the only two people in the place - finally got served. Coffee and water for starters - waited and waited - had to go looking - finally coffee - no milk. More waiting - more looking, going to Reception for someone to go looking - finally milk to go in my stone cold coffee, served up with colder carrot and coriander soup (the bread roll was very nice and the hottest thing on the table). Very, very disappointing as came highly recommended - can't even use being busy as an excuse.

Fantastic food, delicious, cooked to perfection, excellent service, would definitely recommend and return

This was an excellent restaurant; pleasant surroundings, very attentive and efficient service, and most of all superb and beautifully presented food.

we had our breakfast in here for two mornings. Must say one of the best breakfasts we have had at all the places we have stayed at. the staff are very friendly and helpful and well mannered and polite.

Great food, choice of usual cooked breakfast and also a menu choice, I had eggs Benedict, yum ! Dinner is also good, attentive staff !

A party of 42, we were unfortunate to be seated down in the lower restaurant some of the time. If ever a windowless room needed something other than dark brown (or dark purple?) walls, this is the one. If you had the far corner seat, you couldn't see the food. The less nippy in our group found the stairs down difficult.The first night of 4, service was very slow. On the whole, the food was satisfactory considering that 42 had to be served at the same time. The staff had no system and after taking orders, wandered about from table to table with the choices, trying to find the hungry guests, not having made a note of who had ordered what on which table.One dish was strange - half-cooked potato slices topped with salmon and 5 asparagus tips baked in foil. The next night, asparagus soup was on offer. One of our party couldn't stop coughing and my husband was fishing coarse fibres out of his soup. They'd obviously used the tough remains of the asparagus, but hadn't sieved it, as I would at home. We called a waitess over and complained. She returned and said, "It's the asparagus!".On the whole, I enjoyed the meals very much and the local fare was very interesting and tasty.

Very pleased we grabbed a dinner bed and breakfast deal here. Everything very good. Food good you make your own toast at breakfast which means you can have it hot. Service good special mention for Taylor who sorted us out with strong coffee.

Having booked an overnight stay through itison on a sunday evening we were delighted with the selection available at the blue dug restaurant. The service was wonderful and staff very attentive. The starter of haggis was excellent and I wish I knew how to make the mashed potatoes! This was followed by duck and then strawberry surprise meringue. My other half enjoyed the sweet potatoe and lentil soup followed by the chicken and sticky toffee pudding. Drinks were very reasonable and we throughly enjoyed our experience!

Drove down from south Edinburgh in about 20 mins , had to do a double-take when driving through the grounds , yes it was a field of llama . The dining areas were spacious.Food was good , portion size about right . Ambience was laid back but not to the detriment of service. Price was what you would expect.

Lovely place to stay, staff are so friendly and helpful, will go out of their way to make you feel welcome, cant recommend it enough. Fresh, vibrant and always willing to help.. been to other hotels and none are as happy to help with issues or concerns as the barony...A young team but very mature. Credit where credits due.. No place is perfect and i most certainly will go back :)

Visited Barony castle as part of a 2 night DBB package. We had a £23 per person allowance towards our evening meal on both nights so we took complete advantage of this, leaving not a penny to spare!Booking - Make sure you book at time for your meal as it is very busy when the hotel is full.Starters - Soup was very good. Haggis balls and mashed tatties comprised of 5 rather small deep fried balls of haggis. Although tasty enough, portion was way too small and probably cost less than £1,as opposed to the £7.95 they charged. Get the soup if you want a starter.Mains - Salmon was delicious. A very generous portion with salad and potatoes. The Chicken Bang Bang was good too. A tangy chilli flavour and good portion. Fish and chips was fresh and the fish was huge. Only down side of this was that it was served in a horrible wicker basket. We noticed this on the first night so when we ordered it on the second night we asked for it on a plate. Saw a couple of other people asking for it to be put on a plate after struggling to get into it. Think the scampi and burger came in the baskets too, which to us, likens the food to pub grub. But we made sure we got our money worth and also ordered onion rings and garlic mash. Generous portions again.Dessert - Only had 1 dessert over the 2 nights. Asked for raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake but got strawberry cheesecake. Would normally complain if I got the wrong thing but it was good so just ate it. All in all, a nice meal which we enjoyed.

Would have been a great steak meal however the steak was overcooked, medium was more like well done. Presentation was good with the exception of frozen onion rings on a £28 meal without drinks. Staff were friendly but didn't really know the menu.

Have already written 2 excellent reviews for this hotel but felt I needed to comment on our most recent visit as it was very disappointing compared to our previous visits. Booked for dinner in Blue Dug to celebrate our anniversary, on arrival they knew nothing of our reservation. Last time we came to Barony Castle there was a similar problem but we gave them the benefit of the doubt. Managed to seat us, one of us had sirloin steak which was £25 and quite grisly, portion size was a let down for the price. Dessert was nothing special, one of us had the smallest creme brûlée ever at £5.25. Hoped for better value for money than this. Service just ok. Won't hurry back :(