Waterside in East Lothian

The secret of this fantastic restaurant is definitely the family who runs it.We have spent time over the last 15 years going to the Rocks in Dunbar when Jim was running the show along with James and Jack and now over the last few years James is in charge along with Mark. The new menu which was just in place was great. We had mussels and chicken to start with followed by the pork and duck leg main course.That would have been enough but just had to try a dessert which was selection of ice cream and sorbet and a crème brûlée and coffee.A nice well kept beer went well too.If we didn’t live 200 miles away we would be there most weeks so the round trip will have to be once a month,it’s that good. Thanks again guys.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍

Believe it or not the Waterside was recommended to us whilst in mexico in the summer. I would highly recommend this gorgeous waterside restuarant...staff were smartly dressed, service exceptional and the food was to die for..

The location of this restaurant is beautiful, our table was at a window looking out on to the river. Very friendly service, and food was delicious. Will definitely be back.

We went dining at the Waterside two evenings in a row. Nicely positioned on the river, with a beautiful view of the cathedral is also an excellent place for an afternoon beer when the Scottish weather allows is. Very good quality food, well cooked and tasty. The raws were clearly of excellent quality. The first night we got a broccoli and blue cheese soup, the grilled trout and the pork with a final creme brûlée. The second night we got a lasagna. Kudos to the owners and the staff for being able to create a very nice atmosphere both nights. Highly recommended.

What a great time we had. 4 generations of our family visited, we received a wonderful warm welcome, the service was excellent, the food was great, the atmosphere was spot on. We will be back!!

On a spur of the moment visit to Haddington and we were looking for a nice lunch. Spotted The Waterside on TA and we're delighted when we saw its location right by the river. We had literally just poked our heads in the door when a member of staff welcomed us in. A friendly way and asked if we would like to be in or outside. As the weather was nice we went for outside and when we were seated he sorted drinks for us and explained the specials and menu for us. Food arrived promptly and was very good. The menu has some unusual items and a great choice. The service from all the staff was great and friendly. Will definitely be back if we are in the area again.

We love this place, Staff are very attentive, Great Menu , Great Food and Great Location. It’s our first choice in Haddington for Dinner. Excellent.

What a marvellous surprise! The food, style, decor, atmosphere and service all exceeded our expectations. If you are in the area make this lovely restaurant top of your list of places to eat.

We really enjoyed our lunch here. The staff were very helpful and just the right balance between professional and familiar. We chose from the menu but the specials looked interesting too. Everything we had was well presented, cooked expertly and tasted great. The portion sizes were generous but one of our starters and one of our mains were bigger in quantity than the other. There was a good choice of good quality wine by the glass and not over priced either.

Great food. Great service and reasonable cost. Lovely surroundings. 1st visit and will definitely return. Highly recommend. ❤️

We decided for a quick stop family evening meal out and chose the Waterside Bistro. I’d been a few years before and remember it was great . This time with husband and son in tow we were very impressed with the very warm welcome and although quiet the atmosphere was warm, cosy and every single table had a lit candle on it making the place look very pretty and welcoming. The service was fantastic, we did not have to ask for anything. The table was so well prepared and within minutes of sitting down, a bottle of fresh water glasses, very fresh bread with butter was placed on our table. Drinks orders taken and we were given a full explanation of what was in the specials menus board. Before we even had our food my son says how impressed he was with the fabulous service. He’s never been taken care off at a restaurant before. Food ordered and came in around 15 minutes. Fabulous fresh and hot . We all thought the Fresh Haddock and Chips and the Fresh Smoked haddock with tender stem was delicious. Although my son lives in Glasgow he’s informed us his new favourite restaurant is defo the Waterside in Haddington restaurant and that’s where all our family is now to eat for birthdays . So thank you it truly was a wonderful evening and we will see you soon. TheHunter Clan from Oxenfoord Estate. 🥰👍🏼

We visited the Waterside on a Saturday night. Our table was in the Bothy Area which was very busy. The service was fantastic and our food was excellent. I had Seabass with Scallops and Shrimps (which was exceptional) and my wife had the Ribeye Steak, My Mum had the Battered Haddock (as usual). We had a fantastic night and will be back. Many thanks to James, Stuart and all the staff that helped us. Love this place.

Really tasty family lunch for my mums birthday. Menu and specials were great and we were all happy with our choices. The complimentary bread was delicious! Staff were helpful and friendly and brought my mum a wee cake and sang happy birthday. Lovely touch. Thank you. We will be back

A very warm welcome from the staff. A cosy atmosphere. Excellent food. We had Atlantic sea prawns, black pudding aranchine, followed by roast beef dinner and pork loin with haggis mash. All was enjoyed. Easy to book and to change booking on their app. Easy to park.

Joined friends for Hogmanay dinner . Mis sold what was advertised. No live music as in was another room which we couldn’t hear, no pipers at midnight as they got held up , bells brought in by another diner and countdown on her mobile phone! Food poor , plates cold, GF not catered for adequately. Did give feedback and received an apology but lots of excuses ie they couldn’t set up musician in communal hall area so all could hear the live music due to H&S ! I’d say they would / should have known that before advertising as part of the evening at £65/ head for an meal which included slabs of cold goats cheese with a few bits of greens added and shop bought meringues! I was also told they received lots of positive feedback which confirms an inequitable service between customers. We brought forward our taxi and left early as so disappointed. No offer to compensate despite being missold. I’ll never return given lack of really caring about our poor experience and I’d never recommend! Waiting staff pleasant.

This place has really gone downhill,comparing to when I was there in the Summer.Was very disappointed,poor quality and presentation.

I had a great meal here in the summer but last week I couldn't believe the difference in the food. The Christmas turkey dinner was awful. Nothing was good. Turkey was tasteless, roast potatoes were so overcooked it was hard to eat them, turnip was hard and veg was boring. The waiting staff are lovely but I wonder if they have a new chef who isn't very good.

I fully appreciate I should have said this in the restaurant and didn’t as I hate complaining. This was our third time here. 1st time was amazing, 2nd time was not great (a while ago), but we thought we’d try again. Tonight’s meal was honestly terrible. I’ll start with the positive. The restaurant is generally nice and cosy and the staff are nice too. My turkey was cooked well, and my partners main meal (the Plaice) was actually very good. Now onto the ‘not good’. Both starters were awful. My partner got a pear and blue cheese/walnut tart. This came as a shop bought pastry bottom, filled with cold raw pear, blue cheese and walnut. I’m sure most think this will be a cooked version (like what you see if you google this type of thing). My starter was the lamb breast which was honestly just a plate of fat, it was mostly inedible. I couldn’t even cut it never mind eat it. My main was the turkey which I said was cooked well, but the veg (turnip, carrots, peas and Brussels) were all just boiled, hard and cold. Not roasted, no flavour, and the turnip in particular was cold and solid. The glass on the table had a big lipstick stain from a previous user. And my partners pint was warm - like really warm. All in all this was just terrible and it’s such a shame as the place is lovely with respect to the atmosphere. Disappointing

First time back to the Waterside after a few years and it did not disappoint. A warm welcome and a super enthusiastic owner added real value to the occasion. The food was super and well priced. The log fired added the warmth to the snow outside. Will definitely return.

Ate last night after trudging round in the wet. Only in the town for one night, but dying to return. We walked in and the welcome from Stewart was fantasticly hospitable. Great menu, talked through with enthusiasm, the food was superb. There’s clearly a very talented chef here but all the staff were upbeat and cheerful. A lovely evening spent, thank you

We finished a winter’s walk in the Haddington area with lunch at The Waterside Bistro. Greeted and served by friendly staff. Our table looked out over the river and the old bridge with snow on the ground - idyllic. Though it was a light lunch of soup and pate it was delicious and perfect on a very cold day. We must do dinner here sometime soon.

Lovely location with attentive staff. Very cosy inside. I had the Guinea Fowl followed by the chocolate delice with espresso ice cream and I would recommend both

Well we had a fabulous time, fantastic food, service and if it wasn’t for Stewart lending us his glasses then we wouldn’t have been able to read the varied, well chosen menu. Perfect for the birthday lunch. Thanks Stewart 👏👏

i was last here about 30 years ago & so was delighted to see that it was still as good as ever. Generous portions of good scottlsh fayre & a good wine selection. we were lucky to find a table, so i would advise booking

What a location this is! Beautiful. (We deserve so much better in this town of 'disappointing pubs.) I've forgiven it a lot before, because I had a few adequate, then, a shockingly bad meal (lentils like grit) but that was elegantly dealt with by a round of free degestifs for the table. It is a rural area, so standards may be low. MY POINT HERE is the tables on the riverside area were so dirty (2 weeks age) that I can't even describe them. They stank of rot, decay, and mostly rotten food. The area under the tables had not been cleaned that day, by the look of the debris and rotting food. The seats were also very unstable, structurally. My previous visit was with a small dog. I was shocked to see that there were (small!) dogs ON TABLES in the upper part of the outside area. (That is disgusting - largely due to the fact that the outside tables appear NEVER to be cleaned, even when visibly utterly, utterly manky. I really like dogs. On ground level and reasonably quiet. I am aware that dogs rule open space at the current time. Please, please make this the place we deserve. Surely you will feel better for that, too?

Despite technical problems in the kitchen, we had a great meal from a limited menu, efficiently served with no fuss. It was busy early (pre-concert for us) but that did not seem to worry the staff at all, and it was definitely ££ rather than £££! We were very happy.

Well, what can we say? This place is FANTASTIC! From the courteous attentive welcome and service to the perfectly delicious meal, this place is a real gem. We are on holiday in Scotland and came across this lovely place after a walk by the river Tyne. AND to make it even more perfect almost all dishes on the varied menu were or could be made gluten free which one of our party was. HEAVEN! (I had GF fish and chips and my husband had the belly pork - both absolutely delicious) Do not hesitate to drop by here you will thank me later! A mention to the staff whose friendly, professional service were a credit to the Bistro. Well done guys!

Lovely view from front, superb food, great selection of drinks and very friendly attentive staff. Even made my doggo feel welcome with lots of fuss, water and treats 🙂 highly recommend!!.

After having spent a day at the National Museum of Flight myself and my partner were looking for a nice meal somewhere nearby before a long journey home. We came to Haddington in the hope of a pub meal that wasnt a carvery and was delighted to have something much lovelier here. Arrived just before 5.30 without a booking and we were seated immediately with very quick service from the wait staff and kitchen. We can recommend the potted crab and crayfish, confit chicken and cheesecake. Design of the menus was very sweet with illustrations of the Bistro. Really glad to have come upon this place and would return if ever in the area.

4 of us went to eat at this place. The sea bass fillets that are friends had looked good. The haddock and chips that we had was disappointing. We asked for breaded haddock. What we got was perhaps breaded, but it seemed to be breaded over a thick batter which we had to remove. Many years ago, I used to run a restaurant and the breaded fish was just that - a fine layer of breadcrumbs over the fish. The bottle of Picpoul de Pinet white wine was very expensive at 28 pounds. Rather than visit the Waterside Bistro gain we ate and drank far better and much more cheaply with friends at home.

Este es uno de los grandes secretos de Esocia. Altamente recomendable. He comido y cenado en varias ocasiones y en...

We enjoyed a lovely meal this evening. My husband described his steak as “magnificent, succulent, juicy, thick” I had a delicious starter from the specials board of salmon and prawn salad. It was so fresh and the smoked salmon melted in the mouth, as did...

We had a gorgeous meal - sea bass with white wine sauce was very tasty, steak beautifully cooked and a great beef burger. Desserts were also very tasty and the service was friendly and helpful.

Stopped here for lunch on our way down south yesterday. It was perfect. From the friendly, welcoming staff to the delicious food. My seafood platter was fantastic for only £15. Unlimited complimentary fresh bread and butter. We would come here every week if we lived...

Exceptional Evening 😀. From the greeting to the goodbye and the bit in between, totally faultless. The food was superb, beautifully presented and quality ingredients. Sadly the weather wasn’t good enough to sit outside and enjoy the marvellous view to the front of the building....

Stopped in for lunch here by chance on the way past and we were extremely impressed by everything. The menu, service and quality of food were all exceptional and we will definitely be back

Excellent service and food was superb. I had seafood hors d'oevres - it was very tasty and as a starter, the portion was very generous. Only negative - the seating was not comfortable - like sitting on a church pew.

We ate with a group of friends here last week. The was a small hiccup with number booked , should have been 9 not 7 but this was easily fixed with a genuine apology. There is a really good selection of food and definitely something...

Came highly recommended. Very busy when we arrived. Manager gave us a table in corner till our table was ready. Staff very helpful and attentive. Food was lovely, wine was too. Enjoyed our visit although expensive. Have enjoyed meals elsewhere for less.

Another enjoyable trip to the Waterside. We were looked after so well by the lovely James, who is the owner. Its the perfect spot to enjoy a meal and drinks in the sunshine, looking out to the river. We are so lucky to have this...

Fantastic lunch! Arrived on a wet summers day with our German Shepherd. We got there 15 minutes after lunch service finished, BUT, the chef stayed on to cook our lunch. The staff were friendly made a fuss of a large noise dog, nothing was too...

This place is an incredible find; fresh Scottish sourced products with a great choice on menu. Catered for gluten free need and the staff were surprisingly knowledgeable regarding the ingredients. So refreshing. Lovely modern menu catering to a wide taste and specials daily. Doesn't harm...

Went there with family and friends, lovely location, staff really good,food very good, will definitely go back soon hopefully

Service and food was exceptional! James was amazing! We sat outside by the water and watched the ducks. Beautiful location!

We were on our way back from our holidays in Scotland and after a six hour trip, we didn't expect to find such a gem of a restaurant nearby our hotel. Literally everything is good! From the excellent fresh food (I had fish, my husband...

This restaurant in situated in a lovely place, next river and church and has swans and ducks etc on the river. We were greeted as we arrived land sat outside to enjoy a lovely meal. The meal was delivered promptly and to a high standard....

Lovely location. Staff were friendly and attentive. Good variety of food choices Food was excellent, nicely presented, well cooked and delicious

Un établissement très agréable, au bord de l'eau, qui sert des plats très bons et copieux. Une ambiance décontractée imprègne...

We had lunch to celebrate a family Diamond Wedding. We had not informed the bistro of the special occasion when we booked but as soon as we told them they went out of their way to make it special. The food and drinks were excellent...

Food and atmosphere great. Excellent service made the experience very special. Best location in Haddington next to river.

gluten free bread option, was oatcakes, which numerous gf people cant eat oats either, we specifically asked for Alcohol free gin, and we got proper gin ! Starter of pheasant wrapped in bacon was overpowered by the over salty source, but the main offering of...

We had dinner here after being recommended by someone living locally. The service from booking to being served was first class and the menu was interesting making the choice quite a challenge. Pheasant and haggis starter and the chicken liver pate were excellent. Main courses...

I have been a fan for a while of the Waterside’s starters and last weekend they beat their best. A special mixed chicken with white pudding and other delicious flavours. It was a winner. Then, I had the special lamb breast with couscous. Again, a...

Lovely bar and restaurant. Probably the most welcome I’ve ever felt in all my travels. Good outside seating too with river views. Food, beer and staff absolutely outstanding. Cannot recommend highly enough. Thank you for a great lunch experience today.

Not been to the Waterside for some time, but were invited by family and are so glad we were. Arrived 1/2 hour early on a busy Saturday night, but our table was ready and waiting for us. We opted for the Salmond with whisky sauce,...

We had dinner in this charming old inn and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I had the confit duck and my husband had the roast beef. Everything was cooked to perfection and the service could not have been better - welcoming, friendly and very efficient. It...

We have been to this restaurant many times for lunch, dinner and drinks outside on warmer evenings. We are lucky, because we live in Haddington. Its lovely inside and out with great food, affordable wine list and the best service you will get anywhere. Whats...

Visiting the area and found this amazing bistro for something to eat. Lovely riverside location. Staff friendly and very helpful. Good choice on menu. Food well presented and large portions. Definate value for money. Will visit again when next in the area.

Fabulous find. Very cosy, romantic atmosphere and the food was 10/10. Service impeccable the staff really went above and beyond to accommodate us haven’t had service like that in a while. Highly recommend!

We arrived late for Sunday lunch without booking & were warmly welcomed & found a table. It was busy & vibrant. Service was excellent & the Sunday roast delicious & plentiful. The roast sirloin of beef was really full of flavour and I would highly...

Returned to Waterside after over five years for a birthday meal. Made a reservation - recommended for weekend - and wondered what it would be like after so many years. It was fantastic. Great choice from basic standards to exotica. All courses/meals had a wonderful...

Went here today for lunch, the food was delicious, great portions & loads of options. The waiting staff were fabulous, great customer service & although it was busy, didn't have to wait on food.

Family meal for my dads 80th. Stuart and his team could not have been more attentive. Food was excellent. Service was second to none. Thoroughly recommend the Waterside.

We were visiting family in Scotland from Barcelona at Christmas and had lunch here. Such a warm welcome, lovely decor and the food for fantastic. Would highly recommend. We'll be back.

We could not fault this restaurant from the minute we arrived until the minute we left. There was a lovely cosy atmosphere when we walked in. We were greeted with a lovely sincere warm welcome at the door. All the waiting staff were extremely pleasant....

We arrived without a booking but were warmly welcomed with our dog. We had a delicious Christmas lunch and even our dog Mabel had her own chair and plate. The food was delicious and the staff were absolutely delightful. We would highly recommend this restaurant...

I was here today with a large group. I am vegetarian and am used to being offered pasta with a salad while others get plates with all the trimmings. The veggie/vegan options were good, lovely veggie haggis bonbons with side salad, really nice cauliflower steak...

Came for Sunday roast but was disappointed in how small the portions were,there were yawning gaps on the plate. We all ordered extra veg plus a Yorkshire pud(which only comes with the beef) and once the charge for these had gone on it made them...

I try to visit this restaurant and bar anytime I’m in the area. Staff really value the customers experience being top notch and made effortlessly comfortable. The food is amazing including the specials. Best quality and experience you can get. Only 1/2 hour from Edinburgh...

Really great location by the river and superbly helpful and friendly staff. Sunday lunch was excellent with vegetables really well cooked and excellent beef. Chose a delicious but very filling posset as a dessert. Really nice venue- would strongly recommend

The food was very good. Service was just about average. Wine was brought to the table and plonked down in the middle. No one checked If it was ok. It came to coffee and dessert and we were told that nothing was available but filter...

yet another wonderful meal and service from the Waterside cannot recommend enough offered Gluten free and vegan options

I am a Coeliac and am over the moon to have found this gem! Not only is it in a beautiful setting it has the BEST GF fish and chips I have ever had! So much flavour and the batter was lush! Would highly recommend!

You definitely need to book, as the restaurant appears to be very popular. Good service, generous portions, we just thought the food tasted bland.

I have been many times before and the service has always been good. However, today I paid £8 for two draft cokes that were 3/4 full of ice. Then when paying the bill the manager wasn’t happy when I took two mints from a pot...

We had the most delighful time at this lovely restaurant. The setting is beautiful and the service superb. I would particularly like to mention our waiter, James, who went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and special (it was our wedding anniversary). The...

First visit to the waterside bistro and it will not be our last We sat outside with our two labradors today Had excellent service from the friendly staff They made us all welcome including the dogs who had water and biscuits The choice and food...

We visited on a busy mid week evening, great location right next to the river. Great staff all well presented & professional, the bread basket was filling in itself, we had a fillet & ribeye steak which was cooked to perfection with pepper sauce &...

Popped in here for lunch on a Monday, and had an excellent meal. The “Fish on Fire” with chilli in the batter was delicious, just enough heat to make it interesting, but not spoil the fish. The salmon and sea bass combo was nicely cooked,...

The restaurant has a beautiful setting next to the River Tyne; staff are extremely pleasant & the food was lovely - We visited on a Sunday & the roast beef was excellent, would certainly recommend.

Having visited this restaurant on numerous occasions, I feel that things have slipped a tad although very busy could do with a menu makeover.

Our party of 20 hungry golfers dined at The Waterside Bistro and had a fantastic meal. The selective menu appealed to everyone and was both delicious and plentiful. Absolutely first class service and highly recommended. we will definitely return.

As close to perfection as humans can manage. We enjoyed two fish dishes with a healthy range of roasted vegetables. We compliment the chef on an interesting vegetarian/vegan option - on another day we would choose it. We usually have a poor experience of vegan...

The first time visiting the Waterside Bisto for around 20 odd years! We were in Haddington for the Festival. I had haddock and chips which was probably the tastiest I have eaten for a long time! My wife had a cauliflower dish as a starter...

Had a lovely walk along the river and it was a lovely night so we decided to walk over the bridge and have a drink in the sun. We ended up having a meal which was delicious, it qaa a lovely evening and I would...

Just passing by on the way to Edinburgh my boyfriend chose this place from it being recommended on trip advisor as was nearby! Service was phenomenal, staff were so so friendly!! Local cider was amazing and the food…. Wow 😍 thank you so much 🙏

We have been coming here for 34 years apart from the hiatus when it changed hands. Now back in the family it is so good to have the excellent food, fantastic service and welcome the Waterside is so good for. It is our favourite restaurant...

Was taken here for my birthday. Couldn’t fault the service or food. Large portions. Everything very fresh. Perhaps the only annoying thing was the Muzak in the background, but it wasn’t too loud.

I recently visited the bistro for lunch after many years and I have to say I was not disappointed. The food was delicious, the service was great and the place is dog friendly. I enjoyed it so much I went back at the weekend with...

Just had the most wonderful lunch at The Waterside. James Findlay you and your staff never fail to provide the best food and service. We'll be back soon! Thank you. Cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. 💜🥂💜

We had dinner at the Waterside for my brother in law and his wife's 47th wedding anniversary - it was a really delightful evening, with excellent service and really good food, chosen from quite a small but well chosen menu cooked with fresh ingredients. We...

We had been here before and it was excellent. Came back again with partner’s mum who was up on holiday. We were sat upstairs in a completely empty part of the restaurant (when there were tables free downstairs). As such, there was zero atmosphere. We...

We booked for Mother’s Day this year and were rewarded with a fantastic evening. From start to finish we were well looked after and the service was quick and efficient. All meals were cooked perfectly including four steaks for mains. One of us had the...

This was the first time we had visited the Waterside Bistro since Covid and it was a delight. Lovely friendly service, an interesting menu and a good well-priced wine list. The superb Riverside setting in this lovely market town 30 minutes from Edinburgh is ideal...

We booked the Room upstairs at the Waterside Bistro for a Funeral tea today . Was outstanding. The staff were so courteous and helpful. The soup was homemade and piping hot ..just what we needed. Tasty sandwiches bulging sausage rolls delicious shortbread and tablet all...

Superb food. Lovely setting. Pleasant ambience. Professional and friendly staff. I thank their chef and his team for a truly wonderful, tasty lunch today - Valentines Day. My dog joined us and sat quietly under the table. We appreciate good quality food and that is...

Quite a busy evening for a Sunday in January. Staff were welcoming and attentive and the food was excellent. Couldn’t fault the service, and we will be back!

We went to the Waterside the week before Christmas. The welcome was wonderful, with the owner and his staff kind and thoughtful with all of their attention given to their guests. The food was extremely good and well priced. It was a little quieter due...

I had fish and chips it was amazing i tried my mums pork belly it was lovely I already thinking of coming back and I tried the mussels they were fantastic thanks see you again

We were looking for a late lunch Wednesday afternoon and Hubby's Mum had been here a few years ago with her late husband so it was sentimental We arrived, given a lovely warm greeting making us feel the gentleman was grateful we were giving him...