Waterwheel Cafe in Scottish Borders

Visited here for lunch with the kids whilst on holiday in the area. Friendly & welcoming staff and the food and drinks we had were really tasty. The coronation chicken baked potato was delicious and we all had cakes too which were lovely. It gets really busy and can see why. Definitely recommend!

I brought my elderly parents here for a light lunch. My Mum has mobility issues and the cafe was easily accessible for her due to a handy ramp to bypass the steps. The menu choice was great, and the choice of home baked goods excellent! We all thoroughly enjoyed what we had (the German apple cake was a particular favourite). The interior is very bright and comfortable, and the outdoor seating areas are a great addition for those with dogs. All the staff were so friendly and welcoming. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit - thank you!

From the moment you walk into the Waterwheel Cafe you are greeted by a friendly staff member who escorts you to your seats. There are plenty of seating spaces to choose from including outdoor seating. The chefs are well-known in the community and offers a variety of great food options, taking into account any food allergies that you may have. The menu is updated regularly and staff are very attentive. The Waterwheel Cafe is located on a familiar route for daily visitors, tourists, and families. There is even a museum style exhibit which features local attractions.

Had a wonderful lunch at the Waterwheel Cafe with my husband and would totally recommend it for a great choice of soups, salads and the most delicious cakes and sweet treats. A good spot with both indoor seating and outdoor space for dog walkers and cyclists. Although busy, the service was prompt and attentive and I'm looking forward to returning soon for more delicious treats.

Had a great lunch again at the Water Wheel. Staff are always friendly and helpful. Lovely surroundings and consistently good food. The decked area is perfect on a warm sunny day.

On holidays from Ireland with my kids and dog and came across this Café, what a lovely spot, Magnificent scenery and food to die for, especially Prawn Marie Rose sandwich and to follow German Apple pie, Amazing!! I wish I could visit everyday. Staff so friendly and my dog was delighted with the little treats he got. And as I was leaving I picked up some gifts to bring home from their gift department, such a great idea.

It was great to find a cafe so welcoming and dog friendly too!! There was plenty of space outside and lots of benches to choose from. Lots of the staff came over and made a fuss of my dog, which was lovely to see how welcoming and dog friendly they were. Also had a bonus of a great walk right beside the cafe. I highly recommend the homemade cheesecake it was outstanding!! I'll have to take some photos next time. Such a chilled, lovely atmosphere. Will definitely be back soon, couldn't fault a thing. It is a beautiful place to visit, especially for those looking for somewhere to eat with a dog.

We went today for mum's birthday lunch the food and service was excellent would highly recommend. Also the cakes are delicious

I'm often in Scotland visiting family...I live on the outskirts of London. I love this place, it's become a regular "thing" to have lunch here on every visit . Food is always great, views are lovely ( always seems to be sunny) and what makes it so special are the super friendly staff.... can't wait to come again....

Have reviewed before after our first visit some years ago. It is now a favourite place to go for lunch. Lynn and her staff are always welcoming and friendly. The food is consistently good and always fresh. We only have a main course and so can’t comment on the baking but it looks impressive. Very fairly priced. It is always busy at lunch time and so perhaps best to book.

Excellent and efficient service from Clemency. We had delicious cakes and drinks in great surroundings.

Always good food and a friendly welcome here. Food is fresh and has that home made feel which I love. I have no hesitation ringing visitors here as it's one of the best cafes in The Borders. Smoked Cheese and Cauliflower soup was first rate!

Absolutely wonderful place! the staff are outstanding! the food was all home cooked, fresh and delicious! my elderly mum (92) is in a wheelchair and Michelle went out of her way to welcome her! and even found mum a cushion for her back. A customer first approach is always refreshing! I would advise you to book this little gem! it fills up fast and with good reason!

Terrific place to eat at any time of day. Always busy so I advise you to book. All food is home made and delicious.

My daughter and I had lunch here. Cannot fault the place, the food and the staff. The young girl was welcoming, knowledgeable about the menu and generally pleasant and helpful. The food was delicious - fresh, hot and well presented. The cake and hot chocolate were also delicious. The cafe is spacious, well set out, clean and comfortable. All the staff were pleasant, friendly and helpful. Reasonably priced and a great selection of both meals and cake. Cannot fault the place and will 100% be back, thank you

Half a dozen of us popped in here while out a bike run in the Borders. Parking was easy as there is plenty space. We were shown to a table in the shade on the veranda (it was sunny and 30 degrees) and given menus as soon as we were settled at the table. Our food and coffees / teas were brought to the table within a few minutes by a very friendly waitress who seemed genuinely interested in where we had been. Although this was a coffee stop we intend on dropping in again soon for some lunch next time.

Took our two granddaughters for lunch. Hot chocolate with marsh mallows a huge success! My quiche was ‘yummy’. Very pleasant staff and reasonably efficient production of lunch. Do I recommend - yes would I return absolutely.

Fanatastic service, staff were friendly and helpful. Coffee and cheesecake tasted amazing would highly recommend it here

I prefer to end on a positive, therefore I’ll start with the negative. I waited 30 minutes on cake, when queried, a waiter came to tell me my order was ‘out’ and waiting to be brought to us! Can’t understand why he couldn’t have brought with him, rather than making his way to our table to tell us it was coming. We eventually gave up and left without having cake. The place is very poorly organised, with staff running around like headless chooks. A bit of restructuring is definitely required and more definitive roles given to staff. We observed a bottle neck of staff behind the counter, more time and effort was given to them avoiding each other than filling orders. On a positive note, our main course was delicious and very well presented. Staff were lovely and the place was spotlessly clean Time is of the essence for most people, certainly for us as we had a long trek home and a 30 minute delay can make a difference. Because of the delay, I am giving 2*

Uses fresh produce from the local walled Garden (when available). Outstanding baking - try the scone of the day. Coffee is very good

Since its upgrade the café is very spacious, light and airy with opportunities for sitting outside on two faces of the building. Altogether, the best place in the Scottish Borders for really tasty gluten free cakes.

Friendly staff, we were welcomed warmly right away. Beautiful cafe, wood and glass. Outdoor area. Very clean.

Stopped here for a coffee this week. We were quickly shown to our table, but had to wait some considerable time before the order was taken. It wasn't as if it was busy. The alone and coffee was fine. There was plenty of choice onbthe...

Simply delicious cafe. Warm welcome and friendly staff serving excellent food. Well worth a visit. Recently extended to hold more people but with plenty of space between the tables.

Came here for a light lunch. Staff very friendly, service efficient. Soup was tasty. Loos were spotless. Didn't have any cakes but they looked very tempting. Would happily recommend and come back here.

Love the waterwheel so friendly and can’t do enough for you I come a lot with my little baby staff are so helpful, coffee amazing, scones are yummy.

This cafe has been extended since the last time we visited and has been done in an almost seamless style. Open and spacious with lots of natural light and blonde wood. The style is minimalist and the lines clean. Very good coffee is served here...

We stayed nearby for a week, and discovered this gem on the first day, returning every day thereafter for morning coffee and a scone. Best coffee anywhere. But oh! The scones! The scone menu changed daily - fruit, cranberry, cheese, gingerbread, carrot…. Always three kinds...

Called in for lunch today, lovely friendly staff and a very nice lunch. Will definitely return next time we are passing.

Stopped off here after a walk. We just had drinks and cakes. The selection of cakes was excellent and the ones we chose were very good. The cafe itself was very nice and the staff friendly.

After a riverside walk on a sunny Sunday morning this was a welcome pit-stop; and by the time we arrived back home at the end of the day we were still talking about how good it was! The staff were friendly, the scones were extra...

Excellent cafe, nice staff, nice location and good menu. Also a good walk there too with access to the small stream for dogs to enjoy a swim

Had a lovely lunch today, nice weather so managed to eat outside. Menu choice was good - macaroni and chicken Caesar wrap both very tasty and filling. No room for cake at time but took 2 away and enjoyed later in the day. Will definitely...

Stopped of for lunch this afternoon on our way back from St Mary’s Loch and what a great decision it was. The place is some homely, welcoming and the staff were so polite, helpful and friendly, as for the food, wow amazing, my wife had...

I booked to take some relatives for lunch but all that was available were baked potatoes. No puddings. No alcohol. Shame

Visited here on Saturday after getting drenched walking the dogs! First class Covid safety measures in place, super friendly and efficient staff members and the food was absolutely superb. ! It was busy but we felt comfortable as it’s a large airy restaurant with adequate...

It has some problems after its opening parking area far to small after extendsion has taken away a lot of the area now only two parking bays for disabled and dog walkers cars take up the bottom of the car park. The other problem inside...

Super cafe. Recently refurbished tastefully. Excellent COVID plan. Friendly service . Delicious soup and bacon roll. Excellent value for money. Plenty of parking. A stroll along river and salmon viewing a bonus. Highly recommend. Booking essential. Outdoor and indoor seating .

Homemade soup and rolls are excellent. Good choice of cakes and sweets too. Enjoyed the coffee here. Weekends pretty busy , the staff are organised and polite.

A group of us arranged to meet at the Waterwheel Cafe. We had reserved a table for 12. The menu maybe quite simple on the plus side it's all freshly made from the soup to baked potatoes and good selection of cakes and scones. Everyone enjoyed there meal. Friendly and very helpful staff. Well worth a visit and there is the Philiphaugh salmon viewing centre and a walk by the Ettrick Water and Bowhill House.

Absolutely love this cafe the staff are super helpful and friendly it’s spotless and the homemade soups are divine!! The menu is just amazing as is the cakes biscuits and ice cream all at affordable prices love this place definitely worth a visit!!

Food good as ever for adults and kids. Chilli on nachos a highlight Wife says best she has eaten in the UK

Always good friendly service at this busy cafe. Plenty of choice whether for coffee and cake or a more substantial meal. Warm and comfortable in winter time and delightful outdoors in the summer.

We stopped here for lunch after a 4 hour walk at Bowhill and were very impressed. Friendly service, wonderful food especially the artisan soup and rolls. Would recommend.

The cafe went to great lengths to return my lost property after I dropped it at the salmon run near the cafe. Thank you and a fantastic place to view salmon jumping (at the right time of year).

Such a welcoming place. Close to the salmon viewing centre. The cheese scone was super tasty. Beautiful views across the countryside. Only downside - no soya milk.

Excellent great food help and clean facilities what more could you want. Staff always very helpful. Definitely recommend.

Went to the waterwheel for a coffee and a piece of cake today, there was 15 motorbikers they saw us coming and said don't bother they are just closing. In this day and age you think they would accept all the trade they can get, mind you the prices they charge are extortionate and can choose when they want to close.

Called here a couple of times during our holiday. All of the food looked good. We had chocolate cake which was homemade and so fresh. Well worth a visit. Prices reasonable too.

I visited this cafe yesterday Saturday 6July it was really busy, food was small portions for the high prices, the service was very slow but what can you expect when there was only 2 ladies serving and they were run off their feet, I felt really sorry for them, the place was clearly understaffed. Don't think I'll be going back in a hurry

Delicious soup as are the lunches, scones and cakes, spotless clean and well cared for. Mostly regular clientele

Lovely little log cabin. Fab cake and light food. Great for a wee comfort stop when out walking in the beautiful surrounding countryside

We had been told about this place but not had the chance to visit until today. Do not judge by appearances. Inside is the most delicious home cooked food. Generous portions of delicious fresh food served by friendly smiling staff who worked SOOOO hard. I had the MOST scrumptious bagel with cream cheese and lots of smoked salmon, wonderful cauliflower soup enjoyed by my husband. It was very busy but the two ladies serving seemed so calm and so friendly as I guess were the two in the kitchen. Thank you sooo much. We will be back. I hope your boss knows how hard your work!!!!

The BEST scones... Called in for a comfort break while out for a motorcycle ride with the hubby. Lovely service and great coffee and cakes. My scone was excellent, crunchy outer and soft and fluffy centre.

Great friendly cafe with lovely level walk nearby and a salmon viewing area . Great for family's.Would recommend a visit !

My wife and I met my sisters on a chilly January Saturday afternoon after driving down from Glasgow. The menu was varied and interesting, and the atmosphere was welcoming. I got the Italian sausage casserole: 10/10 would eat again. Food homely and filling. A unique setting, on the battlefield site of Philiphaugh (1645), where a Covenenanting army defeated Montrose's Royalist force in a crucial turning point in the civil wars of the 17th century. Montrose fled north unhappily, and legend has it there is treasure left somewhere on that route. After eating here, you may feel nourished enough to set out to find it.

Very close to some beautiful accessible walks, Waterwheel Cafe is an ideal place to start or finish a good walk. It's always busy, the food is fresh, there's a good selection and there are lovely cakes for those of us with a sweet tooth!

Have never waited so long for a simple lunch. Twenty five minutes for a bowl of soup. Staff were struggling to keep tables clear and although the food was tasty enough,portions were small for the price. A lovely place with so much potential but will not last if they can’t get their act together.

Me,my son and my dog popped in for coffee and cake after a walk. Although dogs are not allowed inside, it was a nice day so able to sit outside. Welcomed by Lovely friendly staff. I had a gluten free cake and it was really light. Our little dog even got a treat bag full of doggie biscuits which was a lovely gesture. Would definately visit again!

They do a lovely lunch here with a changing menu all freshly cooked. Fabulous cakes and traybakes - spiced German apple cake gets the big thumbs up!

Any cafe that serves sliced bread with soup is a no go for me. In addition, the soup though tasty is served in a small bowl and left me wanting more. My companion had a baked potato which had clearly been sitting around for quite a while as the skin was almost impossible to cut through. We’ll try somewhere else the next time.

Log cabin set in beautiful surroundings. Staff were very friendly. I had some soup which was delicious. My friend had a filled baked potato which was equally as tasty. There was an aray of beautiful cakes on offer too. Lovely place to visit

Always busy every time we have been to this little place, nicely decorated and great food. The macaroni is the best for something to warm you up. Selection of cakes are always tantalising too! Easy parking as has its own open area, and if you want to go for a walk afterwards you can go along the river which is a lovely peaceful stroll.

The service was excellent and the good food beautiful. Very tasty. The cakes were amazing and staff very helpful

Cafe in a nice wooden building, looks like a meeting place for locals and near to salmon leap walk. Had lunch here, I had the salmon and prawn platter and my wife the bacon and leek quiche both very tasty. Together with pot of tea, came to under £20, can’t complain.

Amazing friendly service, a little slow but they were very busy. Excellent value for money- an egg mayo with crispy bacon sandwich with crisps and fresh salad on plate, pot of tea which gave me 4 cups, and slice of delicious ginger cake, served with a smile all for just under £8. Would definitely recommend and go back

Far too overpriced!, very expensive menu for what we recieved, poor value for money, i got the feeling i was paying for wooden building, asked about buying a picture on wall with price on it, was told it was sold, but no sold sticker on it.

Lovely cafe well worth a stop off...traditional wooden lodge building, excellent tasting tea! the soup was super tasty and the sandwiches were massive on fresh bread with ample salad and crisps. lovely home made tasty cakes! friendly staff especially the chef who came out to compliment us on our classic mini cars....would definitely stop off here again if near selkirk

Stopped here for lunch after the riverside walk. First impressions were good with in and outdoor seating. Ordered at counter from a fairly extensive cafe type menu. Although it was quite busy the food was delivered promptly and well present. The food was to a exspected standard for a cafe.

This is a fantastic little cafe not far from the town but great meeting place for lunch or a coffee and chat great service the staff are so friendly

Tiny amount of Guacamole, and bland. Priced as main dish. Serve that dish in America, and at that price, and be laughed at.

On the last visit to this establishment the latte coffee I was served is the worst latte coffee I have ever received from anyone in the Borders and I have visited many places from Biggar to Coldstream it had no taste and it appeared to have been made with sour milk. Yes I complained and got my money back but for a well established business it was a disgrace to serve such muck. The other thing that appears to be happening in the Scottish Borders is the prices they charge for there scones and lattes. 2 lattes two cherry scones butter and jam £9.60 ouch.

Always made very welcome, cakes and scones to die for, we are regulars and have seen the customers growing by 200% in recent times would recommend to everyone

En route from Selkirk to Bowhill House we stopped for a cup of tea and a visit to the Salmon Viewing area.

I'm sorry to have to leave a poor review. Perhaps it was because of the crowds on such a sunny day.

We had our dog with us so we chose to eat here as there are several tables outside. A lady very promptly brought a fresh bowl of water out to the dog. There was a choice of 3 soups, my daughter, my husband and I had one each and they were all very nice. There was a good choice of other lunch dishes, we each had a panini with a different filling and all enjoyed them. The service was very quick and staff were pleasant. The location is very nice and enjoyable to sit outside. We will definitely return.

Spent the afternoon here meeting friends with our dogs.very busy cafe.lovely friendly staff.lots of choices of meals snacks refreshments..lovely walks near by too.many thanks to the lady who gave our dogs lots of treats.

Lovely place , roll and sausage and a bacon roll with a pot of tea . Very clean and very pleasant . Staff are very friendly . Would stop again if going past .

Stopped by for a bite of lunch en route to St Marys Loch on a beautiful sunny afternoon. I had heard this place was nice, and it did not disappoint. Served by a very friendly lady, coffee was piping hot (always a good thing in my eyes) and the Mac and Cheese was lovely and the salad dressing as lovely - wish it was bottled, lovely orange flavour!!

I first came across the Waterwheel last year on a trip to Galashiels. Having been on the road for a couple of hours, 1pm had come and gone and sustenance was needed to continue - as well as a comfort break!

Had very yummy cake and tea here after a bracing walk round the Duchess' Drive at Bowhill. Shame they're not registered as a Britstop as we'd have loved to stay over and sampled their breakfast too!

We just live this place. It has such a pleasant welcoming atmosphere and we live going there when walking or cycling. We enjoy our coffee and move on again. Yesterday we did a 7km walk but halfway we stopeed at the café to enjoy our lunch. We had a soup of the day and my husband had the Bolognaise pasta and salad. It was really so good and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Well done, chef and other staff for your friendliness and good menu!

We just love coming to this Cafe in the countryside and having a wonderful Cappuccino/tea/coffee and a Soup of the day and bread for a lunch. The staff is very helpful and friendly and the customers feel as though they are personally known by the staff. It is also a welcoming stop for all the cyclists and people with their dogs. In summer the children can play on the grass outside where there is also seating. Just LOVE this place.

I reviewed this eating place in August 2016 giving it a poor review. I returned in September 2017 and was...

Good selection of food and drinks. Clean and comfortable. Gets very busy, but well worth a visit. Soup and bread...

Before I start the BOSS needs to train the staff and show them the proper way to do the job....

What stared as nice and sunny day in Edinburgh turned to dreich in the Borders. We have slowly made our...

This is a popular cafe where people meet up before or after enjoying the local countryside. The scones are delicious...

The Waterwheel is a great cafe on the outskirts of Selkirk as you head up the Yarrow valley for St...

We stopped here for lunch after walking the river, there is plenty of space inside and out. The menu is...

Dropped in for lunch after visiting nearby Bowhill House. Very popular meeting spot for ramblers and dog walkers .Not a big menu but the special board is always worth a look . Quite busy when we dropped in for a bowl of soup and a sandwich . A tempting array of nice baking on display . Outdoor seating for good weather

Myself and 4 others visited this excellent country cafe for lunch and all were very impressed with the food, 2 had burger and wedges, 1 salmon and prawn platter, 1 macaroni and cheese and the other a mixed filled roll all served with salad. Excellent service with great walks in the surrounding area. Next to the Battle of Philiphaugh location. Well worth a visit for lunch or light snack.

Popped in here for food after walking up the Three Bretherans.I had the prawn and salmon platter... amazing! So fresh and tasty. All lovely homemade cakes and great coffee too!

I like the Waterwheel as much as anything because I always meet people I know here. It's very popular, presumably because the food is consistently high quality, fresh and tasty. My husband adores their cappuccino ( served in a large cup, nice and hot, unlike the lukewarm froth often served up elsewhere!)It's just outside Selkirk, so it takes a clear decision to travel there, and it's totally justified for the lovely food they serve.

We visited for some lunch with our 3 year old on a very hot day in July. Plenty of grass for children to run around & a few bits of wooden play equipment to play on- shame there isn't a bit more of a selection really. Tables inside & outside in the sun or shade. A good selection of food & drink to choose from. Very quick & organised service, our food arrived in no time! Jacket potatoes, sandwiches, cakes etc. Small selection of local craft items inside the shop. Very clean & tidy. We then walked down to the hydro electric station & on to the salmon jump which was lovely. I could've carried on but the heat was intense- 28 degrees today which is excellent for Scotland.

A warm welcome from very friendly and helpful staff. Clean and presentable. Good range of cakes on offer for cyclists and others along with a fairly good coffee. (espresso was disappointing)Definitely worth a visit.

While out motorcycling with friends, we stopped here for a bit of respite, especially since the weather was turning and the rain had started. The premises were very welcoming, cosy and comfortable. First impressions of the food on offer was that the cakes and pastries etc - although on display at the large and interesting counter - were all covered up. This was - to me - impressive as quite often many places have their food on display *uncovered*... thereby leaving it open to people potentially coughing and sneezing on it. They offered a wide variety of delicious looking cakes and pastries, and also hot, savoury food prepared to order in the kitchen. I opted for a coffee cafetiere and the German Apple Cake. Surprisingly (for a change) the coffee was quite good, although perhaps a little on the weak side. The German Apple Cake was nice and did had a flavour of apple, but was somewhat dry, and I expected some pieces of moist apple to be permeated throughout as I've had in the past with similar cakes... but there were none. My friends all had savoury food and they seemed to enjoy it thoroughly. The service was pleasant and considerate... extremely nice people. They even reduced our bill a little and gave us additional free drinks because of the delay in the savoury food being served to us. Very considerate and eager to please. One final point... while sitting outside at the outdoor tables (very nice country setting, I add) I noticed they have a flagpole on which was the Scottish Saltire. Now, that's fine, but I couldn't help feeling slightly alienated (as I expect many potential visitors might) with there not being the Union Jack flying beside it on another flagpole... after all, we are not only Scotland, but also (a constituent part of) the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. However, putting politics aside, although probably unnecessary as it was full to the brim, I certainly highly recommend this place to everyone, and I shall certainly myself be back again in the future.

Excellent place for freshly made food! Clean and comfortable with lovely staff.Tables and seats outside if the weather is fine!

A delicious family outing. Lovely range of homemade food with salad. Not nice range on the menu, good range of coffee. Yummy cakes. We had dogs so sat outside taking in the views. Very friendly service.

Arrived to find it had just closed but when we said we were just after a cup of tea, they immediately opened as they said that if we did not mind that they were clearing up whilst we had our tea, there was no problem. Tea was most welcome and we were enticed to try the cakes which were very good. Staff were wonderful and friendly. Will certainly go again.