William Saddlers & Sons in Angus

Wanted to take the family out to try a famous bridie in Forfar...I'm sad to say that I was disappointed. The place is drab dated and run down and seemed stuck in the 80s in a bad way. The toilets were not particularly clean and the toilet seat was missing..It was very very expensive for an over seasoned bridie !! Two postive..The young woman who served us was really really friendly and the chips we're freshly prepared.. If your visiting Forfar however based on my experience I'd recommend that you seek alternative eateries..

Come on guys, with mclaren cutting their opening times, thus should be a god send for you, instead your food is inedible. Pie was, well ok, the donuts raw in the middle. 2 thrown out to the gulls, still have a greasy film in my mouth from the first.

Saddlers sell the best birdie, Forfar’s traditional pastie. A choice of flakey or shortcrust pastry and delicious filling they are unbeatable.

We entered an empty cafe on a dreich, wet day for a bite to eat. The service was cheery but the wait from ordering to getting food was so so so slow at 25 minutes. You can't really go wrong with a cooked breakfast but the sausages were poor quality, the bacon and egg rather greasy but the black pudding was superb. The food filled a hole but we will not be rushing back.

Doing a delivery in Forfar popped into saddlers the backers High Street go a takeaway chicken curry n chips ot was very tasty staff was friendly 5/5 😋

It is illegal to visit Forfar and NOT scoff a hot bridie. So best to pop into Saddlers and grab yourself a fine example. Shortcrust or flaky, you choose. Also do a decent soup; lentil and bacon when we visited.

Absolute gem of a place in a world where large chain cafes prices are going through the roof. Great choice of food and bakery products from the attached bakery shop Delicious baked potato and at a very reasonable price I will be back

We popped in for breakfast rolls and a pot of tea at 11am. Mum in law said it was the best bacon roll she's had in ages and my egg and black pudding bap was delicious. Especially the good quality (no white fatty bits) black pudding. Quick friendly service and very reasonably priced compared to other breakfast haunts in Forfar. Noticed on the menu that they also offer an all day breakfast for £6.50, which our son will be in to try soon. They may be the only eaterie offering an all day breakfast in Forfar now as that seems quite hard to find these days. This is a traditional cafe at the back of a lovely old fashioned baker's shop that also offers the world famous Forfar bridie. Posh it's not, trendy it's not, but it's immaculately clean and we were made very welcome and they clearly knew some of the regulars well. Great wee place to pop in for an unpretentious light meal. We'll be back soon!

Looking forward to Bridie and coffee, got nice table beside till. Ignored by several staff, waited for 10 minutes for attention, not busy, enjoyed midday coffee and snack elsewhere. Will not be back

Visited one morning to purchase some scones, asked if they were baked today , stumbled a bit over her words and said ‘last night’ , she must have meant last week, cut them open to butter and they broke into crumbs, well trained staff if they lie for you.

Popped in for morning coffee to warm up on a cold November day. Friendly helpful staff. Place is nice and clean. Good food. We couldn’t leave without buying some local Forfar bridies as takeaway. They were delicious.

Always visit here when in Forfar. Husband loves the bridies Staff always chatty and pleasant. Good homemade food.

One waitress walked around ignoring us while we waited to order. The other waitress said 'back in a minute' before going to the back of the cafe to chat with the other waitress and the woman working in the kitchen area. Best avoided.

In the middle of a world wide pandemic and they have signs up saying they only accept cash payments. Crazy. This must be one of the only shops in Forfar who still don’t accept card payment. Crazy in this day and age.

I visit Saddler’s cafe last week with my friend. The seating area is dark and gloomy - there are no windows in the cafe section and the dark decor and poor lighting do nothing to compensate for this. We ordered cappuccinos and cakes. Good points : 1. A Test and Protect form and hand sanitising station was at the entrance and customers were directed to it before sitting down. 2. My apple pie was absolutely gorgeous! Bad points: 1. Contrary to current regulations, the waitress did not wear a mask or visor, even when serving food. I appreciate that she may have had a health condition, but if she is unable to protect customers by wearing PPE she should not be waiting on tables. 2. We watched our cappuccinos being made from a large tin of instant coffee. They were awful! 3. A group of three mature couples arrived while we were eating. The law in Scotland is currently that only two households can meet together and this was very clearly at least three households, yet the waitress happily seated them at the next table to ours and took their order, without even politely questioning the household number. Shocking to see so little regard for the rules in this pandemic. We left as we really didn’t feel safe, and will not be back. We go for coffee together every week and have never felt unsafe in any of Forfar’s other cafes.

Saddlers is famous for its bridies. If you phone up, they will set them aside for you to pick up so that you know you won’t be disappointed and find that they have sold out. Well worth the trip to Forfar just for these

Well it would have been nice to get something but...One table of 2 eating, 1 customer standing talking with a waitress. Told to take a seat. We did. Second waitress appeared. Hooray. Going to take our order. She donned her visor, picked up a notepad and pen and joined the first waitress in conversation with the one customer. Okay... Maybe a minute of necessary confab but no, nothing after 5 minutes so we left. Not a care for a customer...

I reside in Dundee, 14 miles south of Forfar, but I wish I lived in Forfar. Why? To be nearer to Saddlers bridies. I make any excuse to go to Forfar (typically for football or cricket) and I never leave without feasting on Saddlers bridies. That is my real reason. Delectable!

I thought I would give a Forfar birdie a try while I was in Forfar. I really was not impressed. I was asked if I wanted flaky or shortcrust - I said flaky. Got home to find it was shortcrust. I couldn't believe it when I was charged £2.95 - for about 1oz of meat and a lot of tasteless 'pastry' that was beyond the pale. Won't be back.

Saddlers in North st. Friday 12-30pm and they had run out of some roll fillings and Birdie’s. So I had a streak and gravy pie instead. It was sooooo salty. Not the standard i expected. I feel Saddlers are better for their cakes than Bridie’s and pies.

My husband and I came here on a recommendation from a friend, lovely place to have lunch.Food was good and best was I asked for coffee and since I had soup they said did I want to wait till end. Normally I get it and it’s cold by time I want it after meal. Very thoughtful staff and we also bought items from bakery to take home.Only thing to note they don’t take cards but there is a cash machine near by.

Holiday up this way every year, And always visit Forfar . Been going to Saddlers for a few years now and always found food to be fresh and of a decent standard . Ladies working tearoom are always friendly and helpful. Guy saying earlier he had the runs , more like hes full of s*** not the shops standards . Everytime you go in its busy with the locals . That tells you enough .

Arrived in Forfar about 2.00p.m needing to refuel. Found this nice looking bakery with its Gallery tearoom and were glad we had. Staff were cheerful, friendly and helpful, menu primarily their own products with add-ons, so not haute cuisine, but good nevertheless and fantastic value. Steak bridie takes up half a dinner plate, so that diner was glad had only asked for half portion of chips - which, incidentally, were crisp, fresh, and delicious. Baked potato was flavourful, well cooked and fluffy, two toppings were generous and offered a lovely fresh side salad. We were so full we had to forgo dessert and take away a rhubarb pie and a meringue for later - both of which were exceptional. A real find and fantastic value, served in a place which harked back to good old fashioned Scottish tearooms and had far more going for it that many of the chains that haunt our high streets now. Special mention for Michael, the master baker - he is good!

Nice wee coffee shop for lunch and their cakes are amazing! The staff are all very pleasant! I would recommend this!

What a woman. As far as we could tell, he staff came in at 9a.m. So she cooked me a full Scottish breakfast, my wife had eggs on toast ( was it scrambled or poached ?). Whilst she did this, the lady looked after the excellent bakery/ shop, did bacon sandwiches for takeaway customers and also readied the business for what clearly would be a busy day. As you enter the shop, the sales area leads to a cafe area (good seats and fittings ). From here you can look into the kitchen area and I suppose, watch your food being prepared. We couldn’t fault any aspect and the food was good. Also the loos were first class, not always the case.We will be back, why wouldn’t we. Saddlers is now on my list of where to eat in a morning after an early start.The manageress is clearly a STAR as was the food. Thank You.

Stopped for a couple of bridies. Nice filling and flaky pastry. Reasonable prices. Plenty choice of cakes.

Prices in cafe are extortionate for microwave hested food . I had a steak bridie meal ate nothing else all day or night as i felt a bit unwell .Today im on the toilet every 5 minutes with a bad case of the runs for hours .I was fine prior to eating in this establishment .

I am fprom forfar used cafe for years but now found getting pretty sloppy. Ordered soup. Spoons dirty asked to be replaced with still dirty spoons that we cleaned with napkins. Soup arrived warm only and vegtable soup bland. Waitresses going around like headless chickens with only 3 tables occupied. Will never be back to pathetic effort of a high syreet cafe.

So Saddlers summed up in a smaller post

We wanted to try Forfars speciality: Bridies. By 2 o'clock there were none "with steak & onions" left. So we opted for Bridies with mince.The short pastry and the mince filling were very dry. There were no accompanies. In the meantime we have tried a butchers's bridie made with puff pastry and moist mince - what a difference! The cappuccino was nothing to write home about either. The "Tea Gallery" is a long, windowless room in drab colours and heated with a paraffin heater. Not very cosy - you better left your coat on.

As you whiz past Forfar on the A90, McDonalds is the easy choice, but for something more traditional it is worth making a detour into the town centre. The Gallery Tea Rooms at Saddler’s bakery in the High Street is famous for its Forfar Bridies. These look a bit like a flattened Cornish Pasty, but are made with minced mutton or steak, wrapped in delicious pastry.

We arrived at 3.30pm and were told to go through. A sign stated the cafe closed at 4pm. We went in and waited at least 5 mins before being approached, espite the fact we were the only couple in. Asked "What do you want?" I replied we would like a couple of their Afternoon Teas. "Don't have any scones left!" I asked what they did have,"Only what's in the shop". As it meant we would have to return to the shop to see what hey had, we decided to leave. They don't deserve to have custom.

There are many nice eating spots in the County Town of Angus ... Namely, Forfar ... and apart from the main café in the East High Street, this firm has another homespun gem in North Street and it's probably as nice a wee spot for excellence and fine value when dining or even just snacking during the hours of daylight. We were in there today and had the most beautifully made and presented bowl of soup for our lunchtime snack. The cakes, pies, bridies and other various and savoury offerings all looked first rate and I wish I had been a bit hungrier to sample some of them. Be back another day, methinks. I will let my many readers know how good or mediocre that future visit will turn out ... But judging by today's meagre sample, this particular eaterie has surely found a place on my to-do list.

Lovely wee cafe for a coffee or lunch. Food very good especially the soup all homemade on the premises. The best part is the staff. First class especially Aileen the manager. Great customer skills and first class cook would also mention a lady called Hilda.

had lunch on thursday stoveys for me and wife had yummy ham and pinapple toasty washed down with a lovely pot of tea .no complaints here 10/10...............

Popped into the north street branch today and purchased an Easter Sponge cake. It was a plain sponge split, with synthetic cream in the middle. The top decorated with pale yellow icing, decoration was two chicks on a chocolate see saw and a couple of mini Easter eggs. My grandchildren coming for tea, after main meal, time for cake it was the most awful cake I have ever tasted, Easter only this weekend but the cake so hard, it could have been baked a week age, needless to say nobody ate it a complete waste of £3.50.

This is the home of the famous Forfar Bridie. The shop sell lovely cakes rolls and bread all baked in the back house bakery. Then you have the birdies and pies to sample.

My husband and I visited here for a cooked breakfast, as soon as we arrived the waitress was chatting away quite the thing.

You simply must stop here for a meal. They do the best bridies in town along with a fine selection of cakes and pastries. The bacon butty is divine.

We really enjoyed the bridies and steak and gravy pies for a picnic lunch. The staff were extremely helpful in recommending we wait for the fresh pastries coming out of the oven and holding them for us.

Went to Saddlers on Saturday to get the famous Forfar Bridie to takeaway.

Mi amigo y yo tuvimos un almuerzo tarde en este establecimiento el Viernes Santo. La camarera no era acogedor y había acabado de la comida que pedimos. Finalmente nos acomodamos para una papa al horno, que era un paquete. Este establecimiento está en el corazón de la comunidad agrícola y no usar patatas frescas. La comida estaba bien. Un cliente anterior había dejado el baño grifo que inundó el inodoro como el tapón del lavabo no funcionaba. La camarera era molesto e insultos diciendo esta fue la última cosa que ella necesitaba, ya había tenido una mala semana, ella en realidad juraron. Una pequeña niña utiliza el inodoro después de la señora que era conseguir la culpa y estaba llorando. Me dieron la sensación de los clientes eran un inconveniente a este establecimiento y yo nunca volvería

Durante un reciente viaje a la zona tuvimos el placer de visitar este restaurante que está situado en la parte trasera de una panadería. Pedimos nuestra comida y la camarera amable dijo que nos trae una taza de té, mientras que la comida estaba siendo preparada y cuando estuvo lista, ella nos trae un segundo pot, que hizo ella. Nunca he tenido que ofrecía antes, en otros establecimientos, normalmente te rellenar la primera taza con agua caliente, pero nunca para poner otra bolsa de té. Ah no, lo que reduciría el margen de beneficio.

El comedor está en la parte trasera de una tienda de panadería del mismo nombre. La comida es excelente y producidas localmente.

Pedí dos Bridies de Forfar, delicadeza. No había más caliente. Así que el servidor se ofreció para microondas. Dos intentos más tarde aún estaban calientes en el medio. A £2. 75 cada uno deberían ser calentadas en un horno, así que son calientes y no...

Normalmente vaya aquí para la sopa (que normalmente es delicioso) o el bridie. Última visita realmente decepcionante, servicio parece conseguir más lento en cada visita, así que ahora no iremos de nuevo. Pedí un café con leche y me dijeron que no tenía leche, así que cambiaron para un café, me preguntó si quería algo de leche? ? Eso si puedes!

Very poor service and quality of food has gone done compared to previous visits.Takeaway bridies still good value.Would recommend the steak bridie.

I was extremely hungry and in the mood for a bowl of homemade soup. Not a place that I would normally go to when in Forfar but I had looked at the menu in other eateries that I would normally use, but the soup was the type that I would make frequently at home.On the menu in Saddlers, was homemade tomato and pepper soup, which tickled my taste buds. The soup is the best that I have ever tasted. I very much look forward to my next visit, when back in Forfar.

When in Forfar you must do a bridie - its a law!! Well Saddlers is the place to do itDropped in for a lunchtime snackette and it was good old fashioned made on the premisies nosh. Steak bridie filled half a dinner plate and was a delight Ive had steaks with less meat and it just oozed flavour!! Better half had a mexican chicken roll that was enormous and mega tasty. Service was quick and came with free banter.Enjoyed it so much I headed back next morning before leaving for home and bought another 6 bridies for friends 2 vanilla slices that could hold cars back and most excellent apple slices that must have contained 2 apples!Get there early as its all fresh !

I have regularly visited Saddlers for a lunchtime meal. The food ( hot and cold ) has been of a very good standard if a little unimaginative. Occasionally there is no coleslaw or eggs which is disappointing but overall the food is excellent reflecting the reasonable prices. Staff are helpful pleasant and attentive and whilst able to offer alternatives to "sold out" items the owners could reflect upon these occasional omissions and the deleterious effects on their otherwise excellent business.Would I recommend Saddlers ; OF COURSE I would but if you can take its occasional idiosyncrasies in your stride you will not only enjoy the experience but leave with a good feeling about the food baking and the delightful and helpful staff and when present the owners.

Went yesterday just after 1pm and the 3 of us were looking forward to a Forfar bridie. We had travelled almost 100 miles and this place had been recommended. We ordered 3 steak bridies and beans and a portion of chips and a pot of tea each. Shortly after ordering the girl returned to say they had no bridies left of any kind. Changed our order to a chicken curry pie, a ordinary pie and a steak and onion pie. Several minutes later the girl returned yet again to say that they had no steak and onion pies left. On the board on the wall I saw Turkey breast salad advertised so I ordered that instead to be told they had no turkey left! It was getting ridiculous. I disappointingly ordered a sausage roll instead. 5 minutes later 1 small pot of tea arrived and 3 cups and only 2 saucers. There was barely enough tea for the 3 small cups. They had crammed 3 tea bags into the small teapot making tea taste like tar and was far too strong. The pies and sausage roll and beans arrived 10 minutes later all lukewarm. After 10 minutes the chips had still not arrived so I asked when they would be coming to which the girl looked embarrassed as she had forgot about them and said they would be coming shortly. We had finished our pies and sausage roll and beans well in advance of the chips arriving. In fact the girl had taken our plAtes and cutlery away leaving us to eat the chips on their own with our fingers. The chips were covered in black specks and had obviously been cooked in dirty oil. To top it off we were charged 3 pots of tea despite them only giving us one pot. I queried it and was told we got 3 cups out of it! Please avoid. After we were still hungry and when to Mclarens bakery further down the street and they had Forfar bridies that we bought hot to carry out and they were delicious.

Was served by a very rude, grumpy, impatient older woman whose name I found out later on as 'Chris' and who as I was told 'a long time employee'.I was hoping to buy a macaroni pie because every time we visit this bakery, they always seemed to have run out. So I asked her when do they make these pies. She thought I was asking her 'how' so I repeated my question and she answered in a very inappropriate, sharp, loud voice "everytime we have macaroni". Her body language and tone of voice made us very uncomfortable and pressured as we selected our cakes and pastries. I saw and heard her talking to other customers after us with a completely different and nicer attitude so I thought it must be the colour of our skin. I did not want to make a scene because I was with my children but I was so upset so I went back to the bakery later on to talk to her or the owner 'Michael'. Neither was available but a younger girl server who was very nice and apologetic who, unfortunately, received the brunt of my complaint.Even the taste of my usual favourite bridie has change for the worse. I could not manage to eat it after a bite.For 5 years, this bakery is the only reason why we make a side trip to Forfar everytime we travel to and from Aberdeen. Sadly, it has lost our custom forever and gave us a very unpleasant memory associated with the whole town of Forfar.

We called one lunchtime having never visited before and loved the place Staff were very attentive and served our meals very quickly despite it being busy. We had sausage sandwich , a curry jacket potato and a tuna roll. All were brilliant. A side order of chips were to die for. Looking forward to a return to sample the rest of the menu

Probably the best and freshest cakes you will get anywhere! Hot rolls are great as well. Bridies are very good also, so are the pies and sausage rolls, in fact everything is pretty damn good here.

We went in thinking we would have scone and tea but unfortunately there were no scones left so we decided to have toastie which was lovely

This is a really nice place to stop for a refreshment, whether that be a coffee and a cake, soup and fresh bread, or a more substantial dish from their extensive menu. We went there today for a bowl of soup and were given a choice of 5! It wasn't surprising to find that the restaurant was busy. Why wouldn't it be given the high standard of food and service, and the more than generous servings. As always, we bought ourselves a couple of Saddlers fresh cream cakes on the way out to enjoy later in the afternoon. This restaurant is well worth a visit. You won't be disappointed.

Nice place to go for a cup of tea & a cake or lunch. Or if you wish to go in and get a Forfar Bridie. The shop is just over from the Steeple or the town center clock. When I was an apprentice joiner I had the privilege to be allowed access to this as I was working there. Forfar is a must place to visit.

Filled rolls are absolutely amazing from here...... top classvariety of different types of rolls also to choose from.

My sister and I had occasion to be in Forfar and of course after shopping was done we needed refreshments. We came across Saddlers Bakery and tearoom and what a delight it was. The staff were cheery,efficient,pleasant and welcomingThe service was very good and the food was tasty and not at all skimpy. We had one of the cakes as an "afters" and they were delicious. The staff were very attentive offering tea and coffee top ups and we noticed that tables were cleared as soon as was deemed polite to the departing customers. The cafe was clean and neat with plenty of room between tables. All in all a place one would go back to. P.s. Only one toilet but it was cosy and absolutely spotless. We will be back.

A wee bit of nostalgia attached to this place. Used to come here as a child with my Gran for a sausage roll and beans when we went shopping to Forfar. Out of towners, you see. Anyway, not much of a difference in all the years but service is polite and friendly and what you get for a "quick lunch" is not bad

Maybe not a trendy modern place but the staff are friendly, the service good and the food reliable. Its always busy so that says it all

we go up to Letham crafts every once in a while but always try to lunch at Saddlers ,best bridies in Scotland .The staff are really nice and just themselves which makes it for me a required stop.We always come back with bridies and cakes for the family and ourselves of course .Someone in a previous post said overpriced not for what you get they are not .

Nice choice and good coffee. Sometimes there's a bit of a wait for the order as it appears the staff have to do absolutely everything rather than have specific jobs delegated to them. Tasty food though.

Into Forfar for a bit of shopping so decided to try Saddlers. Suddenly recognised the face of the only Conservative MP in Scotland & Scottish Secretary sitting at the adjacent table (possibly a good sign?). We went for the homemade soup, lentil & bacon and red pepper and broccoli, both were marvellous, a very large bowl very tasty and freshly cut bread. Finished off with two coffees the bill came to £9.00 excellent value. The staff were great, the soup maker came over to give us the recipe, great stuff, we can highly recommend.

I visited last week for lunch on the way to an appointment. My first time. Lovely staff, quick service, four different home made soups. I chose the broccoli and cauliflower. It came piping hot with lovely home made bread and lots of butter. One of the best soups I've ever tasted! The two sweet ladies on the table next to me were charming. I'll definitely visit again.

This bakery is one of several in Forfar who sell original "Forfar Bridies" these are a local delicacy and are famous world wide, a meat pastie with or without onions in a shortcrust pastry, large and small sizes available. The shop is also a tea shop/ restaurant selling snacks and pastries. It's a bit of a time warp inside not really changed in years.

We had both lunch and breakfast here while in the area. Both meals were outstanding, the staff very accommodating and the prices very reasonable. The local Bridies are a must try!!

Was charged £2.50 for a COLD onion bridie! Presumably if you want a hot one they'll add VAT, taking the price up to around 3 quid! A shop round the corner sells them for £1.55. Not much difference in quality either. Was too shocked to keep my money and walk out, but I know where I'll be going for my bridies in future.

I often pop in for lunch at Saddlers but sat In for some lunch today. The staff were quick and efficient and the choice and price was great. The lentil soup and stovies are particular favourites of mine.

Absolutely sick and tired of spending good money in soup at saddlers north street only get get back to the office and its burnt

I've been going here for years. The food is incredible and the service too. The staff are polite and never rude. Highly recommend.

Went in to Saddler's for lunch at the weekend. Not the best experience in the world! The staff were friendly enough but the food was greasy beyond belief. We had a bacon roll and The Gallery BLT Special. The bacon roll was ok although a bit fatty and very oily. The BLT was very hard to eat and required napkins galore (which we weren't offered). When we did ask for napkins, we got two mingy little things that wouldn't have even mopped up a droplet of water. What followed was a rather unpleasant squelch-fest of dripping oil, butter and mayonnaise absolutely everywhere! The menu states that the burger is "smothered" with mayonnaise so I guess it does what it says on the tin!We bought a couple of cakes to take away (Chocolate Flakes) and while they looked amazing, they were completely tasteless, which is a bit of a let down for a bakery!I've been to Saddler's once before and had soup and wasn't too impressed. Maybe next time?!

I'm not sure where to start It's terrible in almost every aspect the steak bridie is onion with some bits of mystery meat and overpriced the cakes are substandard for even school kids standards tasteless and unimaginative I have tried the other shop for a take out and it is just as bad I will not be back

This tearoom was recommended to us by the owner of a shop we'd been in. It wasn't the cleanest place, the menu was a little sticky and the ladies loo needs a face lift. The good side - the tea was good as was the bacon roll and the fresh cream and strawberry cookie. The service was friendly and adequate.

staff where friendly and helpful spoke to customers and didnt treat anyone differently well impressed

A famous baker in Forfar and producer of "Forfar Bridies." There is a better birdie maker just down the street and they do not bother with a tearoom. Which is rather the downfall of Saddlers. At 1540 today we thought it might be closed but the sign said "closes at 1630" . Well if you went in as we did today you would think it has closed early. Nobody in yet three girls and one older lady looked at us as we sat there, discussed many important things and then bothered to come over. An ordered for two afternoon specials ( scone jam cream and tea ) resulted in " sorry no cream " but no mention of "sorry we won't charge you for it'!! Indifferent service and the scones were I think warmed to disguise their age. It is an ancient town and the scones would be part of this.Gents' toilet - no soap, wall tile fell out while I was in and the floor was slippy. Not sure if there are better places in Forfar bur can't' be may worse.