The Garden Cafe in Scottish Borders

A toasted sandwich, a warm side dish, 3 French fries and some apple juice (cost £33.80 ) took 1 hour & 15 minutes to arrive. Staff first brought the wrong order to our table then forgot about us. We observed other tables having to chase up their orders and at least one table arriving after us was served ahead of us. While only vaguely irritating for my wife and me, my hungry 9 and 5 year old found it the most frustrating and we had to remind staff before getting served. I’d strongly recommend bringing a packed lunch if visiting Traquair House with children.

Looked like a nice cafe so a group of us cycled there for lunch in the cafe. £5 per person charge to get in, Needless to say we turned around and went for lunch at Innerleithen.

We were very happy with the food and service today. My partner and I both had homemade soup and toastie. I'd give the meal a 10/10. Very friendly service as well.

Visited with a coach party, the tables were badly organised, waited forever for tea, asked several times for things and never received them, the service is a bit hit or miss. Options were soup and sandwiches but I never got my soup.... Clearly none of the staff have a food hygiene certificate as the vegetarian sandwiches were mixed in with the meat/fish sandwiches on the same plate and looked like a dogs dinner thrown on the plate. Ended up ordering something else but not worth the money. A toastie slapped on a plate with 1 cherry tomatoes and some rocket? This cost £8.50, totally ridiculous!

A lovely break after exploring Traquair House and grounds. The Cullen skink was one of the best we've had - not too creamy and plenty of fresh fish. Today's soup, spicy parsnip was excellent too. Linda and her staff give a warm and friendly welcome. A perfect stop.

We had spent a lovely day visiting Traquair House. Fascinating place to visit with knowledgeable and helpful staff. We planned to have a walk around the grounds and go into the garden cafe. I popped in to see what time they closed. The person behind the counter ignored me as long as possible and then simply said "yes?". I asked what time they closed? I was bluntly told 5 but if I wanted lunch I had 20 mins !!!! Even if I'd wanted lunch, I would have forgotten this place there and then but we'd had a good day up to that point and shrugged it off. Following our walk we went back in. Same person. "Yes" ?? Here's a hint. Being pleasant and courteous to people is pretty important for businesses at this current time. Even if you're having a bad day, don't take it out on the customers. Whilst my wife took time to look at the tray bakes I ordered tea. There were no clues what the different items were. We asked about one but clearly any questions were not appreciated. Flat, monotone response. Zero warmth. Hint 2 . Sighing at customer's gets their backs up. Try labeling your items so customers so you don't have to speak to your customers. My wife whispered to me how rude, and I told her I'd settle up. Just to go out into the garden. I was told the price and went to scan my card. It looked on the card reader a different amount had come up. I asked if she could just check the amount that had gone through? If I'd found anything up to this point as being downright rude, the response I got to that question was beyond acceptable. It's there in front of you she said!!! Pointing to another machine which I hadn't used. It was a totally uncalled for ill-mannered reply which I raised with her. Although we thoroughly enjoyed Traquair, this individuals actions were totally uncalled for. Rudeness is not necessary. If they were having an off day, they should have dealt with it differently. Shocking service.

Amazing soup and Mac & Cheese toastie (great recommendation by staff). Lovely outdoor seating to soak in the sun! Service was excellent & super friendly. Would highly recommend, a hidden gem.

We had lunch today.Opted for"artisan"hot dog.Well------should have realised when I tried to cut it this was going to be a tough job!!And it was exactly that,TOUGH!Even the skin suoertough! We should have rejected the food.But instead of that we "toughed" it out and had a giggle at our own expense! Do the catering staff actually try the food they serve?I don't think so or they would quickly change suppliers!Local butchers may not be artisan but at least their sausages are easily edible!!

The food here was incredible - the quiches were soft and wonderfully healthy (the pastry was perfectly thin; the one with spinach was devine). We also had avocado on toast with black pudding; wonderful salads (couscous with pomegranate, potato with chives and a green salad); spectacular sandwiches (coronation chicken, cheddar and ham with pickle and smoked salmon), and then the deep fried brie with quince jelly. Sadly, I have run out of superlatives to describe the cakes (pistachio and coffee, lemon drizzle, chocolate topped chocolate brownies) but you can imagine! A banquet of delicious delights. Thank you. thank you, thank you!!!!

We just had coffee and a scone but it was good and the staff were friendly and helpful We sat outside in the garden at the back of the cafe , they have some covered seating handy for all weathers. Nice place for children.

I love visiting the Garden Cafe - the fresh, homemade food is always really tasty with generous helpings. The staff are lovely and the beautiful gardens so relaxing that we never want to leave.

If I could give 6 stars I would. The best slice of cake I have ever eaten! in the sweet tranquility of the walled garden. All the staff are very kind plus bonus peacock, something you'll not see unless you're on the Indian subcontinent, coincidentally that is how far you'll have travel for a nicer afternoon than one at the garden cafe.

Great place to enjoy some some fresh and tasty homemade food and picturesque views with the dog. A good place to visit for a bite to eat if you’re in the area.

Delicious Jaffa cake tray bake with a great cup of tea, finished off with a lovely walk in beautiful gardens . Staff friendly and helpful.

Fresh, tasty, homemade delights. We had a lovely takeaway lunch today. Toasties and hand cut chips were lovely/especially the homemade chutney! Cakes were the best! White choc and Pistachio, Jaffa cake slice and Millionaires Shortcake...OMG...mouth watering and beautiful home baking! Jaffa cake slice was my fav! A real treat in beautiful surroundings.

Lovely cafe, friendly staff and cosy atmosphere. Great choice on the menu. The Cullen skink was amazing as were the home cut chips. Dog friendly too. Highly recommended

While visiting Traquair House we decided to try the cafe nestled into the bucolic walled garden. The food was positively amazing and there was so much on offer, including vegetarian options. My steak & ale pie was the best I had on my trip around the UK! We loaded up on scrumptious baked goods to continue on our road trip and enjoyed every nibble.

Visited cafe and had the thickest Tuna & Mayo sandwiches you have ever seen, they were brilliant, exactly what two hungry pensioners needed, Then washed down with a nice cup of tea. Worth a visit.

The Cottage and the grounds are amazing. Take a lovely stroll through the real life maze and exploring the aMAZing Cottage. To top off your visit and really fall in love with this property, stop in and have a coffee, sandwich, pastry or like myself have a great big bowl of Cullen Skink and an Americano. Both were absolutely delightful. Two thumbs up!

Having explored the grounds of Traquair house we were ready for lunch. A lovely menu with lots of interesting dishes to choose from. Although they were out of my husbands first two choices the waitress was excellent happily went about finding out what was available, even some items not on the menu and making recommendations for him to try. Our food was very tasty and beautifully presented. There is outside seating if the weather is good or you have your dog with you.

A visit to Traquair House is reason enough to visit Peebles, and the Garden Café tucked away in the Walled Garden of House is the icing on the cake. With an emphasis on fresh local produce and more than a nod to its Scottish heritage you won’t find better Cullen Skink or Haggis and Clapshot. Wash them down with Traquair ales produced on the property, and finish with out-of-this-world sweet treats like Borders’ Tart with carefully selected teas and locally-roasted coffee. I would suggest you visit the house before lunch because once you’ve settled in to a comfy spot in the cosy café or pretty garden, you won’t want to leave. Take the time to enjoy every thoughtful aspect of this great addition to Traquair House.

We visited this cafe just wanting drinks as we'd had a picnic by The House.The service was really friendly and the food 'looked' good. It was mid week and fairly quiet however there was a large selection of cakes which looked really enticing.Apart from teas, coffees and cold drinks I can't comment - except we were made really welcome by everyone we encountered.Thanks.

Firstly this review relates to the small on site cafe and not the accommodation.In May 2007 I waxed lyrical about a bowl of cullen skink I enjoyed at a small establishment in Ullapool,. I thought I would never, ever taste the likes again. Well I have. The cullen skink at the cafe in the grounds of Traquair House was without peer. Wonderful.

We enjoyed the most wonderful home made carrot cake, in fact so wonderful I had to take some home! Fantastic triple cooked chips not to be missed!

We stopped for lunch at the Garden Cafe during a visit to Traquair House. The food was freshly cooked and reasonable priced, most importantly it tasted great and the service was friendly. The highlight was undoubtedly the chocolate cake; the portion was generous, it was very light and tasted delighful. The best chocolate cake we have every eaton.

What a lovely place (especially when the sun is shining!). The paninnis and quiche were delicious but nothing could have prepared us for the cakes - which were out of this world. The after eight cake was unreal!!

Absolutely lovely staff with quick service, also a very welcoming atmosphere and food was perfect to a T :) was a big fan of the home baking too 👍🏼

Delicious food. We can recommend the soups and gluten free cakes (choice of 4!!!!!!). And the staff are wonderful too!

Stopped here for lunch while visiting the house. Freshly made food which was of a good quality. Friendly staff. The coffee was the best we have had so far on this holiday.

What a difference! We visited Traquair and the Garden Cafe a year or so ago - the house was superb but back then the Cafe was very disappointing - the staff did not seem to be interested in serving us and the toilet was in a terrible state. This time, the staff were really helpful, the food and drinks were lovely and everything was just perfect. Obviously different management ! We would now recommend a visit without hesitation - thanks.

We renewed our family membership of Traquair House during the Easter holidays and were thrilled to find that there is new management of the cafe there. We've been members of Traquair for years, the kids love the huge gardens and maze and river...but the cafe was always pretty dire and expensive. So we were genuinely delighted to find the new Garden Cafe set up. Inside the space is fresh yet cosy, with log burning stoves and an open plan kitchen, outside the peacocks strut their stuff through the tables and chairs set in the walled garden. Coffee was first rate, cakes are sublime and the soup was delicious. Lovely friendly staff - all in all I can see us spending even more time at Traquair this summer.

I was greeted with a welcoming smile. I had a generous slice of raspberry and white chocolate cake which was delicious. The interior has a quaint feel to it, with lovely cushions and books, combined with wood burning stove in the centre of the cafe I felt very at home. The seating outside in the garden will be lovely in summer time with beautiful surroundings to look at. 10/10!!

Popped in for a cuppa after a walk in the grounds and wasn't disappointed. A great coffee and plenty of choice on the cakes. We were each happy with what we had (date slice and lemon drizzle) and were spoiled for choice. The cafe has been refurbed and looks great - it's very welcoming. Planning to go back when the weather is better so we can take advantage of the seats outside.

Dropped in with family for lunch we were delighted with the sandwiches and the cakes looked delicious unfortunately we chose the Honey and rhubarb jam cake which was dry as dust . All of us left half of it on the plate .Not the best choice ,the other cakes looked really good and we might have been better with one of those . The place was not warm and the fires were just being put on when we arrived . On another day the rating would have been a lot better