Reviews of Provender

A great spot for lunch or dinner - welcoming and professional front of have make it a pleasure to be there. Our table looking over to the semi open kitchen was a lovely one, I wanted every meal that was coming from the kitchen. Needless to say food was well cooked and of a generous portion! Looking forward to our next trip.

Provender is definitely one of the best restaurants I've had the pleasure of visiting in the UK. Set in lovely Melrose, Provender is a charming wee restaurant with extremely professional staff, good ambience, and a great menu. I must specifically commend Provender for having a consistently great vegan menu. Many restaurants have vegan options as an afterthought, yet at Provender, over a series of five visits, the vegan menu has had options that beat even dedicated vegan-only restaurants. Rest assured, my pescetarian friends were thoroughly impressed with the fish options. I can't recommend Provender enough.

Excellent food and wonderful staff. The menu has something for everyone. Plus cocktails! I began with the scallops, kimchi and XO sauce which were delicious and spicy. Hubby enjoyed the pigeon and haggis croustillant with pear and fig. Then he went for the lemon sole special served with brown butter, capers, salad and the best, crispiest skinny fries I think I've had (yes, I had to steal a few!) My main was the partridge, expertly wrapped in smoked pancetta and stuffed with black pudding, almonds and spinach. This was surrounded with diced celeriac, pears and chestnuts in a wonderful, rich sauce. Definitely the best main course I've had for quite some time. I just had room for an affogato while hubby somehow managed to put away the triple chocolate gateau with burnt banana and honeycomb ice-cream. He's glad he did though because he loved it! Wonderful food and great service in light, spacious, comfortable surroundings, this was an excellent holiday find!

I give 4 generous stars because even though they have very interesting dishes, they are not all refined. My tuna dish was tasty but off balance. The caviar was too much and the texture of the jelly was weird. My partner's steak was unseasoned and super garlicky. However, my John Dory fillet dish was to die for. Some refinement on some dishes could do justice on the place that has a great potential. Overall happy, I would come back.

Genuinely lovely experience. Ate here on Saturday evening as an anniversary celebration. Very relaxed decor and ambience, the kind of place where you can happily dress up or stay as casual as you like. Tables spaced nicely apart - not crowded at all! We ordered bread, olives and oysters from the nibbles selection - enough bread to see us through to our starters, very generous portion. The Dexter short rib croquettes are one of the best meat dishes I've ever tasted; again, a very good portion. Rare sirloin steak for my main was perfectly cooked. I must mention the service as this was really excellent - every single member of staff was polite, knowledgeable and efficient. Three courses for two, an aperitif each and a bottle of wine to share came just under £200 (including tip) but was worth every penny for a special occasion.

This place is definitely 5 stars restaurant! The drink menu is carefully selected. The food is prepared with the best ingredients and you can taste every single flavor. The atmosphere is cozy, classic and sophisticated. The waiters are enthusiastic and willing to please you. A bit pricey but worth to try it. Highly recommended

Best restaurant in the Borders without a doubt. Perfectly cooked food. Great wine at good prices. Polite and friendly staff. Lovely atmosphere. Couldn't ask for anything more. It's about time a restaurant this good opened in the area. Will be back everytime I visit home from London. Be sure to book as often fully booked.