Family-Friendly Places to Eat in East Lothian

With its beautiful coastline and rolling countryside, East Lothian is a lovely place to explore with the family.   It's also home to great family-friendly places to eat, including many who take advantage of the wealth of fantastic ingredients available locally.

As a family, we're always looking for new foodie spots, as well as visiting old favourites.  We're so lucky to have a vibrant and diverse food and drink scene right on our doorstep in East Lothian!

Since we moved here a few years ago, we've been exploring and trying as many new places as we can.  We thought it was about time we shared some of our top family-friendly places to eat across East Lothian.  From garden cafes to ice-cream parlours, farm shops to pubs, there really is something for everyone!

Archerfield Walled Garden, Dirleton

Archerfield Walled Garden is the perfect place to visit as a family.  There's a beautiful 18th-century walled garden to explore, a woodland fairy trail to wander and an excellent play park. 

If all of that isn't enough, you can also enjoy food from the onsite Garden Cafe. 

The menu has tasty sandwiches and hot options like soup, burgers, and fish 'n' chips, plus mini versions for kids.  Not to mention they have cakes by the excellent Mimi's Bakehouse in Edinburgh, another one of our favourites!

All the outdoor spaces are free of charge to explore, and we love visiting with our little monster so he can burn off some energy before we grab some coffee and cake. 

Waterside Bistro, Haddington

The Waterside Bistro is a charming and award-winning restaurant and bar that sits alongside the river Tyne in the quaint town of Haddington, which in itself is well worth a visit. 

This family-run Bistro creates new menus inspired by the location and that are made for each season.  They offer plenty of classics alongside daily specials and children's options.  They really do have something to offer even the fussiest eater.

We particularly enjoy sitting outside on a fine day, watching the world go by, although there is a fireplace inside, making for a cosy atmosphere on chillier days. Highchairs are available. 

S. Luca of Musselburgh

Luca's has been serving ice cream for over 100 years!  Their flagship store in Musselburgh opened in 1908 and has been going strong ever since.  You can stop by for a takeaway ice-cream on your way to the seaside or eat in at the cafe. 

As well as an extensive ice cream menu, they serve breakfast, light bites, Italian-style mains, cakes, hot drinks, milkshakes, and of course, ice cream floats. 

They really are excellent at catering for families and are more than happy to welcome little ones.  They always ensure you're served promptly and have everything you need to enjoy your time there.

However, it' s their 100 years plus of experience in making ice-cream that makes a visit so memorable.   All of the different varieties on offer are excellent and we struggle to choose each time.  We very much recommend New York Lime Cheesecake and White Chocolate Fudge Brownie!

It's a favourite stop for us on walks around Musselburgh.  Be warned, on a warm day, queuing for your ice-cream is part of the experience! 

Cadell's Cafe at Cockenzie House, Cockenzie

Cockenzie House is a 17th-century mansion and grounds with lovely gardens situated in the seaside town of Cockenzie, near Prestonpans. 

The house itself is open most days, and Cadells Cafe overlooking the garden serves breakfast and lunch when it is.  The cafe is named after the Cadell family, who occupied the house for over 200 years. 

The menu is a classic cafe affair with various soups, sandwiches, scones, and cakes.  Still, it's all high quality and served by friendly staff. If you are planning a visit, check out their website as there are special events held at the house that might like to add to your visit.

The Loft Cafe & Bakery, Haddington

Located close to the centre of the historic market town of Haddington is the Loft Cafe & Bakery.  The spacious cafe is located on the second floor of a beautiful stone building and also has a small courtyard with outdoor seating available.  Everything is made in-house and local ingredients are sourced wherever possible. 

There's an excellent children's menu that includes sandwiches and a smaller portion of their "Legendary Sausage Rolls", which are homemade and come as a vegetarian option too.  They really are quite impressive and worth the visit alone!  We found the staff very friendly and accommodating to our messy toddler.

The coffee is good, and we enjoy grabbing a bite to eat and then a cake to takeaway when we go!

Bistro at the Brunton Theatre, Musselburgh

The Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh often has children's shows, so stopping by the Bistro at the Brunton with the family pre-performance is a given.   But it should equally be considered for a visit at other times too. 

The menu is simple with standard breakfast items, light lunches like soup and sandwiches, bigger meals like burgers and fish 'n' chips, and a children's menu with various options.  Plus, they make a delicious afternoon tea at a very reasonable price!  Perfect!

Goose on the Green, Gullane

Situated on the main street in Gullane, Goose on the Green is a lovely, bright, family-friendly cafe that serves delicious homemade food. 

They pride themselves in making all their bread, scones, and cakes in-house, and they serve breakfast rolls, soup, salads, and sandwiches.  The little one's menu has mini versions of several items, which is great for kids as they don't always want fried food!

You can eat in or grab something to take away and head down to Gullane beach.  We can strongly recommend the scones.  It's so hard to beat a homemade scone, after all.

The Cafe at Merryhatton, East Fortune

Garden Centre cafes are often a great place to take a family, and the Cafe at Merryhatton is no exception.  It's well set up for adults and children alike.  There's always homemade soup on the menu, which sources local ingredients where possible, and they serve breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea too. 

The facilities are all family-friendly and there's even an indoor kids play area so they can be entertained while you wait to be served.  Any chance to grab five minutes of peace is a sure-fire winner in our book.

Fenton Barns Farm Shop & Cafe, Fenton Barns

Fenton Barns Farm Shop & Café is located in the countryside between Haddington and North Berwick.  As well as browsing the wealth of local ingredients and produce, you can visit their cafe.  They use as many of their own products as possible, so you can try before you buy!

Soups are homemade, and the menu also offers sandwiches, salads, and even heart-warming stovies, as well as lots of different daily specials. 

Also, there's a children's playground just outside for pre or post-food play.  This list is just a snippet of our favourite family spots to eat in East Lothian.  It doesn't even scratch the surface of what's available!  There are so many exciting places to eat in East Lothian with a family, and part of the fun we've had is discovering our own hidden gems. 

We're always finding new places to explore, and we can't wait to sample more from Scotland's food and drink county!

Author: icreation