The Retreat Castle Hotel, Bonnyrigg

Stumbled across this perfect little castle when in desperate need of a room last week. Pleasantly surprised by quality and choice of food and drink. The staff could not have been more helpful or friendly either. Big thanks to Leanne Trevor Terri and lovely Paula. Very reasonably priced for a newly refurbed room and for nice cold beer! From families to couples, I would recommend anyone to give this hidden gem a try!

Not recommended at all - which is a shame as it's a beautful setting and lovely bar area. Has chicken chasseur if you want to call it that!!! managed to eat one dry bit of chicken the other two were rock hard. Complained to the waitress who spoke to the chef apologised and gave him a row!!!!
Other meals within the party were cold!! Was also quite pricey 9.95 was the cheapest!!

I think they should find a new chef although staff serving meals & drinks were very pleasant and attentive.

Not a recommended place, food is not freshly prepared. Most of it appears to be frozen and reheated - correct me if I'm wrong. The soup and sandwich deal used to be very good value, but I have a feeling they no longer do this.

The setting in lovely, but not somewhere I'd go out my way to visit.

The Retreat Castle Hotel looks quite spectacular from the outside, although the main driveway is really just mud with a few stones scattered about! Inside, the bar is full of clutter, they have went a little overboard on this score! Lord Dicks Diningroom has miss matched lampshades which just look out of place, and again the walls are cluttered with old mirrors and pictures, however the fireplace in the room gives a cosy feel even if the decor doesnt. The conservatory is light and airy, but in the winter can get very cold, unfortunately this is the only place you can take children! The food is of a good standard but the portions are massive and quite off putting i found. The childrens portions were fine, but not a great deal to choose from. The menu had a good selection to choose from, but on more than one occasion what i had ordered turned out not to be available! Some of the staff were helpful and friendly but others just seemed to be hanging around doing nothing! There are good grounds out to the side (including a beer garden) and the front of the Hotel, also an enclosed childrens play area. If you are a lover of peacocks there are plenty of them walking about the grounds too. I find the retreat quite pricey as basically the food is pub grub, perhaps you pay for the quantity, however, the quality is still good.