The Scottish Borders is a famous for its incredible produce and natural larder, you just have to dine at any of the top Edinburgh restaurants to see that most of the ingredients on their menus originate in the Scottish Borders! The area has plenty or superb eateries of its own and fantastic new cafes and restaurants are opening up all the time. Below is a list of our favourite places that we want to share with our guests, we hope you enjoy!
House Recommendations – just a few to get you started! (this list is taken from our holiday cottage welcome folders where more information on wheelchair access is also provided)
Recommended Local Food Shops
Country Kitchen – Delicatessen Melrose, great selection of cheese
Martin Baird – Butcher Melrose – 01896 822016
Williamson Greengrocer Melrose
Dalgetty – Baker Melrose
Twelve Triangles – Baker Melrose
Simply Delicious Melrose – great ice cream!
W F Anderson & Son Fishmonger, Melrose – tip – they sell quite a limited selection of fresh fish in the shop but you can order anything and they will get it for you, such as the langoustines below, yum!
Main Street Trading Delicatessen, TD6 0AT St Boswells – 01835 824087
Hunters Quality Butchers & Delicatessen, Kelso
Kelso Farmers Market, Kelso square, TD5. Fourth Saturday of each month from 9.30am – 1.30pm
Recommended Restaurants
Melrose
The Townhouse Restaurant or bistro – 01896 822645 (good sun deck and bothy)
Burts Hotel Restaurant or bistro – 01896 822285 (good garden)
Provender – 01896 820319
Monte Casino Italian Restaurant – 01896 820082
Marmions Bistro Bistro – 01896 822245 (good Turkish nights)
The Ship Inn – 01896 822190 (dog friendly)
Gattonside (Across river from Melrose!)
Seasons, TD6 9NP – 01896 823217
The Hoebridge Inn, TD6 9LZ – 01896 823082
Local Area
Abbotsford House, TD6 9BQ – 01896 752043
Schloss Roxburghe Hotel, Heiton, TD5 8JZ – 01573 450331
Buccleuch Arms and The Blue Coo, St Boswells, TD6 0EW – 01835 822243
Hunters Stables, St Boswells, TD6 0AT – 01835 822710
The Cobbles, Kelso, TD5 7JH – 01573 223548
Floors Castle Terrace Cafe, TD5 7SF – 01573 223333 (incredible fishcakes!)
Ancrum Cross Keys, TD8 6XH – 01835 830242 (village pub)
Caddy Mann, Jedburgh, TD8 6TJ – 01835 850787
Kailzie Gardens, Peebles, EH45 9HT – 01721 720007
Dawyk Botanical Gardens, EH45 9JU – 01721 760 254
Collington Arms, Cornhill, TD12 4UH – 01890 882424
Wheatsheaf, Swinton, TD11 3JJ – 01890 860257
Sun Inn, Dalkeith, EH22 4TR – 0131 663 2456
The Old Bakehouse, West Linton, EH46 7EA – 01968 660830
Gala Tandori, Galashiels, TD1 1SQ – 01896 759990
Drybrugh Hotel restaurant, Drybrugh TD6 0RQ – 01835 822261 (sometimes food a bit inconsistent but fabulous setting)
Recommended Takeaways
Rak Thai – excellent Thai takeaway in Melrose – 01896 822401
Gala Tandori – Indian Galashiels – free delivery 01896 759990
Amber Chinese Take Away Galashiels – delivery available 01896 668899
Station Hotel – fish and chips Melrose 01896 823147
Monte Casino – Pizza & Italian Melrose – delivery available 01896 820082
Domino’s Pizza Galashiels – delivery available 01896 754440
Recommended Cafes
Apples for Jam, Melrose
Abbey Fine Wines, Melrose
Eden Café, Melrose
Twelve Triangles, Melrose
Marmions, Melrose
Old Melrose Furniture Studio and Tea Room, TD6 9DF * Brilliant place for lovely riverside walks too, just outside Melrose
Abbotsford House, TD6 9BQ – Just outside Melrose
Main Street Trading Company, TD6 0AT *Lovely bookshop and deli St Boswells
Pirn House Interiors Cafe St Boswells
Waterwheel Cafe, Selkirk TD7 5LX *Great for riverside walk too with tarmac path for wheelchairs or kids scooters
Three Hills Coffee Co. Selkirk *Great coffee roasted in house.
Floors Castle Terrace Cafe, Kelso TD5 7SF
Hoot ‘n Cat, Kelso TD5 7BH
Hunters Quality Butchers, Delicatessen & Café, Kelso
Cocoa Black, Peebles EH45 8HX * Best place for chocoholics!
Flat Cat Gallery, Lauder TD2 6SR
Woodside Plant Centre Birdhouse Tearoom, TD8 6TU
Harestanes Countryside Visitor Centre, TD8 6UQ
Stitcher’s cafe at The Great Tapestry of Scotland in Galashiels.
Zola’s Bakery, Galashiels (Vegan café)
Recommended Drinking Pubs
The Ship Inn, Melrose – dogs welcome – 01896 822190
The Kings, Melrose Public bar – 01896 800335 (best for real ale)
Burts Hotel, Melrose (best for a fireside dram of Scotch whisky)
Tempest Brewery, Tweedbank – check their website for events and opening times. They have a bar at the brewery where they hold various events, live music etc and usually have good festival style food vans on site too. Also a great place to go and buy cans of beer in the shop. We recommend the Vermont Sessions and Long White Cloud beers but there are lots of others to try too!
Recommended Children’s Soft Play/Cafe
Cheeky Panda’s Soft Play Galashiels, TD1 2HQ
Supermarkets
Co-op, Melrose Small
Spar, Melrose Small
Tesco, Galashiels, TD1 3AT Large, open late
Asda, Galashiels, TD1 2AG Large, open late
Sainsburys, Kelso, TD5 8DW Large
M&S Simply Food, TD1 3AP