Places to Eat in Scottish Borders

Eating out across the Scottish Borders tends to mean warm, unfussy places rather than anything showy: hotel dining rooms in market towns, pubs with a good fire, and cafes that double as the local meeting point. Melrose and Kelso hold a good concentration of options, with Burts Hotel and Ednam House Hotel among the more established names, while smaller towns and villages have their own bakeries, coffee shops and family-run kitchens.

Choice runs from quick stops like Waffles N Brew and The Rialto Coffee Shop to sit-down meals at places such as Monte Cassino or Taj Tandoori for something different from the usual Borders fare. A few, including the cafe at Ian Stark Equestrian Centre, reflect the area's rural, outdoor character. Given the spread across the region, it is worth picking somewhere close to whatever you are doing that day rather than travelling far for dinner.