We stayed here for five days while attending a wedding at the nearby Barony Castle, and I can't…read morepraise The Horseshoe Inn enough! The rooms at the inn were small but cozy, with comfortable beds and everything you need included. The free breakfasts at the attached pub were generous and delicious, as were all the meals. The fish and chips were heaven! The chicken and leek pie was amazing, with a flaky crust and creamy, tasty interior. The staff were friendly and helpful but not at all intrusive. And to top it off, the bus from central Edinburgh stops right outside the inn door. The setting is bucolic, the food beyond delicious, the rooms cozy - I really hope I have another chance some day to stay here!

WE SEEMED TO hit every traffic light from Newhaven to Sir Harry Lauder Road as we journeyed south…read moretowards The Horseshoe. I cannot stand others' lateness, particularly when it comes to eating arrangements, so I was slightly embarrassed to call ahead and advise of our unfortunate delay. This unassuming restaurant with rooms is situated 17 miles from Edinburgh city centre, just outside of Peebles (Eddleston to be exact). I knew very little about it, bar the odd comment that "it has a good reputation" and held two AA Rosettes. After a torrid hour-and-a-half trek I was in need of a glass of wine, never mind a three-course lunch. Let's hope that those earlier comments were accurate. A chat with the Maître d' ed to a glass of a rather special Albarino (2014) "Contrapulto" from Rias Baixas, Spain being ordered. It had a stunning colour and texture to it with fruity notes and a hint of lemon. Its richness meant that it was the perfect sipping wine and I reckoned it would pair very well with the seafood dishes I was about to tackle. My starter was an eye-pleasing bowl of smoked pancetta, clams, coco beans and chorizo. It had a wonderful aroma to it. I delved in to find a slight bite to the beans and a rather opulent sauce-come-soup in the bottom that had a welcome smack of salt and smoke from the pancetta. The clams were grit-free, thankfully, and melted in the mouth along with little morsels of squid that graced the plate with a hint of the sea. There was no chorizo as billed, but I didn't miss it; the pancetta flavour was more than enough. Sarah elected to try the pressed pork terrine with sour cherries, cashew nuts, chutney and chicory. Serving temperature can often be an issue with terrines but this one had been allowed to come to room temperature before leaving the kitchen. It was moist and properly set with crunch from the nuts speckled throughout. The apple chutney sliced through the fattiness while the chicory brought contrasting bitter notes, as well as texture. An earthy sweetness was chaperoned in by some courgette ribbons but the best thing about it was the cherries. They weren't overly sour but really harmonised with the other tones of flavour. I fancied the roast but for reviewing purposes had to go for the hake with a crispy fish cake, broccoli and mussels since Sarah won the toss. I say that like it was a chore - it wasn't at all. The fish was beautifully cooked, crisp skin and all. The tasty flakes of hake marvelled in the puddle of juices at the bottom of the bowl where it gleefully played around with some tender shallot rings cooked well enough to still bring bite to the dish. The lemon flavour from the fish cake was what really brought this dish to life; its prominence was admirable and even complemented the expertly executed broccoli stems. Sweet mussels were a little bonus on what was a very accomplished piece of cookery. It would have to be a spectacular roast to top that main course and it was as equally superb. The sirloin of borders beef yielded with little resistance. The Litmus test for a great roast is in the spuds for me, but this attempt was spot on - crisp exteriors and fluffy interiors all round. A crunchy homemade Yorkshire pudding hit the brief but it was the medley of autumnal vegetables that made this dish memorable. The assertive, slight bitterness of the chard was met with sweet carrots and roasted beetroot, but those delectable onion petals were the real star for me. The only quibble here was that Sarah felt the beetroot could have been slightly softer. All good things must come to an end and my lunch concluded with an old-school vanilla rice pudding with poached apricots and apricot sorbet. The key here was that the rice pudding wasn't too sweet and the rice still had a presence. It was creamy but with waves of vanilla tantalising the palette. I got a flavour of cola bottles from somewhere that I really liked and the cold sorbet weighed in with a contrast in temperatures. Cherry savarin with cherry sorbet, vanilla and fig was another pretty dish. The savarin was moist and the different textures on the plate were a deligt to eat. Fig was the dominating flavour rather than the expected cherry but the combinations of the smooth sorbet and the cake, coupled with the vanilla cream, were divine. This was one of the most enjoyable meals I've had this year. The consummate professionalism of the service, outstanding cooking and exemplary wine offerings coalesced to create a fine dining experience that not only ticked all the boxes but came at an extremely reasonable price to boot.

In the south of Scotland amongst the rolling hills of the Southern Uplands lies the undeniably…read morelovable town of Peebles. There are a surprising number of culinary offerings for a town of merely 8,000, not the least of which is The Cross Keys restaurant connected to a hotel of the same name. As one of the most popular eateries in town, you'll find a bustling crowd at suppertime. There is no indication of how to proceed once you enter the restaurant, so if you're not from here there is a system. Seat yourself, grab a menu and decide what to order. Have someone in your group remain at the table, note your table number, walk to the bar, and place your order followed by table number. Despite a packed house, the food arrived quickly. The large mixed grill is a manly portion of various meats, including 2 cuts of pork, a thick ham, a small steak, 2 sausages, a fried egg, onion rings, and steak fries (what they call chips in the UK). The steak was tough and the ham was average, but the pork was delicious and so were the onion rings. They have a pretty good fish and chips here and good chicken fingers as well. We'd love to come back and try the ice cream sandwich for dessert! If you're out in this rural area of Scottish countryside and looking for a decent meal, Cross Keys will definitely suffice.

Food is terrible ordered the fish an chips. Chips and peas cold and fish swimming in grease…read more Service was terrible to. Young lady just put down food and walked away without saying a word. Even had to wipe down table myself as they couldn't be bothered. Whole place smelt of dirty carpets. Had to get a refund which they seemed to be experts at. No ambience no background music. Had to hunt out our own condiments as not offered or shown where they were. Disgracefull place. Will never go here again.

Just an awesome, rockin' final meal in Edinburgh - fantastic food, good service and energized local…read morevibe! Absolute must to get reservations! We tried on our first week in Edinburgh and failed, but were able to make reservations 3 weeks out for our last night in Scotland, and we are glad we did. Pork cracklins were a bit hard and crunchy, but everything else was perfect. We had fresh bread and langostinis for starters, along with a smokey whiskey cocktail, the Smoked Indiscretion! For mains we enjoyed the poached Cod, and the Pork with Barley. Service was very good, and wine selection was extensive. Atmosphere was loud with music and locals' chatter in the bar below, but dark tables and heavy wood panels made it a perfect place for a couple celebrating 3 weeks of travel. Highly recommend a visit to the Devil's Advocate, if you can book a table in advance.

Great drinks and a killer location. We got a cheeseboard that was actually quite nice and large,…read morewhich we were very pleased with. The one weird thing -- we were unsure when we arrived how hungry we would be, and the menu is a bit limited. We decided to order just the cheese board and see where we were after that. We were told that once we placed an order, we would not be permitted to put in any more food due to a "small kitchen." I have never heard this rule worded in quite this way. I have been to places that prefer you place everything at once, but not that you would absolutely not be allowed to order more food if you found yourself hungry. We witnessed another table leave because of this rule. The server communicated this rule quite gruffly. The restaurant was also not very busy at all, so couldn't have been crowding concerns. I would definetly recommend for drinks and apps, but, for dinner, perhaps elsewhere.

What a little jewel I found!…read more The Mill Inn is located in Coulter 5 min down the road from Biggar and 45 min from Edinburgh. It is easy to find as it is pretty much the only restaurant/bar in that area. It also has its own beer garden and in the summer this must be a plus. I believe that this building was once an old Mill and you might think so from the name it got today :-) Inside the floor is covered with typical Scottish designed red carpet, dark furnishing, wooden benches and beams. There is no doubt the restaurant downstairs has its charms. On the other side of the room, away from the dining tables there is a small bar with lots of different whiskey choices. Upstairs you will find additional seating and a small whisky bar with lots of different whiskey's on offer and for sale. The most expensive one costs £1500 Highland Park and last week they sold a £3000 special edition of some sort. No worries, you can also buy affordable whiskey from well known brands. Our voucher deal offered a starter and main course for a very good price. We ordered Shrimp salad and baked brie as a starter. The brie was soft and filling (you get two pieces), served with cranberry sauce. There was no brie spared. As a main we ordered Chicken Fajitas and it came with 3 sauces (salsa, sour cream, guacamole). Not only this, the chicken was served still on a hot plate, sizzling in delicious spices hot and mild, garnished with peppers and onions and a delicious sauce of some sort, which made the taste even more delicious. We also decided on coffee and with it they served a small piece of fudge, which was such a nice gesture. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. It is a very busy place and best you book a table before turning up unannounced. I will be back ! Whoop

One of the worst dinner services I've had in a LONG time…read more The food was barely mediocre. My lemon sole, a special of the day, was utterly tasteless, and didn't have the slightest hint of lemon. Not even a lemon wedge. And it was raw in the middle. Yuck! The worst part of our experience was the absolutely horrendous service, which was so incredibly slow that it was obnoxious. Waitresses buzzed past our table in their hurry to other tables, while we sat for an eternity. The only explanation I can think of is that my husband is Black, and we've encountered this issue before at restaurants. In any case, the service was downright inexcusable. I wouldn't ever go back.

This was a higher rated local pub we tried and about a 12 minute walk from our Hilton. It was…read moreearly at 5:00pm and not busy. 3 of the 4 of us ordered the fish and chips (17.95 GBP) just to try another joint. The wife ordered their "Fisherman" which is pan seared Scottish coley or pollock (for 27 GBP). The battered fish with the chips was more delicately done here and delicious. As an aside I tried several times to find a place here in Glasgow or in Edinburgh that did a "special" fish and chips, that is breaded with crumbs and not battered, but apparently no one does that healthier old school preparation anymore (and I need to inform my old work colleague who hailed from Glasgow and gave me this inside tip that it's not practiced anymore). I also had a Chieftain IPA. The side of peas were dryish and not flavorful and small portioned and not done as well and tasty as I have had in London or Perth, just saying. We also had their sticky toffee pudding with ice cream for dessert and that was good. The fries were mediocre. Server was friendly and attentive. 4 stars overall and a nice local flavor Glasgow outing.

7pm reservation, we were seated immediately. The menu is clever and there really seems to be…read moresomething for everyone. My frittata was light but full of fresh piping hot vegetables. The wine list is replete with moderately priced wines; honestly we would have been willing to pay more for a couple of even better alternatives, but I would not classify that as a complaint. Service was friendly and attentive and this restaurant is so eclectic and fun.

We visited this amazing restaurant that was listed in the Michelin guide. We have been all over the…read moreworld to dozens of Michelin stars places and this belongs amongst them. The staff was amazing and the food was incredible. The venison dish there is among the three best dishes we have had in our life. Highly recommend it! The wild mushroom appetizer was incredible as well. We LOVED our experience here!

A real favourite! Under new ownership since summer 2015, this stylish, friendly restaurant is a…read moremust visit. A great bar area with a huge range of gins and great selection of cocktails. The menu changes monthly and is always innovative and the decor feels very light and almost Scandinavian- it's decorated beautifully for Christmas. Have never had a disappointing meal!

What a find! Wonderful food, drinks and service. As a vegan I don't expect a lot from any menu but…read moreI have found repeatedly, especially in Scotland, that there are always great choices. I had a lovely sausage in garlic, cranberry and tarragon gravy and fresh vegetables. My husband had the fish special and raved. If you are in the area, I highly recommend this lovely little pub.

To this day their Steak & Ale Pie is the best I've ever had, wish it wasn't across an ocean or I'd…read morebe a regular for that alone! Delicious and tender beef, savory gravy and a light and flaky top all made this a meal I still dream about, definitely try it if you have the chance!

What an amazing experience. Great historic establishment…read more I got my first taste of Haggis and it was grand. You have to go here !

A short distance off the Royal Mile, this tavern and restaurant has historical charm and is quaint…read more Service was a little slow but the food and beverages were good and it wasn't touristy.

Such a friendly and beautifully set restaurant. The food is picturesque and top notch. Everything…read morewe had, from the large portions of bread paired with roasted red pepper humus to the flaky and flavorful cod, was exceptional. The wait staff is helpful as well as friendly. They prepared a table for us even amidst a packed house. Know that this is not just a restaurant, it's a date night restaurant. We brought the kids, which was perfectly okay, but the setting and price is more date night worthy. This place is terrific! Enjoy!

Very cramped, about 150 degrees, put us at the wrong table, moved us to a very cramped one by the…read morekitchen, kept getting bumped into by staff trying to get through, all for mediocre food at best. Huge pass. (Yes, they talked to us and comped the meal - though we were fine to pay for it since we ate). The most insincere "sorry" I've ever heard. No way I'd go here again.