Hey, Yelpers, less of a review, more of a preview. However, I have eaten at The Melville Inn, so…read moreI've put my mouth where my money is. Yes, you'll find the landlord, or manager as they're called these days - Derek - out on the floor, serving customers, just like the rest of his staff. Don't take my word for it though, Carolyn, one of the top team, won the Scotland round of the in-house servers competition, and was silver medalist in the whole UK in 2012 - against 200 other Vintage Inn pubs. What's got me excited though is the October Tarot Evening. It's a first for the venue and, given the low-lighting, log-fire intimate surroundings, it should be a hoot. I'm minded to notch up five stars, because the Melville delivers what you expect, and delivers it well - good, family friendly food; plenty of atmosphere; and just the occasional surprise too. Rate me, rate my rating when you go.

This place is right next to the Butterfly Farm, and the massive garden centre which is worth a…read morevisit in itself. The beer garden looked inviting, although not today, it was raining. We walked in and once we finally got noticed it was sooo friendly. I picked the lamb koftas to start and the beef and merlot pie. Great service and fast, my koftas came and they were not bad, just a little more dense and just a little more spice for me though. My beef and merlot pie was the exact dish I'd had in the Balloch House a couple of weeks ago, but it seemed to me it was just slightly more lacking in meat, but still with the oversize bits of mushroom, still tasty though and certainly a nice Sunday lunch.

aw aye sorry forgot u had to be 18 to order a bowl of bloody chips and a bottle of water.read more

From the owner: Great food, locally brewed ales and a friendly service!read more

This is our place to go. Always good food, good atmosphere and the best staff. Can't fault this…read moreplace. Our go-to for a comfortable lunch/dinner/drinks. Dog friendly too so that's a bonus. Play area inside for youngsters. Had a few birthdays meals here too. This is how to run a great eatery

Good food, service good and cheap prices nice and pledent place we are regulars and will be back…read more Different deals on differnt

I love Maysons. It's…read morea great, loving pub. Full disclosure: I am not a native to Dalkeith, or Scotland, or Europe. But I feel at home in Maysons. I've enjoyed Maysons dozens of times. It felt the same 10 years ago as it does today, except for a few upgrades. The TVs have turned to flat screens. The bathroom was recently painted. This is Dalkeith, folks. Nothing but the best. My first experience at Maysons was as a wee 21 year old exchange student. Full head of hair. Low alcohol tolerance. Wide eyes. This is the closest pub to where the Wisconsin exchange students live and learn. I know that I learned more in the streets and pubs of Scotland than I did in the classes. Although, I certainly retained more from the classes. Pub lessons are simply ingrained and carried in your DNA. The staff, especially Gav, is remarkable. Gav looks like he could beat the piss from you in a brawl or a race or a drinking game or a push-up competition. He also might beat you at snagging a lass. But he's friendly and attentive and exemplifies the quick-witted Scottish humor that endears any visitor. You'll notice name plates on the walls for old regulars and lots of shaved heads. The men in Scotland can be intimidating. But they can also be hilarious and fun and affectionate drinking buddies. It's nearly impossible to match wits with a Scotsman as he barbs you with that killer dialect. There is a back room for pool. Or you can use it for privacy during a make-out session. Or for a quick snorting or stomping or stabbing. You know, druggin' & thuggin'. Use your best judgement and please be discrete. Wouldn't want to draw attention. Maysons may enjoy the kissing and game playing, but keep the drugging and thugging outside. There are some convenient alleys nearby which contain a number of 90 degree turns for your quiet moments. Use them as you wish. But always remember the CCTV. Don't let my poorly crafted jokes deter you from Maysons. It is a great, small, authentic pub. It's a great place to relax. Mind the cobblestone streets as you stumble home. They jump up out of nowhere.

This is a lovely countryside bar/restaurant, literally in a stable, it's very warm and cosy, dog…read morefriendly and the food is good. However the seats were grubby, the service was slow and it was expensive but it's good if your in the area, even if you just want a pint and warm up by the fire but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit.

Back up again! The…read moreStable Bar has hit its stride. Good staff, a great rotation of beers (local and not) and food which I would be happy to receive in any bar in towo, let alone out in the sticks as we are! It's grapeat to have somewhere child friendly where we can get nibbles and refreshment. They have recently put in a TV, which is treated perfectly as it's only on for big events rather than showing rubbish all the time. Really pleased with the Stable Bar as it is now.

We went to the pub on a Thursday night for live music and open mic. This is a wonderful relaxing…read moreplace. All the people are friendly. Fun conversation. Since we are from California ee got special treatment in song. California Dreaming and one gentleman ad libbed a funny Trump song. Mostly the music was country and blues. Strange to go to Scotland to listen to that. :) The food was great also.

The Laird and Dog has been around forever, and for us a regular spot for a meal and a pint with…read morefriends from the sometime mining villages south of Edinburgh. For years, the meals were very ordinary, but the standard has been improving steadily and consistently over several years to the point where we now go there for the food as much as for the company. The menu is based around traditional Scottish ideas - steak and ale pie, haggis-neeps-and-tatties, and the like, but these dishes are well executed and nicely presented. Of late, menus have become a bit more adventurous, and the quality of materials and cooking continues to rise. Given that this pub is part of a chain, I can't see it ever aiming for a Michelin star or even "fine dining" status, but it is way above the typically dire standard of pub food in Scotland and on the very short list of places we are willing to go to for a meal out in south Edinburgh. Cheerful and friendly waiting staff only add to the positive experience. Recommended for a hearty meal.

The Buccleuch is a place my wife and I pop into for the occasional lunch. It is part of the Smith &…read moreJones chain of pubs. I have to say, for a chain the food is actually very good. We're not talking award winning cuisine here but good honest pub grub at very reasonable prices. One thing that has changed recently though is the menu. They used to have small bites at 2 for £5 or 3 for £7.50 and these were great to share at lunchtime. The sesame seed chicken bites in a JIm beam Glaze were scrumptious as was the southern fried chicken breast with sour cream dip. We'd also order maybe the indian chicken skewers to make it up to the three dishes to share but this deal seems to have gone. I'm sure they'll probably come up with another. If you're in Dalkeith there are a few pubs you could pop into for a bit of lunch but I reckon this place should be top of your list if you just want a bit of good old pub grub.

Amazing pub if I do say so myself 2019 is the year for the salters inn best pub about Dalkeithread more