The Dean Tavern in Midlothian

I spend my weekends in Dalkeith at my partners, and we often go out for a drink somewhere dog friendly so we can bring our pup. I was getting a bit bored of our usual places (the justinlees in, The Harrow Hotel), so when my partner suggested we visit The Dean Tavern, I was excited to try somewhere new. He has visited before, but I haven’t. The pub is easy to get to by bus, and is opposite a lovely park. It’s located in a residential area, rather than in a high street like some other pubs. The building is beautiful and looks quite old in a country cottage way. On arrival, it was very obvious the football was on, and very loudly too. This is a pub with Sky Sports, and it was showing an English football game, and horse racing. If I’d known the football was on, I’d probably have gone somewhere else, but we decided to sit outside and have a round or two while the game finished. Even from outside, we could hear the loud game as the pub seems to have some sort of outdoor speakers wired in so those outside having a drink or a smoke can hear the sports channels too. This was one of the only downsides to the pub. It was chilly, but there are plenty of seats and little booths too. There is no outdoor heating but that is to be expected. When we entered, I was impressed with the lovely decor and the high ceilings. The pub isn’t carpeted, but this didn’t really bother me, and on reflection is probably a good idea if the pub is dog friendly! We found a seat, there were booths, but most were reserved for poker games. It looks like poker is a regular thing here, which is cool. There is also a dartboard but I did not see anyone using it. As well as this, as I mentioned Sky sports air here, and there is a LOT of TV’s. I counted four in total (there may be more), including smaller TV’s under the larger ones which show upcoming races and matches. There are also a couple of fruit machines, the old fashioned sort with flashing buttons, not the touchscreen kind. Drinks here are standard price for Dalkeith, a double whisky and coke and a single vodka coke came in at around £11. Not as cheap as the Harrow Hotel, but cheaper than going into the centre of Edinburgh. As I said, the pub is dog friendly; and our dog was offered plenty of water free of charge. I carry a reusable fold up dog bowl, however I saw other dog bowls on the premises if you didn’t have one yourself. The Dean also offers a food menu, which was a little pricier than anticipated, however me and my partner are looking forward to coming back to try it. They sell a variety of bar snacks and crisps, and I indulged in some Bacon Fries. The toilets are down a narrow corridor, and clean and tidy. There is a disabled toilet, however you will need your Radar Key. I’m not sure a wheelchair would comfortably fit down the toilet corridor but I’ve heard that it can be done. There are also a couple of function rooms, I didn’t go in them but I assume you’d be able to hire them for parties and wakes etc. The barmaid was kind, there is not really any queuing system at the bar as a lot of customers sit up there, so it can be a bit confusing as to whether you are barging in or not. There was a few staff members, but only one seemed to be serving at the time I was there. I was impressed by the Dean Tavern, and I would rate it above the Justinlees inn and The Harrow hotel. It will now be one of my regulars for when I decide to go out with my partner and our dog.

This place is a crackin place to go , staff can't do enough for you very friendly & inviting, food is fantastic I've never had a bad dish, live music ace, atmosphere brilliant xx I look forward to going back x

Loved this pub. The music was ace. Loved the live duo. Great pizza and friendly service. Can't fault anything at all!! Brilliant afternoon here. Thank you everyone. X

Good atmosphere, good beer, nice outside space.

Excellent meal and pleasant staff

Went to the Dean with some friends, I had a soft drink which I happily got sold at the bar. Half way through drinking the manager came over and asked for ID. I explained I didn’t have any (I am 22). She said it’s law even if I’m drinking a soft drink I needed ID, I asked if I could finish the drink then leave which she said no. I then asked if I could have a refund, she said no. She beyond unpleasant and extremely unprofessional. I have worked in licensing places myself and you must ID someone before even touching a drink, you cannot ID half way through (I was drinking a coke!). I went home got my ID, showed it to her and explained she should really chat and train her staff to use the policies correctly. She was so unprofessional and rude, waving her cigarette about while talking to me. She didn’t like that I had pulled her up on doing her job wrong so she then ended the conversation saying I wasn’t allowed to be sold anymore. I didn’t want anymore drink anyway because why would you put money into a place where the manager is so so rude. Everyone around agreed that she was an absolute jobs worth. If you want to go to a friendly pub, this is not your place.

Couldn’t recommend this place less. Manager is so rude

Fun and busy village pub, food was OK. Chips had a decent flavour and texture. 6/10 Chicken wings were a bit soggy, and served with stale nachos. 5/10 Overall the pub had a fun family-friendly vibe, has a good location in the town opposite the park where plenty of kids were running off to play. Benches outside were a great place to have a drink and a snack in the sunshine.

Great place, good food and quiet, we'll back for sure

Great service, friendly professional staff, very attentive, food was very good too.

It was aright. Newtongrange is no my favourite place.

Very tasty food. Thanks for the recommendation in the comments. The mayonnaise tasted delicious and we suspected it was homemade. Upon inquiry this appears to be the case. Prepared and served with care and passion.

Great local, friendly staff and atmosphere

Kicked out because I offered a bar person a drink. Feel free to look at the video evidence. Won’t b ever back.

Great local pub with great food. Plenty of seating options. And a dart board to top it all off.

Go to listen at the accordion and fiddle club. Excellent night's and value for money. Staff at the dean are always helpful and friendly.

Good local pub, friendly Staff,good atmosphere. We will be back.

Popped in here for a beer,the place was particularly busy, because a football match was on TV, good friendly atmosphere looked fine with no idiots , unlike some other pubs,staff on the ball ,it was clean inside ,food looked nice ,will go back in again

Recommended by my cousin..we all went for dinner and it was absolutely delicious...

The Dean is a great place to go for food and beverages before or after a tour of the National Mining Museum in Newtongrange. We had their special house pasta and pizza. Both were very tasty and service was quick and friendly. This is a local place, so prices were very reasonable.

On a Monday the premises host a quiz (no entry fee) the atmosphere is to the least convivial The staff today in no particular order were 1st class Laura Ellie Amie and last but not least Sam were excellent not only serving drinks and food but clearing tables and still taking time to converse with customers If you you are traveling on the A7 pop in well worth a visit

Look, I'm not going to lie to any local people. If you want Papermill/Laird & Dog vibes you ain't going to get them. What you will get is a place that is well connected to its local history, a place that is naturally well lit and serves a drink at a decent price. The clientele can be questionable at times but no one has caused an issue whilst I've been there.

Took ages for food to arrive and when it came chips were covered in salt and veg was heavily herbed also a bit pricey for a pub I don't know why chefs cover every thing in salt you can add it yourself but you can't take it off

Great atmosphere and entertainment

What can I say I got in touch with the team a week before my booked dinner asking if there was any possible way to that they could do the halloumi burger in a vegetarian gluten free manner and oh my goodness they provided. If you call and let them know they honestly take care of everything I've never felt more provided for food wise was so nice and I trusted them and thankfully i had no contamination. Will definitely be back Thanks guys!

First time here,, steak pie was divine & roasted veggies cooked perfect, home cooking at its best & well worth a visit.

Was at the resturant had a lovely meal would recomend it girls that were serving were very nice even got a rose from the chef will be back

Fantastic place good stuff great atmosphere

Absolutely delicious meals for 4 adults and 4 children ,

Great pub with a good atmosphere and a good choice of quality beers, wines and spirits. I especially love the choice of reel ales. Live music on a Saturday night is an added bonus. The Accordion and Fiddle club is up and running, last Monday of the month and the folk club has also restarted on a Thursday night

Love this place , don't go as often as I would like to go. Great atmosphere, friendly staff. Food is very good and a reasonably price.

Great food, music and atmosphere

Lovely lunch, the guy was very friendly prompt service and food great I would recommend this place and I would definitely return.

Excellent quality food and 5 star 🌟 Service.

Great place if you want to hold a gig or party

Food was great, will definitely be back.

Amazing, just amazing food, atmosphere and service!!! Not from area and we went with my friend who is local - best food I've eaten in a while! 😀

Had a nice lunch and friendly service.

Came here for a few drinks again only to be hit in the face with disrespect from one of your young staff members. I don't know his name but I'm sure he had ginger hair of some sort. The attitude from him was horrible. He clearly doesn't want to work there and it shows. I don't think I have had disrespect like that from any staff member in any bar! He either needs to leave or gets retrained for better manners. I would love to come here again only when and if he had left or has changed his behaviour.

Friendly family pub with great food and top service.

Lovely food, consistently good, tasty options. Friendly service.

I went with a friend to discuss important issues over a couple of pints. The atmosphere was relaxed, warm, and helpful. The place was comfortable with activities going on, but still providing privacy. The beer was good, and the chips and cheese were hot and fresh. The service was friendly and pleasant. The toilets were clean. We recommend this place and will return soon.

Good company and a friendly atmosphere.

Brilliant singer on the night we were in

Very clean,tidy bar staff are friendly, they always give me a large round (Gin Glass) when I ask at the bar first class. As for drink prices absolutely excellent (Tops)

Popped in for lunch. Was made very welcome and served promptly. Beer was excellent, food was good.

Pints were smashing, ran out of fags, A regular tossed me 2, bought the bloke a pint and gave him a kiss on the cheek! Be back soon!

The pub is essentially a working men's club in atmosphere. If you want to eat, use the adjoining lounge. The food was excellent.

This place didn't have a good reputation many years ago but the chef and the staff are excellent. I would thoroughly recommend it.

Had a thoroughly good steak. The burger looked very tasty too. Good selection of beers and drinks in general.

Nice atmosphere Good range of drinks

First time good service nice atmosphere

Always great for a good pint, some friendly banter, and a great atmosphere

Not really into pubs per se; but go here for events. Find the staff very efficient and well turned out. It is good for families to go for something to eat even if you fancy it alfresco. If you're having a wedding or a birthday party, it is a fabulous venue. Nuff said.

Cracking pub , very reasonable price and good function room

Lovely place for a quick lunch, super fast and super friendly! Enjoyed the company of the locals at the bar.

Nice refurb which it was in need of. We dined here for a birthday meal. Service was good. Plenty of options on the menu. I got the chorizo and feta for starters which was nice. A few in the party got the haggis bon bons which was enjoyed. For mains I got the chicken pesto wrap which wasn’t bad. The chips were ordinary. Others in the group enjoyed their meals. My father in-law couldn’t manage his steak pie so I assisted. The steak pie was fine but the veg wasn’t the nicest. Particularly the turnip which was had a hard texture. I don’t think it was cooked properly. We did have a few wobbly tables but it was fixed with a few coasters. It was standard prices. Overall, good service and not bad food.

The Lamp Room, at the Dean Tavern.This is a great wee place, menu that suits all taste buds and cooked to order, prices reasonable with friendly staff, in my eyes “ye Cani wack t” give it a whhirl 👍🏻

A nice restaurant. We loved the food , and the place as such is cosy. So will definitely recommend

Great place to have a lovely meal and great atmosphere

We were at a function recently and really the menu was atrocious. We gave a month's notice that I was vegan and my husband has celiac. The only option we got was gluten free pasta in a tomato sauce and bruschetta for starters. So effectively tomato followed by tomato. In this day and age that's really beyond poor. The excuse being that the chef is Italian so was having to buy in specifically as they don't cater for vegans or celiacs. If a chef can't cater to a vegan or celiac diet then they really aren't up to much. So we both had to eat gluten free and vegan. Whilst others at the function had numerous options but we also paid over £25 per ticket. Really quite shocking and certainly won't return. IKEA have better options.

Just back from a lovely family meal . I had no idea this restaurant existed within the Dean Tavern. Beautiful food all round. If you have not tried this before you must do.

Great venue for fundraiser and parties. Excellent food too. Great atmosphere.Great pub

Was at Accordian Club there..a rather pleasant evening and well worth a vist.

Fridge was good we'll presented

Only went in for about half an hour, but great atmosphere and friendly staff.

Lovely place, friendly staff Lovely Service

Very nice place. Staff were amazing and the home made soup is a must try

The best pizza we have had! Sarah was amazing.

Helpful staff, good food and a nice atmosphere at lunchtime in the back room.

Came in for a meal in the bar, food was great but was made to feel uncomfortable by the barmaid with red hair and long nails. As a result, we decided to cut the night short. Disappointing as the rest of the staff were pleasant.

We were at a party on 27th December and we ordered food from the bar, my husband enjoyed his fish and I thoroughly enjoyed my lasagne, first time, but will defo be back, thank you

Great place... friendy people, good food. Just landed in here from Middlesbrough. Defo recommend this place as just down the road from the caravan park 👍🎄🍺🍺🍺

Very friendly staff and nice interior!

Excellent service very friendly staff

Really good to see Ellie back beside Kirsty and Darren's staff the atmosphere leading up to the festive season is really good 👍

Nice little restaurant really friendly staff will be back again

Lovely staff and really tasty food. Fish & chips was great, the batter was light & crispy

Gid pub.... great venue for a Party 🎉

Lovely pub, nice atmosphere and a decent menu. Everything you want from a local.

Cheap cheerful local with friendly staff and customers

Had a great night out with the darts bar staff friendly lovely pub not been in for a while but had a very good night out

It’s an experience worth doing. Wonderful place!

Community owned pub. Atmosphere, prices and food great

While we were staying at the Dalhousie Castle for only two days, we liked this pub so much, we came back twice! Great atmosphere! We had several conversations with other bar patrons and had great great pints while we were there. Also had some great bar food. This place is one of our favorite stops on our UK trip!

One of the friendliest pubs I've been in. Great food, good prices and a happy, pleasant atmosphere. Run on the Gothenburg system it supports the local area by putting money back into community . Built for the miners back in the 19th century there are plenty of reminders of its links to them. Numerous old photos adorn the walls and show how much the area has changed over the years.

The main boozer in nitten, good selection of drinks

We had an absolutely amazing meal here and really enjoyed the atmosphere

In for meal at lunchtime with kids, not expensive, food was nice and not expensive at all. Bit awkward getting double buggy in, but nothing drastic.

Nice pint, clean and tidy, good atmosphere

Great place for a function,we had our mums memorial party there on Sunday and the staff were excellent,friendly and attentive,the food is lovely also. Defo recommend.

Very friendly bar staff polite and helpfull will be back

The Dean serves good honest grub which is good quality and tasty. Dont think there are many who would find it unacceptable. Staff are also very nice and always attentive aim to please. The food is priced well, so overall a great place to eat with a little refreshment if desired. Plenty of local people use it as well, always a good sign.

Great wedding reception ,lovely staff

Best pub in Europe. They sell beer so if you like drinking beer this is the place for you.

Brilliant pub friendly staff cosy pub loved it x

Lovely atmosphere, good bar staff. It is a really good pub ,live entertainment .

Had meal and drinks on Saturday 12th of March with workmates for my birthday... meals we lovely, very friendly and attentive staff ... special thanks to pie 😁 we will return 💋

Lovely bright and airy restaurant, food was really good and portions were huge! Staff are really friendly.

Great food and lovely staff and punters