The best restaurants serving British food in Scottish Borders Lowlands

We turned up, with our two dogs, at 7.30 on a Thursday eve. One table was free and the staff very kindly asked the dog owning diners already on the adjacent tables if their dogs would be ok with ours next to them, really nice touch. Thankfully, fellow dog owners were happy to have us sit among them. So, service: really good 👍 Ambience: We were sitting in close proximity to other dog owners so we had a lovely time 😊👍 Food: honestly, starters were great but mains were absolutely to die for! He had the fillet steak, he's a trained chef and a bit of o steak expert... said it was the best steak he's ever eaten 😊 Fish pie for me, oh my, absolutely delicious 😋 I'd definitely recommend eating here 👍

I was staying overnight in the area and Heathers was recommended. Had Cullen Skink for lunch which was really good. For Dinner I decided on the steak. Asked for it to be cooked "Rare to Medium" and it was spot on. Eccellent value at just under £30 including a pint of Moretti

So glad we found The Caddy Mann to have dinner on the last day of our holiday in The Borders - what a great find ! Delish food ! The game pudding is so tasty and hubby enjoyed his steak which was a good size and cooked nicely. The staff were friendly , and although the surroundings aren't luxurious , the most important thing for us is the food - and it's excellent !! Thank you Ross and team !

I arrived on my own with my dog. You have to order inside but dogs aren’t allowed inside. It was quite busy but the waiting staff asked if I was alone and said they’d be happy to come and take my order at the table. They came quickly, took my order and brought it out really promptly. The crab sandwich was lush. I had a choice of white wine, and the Sauvignon Blanc was delicious. They were so chatty and lovely. They were happy for me to pay when I left and I’ll definitely be returning.

Food and service excellent but despite booking over the phone through messenger, our table had not been reserved and it wasn't possible to speak to a person directly over the phone at The Salmon Inn.

Can’t get more central in Melrose than the Townhouse. Convenient to all of the independent shops and starting point for walks. Parking is good both on-street and hotel carpark. A family owned hotel run with obvious pride. Smartly dressed staff, friendly and helpful. Superb breakfast (we’ll return for dinner.) Our room was spacious and stylish with a great view over the square and to the Eildon hills. Everywhere was immaculate. Can’t recommend enough.

Excellent value. I had a beautiful fresh fish, crispy batter and perfect chips - what else is there to say? One of the best fish and chips I’ve had in a very long time

There's something special about this place -- we entered with no idea - just wanted a coffee after driving from Edinburgh and looking at the abbey - then we were taken in by the menu and the homemade bread. - vegetarian and vegan options. Amazing coffee and home-cooked food and fresh sourdough, this place feels the love and care for its patrons. Highly recommend.

Searched online and shown to be dog friendly but visited and told dogs aren’t allowed inside, you can sit outside with your dog, so more dog tolerant.

Disappointed…went for breakfast. Discovered that they no longer provide gluten free bread/ bagels. So went to Abbey Fine Wines who do delicious gluten free scones.

This cafe is now under new ownership and is called THE KNOWES. It is open from 9:30 until 4 (3 on a Sunday). It has been under new ownership since February this year and has had a lick of paint and a fresh menu - albeit broadly similar to the old one. Having visited the cafe several times on visits to Kelso over the last few years, it remains my favourite venue to get a hot drink and a simple meal. The premises are kept very clean and presentable.

Have had a home delivery from here twice now and been so tasty, not had any issues at all and really enjoyed every dish!

We were a group of 18 friends who had arranged a private lunch at the Gordon Arms. Bryn's food preparation and Oxana's service excellently complimented each other as we all enjoyed a couple of hours of great socialising. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a private function of simply for regular dining.

We had earmarked this place for breakfast one morning and rushed to get down before they stopped serving brekkie at 11:30. We arrived just after but they managed to accommodate us. As I ordered a full Scottish for my husband, I was absolutely delighted to see a gluten-free breakfast listed on the menu. Even the sausage was GF! Other coeliacs might understand that a GF snag is often a bonus when looking for a full fried breakfast. The breakfast arrived with orange juice and a pot of tea as well. Mine was absolutely brilliant. The added addition of haggis (which was not listed on the menu) was a treat since it’s rare to find gluten-free haggis anywhere. Tea was piping hot, the service was impeccable and overall we really enjoyed our visit. Lots of locals with the dogs popping in while we were there and it was nice to see lots frequenting the café. We thought it might be difficult to find somewhere open on a Monday, and indeed some other places were shut, but we were delighted to find Caroline’s was open. Very clean toilets as well.

Stopped in for some lunch today. Friendly service with a good and varied choice of menu. Offers half portions of meals if more suitable. Brilliant value. Hot and cold options available. Felt like the teapot was bottomless, think it was 3 cupfuls in total!