Edinburgh:
There’s a theme here: a historic interior again, and along with The Abbotsford a member of a small chain. We’d left the Cafe Royal, and knew it was close, just not how close (next door). Lovely interior, great staff and beer, very, very close to Waverley Station.
Edinburgh:
Another historic interior, and this one is a stunner. Pleasant staff, lovely atmosphere; about the only complaint could be the limited seating space (but what there is is in lovely booths). Great beer, too.
Edinburgh:
Glorious Edwardian pub in one of Edinburgh’s busy streets. Fantastic heritage interior, great beer selection, and really good, different food at a reasonable price. Very friendly staff too, surprisingly chilled as the Fringe was still on.
Hawick:
A ‘spoons. But a nice spoons. In what was a Conservative club, so it has to be an improvement. The interior is impressive, with wood paneling and a grand staircase. Very friendly staff, and quite a civilised atmosphere for a ‘spoons; trackie bottoms not required.
Hawick:
Corner-sited Victorian pub. No longer owned by anyone called Dalton, but the name stuck. It’s a drinker’s pub: no children allowed. One ale on when we visited; there’s sometimes 2. Friendly staff and locals and a lovely historic interior. No food beyond crisps/snacks.
Selkirk:
First impressions had this feeling odd: we walked past the side entrance (for the bar), and had to walk back through the restaurant, and then the bar felt a bit…vibrant.
A second visit was better (or was it just us in a better mood?). The bar feels like a traditional Scottish pub, and while there was no cask ale, there was decent craft keg. Staff were pleasant too.
The restaurant is seperated by a corridor, so the two functions don’t interfere, which is good for both. The food in the restaurant, by the way, was excellent.
Selkirk:
A typical drinker’s pub right in the middle of town, with a heritage interior, with lovely cornice and mirrors. No food, no real ale, but very friendly staff and locals and a proper pub atmosphere.
Melrose:
A hotel, but as I’ve remarked before, the lines blur north of the border, and the bar felt pubby. It also felt *expensive* at 8 quid for a 175ml wine and a pint of lime and soda (I was driving…). The cackling women didn’t help the ambience, either, but I think we caught it at a bad time. Several cask ales. Food was a bit…tapas (shudder). Staff friendly enough, just can’t get over that 8 quid…