16 Best Restaurants in The Borders and the Southwest, Scotland

Decorated in muted colors, this lovely little café and bookshop named for a traditional folktale (you can find it on the tables) provides a tranquil refuge in the town center. It's a perfect spot for a light lunch; choose from a limited menu that includes soup, delicious meze, and burgers with or without meat. Fair-trade products are used. The bookshop holds regular readings and book launches, and you can buy the beautiful rugs laid around the café. Somehow the relaxed environment seems to add extra flavor to this retreat.

The arrival of this tiny family-run restaurant has lifted Dumfries' status in the culinary world. The menu is small and changes regularly but is always creative and adventurous with clear Mediterranean influences. Try the slow beef with polenta or the wolf fish with broccoli and wild garlic. Reservations are essential.

Lovely and old-fashioned, this white-washed inn is always full, mainly because of its good beer and hearty, well-cooked food including steak and ale pie. Located directly on the harbor, it has few local rivals, but customers come from far and wide to eat here and walk the headland behind the pub to the rocky shore of the Solway Firth. That exercise may help you appreciate the excellent housemade desserts. When weather permits, you can eat at tables in the garden. For those who want to linger, there are also seven reasonably priced guest rooms, five of which overlook the pretty harbor.

Whitewashed walls, oak-beamed ceilings, and an open fire welcome you into this converted 19th-century bobbin mill just across the river in Gattonside. The cuisine is a blend of British and Mediterranean styles with occasional Asian influences. You might have lamb served with rosemary mashed potatoes and red-currant sauce or roast chicken breast with leeks and a grilled peach. Rabbit and guinea fowl also appear regularly on the menu. The inn lies in Gattonside, Melrose's across-the-river neighbor, but a 2-mile drive is required to cross to the other side; you can reach the inn more easily via a footbridge.

With a minstrels' gallery, crystal chandeliers, and tall windows with views over the Tweed, the dining room at the Tontine Hotel has a grand feel. It's a bit surprising, therefore, that it also serves good home cooking for the family at reasonable prices. Local produce is used for all the dishes, including the steak pie and burgers as well as the vegetarian tagine and Moroccan stew. For the most part the menu remains traditional, though with creative touches. There is also a good wine list. Bring along the kids, as they have their own menu. The view over the Tweed provides a fine background

This charming 18th century building in Melrose´s central square offers an interesting bar menu that includes Camembert croquettes and Kofta kebabs. The main supper menu is ambitious, with choices like monkfish tail and salmon with prawn risotto.

This lively, welcoming traditional pub in the center of town has a separate bar and dining area, comfortable seating, and a large selection of beers. It's a magnet for locals at dinnertime and always seems to be busy, a testimony to the quality of its food as well as the large portions. Favorite dishes include grilled pork loin with fruity red cabbage and panfried sea bass with couscous, and the excellent desserts are made on the premises. Reservations are advised for Friday and Saturday evenings.

The pleasant white-walled, modern dining room of this bright, airy eatery sits behind the tempting deli counter, and its windows overlook the Tweed. All-day options include salads, platters, and sandwiches as well as heartier choices such as cod with curried cauliflower and a rump of lamb with salsa verde and lemon. Leave a little space for some worthwhile desserts or take time to linger in the bar. Staff are friendly and welcoming.

For a good balance of art and food, look no further than this café at a contemporary art and crafts gallery in the town center. You'll find the freshest ingredients here, from soup to salads, sandwiches to quiches; everything is made on-site, including the bread, and it's all organic. The soup of the day is always a good choice, as are the seasonal fruit pies. The light-filled café is downstairs, beneath the shop and gallery, and has wooden tables and chairs. You can also choose to sit in the conservatory or the lovely walled garden, if the weather allows.

A country hotel that recalls an old coaching inn, the opulent dining room at the Horseshoe Inn has large gold-framed mirrors and heavy drapes to emphasize its grand style. The dinner menu combines well-established favorites with fine dining, from fish-and-chips to roast lamb and baked cod. There's an impressive three-course roast menu on Sundays for £25. As you would expect, the pace echoes the surroundings and the cuisine—slow with plenty of time to savor. If you elect to stay in the area, the restaurant also has eight rooms.

The atmosphere in this popular restaurant near the Eastgate Theatre on Peebles's main street is relaxed and cheerful; there is a buzz of conversation and an informality that reflects the shared plates that are the basis of the menu. These small plates make dining a creative experience as the dishes reflect and combine several culinary traditions. Options include pork collar with hispi cabbage, mushroom and peanut bao buns, and scallops with chicken butter sauce, just to name a few. The lunch menu is more in line with typical pub grub like bacon rolls and fish sandwiches.

A family-run restaurant in an appealing village setting, Seasons has a reputation for using local produce consistently well in imaginative ways. White walls and wooden tables create an uncluttered setting for the elegant and creative dishes offered. Deer, lamb, and beef from local farms are coupled with vegetables and herbs from the restaurant's own garden. The tagliatelle with walnut and kale pesto is a tempting alternative for vegetarians.

The talented chef at this unpretentious restaurant has built its menu around what local suppliers can offer. This range of ingredients creates options like the wood pigeon starter and the occasional squirrel dish, which is very popular. There are also choices like smoked duck with blue cheese and hazelnut, game pie, and rack of lamb, too. The vegetarian menu is long and creative.

The interiors of this traditional red-sandstone house in central Jedburgh are quite conservative, but the fine-dining menu is creative. Food presentation is artistic, and the taste of what is always local produce confirms the artistry. You might begin with mussels marinière or queen scallop ceviche and continue with the sea bass with asaparagus risotto or the artichokes two ways. Thursday's steak nights are especially popular with rib-eye aficionados, and the restaurant has a cocktail bar and a house beer. There are simple but elegant bedrooms if you prefer to linger.

Just off the town's cobbled square, this well-established pub and restaurant with wooden tables and a bustling, cheerful atmosphere seems to be permanently busy. Its extensive menu combines generously sized burgers, steaks, and meat pies with the ever-popular fish-and-chips. The craft beers are good, food is delivered quickly and politely, and desserts are too tempting to resist, especially the sticky toffee pudding (made with dates) beloved by Scots. Reservations are advised for dinner, with the last food orders at 8:30 pm. There is live music on some nights.

A vibrant community arts project in the very center of Dumfries, the Stove is best known for its café that offers wholesome breakfasts, sandwiches, and cakes. You can enjoy your coffee surrounded by the work of local artists. It has music and other events throughout the year too.