Queens Head Hotel

My wife had her usual choice and loved it, but I tried the turkey, ham and leek pie and found it disgusting. I tried a couple of times to get the staff’s attention, but it was busy, and with my wife enjoying her food, I let it go. When our plates were cleared, nobody asked about the food I’d left behind or whether I’d enjoyed it. I’ve been to the Queen’s head many times, but this visit was very different and a real disappointment after all those years. I don’t know whether the kitchen had different staff this time. I’ve never had such an awful meal in a restaurant. If there are new people cooking, they need retraining. I won’t be back, and would recommend looking at other places in Kelso.

The location was ideal, practically beside Kelso Abbey, and the staff were friendly. We stayed one night while hiking the Borders Abbeys Way, and it was very good value. The bar was well stocked and breakfast was good. Our room was small and basic, but fine for what we needed.

We had a great time and, from our experience, would recommend the hotel for its value and as a place to eat, stay, or both. It’s well placed near the town centre. The seven of us really enjoyed our meal. Our young waitress was cheerful and efficient all evening, with friendly, helpful colleagues backing her up. Breakfast was just as pleasant, with a wide selection of cereal, pastries and cooked options, and the lady in charge ran the room well. Our room was spacious and well equipped, though we could hear traffic on the cobbled road and late night revellers from the bar below. It was a weekend night, which may explain the noise.

The meal was lovely, nicely prepared and presented, and the drinks were good too. I was a bit disappointed to find an extra £52 tip added by the barman to our £243 bill. I’m not sure how it happened, but we got it refunded.