The Café Royal

Apart from a change of hands in June 2012, little has changed at The Café Royal since it moved across the road from its original site in 1863. Designed by local architect Robert Paterson, it is a glorious example of Victorian and Baroque, with an interior seemingly frozen in time. Elegant stained glass and fine late Victorian plasterwork dominate the building, as do irreplaceable Doulton ceramic murals in the bar and restaurant. The whole building and its interior were listed in 1970 so future generations can enjoy the unique building which still sticks to its early 19th-century roots by serving local ales such as Harviestoun Bitter & Twisted, wine, coffee and fresh oysters in the bar and restaurant. Scottish produce dominates the menu, from starters of black pudding with king scallops to mains of Balmoral chicken wrapped in bacon and stuffed with haggis.