I suppose The Bridge Inn would fall under ‘Gastropub’. It’s a proper pub that has a really good restaurant. In fact, the restaurant is so good it’s multiple awards including Pub Of The Year. It’s also just ten minutes from my house meaning I don’t need to remortgage said house to pay for a taxi there and back. In stereotypical tight Scottish fashion, we actually just took the car and left it there until early the next morning as there’s a very reasonably sized, FREE, carpark. Now if that doesn’t tempt you out of town then nothing will!

The Bridge Inn is located in Ratho, not far from The Dalmahoy – so if you happen to be staying at The Dalmahoy and have already eaten at The Pentland Restaurant then I recommend you dine here on your second night.

So, we’ve established The Bridge Inn must be pretty decent, but how decent? Let’s have a look at what we ate…

Beetroot, goats cheese and baby leeks. All the ingredients were really fresh on this dish, but for me it was lacking a bit more dressing, it needed something sharp or sweet to finish it off.

Pigeon breast with croquette and black pudding. This was a lovely dish, the pigeon was perfectly cooked.

Pork belly with pork loin and crackling. I’m a huge fan of pork and this was perfect. I would definitely go back for it!

Pictured above: Beer battered haddock, chips and mushy peas. I’ve visited several times and had this at lunch and dinner, and it’s been perfect every time.

We couldn’t decide which dessert to have, so we had them all. The ‘Assiette of Desserts’ from left to right: sticky toffee pudding with ice cream, lemon posset with compote, vanilla rice pudding, strawberry ice cream with shortbread, chocolate brownie. The favourites were the sticky toffee pudding and lemon posset, with the vanilla rice pudding coming a close third.

As well as all that we partook in quite a few of the cocktails, including the moreish vanilla daiquiris! The bar does a great job of complementing the restaurant with a good range of cocktails, as well as beers, gin, and everything else you’d expect from a good pub.

A quick word for the service, our waitress was very good at her job and lovely, she made us feel very welcome to stay and enjoy a few drinks after our dinner which when you’re often asked to vacate after a couple of hours is a welcome change of pace.

The Bridge Inn
Location: Ratho, Edinburgh
Price: Mains £12-£20
Bestinburgh: Best Gastropub