Hotel is star attraction for lunch

Standing proudly at the bottom of the High Street, the hotel is the first building to greet you from the train station.

However, it is a sight that could have been gone forever after a serious fire in 2010 left only the walls standing.

Thankfully the hotel was restored to its former glories and the Star and Garter continues to offer locals and out of towners a fantastic place to eat.

Upon entering the listed building we were greeted by the friendly bar staff who showed us to our seats.

We had two choices of where we wanted to sit, in the bar area or through in the dining room.

The bar area looks and feels like a local pub and is very welcoming. It would be the perfect place to grab a drink of something cool and refreshing, order some food and watch whatever important sport was on.

However, this was a business lunch so the dining room suited us better.

With windows all down one side the sun lit up the spacious room and we selected a table next to the windows looking out into the courtyard that was filled with tables and chairs and people out enjoying the sun while it lasted.

We poured over the menus and dived straight into deciding what food would be best for a Friday afternoon.

There certainly was plenty for us to choose from with the Star and Garter offering lots from simple starters and snacks to stomach filling steaks.

The Monterey Jack cheeseburger was calling me and the hand cut chips were the perfect match for this meal. The rest of the table decided on a chicken burger and the Star Club sandwich.

While we waited on our food I looked out into the courtyard and noticed the brewery located next to the bar outside. Krafty Brew operates next to the hotel having moved from Edinburgh to the Royal Burgh. It offers punters the chance to make their own beer while sampling others already brewed by Krafty Brew.

The food was quickly brought to our table and the smell and look of the burger was amazing. The cheese was melting and oozing out from the bun, dripping down the side of the meat, covering every inch of the burger. The way it is meant to be.

The healthy portion of hand cut chips which were seasoned to perfection was a match made in heaven.

While scoffing my own I had a look at my colleagues food choices to see if theirs were better than mine.

The Star Club sandwich which was packed full of chicken, bacon, egg, salad and mustard mayo did look an absolute treat. The chicken burger which was slathered in a lemon and herb butter looked delicious and judging by how quiet our table was, the food was certainly tickling the right taste buds.

There were plenty of puddings on offer. However, the main course was more than enough for a lunch and we decided to pass on the second course.

It is brilliant that the hotel was restored following such a devastating fire as it means the Star and Garter remained an icon in Linlithgow which offers great food and a fantastic place for everyone to enjoy.