Castle Restaurant in Dumfries & Galloway

As it’s a small popular place booking in advance is probably recommended. We were looking for a table on a Saturday night during the Spring Fling event in the region so left a message with the restaurant whilst traveling to Kirkcudbright. The owner returned the call and fortunately, thanks to a cancellation, was able to arrange our reservation for dinner the following night - a promising start. On the evening of our visit the bistro was busy however there was still a relaxed ambiance about the place. The sole waitress taking orders and attending to the tables was pleasant and seemed knowledgeable about the menu and the only other member of staff appeared to be the owner/chef. He popped out and chatted with us towards the end of service to allow the waitress to get home as a few diners like us were finishing off drinks and still to receive their desserts and settle their bills. He seemed sociable and relaxed and clearly hadn’t adopted the Gordon Ramsay approach to the restaurant business. Being a small place we were not surprised at the outset that the menu was limited to about half a dozen items per course including specials however it gave a decent choice in our view. We both ordered a “special” for starters - Tempura Battered Prawns (£7.95). As was the case throughout the evening, the dish was served up to the table in good time. Six king prawns each with a sweet chilli sauce with a salad garnish and balsamic. It was a tasty start. For mains my wife ordered the Seabass, served with king prawns, a white wine & tomato sauce and fresh vegetables (£21.00). I had Duck a L’Orange (£21.95) which was another item from the specials board. Neither of the mains dishes would be winning prizes for presentation however most importantly they both tasted good. The fish was nicely cooked and my wife enjoyed the other parts of the dish. The duck was also good albeit the chef was later surprised I’d left the fat on the plate. I queried if people normally ate the fat and he commented that they often do and that he rendered it to make it more appealing. Thankfully this was not an overly fatty duck breast in any case but I was quite happy to leave the small amount I did on the plate. For dessert my wife had Sticky Toffee Pudding with ice cream and I had a Citrus Tart served with a small selection of fresh berries and cream. The puddings were £6.50 each and both enjoyable. Overall we liked our experience at the bistro and with our three course meal for two costing just under £72 we thought it was reasonable value for money. We had added a bottle of NZ Yealands Sauvignon Blanc wine for £25 only just keeping the bill under £100. A walk to the harbour to watch the sunset as we headed back to our accommodation rounded off the evening well.

The best meal I've had this year

What a lovely restaurant, so welcoming, food amazing, highly recommendable, cosy surroundings, lovely atmosphere, best cheesecake I've ever tasted, 5 stars from me......would defo go back. Highly recommend the duck.

Ate a fantastic dinner here with family. Excellent quality food, generous portions, and decent prices and service. The sea bass was delicious, as was the gin & tonic dressed smoked salmon starter! Very well looked after by the owner. Definitely our favourite restaurant in Kirkcudbright. Need to book, as it’s small, with only 5-6 tables.

My family and I were visiting Kirkcudbright to see MacLellan's Castle and made reservations for dinner at Castle Bistro. We had such an amazing meal there and we have been talking about it ever since! Paul was running a one man show while we were there and he made sure we were absolutely taken care of and given the best experience. He was so friendly and the food and drinks were wonderful. We really appreciated his attentiveness and effort to give us the best experience while in Kirkcudbright. By the end of our meal, we felt like we had just had dinner with an old friend.

A lovely little bistro with staff who go the extra mile to ensure you have lovely food and great service. The chef patron goes out of his way to cater for dietary requirements and his food is really delicious. Nice atmosphere, lovely wine, highly recommend.

Visited this restaurant during our latest holiday to Kirkcudbright. The food was excellent, especially for my vegetarian wife who appreciated that the owner/chef can prepare excellent dishes given advance notice. I had breast of duck in an orange and cranberry sauce followed by Tarte au Citron. My wife had a Mediterranean vegetable tower followed by Tarte au Chocolate. This was accompanied by a rather good bottle of French rose wine. We thoroughly recommend this restaurant but booking is essential if you have special dietary requirements.

Food was amazing and the staff were very friendly.

What an absolute delight it was to dine at the Castle Street bistro this evening. The bistro was bright and beautifully clean - the first time we have found hand sanitiser available on each table! It had a lovely comfortable atmosphere with attentive staff and a wonderful menu. The chicken was beautifully cooked, the vegetarian option of cashew nuts and vegetables in a spicy tomato sauce, served with rice, was really delicious and my daughter’s margherita pizza was one of the best we have tried in recent weeks. We enjoyed our main courses and were tempted by the delicious desserts on offer. Sticky toffee pudding was sumptuous and served with cream and the lemon tart delicious and beautifully presented. We would definitely visit again and highly recommend it. Thank you so much for a lovely lovely evening. Ian, Jane and Millie 😃

Two visits in a week! We love to visit the bistro every time we are in Kirkcudbright and this time we returned with the children too for pizzas. The food really is good, the service is fantastic, really it's our favourite place to eat. Do visit!

The chef/owner Paul was first class. He went out his way to make our dining experience a memorable one. The restaurant is small, welcoming and interesting. The food is outstanding! He made sure our dietary requirements were looked after and the quality of the food was excellent. It's not cheap but it's well worth it.

A wee gem. A cosy and welcoming atmosphere created by Paul the chef/owner. The menu is small but the quality is excellent. Paul went out his way to tailor the dishes to our particular dietary requirements and they were first class. It's nice to go a restaurant which is a bit different mostly down to the way Paul interacts with his guests. You must give it a try if you are in Kirkcudbright or the surrounding areas.

Never disappoints, tonight the coq au vin. Chicken melt in the mouth, excellent steak, vegetables always perfectly cooked and the Best chips.

We visited this lovely intimate bistro with friends. There was a short but varied menu plus a specials board with additional starter and two additional mains. We thoroughly enjoyed all of our choices, I chose the lamb special which was perfectly cooked and accompanied by veg, potatoes and a lovely rich minty gravy. All of the food was of very high quality and cooked perfectly and well worth what we paid. The owner/chef and staff were very friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend and hope to visit again.

The reviews for this small restaurant give an accurate view. It’s worth a visit. Off season in the town and a number of the other restaurants are closed for Jan. This place is maintaining service with just the chef patron, so be prepared to stand for a couple of minutes when you come in if he is cooking before you take your table. He seems to space the timing of bookings so that this all works. A small menu with a few specials, but nicely done. When I phoned to book he enquired on any dietary needs, and whilst the menu has vegetarian option he flexed a couple more to give further choice for my partner. - thank you. Whilst only a small number of tables they are well spaced in the room and allow for conversation without feeling you are being listen ed into especially with some background music. Good value. As good if not better than our local 4*hotel. He does not add a tip option to the card machine - so take cash if you have some as it’s deserving of service.

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit on Thursday night, the pork in apple cream sauce which I had was lovely and my partner had the steak, both absolutely done to perfection, well presented and tasted lovely. The atmosphere was pleasant and the young lady server was attentive and kind. Most definitely the best meal we've ever eaten out, and only located 5 hour drive from our home! Thoroughly recommend.

Amazing food, full of flavour, very generous portions and excellentvalue. Highly recommend

Food was brilliant, pork loin with apple cream sauce was superb such a simple yet brilliantly executed meal with super fresh veg👌 - service was superb, 100% worth a visit. Super whiskey too to top off the meal. Thank you!

Had a wonderful meal at the Castle Bistro. Beautifully cooked lamb cannon and a really tasty cashew nut vegetarian dish. Reasonably priced too.

We return for special meals several times a year as the Bistro is our favourite restaurant. Paul is excellent and really friendly. I especially love the lamb canon, which is stunning!

A really good restaurant. The lamb was superb.

Great food, great service and great atmosphere. Would definitely go back.

Beautiful food served with a smile. Lovely staff, highly recommended

Good gourmet but not extravagant restaurant. Delicious coq au vin.

We have been twice now and the food was fresh, high quality and a lovely intimate atmosphere. Lovely place to eat, relaxing environment and the staff are very professional and friendly. Will be returning and would highly recommend!

Really liked this restaurant. The food was as good as the Bistro's reputation would lead you to expect, but we especially liked the personal touch in evidence. The chef came to the table with the waitress to serve our meal. Then, when it came to dessert we asked for one, but with two spoons. Out came one dessert plus a second plate decorated with the chocolate sauce and cherries of the dessert. Lovely idea.

After reading reviews we made a reservation for our first night on holiday in Scotland and wow!!!!! So friendly and incredibly helpful especially providing gluten free food for our children. The food was absolutely delicious!!!

We just had an excellent meal in The Castle Bistro. Prawns in Tempura Batter shared starter, Coquet au Vin and Sea Bream main courses. Everything was excellent, great value and good portion sizes. We will be back when next in the area

Fantastic meal cooked by a passionate friendly chef. Amazing service. Wholly recommend.

Visited 05/08/23 We had a wonderful time. Food was top class. Service was friendly and approachable. Booking highly recommended as restaurant was full on evening we went and they were having to turn people away. I had Lamb Cannon, highly recommend was very very delicious. My fiance had veggie tart which she thought had a lot of flavour and was very tasty. My parents both had the sea bass which they both said was great. Restaurant also does pizzas. You can order these for takeaway too, but only one chef, so need to order these in advance. They looked very good and the table next to us said they were excellent. Desserts also very good.

We ate here for 3 consecutive nights whilst on holiday in Kirkcudbright. The food was excellent, both tasty & well priced. The staff were extremely welcoming & obliging. Thank you so much for such a lovely dining experience!

Service was good, very friendly and bistro is located in good position. Sadly, food wasn't as described by the chef, everything was overcooked, I was unsure whether the accompanying vegetables was fresh, if not they'd certainly had their flavour boiled out of them, wouldn't eat there again or recommend.

Easily the best food that we have had in Kirkcudbright and actually cheaper than other venues. The chicken on bed of haggis with a superb whisky sauce was great as was the lemon tart with 3 squiggles of caramel, raspberry & butterscotch and swamped with single cream was gorgeous - and that for £5.50 !

Just been for a lovely meal at the Castle Bistro in Kirkcudbright and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had the sirloin steak and my good lady had the cannon of lamb, both cooked to perfection. We were well attended to and service was excellent and welcoming. It’s a small family place so disappointing to see a reserved table not being taken up when others were turned away. Would thoroughly recommend if visiting this delightful part of Scotland, we may not always have the weather but we always have excellent food!

They kindly squeezed me in without a booking as I was on a long cycle tour. I had a delicious 3 course vegan meal that powered me on my way!

Fantastic food and great service. We had a lovely meal and will definitely be back if we are in the area.

Fabulous food - owner/chef gave us 4 vegan main course options with only a day’s notice. Had a lovely evening - would highly recommend!

The food was excellent and the bistro had a cosy ambience. The staff were very friendly and attentive. I would definitely recommend the bistro - but make a reservation and avoid disappointment

A very enjoyable evening with excellent food ,well presented and complemented by a very warm welcome. Highly recommended.

Came recommended: Food lovely, reasonably priced, relaxed atmosphere, unpretentious. Will definately eat there again.

We called up about 17.15 from nearby Gatehouse of Fleet, by 17.30 we were sitting down in the lovely little bistro being taken through the extensive list of specials on the menu. My children shared a delicious homemade margarita pizza, the chef even snuck out a cheeky portion of chips for them, too. My wife had a salmon dish which she thoroughly enjoyed and I had chicken and haggis in a whisky cream sauce which was excellent. All the food was delicious and was very reasonably priced, the chef and the font of house staff were lovely and very helpful, too. If you are in the area I would thoroughly recommend eating here

Great food, great service. Would definately reccommend. Small bistro with lovely friendly atmosphere which is often lacking nowadays. Will go back

Doesn't serve food on Sundays yet says so on the website!

Salmon with lemon sauce, delicious service excellent.

Superb food and service. Will definitely be back.

Impromptu dinner at this family run small restaurant. Surprisingly wide choice of plant-based meals. Homemade everything of very good quality ingredients. Decor dated and quiet atmosphere the only slight down sides. Recommended.

Lovely place to eat. Good food with nice service. Only a small bistro so do book to secure a table

Great staff, very fine chef/ prop, fabulous food and superb wine. Don't miss it.

Our first visit to The Castle Street Bistro and absolutely delighted with a fabulous dining experience. We were made to feel extremely welcome on arrival and the quality of the food was outstanding. We very much look forward to to our next visit.

Sublime food and great service in a convivial atmosphere with decent and reasonably priced drink. Would highly recommend. It is actually called The Castle Street Bistro.

This is a quality restaurant with friendly staff and stunning food. Well worth a visit and great value considering the quality of the food.

Husband and I had a fantastic meal here on Tuesday. Chef/ owner was absolutely amazing. Food was five star , well presented and portions were generous. Would definitely recommend. Was one guy doing it all , ansolute star.

We really enjoyed our meal at the Castle, staff and service was excellent. A good choice on the menu to suit all tastes. My wife had the Sea Bass and I had the Pork loin. A nice wine selection is available. Even though all the tables were occupied, the atmosphere was, quiet and pleasant. I highly recommend a visit. Very good food at a reasonable price.

Lovely small restaurant. Best lamb dish I have ever tasted in any country I have visited! Excellent service, socially distanced...felt extremely safe. Well done indeed!

Enjoyed a wonderful meal on the 9th November 2021. Made to feel very welcome and both food and service were excellent. Highly recommended.

If you are in the area I recommend this restaurant. You will have to book. Really friendly and nice food.

Fantastic meal with great ambiance. Staff and chef gave excellent service. Menu gives great selection and was beautifully cooked. Strongly recommend.

Lovely friendly staff, food excellent and decent sized portions! Fantastic chips!

Lovely staff and good portions but fairly bland

Good food and friendly service. I can understand why you may have to book a week ahead.

Great meal, food cooked to perfection and great service too

Quiet restful place to eat. Friendly owners and easant staff. My main meal just melted in my mouth and my starter was delicious. We always have excellent food at this restaurant. I recommend going there.

A lovely little bistro, very popular which must be due to the amazing food and charismatic staff.

The food here is delicious and the service is exemplary.I would highly recommend going here.

Just had an amazing meal Fri 16th July, lovely atmosphere, staff very friendly & efficient, brilliant experience, would highly recommend 😁😁

Lovely meal. Very covid safe. Lovely place

Good selection of food and drink. I had a very nice steak and great chips and vegetables followed by a delicious apple pie with caramel sauce and cream all at reasonable prices with nice staff and a pleasant atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Beautifully cooked food with very attentive staff, a lovely evening. Lovely to find a place with a unique friendly attitude. They are definitely passionate about food and service.

Delicious food, good wine and great staff. Perfect

Great service and most enjoyable food. I would definitely come here again.

Great bistro, serving lovely local food at great prices

5 stars for food, service and value! Our salmon, sea bass, and veg were cooked perfectly. The menu had a good range of options, and everything was very nicely presented. There aren't many local restaurants full on a Tuesday evening - and this one rightly was.

Lovely wee bistro. Gorgeous food. In particular the best fillet steak! Lovely ambience and very friendly. A great find. Also very covid safe.

Staying near Rockcliffe but out on a drive we stopped in Kirkcudbright hoping to find something to eat. Fish & Chips might have been all that was available but instead we had the pleasure of being very well looked after by the Owner / Chef and had really lovely food. A good salad for Ann followed by Sea Bass with Prawns and a perfectly cooked Steak for me. Everything was beautifully presented and we were made incredibly welcome. If / when we return to the area for another holiday we would have no hesitation in visiting this establishment again.

We have been staying for a week within two minutes of this restaurant and have used their takeaway menu three times.The sea bass, rump steak and pork loin were very good.The accompanying vegetables were also good.The food was piping hot and we felt it was very good value for money.It greatly enhanced our holiday.

Have had take away main courses and then take away pizzas in the last week and both have been stunning.The chicken and chorizo pasta and the chicken and haggis main course were both delicious.Similarly the seafood pizza and the triple pizza (ham, sweet chilli chicken and pepperoni) were some of the best pizzas we have ever had!

During a time which can only be described as extremely difficult for the hospitality industry, we have tried to use local businesses when we can. Sadly, on this occasion, I wish we hadn't. We had ordered a takeaway for three for collection & had ordered a Seafood Pizza, a Chichen & Chorizo pasta with creamy tomato sauce and a salmon fillet in the hoisin sauce with veg etc. Unfortunately, all three were awful. I am not sure what had happened but the pizza was like concrete with very little seafood, the pasta itself was overcooked with a sauce which had very little taste & the salmon portion was solid, very overcooked, with just a couple of potatoes, a tiny portion of veg, both of which were very " crispy" in a sauce which was so salty it was inedible. It gives me no pleasure writing this review but I try to be fair by giving credit where credits due & on this occasion, it was sadly lacking. Won't be using again, sorry.

Especially in these sorrowful times it’s like a revelation to have a take-away from the Castle to brighten up your day: Sizzlingly hot, not skimping on topping, so tasty and delicious. Not only is the food a culinary delight, it’s also well-affordable, which makes it even more desirable. Long may ‘the Castle’ provide us with the best Pizze north of Carlisle!

Great bistro in the artist's town, right opposite the castle. Great food cooked to your own taste, friendly and helpful chef/owner

A small, cosy restaurant with a pleasant ambience. Paul always makes us welcome and very happily explains the food on the menu. He cooks this and it is very good and well presented. Nothing is too much trouble and the service is great. I 100% recommend this restaurant to everyone.

Great restaurant - fantastic food, excellent value, owner and other staff super friendly and helpful. Thanks!

This is the first time my husband and I had visited the Castle Bistro and won’t be our last. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals. My husband had a chicken tikka kebab starter followed by steak and I had the most delicious tomato soup followed by sea bass fillets. We loved the cosy feel of the restaurant and the attention from Paul who talked us through the menu before cooking our meals. Shannon who waited on us was delightful and followed all sanitising protocol to the full. Definitely worth a visit.

Yet again, a delicious ad-hoc pizza sitting outside with our little doggo. Castle St Bistro never fails to deliver - Paul can make a pizza like no other, they are actually better than Italy! The perfect combo of crispy, moreish dough and imaginative, mouth watering toppings..... omg I could eat them every day! ( could possibly need a bigger car if I did that!) I can’t wait to try Paul’s a la carte as his specials sound soooo tempting......wonderful little place with old school service and attention to detail we love it ❤️

Stopped here on the off-chance of getting a meal (we hadn't booked) during a long drive home. The owner was friendly and welcoming, and the food superb. Highly recommended.

Hubbie and I visited this evening and had a really enjoyable time.Chef (owner) knew our preferences and came up with several starters and mains (and wines) we could choose from.Really reasonably priced and big portions too! I have my lunch for tomorrow!Great ambience and COVID safe.Definitely return if we’re in the area.Thanks!

Homely and delicious food, will recommend to anyone visiting or passing by.

Excellent. We booked in advance and were offered an extra choice of vegan dishes by the chef. The food was superb, both vegan and non-vegan. Friendly attentive staff. Wholeheartedly recommended.

Welcoming restaurant with good variety of dishes all well cooked. Both food and drink are good value for money.

What a find!! Four of us booked for dinner. Very friendly staff -chef introduced the waitresses and then talked us through the menu. All of us enjoyed both courses -excellent portions. Very good value

We love visiting this restaurant. The chef always asks if we have any dietary requirements and as 3 out of the 5 of us are pescatarian he always comes up with extra fish/veggie options for my family to choose from. The food is delicious and the service we receive is great every time we visit! Never had a bad meal here would highly recommend!

We have just had a takeaway dish from here and it was totally delicious. The pizza was divine and my vegeterian pasta dish was so fresh tasting and tasty. Do not hesitate to grab a takeaway. I only wish we were staying in Kirkcudbright longer as I would love to dine in! We will be back!

What can I say.........EXCELLENT. The Owner/Chef, Paul made our special 50th Birthday celebratory evening one to remember with his fantastic food and warm friendly manner. Can't rate this place enough. Thanks Paul.

Exceptional service We were a large party who had pre-booked lunch and, despite the chef/owner being suddenly singlehanded, we received an exceptional welcome, superb food and outstanding hospitality in difficult circs. We all thought he went above and beyond the call of duty both serving, cooking, wine waiting and pot washing. He made what had been a sad day for us til then full of fun and laughter. Couldn’t praise him enough. Thank you from the Moffat clan

My wife and I visited this restaurant last night and came out very pleased and very full. The food was lovely and plentiful and it was by far the friendliest place we have ever eaten. I recommend anyone visiting Kirkcudbright to dine here.

Great find, hotel I was staying in was having kitchen renovations so had to find somewhere else. Excellent food, great hospitality and very very very generous with the amazing chips. Rest of the food was also outstanding. All down to chefs tricks of resting the meat.Delicious meal and great hospitality.

My husband and I had a meal here on Christmas eve. We were told what food was being cooked before we decided. My husband chose from the menu, a 2 course meal for £18, turkey dinner and cheese and biscuits. I had the excellent lamb dish, very tender with vegetables cooked just right, and roast spuds, mint gravy. My husband's turkey was cut really thick, and was so tender. We shared cheese and biscuits. The owner brought us a free drink each at the end. There was a party of eight in too , a family, i think who must have also booked early. The room is small, but certainly makes up for it in ambience, friendliness and excellent food served by 2 lovely waitresses.

We had a meal with our grandchildren . It was an excellent meal. Paul and Emma looked after us as if we were family. A wonderful experience. Would not hesitate to go back.

Had a lovely meal here last night, steak was lovely and cooked too perfection and the sauce was to die for, Paul made us feel very welcome, we will definitely be returning here and recommend this place too every1 looking for a lovely meal and very valuable for money.

What a great find; super food and warm welcome. Mushroom stroganoff was gorgeous and the chicken and haggis to die for! Such a lovely, friendly place - we will be back. Thank you for you warm hospitality.

We had a lovely meal here at the weekend which was the Festival of Light weekend. The restaurant was busy (you have to book) and the food and atmosphere was lovely. We will absolutely be back. Thank you.