The Bank Bar and Tapas in Dumfries & Galloway

This is a sizeable modern restaurant located on the Whitesands where public parking is generally available, provided it’s not flooded! There is also a small car park at the rear of the building too. The site is a former RBS branch, hence the name, but all that remains of the latter is an ATM at the entrance. Having said that, the interior will still have a familiarity about it for former customers and staff. A metal staircase has been added in the “banking hall” and this provides access to the upper balcony floor level. There are table settings on ground and upper levels (the latter providing a view towards the River Nith) and comfy looking seating areas in both areas presumably aimed at those just looking for drinks. There is also an area on the ground floor which is glass screened presumably for use by groups. The menu is based on tapas dishes however these are not typically what you would expect to see in a Spanish bar or restaurant. The “small plates” here have a different angle. At the time of our visit several specials had been added for Valentines Day and it was these which were the most tempting for us. We chose Coconut Breaded King Prawn; Confit Duck Leg; Haggis & Goats Cheese; and Onion Bhajis from the specials menu and added Beer Battered Cod and Patatas Bravas from the “Current Account” menu selection to make up six plates for £40. (The offer was 3 plates for £20). The dishes were served in two lots as they were ready and seemed to come with obligatory pea shoots. The King Prawn dish consisted of one giant coconut battered prawn with a mango lime & chilli salsa and citrus dressed leaves. The batter was a bit heavy for our liking. My wife is not a huge fan of duck so I had most of that served with shiitake mushrooms and crispy shallots - it was okay. The haggis & goats cheese (with Irn Bru marmalade) was tasty enough, as were the Onion Bhajis with pakora sauce. The only recognizable Spanish dish - patatas bravas - was not good. Our favourite of the bunch was the cod which came along with a light batter, two triple cooked chips and a very nice minted pea puree. This was also the hottest of the plates served, some others were just "warm". For dessert we both had Cinnamon Churros with a white chocolate & hazelnut sauce and vanilla icecream (£5 each). Nice enough but no noticeable taste of cinnamon in our experience. Service was okay - more functional than naturally friendly. The restaurant's upstairs area was not being used at the time and the numbers downstairs were only sufficient to provide a little atmosphere. The premises were not comfortably warm for dining, in particular towards the end of lunchtime service. A visit to the toilets upstairs gave us an opportunity to see the view you would have if dining or sitting on the upper level which would have probably have been better. A cubicle in the gents toilets required contortionist abilities to get in and out of it such was the tight space when opening the door. The toilets were otherwise well maintained. Overall, I imagine it is probably better to visit on a busy evening for some ambiance with food and drinks combined. Our total bill came to just under £54 for two when soft drinks were added - Diet Coke £2.10 and a lemonade £1.80.

Absolutely love the food here. The menu has plenty to offer for everyones taste buds.Hannah was serving us and is the most beautiful polite person ever. 🥰

We have been to The Bank on a number of occasions over the past couple of years and have never been disappointed. Lovely food, amazing cocktails, nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Thanks again, we will be back again soon ☺️

Great atmosphere , inattentive staff , cocktails were good , wine was good food was very poor , how can you get tapas so wrong

Our original dinner choice was having a pop up and not serving their normal food, and our backup was closed on a night they showed they would be open so we ended up at The Bank. I really like the way they do the menu. Tapas are always fun. The cocktail I had was phenomenal. The service ok. The food was ok. The best thing were the ribs my husband ordered — tangy with a hint of crispness around the edges. The street corn could have been fabulous (the flavor was good), but they either used frozen corn or boiled it forever because it was soggy. The panko cauliflower was tasty but also a little on the soggy side. I think this would be better to serve with the sauce as a dip to keep it fresh and crunchy. The sweet and sour pork was great.

All of the food is gluten free, literally everything! The owner has coeliac disease, and its so amazing to find somewhere that we're catered for, especially in a small town. There was a good amount of vegetarian and vegan options on the tapas menus too, so it's great for a lot of diets. The food was delicious too, and decent sized portions for tapas. We got 4 each and it was too much, 3 each would be better. The service was pretty fast, staff were friendly and knowledgeable about allergens. There is regular beer on the menu as well as gluten free drinks, so just make sure you order the right one. I imagine it gets busy on a weekend, as it was busy on a week night, so bear that in mind. I'll definitely be returning here!

Attentive staff with an extensive menu of cocktails which were delicious! We didn’t have any food but it looked great. Will definitely go back to eat if we are in the area in future

This was an amazing place. The food was excellent, ive never had Tapas before but will certainly be coming back. The flavours were just perfect, so enjoyable. Omg there aren't enough words to explain how good it was. Staff were amazing and friendly, polite and helpful. U might have to wait while it's being prepared but they r so busy it is worth the wait. Excellent thanku 😊

4 of us went for drinks on Saturday afternoon. Managed to get a table for an hour and a half. Was ok but nothing other than that

This restaurant is great for a meal out. Tapas deal on my visit £20 for 3 items /bowls per person. Really good food and filling too, no silly wee helpings! Sweets are available as an extra if required. Drinks reasonable price. Cocktails delicious too. Attentive table service through out Atmosphere pleasant. Highly recommended.

Great food,lovely setting, highly recommend,try the broccoli tempura and the calamari they are amazing, great selection of cocktails too.

Went 30th December for a meal with a friend. Was recommended by a friend, never been before. Very good service at front desk. Quickly shown to table. Ordered 6 tapas. Butter chicken and the nachos were really nice as were the king prawns. Chilli honey ribs and the loaded philly steak fries were ok. The potato bravas was unpleasant. The potatoes ẁere chewy not crispy. My friend ordered a Mojito and couldn't taste any alcohol in it at. I ordered a Bloody Mary. All I could tate was pepper and celery with a hint of tomato. Far to much ice in it. Will be a long time till I go again

Cracking place to eat.the wifey loved the cocktails 😂

I had been coming here regularly when visiting family at home. Prior to this last visit food had been excellent as had the service. However the visit today had slow service, food was not great (bland, dry and appeared reheated). Drink (soft) was lemonade from a 1 litre bottle which had already been open. Not available on draft. This is extremely disappoint given prices of soft drinks. I compare these prices with the city I live in and would not rush back here. There was also a kitchen bin sitting with the lid open next to tables in the restaurant which were being served food. The staff who did serve us were friendly.

Good value. Staff very pleasant. Nice atmosphere. Worth a visit.

Good food. Slow service as we were moved before we got our desserts.

I messaged to ask to purchase a gift voucher. Whoever answered was downright rude and offensive. Very very very poor customer service!

Can't fault the place. Very reasonably priced, especially midweek. Food always tasty and arrives quickly. £17 for 3 tapas and a pint, great.

Perfect for a night out, or special occasion,staff are friendly, food was lovely, cocktails highly recommended. Relaxed atmosphere, beautiful decor.🌟🌟🌟

Food was hot and yummy and very fast after ordering 😋 All the staff have great customer service, and the cocktails were lush ,been a few times now and never disappointed, great value for money.

Excellent food and wine - and so many extra stars for having a dairy free menu making it seamless for those with allergies.

Disappointed second visit We visited last Saturday and was blown away. Food good and cocktails were definitely different with bubbling ones and smoked ones being served. As we go home tomorrow we decided to book our last night meal at the Bank and I was really disappointed. We had a table booked for 5 and tried the door at a few minutes pass to find the door locked and one of the staff give us a glaring stare as if how dare you try and open the door at a few minutes past 5 when they open at 5! The restaurant was cold and unwelcoming. I ordered two bubbling cocktails neither of them were bubbling. I ordered the scallops as they were so nice last weekend. They were 1/4 the size they were last Saturday and over cooked as was the black pudding and the whole dish half the size we were given last week. I just felt the staff really couldn’t be bothered tonight. The place was heaving last Saturday and the cocktails, meal and service was impeccable. Tonight wasn’t anywhere as busy but the whole meal was a disappointment

Fantastic place , great staff , service , food and drinks.

The food was amazing and all gluten. Its a tapas style menu but with lots of different types of food. It was lovely as a coeliac to have so much choice and feel safe knowing the whole menu is gluten free. However, the service wasn't very good. It was really slow and the staff were inattentive. More of a bar with food on the side type place so maybe best to visit at a lunchtime or weekday whe its maybe quieter if visiting for food.

Couldn’t attend a group booking due to having Covid and despite already paying a deposit the group was charged the full price of my Gold Package.

Food was great, service could have been better, was not to busy so lacked atmosphere a bit. But will return.

Very friendly staff and the place itself was nice and clean. But unfortunately the food wasn't very good. Gnocchi tasted like supermarket gnocchi and storebought sauce. The veggie taco's were not taco's but a storebought tortilla with some veg. A bit of a shame!

Very enjoyable visit. Great choice of tapas. Tasty and good value. Staff pleasant and attentive. Worth a visit and worth the money. Just passing through but will visit again.

A wee bit noisy but that said the food was sublime and the mocktails very very quaffable! 3 Tapas for £20 we WILL be back!

Staff great, good is great except.....stay away from anything with cheese. Think it is squirty cheese or something, it does nothing for the food and tastes yuk. Scrape it off and it'll taste great. Disappointing because everything else is delicious.

"Come for the Food and stay for the Cocktails!" The Food is extremely tasty and the Cocktails are Fantastic. Definitely one of my favourite places to eat in Dumfries. We were out with the kids this time for our Anniversary so the kids were on the No Alcohol Cocktails, which were possibly even tastier than the Adult Cocktails. Yum.

Great for groups/couples for cocktails & tapas. Tapas is really tasty with a good selection, good range of cocktails too. Nice setting.

Highly recommend this Tapas Bar !! the food was amazing! Cooked to perfection! Wine selection was equally as good - Murran - waitress who looked after us was extremely friendly and was very a tentative !! Keep doing what you are doing! Many thanks from Aussies!!

One of the best tapas venues ever visited Plenty of choice Good price Food amazing Very much recommend

Lovely food , service was great. Mac cheese , scallops and batter cod highly recommend

Local friends took us for an early dinner before a major sporting event involving their team and mine aka Queen of the South v Motherwell, we made it easy by choosing from the special midweek tapas menu and just having one of each tapas. Food came out in stages, nicely presented, good fresh flavours and hot. Good selection of drinks with draught beers about £2 a pint less than what we`re used to..... Staff were all friendly and smart and took a pride in their job Dumfries you`re lucky to have this on your doorstep.

Popped in for tea before the theatre and was very impressed, great service, very nice food and very reasonable prices. Will be back again soon. I dropped one star only because we were seated beside a couple of very loud blokes who were just in for a drink…a bit unfair perhaps…

Food was great, as was the service and staff. With free parking across the street, The Bank is a no-brainer if you happen to be near Dumfries.

I’ve been here a lot as it’s my favourite place to eat in Dumfries. You can have a mixture of food like a pick n mix in a sweetie shop which I love, the food is always of a top quality, you never have to wait to long to be served or receive your food and the staff, although many of them are young, are very polite and professional so have obviously been well trained. The choice of food is extensive and the menu changes just enough that you never get bored going there, keep up the great work

Stayed in Dumfries for 4 nights and ate at the Bank every night. As a coeliac it was lovely to be able to enjoy a meal as everything on the menu is gluten free. Food delicious and staff very friendly. Will certainly be back when we are next in Dumfries.

What a great place, great food and service and cocktails nae bad too

Lovely food and dink, friendly staff lovely place

We were down in Dumfries for a couple of days and found “The Bank” online. Arrived early and the staff told us it was no problem and got us seated. The staff are genuinely superb! So attentive, polite and made great recommendations. I’d never had scallops but the young woman with the blonde hair gave us great advice so we tried them. All of the food was fantastic too! Really generous portions. I’m a big eater but 3 dishes was more than enough; you can add extra dishes at any time. If I’m back this way I’d definitely return.

Very nice meal. Sun coming in the window made it a bit hot but not a lot could be done about it.

Best strawberry daiquiri in town!

We asked for vouchers for my birthday as we were told it was really good however our experience was awful. There was three of us in our party and nothing we got was nice. Really disappointed

Camareros: Bien Cocineros: Bien Tipo: Tapas Rapidez: Bien Precio: Normal Platos: Bien Limpieza: Bien Decoración: Bien Nota: Camareras simpáticas i atentas, comida y postres demasiados dulces. Repetir: Si lo

Excellent meal and selection of drinks. The menus are good value and the service was first class. We each chose from the two different menus and shared our selections for a very tasty tapas meal. The beer battered cod was delicious, the chicken in caramel sauce was mouthwatering and the three vegetable choices, plus mushrooms were very enjoyable. The tempura batter was delightful. Light and easy to eat. Finished off with wine, alcohol free beer and white chocolate crème brûlée. Thanks, Kerry and her colleagues for making sure it was a meal to remember.

Excellent food and lovely staff. Chicken wings were really delicious and smelt incredible. Good cocktail and mocktail menu too.

We were especially looking for to this, after the fantastic reviews. 2 excellent set menu’s. The savings account menu, gives you the option to swap a savoury tapas for a sweet tapas & add a drink on cod an additional £2, great value. Plenty of...

Staff were very friendly and helpful, Food was disappointing - chips were quite soggy, and the gnocchi was overcooked and flavourless. The tempura prawns were tasty, and friends who had the halloumi and crispy chicken really enjoyed it, I think of the dishes some were very much a hit, and some definitely a miss. Fun ambiance, but would not recommend the booth seating for a comfortable night - the floor is miles away, you get a bar to rest your feet on instead

Lovely place, nice atmosphere and service was ok, food was disappointing, only warm, large choice on menu,

What a fabulous place. Tapas are surprisingly filling and, oh, the cocktails 🤩🤩 staff very attentive and knowledgeable. Very friendly and efficient. Would highly recommend.

Good food at reasonable price for £19 3 small plates and a glass of wine. Quick service and friendly staff. Had a variety of dishes and were all great. 10/10 reccomend the scallops and broccoli tempura. Would revisit to try all the dishes and the cocktail menu looked good too. Must be the best option in dumfries

Popped in for an alternative Sunday lunch and was very pleasantly surprised. Tapas menu offered 3 dishes for £18. Very tasty and well presented food. Good variety of beers, wines, cocktails and mock tails. I will go again.

We visited the Bank restaurant for 3 consecutive nights as we were staying in Dumfries and the food was amazing. The whole menu is gluten free 😊and the staff are super friendly but most of all the food is delicious. We will be back in...

Tapas was OK. Price reasonable.

Good selection of food, nicely presented and pleasant staff

Really good... The food is all gluten free and caters a variety of cuisines. Great value too. Drinks are beautifully arranged and delicious even those without alcohol.

Ok'ish but don't understand the hype. Too expensive for the amount and quality. Food had some good moments. Strange not very cosy atmosphere. Menu was greasy from people's dirty fingers...

A night of cocktails while enjoying good company. One cocktail became two and so on - a very enjoyable evening. Worth a visit as part of a wider night either before or after another venue.

Unreal food, insane cocktails, alright prices, great staff, lovely experience, will definitely be back! The caramel veracruz cocktail is the best tasting cocktail ever!

Went for a wee day out... Cocktails amazing ... Lots of choice on the menu, bit disappointed that the macaroni was not macaroni pasta .. If that's the case just say it cheesy pasta!

Went in for a meal the other night sat down and a young lad came over with menu and threw it at me got the young man name and it was Aiden no way to treat customers and he had the cheek to come give...

Visited today for a birthday lunch. Fantastic food, fantastic service, and a great time had by all. Will definitely visit again.

Overpriced tapas menu,the 3 dishes barely constitute a full meal,very underwhelming. Went with a large group so we ordered every item from the menu and a lot of them were awful,quite a few of the dishes had a metallic taste so they don't clean their cooking oil/serving dishes often enough. Staff were lovely and attentive but I wouldn't go back for food.

Went out for sisters birthday dinner, got our mains and they tasted good, would have been a good review if we'd have left right after dinner. Comes to desert, 1 out of 5 of us ordered peppermint mousse, 2 raspberry cheesecakes, 1 blondie and I got the churros, the peppermint mousse comes first; all looks good. Blondie and cheesecakes come next, all "garnished," with aero crumbs, odd choice. My partner and the rest of us at the table don’t like peppermint - we didn't ask for peppermint, it was on every desert? If it's not on the menu and wasn't asked for, don’t add it. If you're unsure, your waitress should ask, don't assume. I work in the hospitality industry and if we ever forget to ask, we're sent to ask. We asked if there's anyway to get new deserts as hadn't asked for the aero crumbs. Got new cheesecakes and churros, my partner has anxiety and didn't feel comfortable complaining so she sucked it up, my churros come and i flip them over, not fresh, melted aero on the other side, obviously just been moved to another plate, if they hadn't done the oddly paired, unasked for garnish there wouldn't have been an issue. Can’t say I'm pleased, the waitress we had dealt with it professionally and was great all night, hats off to her. I know it won't make much of a difference but I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth but I'm aware this might have just been a bad night for the kitchen, I would probably give this place another chance bc I can’t base a restaurant off of just one night

A superb selection of tapas and it's all gluten free and delicious. The staff were so nice and helpful too. We'll definitely make this a regular outing.

Fab cocktails and food was delicious. Very nice atmosphere.

Really nice atmosphere, buzzing vibe. Probably one of the busiest night of the yr Went with family (incl 6yrold) Not really set up for 6yr old on a Friday eve. Buzzing with young people having cocktails and pre drinks, it’s great to see Food was fast out and cocktails were (average) Dessert menu was disappointing

The bank really is one of the most spectacular places to enjoy a one of a kind night in Dumfries. This town needed a more upper class kind of dining experience and it’s safe to say this place delivers !❤️ I have enjoyed family/friends birthday...

From start to finish, our Christmas night out was taken care of. We had booked a table for 8 people and all arrived approx 7.30pm. We were greeted at the door and shown to our well decorated table- crackers etc. Within 10 minutes, our welcome...

We arrived at 7.15pm for a 7.30 booking and were told we would need to leave and come back as we were too early. We asked if we could have a drink before our booking but we’re told there wasn’t any room for this although...

Gluten free menu and vegan options also

Great to have a drink upstairs overlooking the river. Service was great 👍

2nd time in the bank and enjoyed the food and general comfortable furnishings...sunday afternoon so service was quick as it was not the busiest time of the day. Had some cocktails also which were good with plenty to choose from the drinks menu. Only thing that I could offer for improvement would be the menus which had been left at the tables. The drinks one on our table was sticky and had obviously had drink spilled on it at some point and gone unnoticed during any table wipe downs. Worth a visit and will be back.

Friendly staff, excellent food which was fairly priced. All round a great time. I would give this a higher rating if it possible.

Tasty tapas in a great restaurant

It’s a lovely place perhaps the best venue in Dumfries. The food is tasty but the portion sizes are bizarre for the price. Now it is £18 for 3 tapas. A fixed price not individual. That’s fine but £6 for one scallop or 3 pieces...

Great food, great atmosphere friendly staff, delicious desserts. Update 10 November 2022 As above , would give more if I could 3 tapas for £18 or £19 if you add a drink.

Brilliant wee place. Proper good tapas and lovely staff. ☺️

Lovely staff, lovely food and lovely surroundings for a group of friends or colleagues. Prices quite steep but worth it for a treat.

Not my first visits but first review. Food amazing staff friendly and cocktails are the best in Dumfries.

One of the best things about the bank is how attentive and friendly the staff are, the food is very nice but the credit it is to the staff.

Friendly helpful staff. Reasonable prices and excellent food. Would happily go again.

Food tasted good. However, tiny portion size. The fries were particularly small which is surprising since these would be the cheapest thing on the menu to make. Compared to past experiences here they seem to have gone down hill.

Quiet for our group of 10 but nice place, drinks were good especially the rusty nail

Food was ok, nothing amazing. Service was really great.

Very nice place, good food and service. A bit loud on a Friday night but it only makes it more lively.

Superbly cooked dishes - top quality service in a modern & spacious restaurant. Fabulous value and highly recommended - so if you do find a better bar & tapas place, let me know.

We hadn’t been to Dumfries on holiday for around 9/10 years - Covid 19 didn’t help but we’ll be back in 2023 for sure. This is a very special place - fish/shellfish/meat dishes of the highest standard. Add to that a Shiraz from Corney &...

Visited here with my 15 year old and 17 year old. Staff were lovely. Service was great and quick. Highly recommend if looking for somewhere different to eat. Cocktails are amazing. Food was great. I'll be back

Food staff amazing. Bit over priced on the booze, well worth the visit.

Good place to meet up with friends. Friendly atmosphere. A reasonable selection of tapas but somewhere definitely better than others in terms of quality. Car parking good just across road.

This Tapas Bar has a warm, vibrant, contemporary feel to it. We only popped in for pre dinner drinks and the staff handled our lack of a booking, not to mention our lack of requirement for a meal, with aplomb. We'll be back in due course to try their menu. The 4 star rating doesn't indicate any deficiency on their part, it just that I'll keep the last star in reserve for when I've tried their food.

Amazing good, fabulous service and great atmosphere. If you don’t have the Nduja nachos you’re just missing out.

Delicious! What amazing food, truly lovely. It alljustfell of the bone or melted in your mouth it was just amazing and the cocktails were to die for! I will be back for sure!

Three and a half stars, in reality. Pleasant food, but three tapas definitely not enough for a teenage boy. Service was a bit rushed (empty plates were removed while I was still eating) despite not being crowded.

The food is amazing 😊 such a friendly place

Oh my goodness, when you need a gluten and dairy free diet and you want to eat out you get used to having ‘the thing’ on the menus that is suitable. The Bank has a fully gluten-free menu and having a large selection that is also dairy free was AMAZING. All that and the food was delicious too 😀. The service was friendly and efficient and the location is great. Food and drinks are quite expensive but I guess good food and service comes at that price. Look forward to my next visit.