The Early Bird No 2 in Dumfries & Galloway

Food and service excellent for our large group, highly recommend

This is a modern styled café with an attractive view over the River Nith and Criffel, about 5 miles outside Dumfries. Getting to the location can involve a pleasant rural/coastal circular drive taking in attractions at Caerlaverock Castle and the wildfowl Nature Reserve. There is a free to use public car park at the site. On a solo visit in September 2024 I dropped in without pre-booking and managed to get a table despite the fact the place was quite busy. There was a quirky choice of snacks on the menu, as previously experienced, and on this occasion I had the Huevos Barqueros (£9.95) which was toasted sourdough topped with crushed avocado, (mild) Harissa, rocket lettuce, creamy feta cheese and a poached egg. The flavours were good and the overall snack was tasty however the poached egg was barely warm and the overall portion was not large. On that occasion there was a limited choice of cakes on display however I had a piece of roulade with a meringue outer edge and Black Forest filling. This slightly different treat was filling and tasted good. By the time I had added a fruity flavored low alcohol IPA to accompany the lunch my bill came to just over £20 which I thought was okay. Service was pleasant and the timing of delivery good. I followed up the visit a month later with a reservation to meet up with a couple of relatives for lunch. They were delayed about 30 minutes en route and whilst I had a coffee and admired the view, staff were understanding and there was no pressure on me to give up the table which was appreciated. Once my relatives arrived, we had a pleasant tasting lunch which was able to satisfy my relatives particular dietary requirements in a relaxed atmosphere. On both visits I noticed that the menu was a bit dog-eared and grubby looking and could probably have been better protected by being laminated or inside a plastic covering. The toilets in contrast are very well maintained! There is a small shop on the site selling a limited number of products.

Furniture has seen better days. Lovely staff

Great welcome. Very friendly and inviting. Was, a busy evening but we were not rushed at all. Lovely meal. Only criticism I have is cold veg. That's the 2nd. Time. All in all my friend and I had a lovely evening. Tgankyou

Called in for a quick pint whist up from Manchester ended up staying all afternoon. The elderly gentleman David behind the bar was an absolute star. The blonde lady ( whose name I didn’t get) was a great host being friendly and welcoming. One of the locals was very friendly and I enjoyed a couple of good chats whist ordering from the bar . The restaurant side looked great but we didn’t have Tim to eat. There’s a small seating area outside some of it partially covered. If you want a pint at a friendly pub you won’t go wrong her 😁