The best restaurants in Lowlands

I recently visited this Italian restaurant and really enjoyed the overall experience. The food was great, though the dessert didn’t impress me as much. The place is unexpectedly fancy yet cozy, with a pleasant atmosphere and good service.

Food was nice but the prices to high For a few pieces fried halloumi £7.75 Will not get back any more Don’t need such a surprise

The Steamboat Inn is in a small hamlet however what a find. Place was spotless and all the staff were really friendly. Food was excellent the best fish and chips we have ever eaten compliments to the chef. We would also recommend the Lemon Posset. We had the dog and the Inn is very welcoming to dogs. Price is very reasonable in today's prices. We would thoroughly recommend the Steamboat Inn and hope to be back again!!

Always a great experience when you dine at the crown, great food and as a veggie always lots to choose from! I’m a fussy eater and they always cater for my needs. Great local family business and friendly staff.

Deciding on a day out we drove 50 miles from home to IOW. The idea was to have lunch at the Steam Packet based soley on the advertised menu on their website that i'd read that morning. As a non meat eater the fish and vegetarian meals offered plentiful refreshing choice. On arrival we had drinks and asked for the menu. A vastly different menu arrived, I asked if the online one was for evening. The waitress replied ' oh that menu was ages ago, it was when we started and just put together to get people in' Well it certainly got us in but didn't deliver. I'm not alone in making considered choices where to dine out by way of an eatery 's online menu. I make my choice to dine there BECAUSE of their menu. The sad reality was an option of mac cheese, ubiquitous county wide as the veggie choice ( or should I say no choice if it's the only v option!) or fish and chips. Both meals eaten at home as a quick go to if i can't be bothered. Hardly ( to quote your page) an evolving menu is it? If you advertise fare to folk to bring them in, then could you serve it? I will travel for good menus, you have to in D and G but not for misinformation. If it had been described as a sample menu i'd have enquired on the phone. As a result we won't call for food again. I'll reward with patronage those establishments that offer what they advertise.

Nestled in the heart of Dumfries, La Dolce Vita offers an inviting, well-presented setting in a building with unique character—an old bank transformed into an Italian eatery. My guest and I stopped in for lunch, drawn in by the appealing prices on their midday menu and the charming ambiance. From the outset, the experience started on a good note. The staff were warm, attentive, and welcoming, adding to the overall positive first impression. For starters, I chose the stuffed mushroom, and my guest opted for the soup of the day: a pea and pancetta soup. The soup had a delightful, fresh flavor, though the bread served alongside was disappointingly stale. My stuffed mushroom, on the other hand, delivered with an enjoyable depth of flavor. Moving to the mains, however, the experience began to falter. I ordered the chicken Milanese, which arrived with a side of tomato pasta. Unfortunately, the Milanese resembled a breaded chicken you might find prepackaged at the supermarket, lacking the crisp freshness one expects. The pasta was overcooked, and the sauce tasted unexpectedly sweet and bland, like a store-bought jar of sauce rather than a house-made Italian tomato sauce. My guest’s Bolognese, which I sampled, was similarly lacking in complexity—a one-note sauce without the hearty, rich flavors typical of a good Bolognese. While the price point was indeed budget-friendly, the quality of the dishes left us underwhelmed. With some improvements, La Dolce Vita has the potential to create meals as delightful as its atmosphere, but until then, it’s a thumbs down from me.

Very helpful friendly staff, great food and drinks, good atmosphere.

Sadly, when we got here it has been closed permanently. We really enjoyed our many meals here. It always seemed busy and the food was so different, varied and tasty. I hope that some other good restaurant will open here.

Lovely place and food was wonderful. We were staying at the Peebles Hydro from Edinburgh and ended up coming here for dinner two nights in a row. Wonderful and solid food and very reasonably priced. Will definitely be back.

Annual visit to use a generous voucher 11th October 24. Huge disappointment with the food. My fish dish dry, tasteless and could not be split readily with knife and fork. . New potatoes black skinned, solid and inedible. My wife's confit duck slippery and straight out of the oil, no attempt made to crisp the skin. My chilled rice pudding just a solid paste. Half my meal sent back on the plates. Did not complain on the night so as not to cause trauma or drama on what was otherwise a visit to one of our favourite local haunts. Emailed the Manager o the Sunday evening, saying something must have been amiss in the kitchen, no credit sought, but if it was my restaurant, I would want to know. Received an apology from the duty manager and advised the chef had been given my email. Front of house, staff and decor all as good as usual, so I also said we would be back, but doubt if we ever will. Shame. ?

A terrific meal from a really creative and exciting menu. Choosing a starter from the menu was so difficult - they all sounded wonderful - and choosing a main course was just as hard. We both had mussels to start - in a wonderful creamy sauce. French-style sauces are something the chef does really well, like the one on my wife's main course of beef fillet strips. I had a half lobster smothered in garlic butter. My crème brulée for dessert was perfect, freshly made and beautifully presented. We were on a day trip from Ayr. I wish that Ayr had a restaurant of this quality. One quibble . . . fine dining of this quality deserves cloth napkins.

Lovely Italian restaurant. Food was fresh and well presented. Good value. All the staff were kind and helpful. The owner was very chatty and answered all our questions regarding the cycle racing memorabilia.

Quaint wee restaurant with ample parking and good access direct from main roads. The restaurant it’s self is classy but homely at the same time and we were greeted immediately by really nice host (owner). Not going to bore you with how good each course was as it was all amazing and an absolute top class dining experience. Very nice meal was had and as far as we are concerned - the best in dining the Scottish Borders has to offer. Worth a note that it is also very reasonably priced and a 3 course meal with beer and a bottle of wine was under £160…thank you so much Caddy Mann Restaurant.

Incredible views and great food. Menu is mainly based on fish. We all have fish and chips. It was excellent. You have a choice of batter or breadcrumbs. I would recommend this place for a nice relaxed lunch or dinner

Goede plek, traditionele bar, restaurant is wat kleurloos. Bier was goed maar het eten viel tegen. De haggis balls en de prawn cocktail waren ok. De haddock met friet en erwtenpuree vielen tegen. De vis was vet en flauw van smaak en de friet erg bleek. De mosselen waren te lang gekookt (taai) en er zaten erg veel gesloten en gebroken schelpen in. Die mogen er niet in zitten omdat er dan een slechte tussen kan zitten waarvan je ziek wordt. De serveerster waartegen we geklaagd hadden zagen we niet terug, haar collega kwam afruimen…. Verder geen enkele reactie. Al met al geen succes. Betalen en niet meer terugkomen.