9 of the best restaurants in Ayr
Just four miles from Craig Tara, Ayr is one of the gems of Scotland’s west coast. It’s a comparatively small and compact town but has loads to it, including a beach, a river, and many green spaces.
The town itself has well over 100 restaurants and cafes offering a wide range of cuisine to suit every budget. These include Thai, Indian and even vegan options.
To whet your appetite, we’ve highlighted some of the very best below. We’ve specified whenever restaurants are dog friendly too, so you won’t have to leave your pooch behind!
British / Scottish / European
1. The Chestnuts Hotel Restaurant
Just a stone’s throw from Ayr’s beach, the Chestnuts Hotel is a boutique hotel with an attractive restaurant, a cosy bar, and outdoor tables in the beer garden for sunny afternoons. Open for lunch and supper (aka dinner!), their menu offers a high-quality take on pub classics.
Far from pretentious, Chestnuts is very welcoming, as well as child and dog-friendly. If you have a large party, you can order a two or three course set menu. For special occasions, book early to dine in their private garden room.
2. The Fox and Willow No 22 Restaurant
One of the most stylish restaurants in Ayr, the Fox and Willow scores highly for its large suntrap beer garden, which is dog-friendly, as is the cosy bar. The menu consists of unique twists on international classics and has plenty of vegan and vegetarian options too!
There are actually numerous places to dine at the Fox and Willow including transparent geodesic domes (perfect for bad weather), the Peacock Lounge cocktail bar and The Aviary, a luxury private room for group fine dining. More relaxed are the garden and terrace, providing a quiet haven away from city noise.
3. Vegan Earth
Scottish food and veganism might not at first seem to go hand-in-hand. However, Vegan Earth is doing much to put plant-based cuisine on the map in Ayrshire. This city centre café is popular for lunchtime takeaways and has an impressive range of filling and delicious vegan choices.
You’ll find everything from mouth-watering burgers, packed buddha bowls, pancake stacks and other delicious sweet treats. Bring along a non-vegan friend and convert them to the cause!
4. Stage Door Café at the Gaiety Theatre
The 120-year history of the Gaiety Theatre gives it a pedigree that deserves a superior restaurant. Fortunately, The Gaiety’s Stage Door Café delivers that, and more. Situated in the theatre foyer (don’t go to stage door!) the café offers mouth-watering meals beautifully presented. You’re likely to want to Instagram some of their more artistic creations.
As well as satisfying your pre-theatre hunger, the Stage Door Café is a popular breakfast venue, including their full Scottish breakfasts, which will set you up for a day of sightseeing.
5. Saffy’s Café Bar & Brasserie
Saffy’s hasn’t been open long, although its chef, Douglas Smith, has over 20 years’ experience in hospitality. Nevertheless, it has garnered hundreds of glowing reviews for beautifully cooked and presented dishes.
A family-run business, Saffy’s is also renowned for its warm welcome, including accommodating your four-legged friends, and there are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. What was once a hidden gem is gaining stature, but Saffy’s remains refreshingly free of airs and graces.
Thai
6. At Home Thai
At Home Thai has some of the best online reviews of any Ayr eatery, and its not hard to see why. At Home provides popular and well-presented affordable Thai food in a welcoming and bright interior that lives up to the promise of its name. Guests are made to feel immediately welcome with friendly and accommodating service.
As well as all your Thai favourites, the menu offers more unusual items such as choo chee seabass (a Thai seafood curry specialty) and several tasty tofu dishes suitable for vegetarians.
Indian
7. Ayr India
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better restaurant view than the beachfront location of Ayr India, which can be found at the northern end of the sands. If you can’t get a booking there, they have a second venue in the heart of the city too.
The banquet dinner is great value and will satisfy even the hungriest diner. Menu options include traditional curries and tandoori dishes, and highlights include their chicken karahi, cooked and presented in a domed cast iron pot. There are plenty of vegetarian options and spice levels ranging from mild to fiery.
8. 73 Idiots Ayr Tapas
Ayr has a good number of Indian restaurants, and 3 Idiots is one of the best (as well as the most interestingly named)! It recently won an Outstanding Award for Restaurant of the Year at the Curry Awards. Named after a popular Indian movie, and to commemorate its three self-deprecating co-owners, the venue has been wowing locals since 2019.
The core idea is simple, yet brilliant: small portions of Indian food allowing you to sample a host of different dishes in one sitting. These range from traditional fish pakoras to ginger chicken with spinach leaves. You can even try a haggis pakora. The extensive menu will keep you coming back to try more of their tasty, filling food.
Chinese / Asian
9. Lychees Ayr
This gem offers a contemporary take on Chinese and Asian fusion food, from its location on the Ayr River, near the harbour. The a la carte menu is extensive, with visitors singling out the salt and chilli king prawns and hot and spicy beef for praise.
Prices are very reasonable and there are sufficient vegetarian mains and sides to offer choice to the plant-based diner. There are gluten-free options too. Lychees’ interior is smart and modern, and the food is very well presented, including Malay and Singaporean dishes and lots of tasty appetisers.
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