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Locals Agree These Are the Best Restaurants in Ayr, Scotland

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2 months ago

Ayr is a large seaside town on the west coast of Scotland and is a popular tourist destination thanks to its long sandy beach, the annual Ayr air show and, of course, the food. But, with a plethora of restaurants and takeaway establishments, it’s difficult to pick which of them are the best restaurants in Ayr, and some are hidden gems that are not obvious to the tourist.

Scotland is proud of its many unique dishes, so when you’re visiting, make sure to think about all the Scottish goodies you want to try. Ayr is an excellent place to do it – not least because it epitomizes everything that it is to be Scottish.

The Tree House

This large and friendly restaurant is a firm favourite with locals and tourists alike, thanks to their delicious food, lively atmosphere, and attentive staff. If you’re an early riser, the Treehouse can cater for your coffee/tea and breakfast rolls or cake cravings, until noon.

The Tree House is situated on Sandgate in Ayr, close to the bus station, Gaiety Theatre, several banks, and the main shopping street, High Street, in the town center. There is also plenty of car parking nearby.

Inside, the Treehouse has large plants and trees, presumably to give the impression that it is indeed a treehouse. There is a gluten-free menu for coeliacs and there’s an accessible entrance just around the corner from the main entrance.

OK, so that’s the technical stuff about the Treehouse. How about personal experience, Dan?

I’ve eaten at the Tree House on several occasions, and every visit has been excellent. It’s that consistency which makes the Tree House one of the best restaurants in Ayr. The food is always tasty and there’s plenty of it. It’s a definite favourite for my wife and me. Of particular note from the menu is the macaroni cheese – and there’s a gluten-free version of this, which is delicious. I know it’s difficult to do mac ‘n’ cheese badly, but theirs must be tasted to be believed.

I’ve also tried different things there, from chicken dishes to lasagne, and their puddings are just as delicious as their starters and mains.

Smiths

Handily situated next to the Mercure hotel, and close to the town centre, Smiths is a lively restaurant and bar and has a good range of food on the menu. And, of course, the food itself is delicious. Of particular note is the lasagne – one of the best I have tasted – and for dessert I can recommend the Caramel Apple Betty, with custard. Yum yum.

Smiths is dog friendly and shows live sports such as football on screens throughout the bar and restaurant. Around the front there is a large beer garden, and meals can be taken outside in the summer months.

Foodies will be glad to find that Smiths is one of the best restaurants in Ayr simply because of the food, particularly the desserts. There is a limited gluten-free menu. Payments can be cash or card here, and there is a bar with the usual variety of beers, spirits, and wines.

GRO

GRO is close to the Heathfield retail area and next to the local Travelodge hotel. This restaurant offers comfortable armchair seating and a relaxed atmosphere. Staff are friendly and the menu differs from anywhere else you might go. Food is cooked fresh to order and is fantastic.

GRO is dog friendly and only accepts card payments. They also have a range of fantastic cakes right next to the till, and you go to the till to pay, so temptation is there. Parking is plentiful, including plenty of accessible parking bays close to the entrance, and GRO is convenient if you are staying in the hotel, being less than a minute’s walk away.

My wife and I enjoy time at GRO. There are usually a few dogs in the restaurant and she likes to pet and fuss them if the owners are willing. As for me, I can heartily recommend the mac ‘n’ cheese with pulled pork. I like the cakes on display right by the till, where I sometimes can resist the temptation, but am sometimes unable to do that.

Wee Josie’s

Technically, Wee Josie’s is a café rather than a restaurant, but I’m including it here because it deserves a mention and is always ranked by locals as one of the best restaurants in Ayr. Family run and with food cooked fresh to order, their breakfasts are awesome, their scones and other cakes and desserts are all homemade – and it shows.

Customers can choose a book from the shelves and read while they eat and/or drink, and the owner is always present and has a great line in banter. Prices are, as you’d expect from a café, reasonable.
No airs and graces here; Wee Josie’s is simply clean, cozy, friendly, and has great food. What more could you ask for?

Wee Josie’s sits right at the bottom of Ayr town centre, on High Street. It sits between a fantastic butcher’s shop and the local registry office. There is parking across the road, including accessible bays, although this parking lot gets busy so expect to walk.

The Smithy

Following on from the café Wee Josie’s is The Smithy, also not-quite-a-restaurant, but a self-described coffee shop and bakery, The Smithy is actually so much more than a coffee shop as it also serves restaurant-quality food and delicious cakes. Food is freshly prepared to order and there’s plenty of it, including some incredible Scottish favorites.

You will find this quaint ’coffee shop’ by the side of the A76, close to Ayr. There is a roundabout to exit and there is a large car park. It’s also a great place for plane spotters as it sits directly under the flight path for planes landing and taking off from the nearby Prestwick airport.

The Smithy recently extended to provide toilet facilities inside the same building (they used to be next door).

The Drunken Coo

For the steak lover, the place to head is The Drunken Coo, close to the cinema and town center. This steakhouse and cocktail bar is classy, smart and serves delicious food with stunning cocktails if that’s your thing.

Many locals would agree this steakhouse in Ayr is quite unexpected. But it’s not on this list just because you wouldn’t expect to find it in Ayr: it’s on here because it truly is one of the best restaurants in Ayr.


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