Girvan is a small town and its dinner options are correspondingly small in number — but they are better than visitors expect, and within twenty minutes the choice widens considerably. Book at weekends and in summer; several of these have limited covers.
In Girvan
- Austins, 57 Knockcushan Street — the town's proper restaurant, harbour-side, with a serious kitchen and a decent wine list. Dishes run to things like hake with curried cream, or chicken with a haggis fritter. Opening is limited to certain days, so book to avoid disappointment. If you want one good dinner in Girvan, this is it.
- Yasmin's Indian Cuisine, 10 Dalrymple Street — curries, biryanis, kormas and tikka, eat in or takeaway, and well regarded locally.
- China Moon, 56 Montgomerie Street — family-run Chinese of fifteen years and more, open Wednesday to Sunday evenings and closed Monday and Tuesday.
- The Vaults, 32 Glendoune Street — a pub with a full restaurant menu at the south end of town.
- The Harbour Bar does food in the lounge when the kitchen is on — check first.
Within twenty minutes
- Wildings, Maidens — contemporary seafood and Ayrshire meat over the harbour, lunch and dinner daily. The special-occasion choice on this coast.
- Souter's Inn, Kirkoswald — thatched inn on the site of Burns' old school, open all day from 9am.
- The Greenside, Maybole — modern bistro with a wood-fired pizza oven, generally Wednesday to Sunday.
- The Ropes, Maidens — casual terrace over the harbour for pizza and light bites.
- Cotters, Turnberry — restaurant at Malin Court, with the links behind it.
- Kirkmichael Arms, Kirkmichael — village inn with hearty food Thursday to Sunday, 25 minutes inland.
For a splurge
- Trump Turnberry — the 1906 restaurant and the Duel in the Sun bar. Dress smartly.
- Glenapp Castle, Ballantrae — five-star fine dining and afternoon tea in a Victorian baronial castle, fifteen miles south. Book well ahead; it is a destination in itself.
Practical notes
Opening days are the thing to watch: several places here close two or three days a week, and out of season that tightens further. Ring ahead. Sunday evening and Monday are the hardest times to eat out in Girvan.
See also dinner, places for couples and seafood.
