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Case Mia has rapidly earned a reputation as one of Dumfries and Galloway's top flight restaurants, serving a consistently good quality of cuisine with a decidedly modern European twist. Open seven days a week and situated literally minutes from Dumfries Town Centre, this delightful place is set in a secluded corner on the banks of the River Nith. Casa Mia has about it an air of elegance, refinement and sophistication that encourages return visits.

Under the expert management of Butrint Gashi, Case Mia benefits from his wide experience at Le Cafe du Jardin in Covent Garden and elsewhere with the result that the good people of Dumfries and Galloway find this restaurant highly desirable not only for intimate occasions when a good impression is required, but also for social and business events that demand efficient and competent handling.

Steak nights are a regular feature, so are seafood nights, and Greek cuisine gets a look in as well. From Sunday to Thursday from 5pm onwards, 5 - 7 pm on Fridays and 5 - 6 pm on Saturdays, Casa Mia is renowned for its Eat Late for Less menu, with 2 or 3 courses at under £16, that could start with chicken and apple Caesar salad, homemade beef lasagne served with garlic bread and cream filled profiteroles with warm chocolate sauce.

A lunch menu offers some twelve starters amongst which expect to find a tower of haggis, neeps and tatties with cream whisky sauce and air dried chips, or tempura battered fish skewer with marinated cucumber and sweet chilli sauce, succeeded by some 13 choices that include char grilled minute steak with peppercorn sauce and chips or fillet of plaice on baby new potatoes and mixed leaves salad with balsamic and lime juice. Wraps and ciabattas are there aplenty.

But it is the evening dinner menu, with its overtones of formality and relaxed enjoyment that brings people to Casa Mia, with homemade smoked haddock fish cakes with spring onion, tomato and salsa, cured Parma ham, melon and fresh fig platter with lemon and herb oil dressing, followed by Spanish style paella, or a rare grilled ostrich fillet on roasted red pepper and potato with port jus and mushroom duxelles.

The variety of their culinary achievements is amply supported by a wine list that bears all the evidence of a travelled approach to the subject, at prices which are a positive encouragement to combine the best of both. Robert Burns, the Scottish poet, was very familiar with Dumfries, nor was he lacking in an appreciative approach to matters of human refreshment. As a good democrat he would undoubtedly have approved of Butrint's friendly approach to local organisations, who find Casa Mia just the ticket for their fund raising dinners and events, or local artists who exhibit in the Casa Mia Gallery. Menus change fast, do keep an eye on their  Website for updates.

Dumfries and Galloway is a wonderful area of enormous scenic beauty attracting residents of skills and talents, and it is greatly to the credit of Casa Mia that they can rise to the implicit challenges so successfully.

Part of the Whitbread family, Table Table restaurants aim to bring great value tasty pub food to an ever increasing eating-out public who like well prepared and genuine food served by friendly staff in relaxing surroundings. If that sounds too much like a dream come true be assured that at Table Table they also walk the talk, and are pleased to have the chance to prove it.

Their well located restaurants are spread across a wide range of decors and styles, and all of them share a determination to provide comfort, warmth and relaxation. Their buffet menus for special occasions are remarkable value.

In keeping with modern trends they provide dishes to nibble or share as guests consider the spread of options on a menu that could be described as British with welcome incursions. So as you share long Italian flatbread, and dough balls and dips, or a sharing platter with an imaginative range of finger food starting with garlic and breaded mushrooms, it's time to think about the relative merits of aromatic duck parcels, a prawn cocktail, breaded Camembert or sticky chicken goujons to name but a few.

Many an innocent dish from the past has been hi-jacked in the best possible sense into becoming what is now called a 'pub classic'. Wiltshire cure ham with eggs is served with chunky chips and beef, mushroom and ale pie, or chicken and chips are all familiar with British tables, be they in the dining room or the kitchen. Now they have been added to by chicken fajitas, a sweet red pepper, crème fraiche and fennel tart, a leg of duck slowly cooked and served with a Bramley apple and cider sauce, or chilli con carne with basmati rice, sour cream and guacamole and nachos. So is the humble burger with six enticing toppings.

The point is they, and others, are all here at Table Table, well prepared with quality ingredients, and presented in a way that makes you hungry even if you thought you weren't.

Getting down to the more serious side of the table keep an eye open for the seafood pie, a delightful assembly of things fishy including crayfish, red snapper, prawns and clams. Many of their steaks are 28 days matured, including a 7oz fillet. All steaks are served with watercress, roasted cherry tomatoes, a flat mushroom and chunky chips. A choice from 4 sauces adds the final touch of enjoyment.

Pastas and salads embrace some well known and loved names, but for sheer enjoyment the hot smoked salmon salad takes some beating - flakes of hot smoked salmon mixed with a house salad and soy and ginger sauce. A real winner.

Snacks aplenty cover hot baguettes with the like of grilled pork loin and Bramley apple sauce, sandwiches filled with Cheddar cheese, or prawns and Marie Rose sauce, and jacket potatoes with such temptations as chilli con carne. Add a bowl of chips for only a little extra.

A well travelled wine list offers helpful advice for the uninitiated and there's an impressive choice of draught and bottled beers and lagers. All in all it would appear that Table Table are more than achieving their aims, providing the opportunity for people to eat out enjoyably, with excellent value for money. Long may they continue to do so.

For completely up to date information on menu changes and special offers do make a regular check on their lively Website.

This quiet 17th century restaurant is situated at The Cross Keys Hotel in the heart of Galloway, and serves traditional British food. Their simple but interesting menu offers the chef's homemade pate served with Scottish oatcakes, fillet of butterfish and other such hearty fare. An exotic prawn cocktail on a bed of lettuce with homemade Marie Rose sauce and a selection of award winning Loch Arthur cheeses are also available. Their warm and personalised service is an added attraction.

A selection of menus are available at The Copper Beech Restaurant at Hetland Hall, that highlight their growing reputation for creating fine Scottish cuisine. A la Carte and table d'hote menus are served in the tranquil Copper Beech Restaurant, using only the freshest locally sourced produce. A stimulating list of wines from around the globe is available for the more discerning, and head barman Ken will be happy to share his personal whisky recommendations to all.

The thing I tend to notice amongst Scottish hotels and restaurants is that, whilst there may be less of them per square mile, the ones that are there generally carry a higher percentage of quality than, shall we say, other parts of the globe not so very far away. Cavens is no exception to this generalisation, presenting a small 4 star country house hotel of great character and charm that provides the perfect setting for short breaks, weddings and meetings. Formerly a privately owned manor house, it was bought by Jane and Angus Fordyce and now specialises in exclusive-use for private and corporate bookings.

Their reputation for cherishing their guests, no matter what their status, is well known, and locals rub shoulders comfortably with hotel residents and visitors alike. Dumfries and Galloway is an area where rushing about is considered to be in bad taste, and the pace of life is geared to the seasons, the weather and personal whim. No wonder so many English make the transition across the border when it's time to take life a touch more easily. Not for nothing did the Romans name that great fascinating tidal estuary, the Solway Firth, with its mild climate, as they did - 'The Way of the Sun'.

The restaurant has received much acclaim over the years, with a reputation for an ever changing menu devised by Angus, who doubles up as Chef and proprietor that exploits the markets and the seasons to the full. With an AA Rosette, three Visit Scotland medallions, and recognition in the Best Guide to Scotland.

A typical menu might run along the lines of a salad of locally smoked duck breast or pan fried scallops with lime and vermouth, followed by sea bass roasted with white wine and fennel or rack of Galloway lamb in a thyme and oatmeal crust. A notable finish to the meal could be pannacotta or cheeses from the Loch Arthur Estate, served with oatcakes by Corson of Castle Douglas, rounded off with coffee and chocolates made by Carswell of Kirkcudbright. Some notable single malts have found their way down from the Highlands, though sadly the locally distilled Bladnoch is now in scarce supply.

Set in 18 acres of beautiful parkland with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, the Lounge at The Hetland Hall in Carrutherstown is just the place to enjoy fine Scottish cuisine created with the best available fresh seasonal produce. Build up the appetite exploring the sites of Dumfries and Galloway or playing a round on one of the many local golf courses. 

The Georgian styled Lounge is available throughout the day for lunch, bar meals or just refreshment from the bar; alternatively visit the hotel's Copper Beech restaurant for a full three course dinner. Experience the best of Scottish hospitality with friendly service paving the way for an enjoyable meal. Then relax and unwind in comfortable sofas in front of a roaring log fire whilst admiring sweeping views stretching across Solway Firth and away to the mountains of the Lake District.

Hetland Hall also offers facilities for a memorable wedding day with a sumptuous dinner and a selection of luxurious bedrooms and suites.