Hullabaloo

Super impressed by Hullabaloo. Firstly, we thought that it was a cafeteria tagged onto the Burns’ Centre, and thought we would pop in for a quick sandwich and cuppa, but what we got was very different.
Service is quite slow, but I think that is more catered for the slow food-​type than myself (contented myself rebuilding Hadrian’s wall in sugar cubes while we waited for our food to arrive). Food is cooked fresh to order, or at least what we got was. On Sundays, at the moment, BBQ is the way to go, come rain or shine and for thirteen quid, you get two grill choices, alongside salad, bread and potato wedges. When you first see the menu, it isn’t super inspiring, but my friend, proof is in the pudding.
I had the seafood skewer and veggie burger (with feta cheese) while the boy selected a fiesty fajita burger and lemon coriander chicken skewer. Portions aren’t huge but absolutely perfectly sized because you get a bowl of salad options — two types of salad (one greek type and one plainer), coleslaw, chorizo and chickpeas and a mushroom rice dish. This on top of fresh baguette slices and hot potato wedges, you have a feast for the eyes as well as the belly. None of it left us disappointed (homemade veggie burger… possibly mushroom and rice) and all beautifully cooked.
The dessert menu is equally enchanting — the boy had plum and almond flan and ice cream while I fell in love with a white and Belgian chocolate cheesecake — not only beautifully presented again with ice cream and seasonal fruits, but so lightand just bloomin’ scumptious. And all for thirteen quid. I’d come here again and again and again if it was local to me. Dumfries, you have a treasure and hope you treat it with the respect it deserves.

This was our first visit and we didn’t really know what to expect. We chose it as we were going to see a movie at the Film Theatre which is in the same building. The restaurant is quite small and luckily we had booked a table in advance even though it was a Tuesday evening (we would recommend you do this as it started filling up quite quickly). The menu was an interesting mix of dishes with a ‘Specials’ menu that added more choice. We had starters of Roasted Vegetable and Goats Cheese Terrine (served with crusty bread) and Carrot, Pea, Courgette and Paneer Bhajis (served with cucumber dip and onions). Both were absolutely delicious. For the main course we had Artichoke Heart Tortelloni (served with sprouting broccoli, broad beans and garlic & herb ciabatta in a citrus sauce) and Roasted Marrow (served with fennel in a rich cheese sauce). Both came with a tasty side salad. The main courses were beautifully cooked, full of fresh ingredients and wonderful flavours. Too full for deserts we just finished with coffee which was a surprisingly large cup and nicely made. The service throughout was friendly and efficient. No long waits and not too rushed. Add into the mix three Peronis and a sparkling mineral water and it was a very nice dining experience for around £50. After our meal we wandered downstairs to the cinema. All in all a really enjoyable evening out. We will definitely be returning to Hullabaloo (and the Film Theatre).

I came here for lunch on a weekday. It wasn’t too busy, but it seemed like it might have been understaffed because no one could quite figure out who was supposed to serve our table. Finally, the lady behind the drink counter came and took care of us, but it seemed a bit confusing.
Once we got the ordering squared away the food came out quickly and it was all delicious. I wanted a light lunch, so I ordered the stuffed potato with a side salad. The salad was crisp and perfectly dressed, while the potato was hot and filling.
It was a little pricey for lunch, but the food was so good it balanced out.

This restaurant occupies upstairs space in the old Dumfries Mill building, which also houses the Robert Burns Centre.
The service was slow but the food was fantastic. I started with a tomato, lentil, and sage soup; then I had a delicious calamari appetizer – seared, peppery squid pieces served over a rocket salad. My main dish was Moroccan kefta with hummus, cous cous, and minted tomatoes. What a feast, and all of it very good. I also drank a heather ale. Did you know that heather has been used in brewing for about four thousand years, and that only in the sixteenth century did Scottish brewers universally convert to hops to comply with English laws? Fascinating!