12 Best Restaurants in Stirling and the Central Highlands, Scotland

This lively pub in a converted whitewashed farmhouse is a little hard to find but worth the effort for the very extensive menu---from burgers and steaks to jambalaya, curry, and chicken chimichangas. This is all good home cooking without pretension, and the servings are more than generous. Inside, the buzz of conversation bounces off dark-wood walls decorated with a fashionable collection of bric-a-brac. From the outside terrace you can look across fields to the hills beyond.

With its over-the-top Scottishness, this lively restaurant and café serving Scottish classics fits perfectly into its surroundings in the picturesque village of Luss. Long wooden tables, a large chimney with an open fire in the winter months, and a cabinet full of mouthwatering cakes baked by the owner create a cheerful atmosphere. Favorites include rich soups and stovies (large round rolls filled to overflowing), as well as the ubiquitous haggis, served in king-size quantities. It's worth asking for tea served in ceramic teapots representing everything from dining rooms to telephone boxes (bonus: the pots are for sale in the shop). Luss attracts visitors because of its association with a favorite Scottish TV soap opera, Take the High Road, which ran from 1994 to 2003. Some loch cruises depart from its pier.

For over 20 years, restaurant namesake Effie baked her glorious cakes and scones here and her family continues the tradition, using her same recipes. The charming, traditional tearoom is hugely popular, with paintings and photographs emphasizing its long history, but what keeps the customers coming back is the superb baking, rich homemade soups, and creative breakfast menu.

Run by the Bechelli family for four generations, this casual, light, and airy café in Bridge of Allan, just a couple of miles from Stirling, is a popular spot with locals. It is a well-tried Scottish combination of fish-and-chip restaurant and ice-cream parlor. Try the traditional "fish tea"—here confusingly called "catch of the day"—which consists of fish-and-chips served with tea or coffee and bread and butter. This place is time-honored, always busy, and a good value. There's a tantalizing selection of Italian ice cream too—if you have room.

Don't miss it: in one corner of the square, off Callander's main street, a narrow door opens into a high-ceilinged old church hall crowded with good things to eat there or take away. You can order tasty soups, house-made cakes, and plump sandwiches from the counter, or try the excellent coffee or a glass of wine. The arched wooden ceiling and wooden floors, together with the wooden tables and shelves of food, somehow create a very homey setting.

Knowing its clientele, this quirky, noisy inn (built in 1705) serves huge, hearty portions that are what you need after a day's walking on the nearby West Highland Way. Scottish staples like sausage and mash, minced beef, and haggis jostle for a place beside occasionally more adventurous dishes. The dining areas are hung with swords and copies of old paintings, but the best place to eat is the crowded bar. This is a genuine traveler's pub (hearty rather than elegant) with a range of whiskies and mounted animals presumably brought by earlier travelers. The bear at the door should not put you off (it is stuffed and very old). There is traditional music every weekend, and there are 34 basic but clean rooms for rent.

At this very popular spot in Stirling/Bridge of Allan, you'll find an adventurous menu that includes Chinese bao buns and a cheerful use of spices (the sriracha chicken burger is a delight). The brunch menu features flavors from around the world too, and there are excellent choices for vegetarians such as cauliflower steak and squash and black bean tacos. The long drink menu embraces wine, unusual juices, and gin, perhaps best enjoyed on the pavement terrace.

This café with handmade wooden tables and windows overlooking the main town square offers excellent coffee and tea, sandwiches and burgers, platters, and soup in the central square of Aberfeldy. Habitat takes great pride in its coffee making and has awards to prove it; it works closely with sustainable farmers. On a good day you can take your time looking out toward the hills from the handmade tables in the square.

Retaining the feel of an old-fashioned bakery, Mhor Bread delights with not only its homemade sourdough and other delicious breads, but also doughnuts, shortbread, and more. The café/tearoom is open for breakfast and lunch, with menu items such as fine sandwiches, soups, and desserts, including an amazing array of pies with different fillings. Want to go on a picnic? You can order takeaway lunches.

At the historic Stronachlachar Pier, this light-filled coffee shop has a satisfying lunch menu (burgers and sandwiches) and a deck with beautiful views over Loch Katrine. Cakes, scones, and soups are made on the premises. You can also have breakfast and lunch or afternoon tea (which needs to be booked in advance). Many people get off the boat from Trossachs Pier here before cycling or walking back along the road around the loch; it's lovely and not too demanding.

As you enter Dunblane from Stirling Road, the beautifully renovated Riverside Inn, once the Stirling Arms, has a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. The interior of light wood is surprisingly expansive, as is the menu, which offers a varied pub menu that includes roast sea bream, seafood linguine, and excellent burgers. A pleasant terrace looks directly onto the river. It is one of three historic pubs in the area refurbished to a high standard.

At this shop that represents the new generation of coffee producers, where in-house roasting and single origin beans are celebrated, the coffee is indeed very good and the cakes are a tasty accompaniment. There are also sandwiches for lunch and a romantic courtyard at the back of the shop where you can enjoy them. The shop also sells beans and various brewing paraphernalia.