Dear Catastrophe Waitress is the sixth studio album by the Scottish indie pop band Belle & Sebastian, released on 6 October 2003 on Rough Trade Records.

It was produced by Trevor Horn, who created a more polished pop sound, in contrast with their previous lo-fi, folky albums (although songs like "Lord Anthony" hearkened back to their old sound).

In particular, the danceable track "Stay Loose" proved to be the first in a series of songs (such as "Your Cover's Blown" and "Sukie in the Graveyard") that further diverged from their roots.

[12] The album was nominated for the 2004 Mercury Music Prize, while the song "Step into My Office, Baby" was shortlisted for an Ivor Novello Award in the Best Song category.

[13] The producer Trevor Horn became a fan of Belle & Sebastian through his teenage daughter, and particularly admired the lyrics.