A five-star view, with caveats…read more First off the Drift Inn is without a doubt the best place to eat and drink in Lamlash. We've tried the competition and frankly the Drift has the best beer and Scotch selection, food, and atmosphere. Inside it's a restaurant, outside it's a country pub with lots of well-spaced outdoor seating. It has the basics food-wise down pat. Huge fish and chips and excellent mussels - in the latter case just the right size between tasty and chewy. A great wine and beer selection and excellent service. The one down side was an overly-promised starter. Spending 15 quid on a few tiny bits of food artfully arranged stuck in the craw somewhat. But what the hell, they're nice people and the rest of it was superb.

I loved this pub and the food was probably the best we had on Arran. I actually didn't know about…read morethis place until the day before we left to go to Arran when I had 4 different people recommend it to me - I knew we had to go from that fact alone! It's in the lovely town of Lamlash and really easy to find. We parked along the road and then walked down as we were there quite early and it didn't open til midday. There's a beautiful view over the water to Holy Isle and you can get a ferry over if you're so inclined - we decided to just appreciate it from afar. The pub itself is kind of nautical/rugby themed and really cosy inside - there's a fireplace and lots of seating as well as some couches and a kids area. I ordered a bowl of Cullen Skink (Scottish haddock soup) as well as the Angler's Platter for one (Creeler's hot and cold smoked salmon, seafood and soft cheese mousse, fishcake and homemade bread). The soup was just delicious - I don't eat Cullen Skink enough and when I have one as good as this, I wonder why - thick, jam packed with fish and really tasty. I loved the platter too - the fish cake was the highlight for sure, but everything on it was so tasty and I loved how local it all was. Staff were friendly and welcoming, and we enjoyed grazing here for a while. They have a great booze selection but as I was driving I didn't have any - next time we visit I would definitely see about getting the bus or a taxi here from Brodick so we could get stuck into the gin! Note: they have gluten free bread, breadcumb and batters are available upon request.

Super tasty! On my…read morevisit, we ordered many things from the menu, the Sunday roast dinner, pork bites in maple syrup, and pudding. Everything was great. We also shared a giant endless pot of tea. This place is really a special place, the day's menu is full of charm, and the service is excellent. When I was there, the dining area was quiet with plenty of available seating, definitely not a cramped place! I hope to return sometime, it was a great experience, food and all. I liked it so much I picked up a couple of their shirts to keep the memory.

We had a lovely Sunday roast after a long day of touring. Our waitress was adorable and the food…read morewas delicious! What a gem of a place!

This was an excellent find while on a Rabbie's tour in the West Highlands. It sits near Inverrary…read moreCastle on Loch Fyne. The staff greeted us warmly and invited us in to their warm and cozy establishment. This is small town Scotland at its best. I was surprised at the worldliness of the Salt and Pepper Asian-style fries on the Daily Specials board. They were amazing as was my "Hybrid Toastie" - essentially a Scottish patty melt. Not that it was mundane in any sense. It was delicious! I washed these down with a Diet Irn Bru - the guilt-free version of Scotland's most popular soda. Once again - another great meal with friendly service. Nowhere close to Edinburgh, yet still with that flair of sophistication mixed with small-town civility.

A cute little breakfast and lunch place in Inverary. Not many choices for breakfast in this tiny…read moretown so we were glad to find Brambles (with an S on the end). My husband got the eggs Benedict and he was pleased it had black pudding in the middle, very Scottish food of course. He did not care for the hollandaise sauce as it had a sweetness to it. I wasn't super hungry as I was saving room for our lunch at 1pm. I got two poached eggs and toast. The poached eggs were a bit runny for my liking. Overall though this is a great cafe and I like the layout. The service was very friendly. They were setting up a bunch of reserved tables for what looked like a fancy lunch. Lot of people were working there at the time and I assume prepping for a big party.

The Steayban is a lovely local family run restaurant with an excellent quality & a high standard of…read morefood you might not expect in a small rural location. Stephen the manager is a fantastic chef great menu options from traditional to multicultural dishes-all that never disappoint. The staff are lovely, down to earth and friendly. I'll definitely be back it's been too long!!:)

Truly stunning and exceptional place…read more Family and I (American tourists) stopped in on advice from a friend since we had a few hours to kill before our ferry. It was a Sunday afternoon in late December, and we couldn't have asked for a better place to rest and eat and enjoy Arran than here. The live music was fantastic (Anchorline and Friends), playing bits of what I assume was Scottish folk music, along with a bit of American folk as well. The atmosphere was lively and fun, service was excellent despite the hustle and bustle. Finally, the food and drink was exceptional as well! I had the burger with haggis (loved it) and my family all had different burgers/sandwiches with chips and salad, all got rave reviews. Topped off with great dessert (Hot Chocolate with a bit of Arran Gold for me, amazing). Can't express enough how great this place is, on a small island off the West coast of Scottland. I've travelled quite a bit, and it was truly one of my favorite experiences in the world, both this bar and the isle itself. Hopefully we'll find our way back soon!

This is one of a few pubs in Brodick and was a nice spot for a drink before we walked along to…read moreAuchrannie for dinner. Now I'm not into fiddle music and obviously that's the kind is music they play, but it wasn't annoying at all. We had a beer and wine - a large rosè for me and a pint of Arran blonde for Graeme. Came to £10 for the round which I thought was a little pricey but then, I guess Arran is. It's casual inside and their menu is pretty simple but the people next to us were saying they were really impressed with what they ate. If you can, get a seat in the bay window as then you'll have a beautiful view over Brodick Bay.

Spectacular. The best seafood I've ever had. SO fresh, and so well cooked! Drew is a seafood…read morepurist, believing in showcasing the incredible flavour of the fish instead of drowning it in sauces, and we couldn't have had a better experience. His incredible connections around the area culminate in a platter worthy of kings, with some incredible smoked options, dips, home-baked bread, and more. While neither my partner nor I have any dietaries & the meal is (obviously) primarily seafood-oriented, we were pleased to find out that you can request a meal suitable for even vegans! Would highly suggest having a conversation with him about what you like & want to explore, he's very friendly and extremely helpful. Keep in mind it's BYOB, however complimentary coffee & dessert is offered. He has great local suggestions for stores to buy wine from, though, which I would also recommend! Also ask Drew about taxi options home - he put us in touch with an excellent driver and even organised it for us. All in all, I couldn't recommend this experience more. Absolutely incredible, will absolutely come again the next time we're in Scotland!

From the owner: Seafood extravaganza using local and ethically sourced produce.read more

BLUF: Best meal I had while in Scotland. This is a cozy…read morespace that you can easily dress up or be casual in. The service is very friendly and attentive. The menu has so many Scottish foods in it, there's no doubt this is a Scottish fare restaurant. I did have to look some of it up because even other Scottish restaurants hadn't had things like cranachan or rumbledethumps on their menus. Ordered were: bread, beef stovies, lamb rump, slow braised beef short rib, cranachan, and chocolate brownie. The beef stovies is beef stew with a potato pancake hat served in a cast iron cauldron. Very cool presentation, and quite a tasty stew inside. I liked the small cut of everything, so it was easy to eat. The lamb was so tender and flavorful, without being overcooked. I substituted rumbledethumps for the polenta so I could try some, it was a lot like mashed potatoes with some extra flavor in it from the cabbage. The black garlic emulsion was a little earthy but went with the lamb so well as a result. My only fault would be the mint drizzle being too sweet for my taste. The short rib was masterful, essentially fall off the bone, and a good herby rub. The desserts were a step down from the mains. The cranachan felt like it had bromelain in it, breaking down my tongue as I was eating it. Outside of that sharpness, a very tasty and solid dessert. The brownie was heavy and fudgy, so if that's your type of brownie then it's here for you. Otherwise it's too much on a stomach already packing the amazing dinner preceding it. All in all, what a place, what a meal, recommended.

For the price and trying traditional scottish food, this is a solid restaurant. Very large…read moreportions. Make sure to make reservations before walking in. Good service and casual spot with friends/family. Cullen Skink - there were a lot of potatoes/veggies and was not too salty like some other places I tried in Scotland. It was good but nothing super special. 6/10 Haggis/Neeps/Tattis - good place to try, 7/10 Beef Short Ribs - very large portion, beef was well seasoned. 7/10

This is a well priced bistro offering well prepared meals with a modern scottish flavour. The menu…read moreis quite extensive and makes good use of local produce. The staff are efficient and friendly. The views from the window seats are magnificent.

Modern casual restaurant, part of a larger resort. You can pay to use the breakfast buffet even if…read moreyou are not staying as a guest which is great value for money. Busy in the evening with lots of families with small children, serving reasonably priced meals to suit all tastes. You can eat on the sofas while relaxing with drinks very informally. The best thing about Cruize is that you can sit and relax as long as you like using the facilities and you can order as and when you feel like it and are not under pressure to vacate your seat.

The Pot Still is a Mecca for Scotch Whisky lovers...a 5-minute or so walk from the Buchanan Street…read morecentral area of Glasgow, slightly off the beaten path, but well worth a walk to from anywhere in the world. It was recommended to us by 2 different Scots (Our tour guide in Skye and our hotelier in Glasgow), so it has quite a lot of credential from all over. We stopped in for our nightly-during-vacation dram on our first of 2 nights in Glasgow. The place was packed...You order at the bar and try to find somewhere to sit when they serve you. (We found a spot upstairs. Our bartender was quite knowledgeable in the extensive collection and guided us to a good choice. (Our main direction in every bar was to give us something we'd have a hard time finding back in the States.) That got us to a Duich Moss dram...heavily peated (just the way I like it) from Islay...a great choice for one of our last whiskeys in Scotland. If you like Scotch Whiskey, you can certainly get it any and everywhere in Scotland...but this place is a true Scotch lovers' destination...the selection is unrivaled, and you'll find yourself in a great, historic atmosphere to enjoy it. Don't skip this place.

Small pub, massive whisky selection -- and I mean massive. We're talking over 1,000 whiskies on the…read moreshelves, plus a solid lineup of beers on tap. It's cozy, crowded, and buzzing with life -- often standing room only and packed shoulder-to-shoulder with locals and travelers alike. If you're a whisky fan (or even just whisky-curious), do yourself a favor and try one of their Scotland whisky flights. It's like taking a mini tour of the country's whisky regions without ever leaving your barstool -- and without worrying about driving. The bartenders really know their stuff and are happy to guide you toward something you'll love. A quick heads-up: no football colors allowed, which keeps the atmosphere friendly and relaxed no matter who you support. And speaking of friendly -- the locals here are as welcoming as they come. This is exactly the kind of place where Scotland's famous pub culture shines. Prices are surprisingly reasonable too, so you can sample a few drams without feeling guilty. Whether you're a seasoned whisky nerd or just looking to experience the local vibe, this is the spot. Pull up a stool (if you can find one) and enjoy a proper Scottish night out

What an unexpected surprise. We managed to catch an earlier ferry than planned to then realize we…read morewould need to sort lunch on Arran. The distillery cafe is good but always crowded so we saw the sandwich shop. The pork was top 5 sandwiches of my life! Topped off with an Irn Bru and life was pretty good.

What a gift while waiting for the ferry. Beautiful sandwich. Large size. Great coffees and a Lovely…read morelittle garden to sit and enjoy. Must visit place!