Wonderfully quaint and unpretentious old haunt dating back to the 18th century. Friendly to locals…read moreand tourists alike, it's small but comfortable. Not too many erudite beers on tap, but you can get your hands on a couple of rotational cask ales that are nice. Prices are good, and you may be lulled to stay awhile. There's a small but charming performance space in the back where they have spoken word, music, etc.

Hahahahaha. I'm really not sure how to review this pub but I will give it a shot. We visited here…read moreon a Friday afternoon while in Stirling as my Aussie friend requested an "old man pub with a fire". Stirling's resident Yelp expert, Nicola C recommended here with the disclaimer of "I don't know what it's like during the day though." So, my friend and I pitched up to be greeted by two regulars at the door who told us the pub was closed. "Awwww, really?" I said. "Naw hen!" followed by much guffawing on their behalf. In we stumbled, both having a laugh at the two oldies. The bar was empty apart from one other old gent which seems reasonable for 4.30pm on a Friday. We got a couple of drinks (Thistly Cross bottles for £3.50 each which is what I pay for them in the supermarket!) and sat by the fire (which thankfully someone came and stoked the hell out of so it was absolutely roaring, and scorching hot). The bar had a nice relaxed vibe. By the time we were leaving one of the regulars was well steaming and came over to talk to the Australian lassies and generally give us a bit of a ribbing. He got us to sign the visitors book and was generally pretty funny - I even got a kiss as I was leaving. Lucky me. So, would I recommend going here? Yes, I definitely would, even just for the laughs you'll have. The fire was warm, the seats were comfy and they had a nice selection of crisps/chips for snacking on. Thanks for the recommendation Nicola!

Interesting monument- built to honor a man and history- has a shuttle to top but is walkable on a…read morefoot path- great views from the top-

A perfect way to spend the last evening of our Scotland trip! Hanging with the locals - I think we…read morewere the only tourist there that night :-). The pub is older than the Wallace monument... Over 150 years old... And the owner started working there as an 18 year old and I went to the place!

great location . which is plean main street. ivor and ellen…read morethey run the day to day stuff at pub. food only served from saturday till 5 the same for sunday . food really good . good pint . generally really busy from friday onwards . nice real pub atmosphere.

This is a cool place. You use an app to order or waitress will come around. Food here is decent. I…read morewouldn't call it great. The app does make it easy but anything you order from a waitress just know you can only pay at the bar. If you're catching the train keep this in mind when paying. Staff here is very friendly. It's a great stop if you're in town and want a cold pint or some whiskey.

It's been a few years since we've been in Stirling, but I still crave that cheese toastie. It's the…read moresimple things!

Rustic, local vibe with a nice bartender/server, yummy Cullen skink and Otherworld's Judgemental…read morebeer.

Don't bother. We waited a half hour and no service, zero. Went up to the bar to order and was told…read morethey could take our order in 2 minutes, waited 10 more minutes and still they talked to each other but not me and still didn't take my order. I walked out and told them they lost our business. They didn't care

Great place to come and ask for a dram of something new and be assured Mandy will find it for you…read more Laid back, no pretensions, but a great place where a tourist or a local are equals and enjoy each other.

My friends and I were drawn to the Curly Coo before it had even opened it's door. - Stirling's…read morenewest whisky bar certainly had an amusing name. 'Have you seen the Currrrly Coo?' 'The new bar's called the Currrrly Coo.' It rolled off our tongues easily and was playful and fun. - I'm a 'Weegie so, naturally, I love to roll my rs! Now, wait a second...Here was me getting all excited about the latest whisky bar in town when I don't even drink the stuff! Alas, they have a great selection of other lovely things. My favourites being gin and that very, very tasty Elderflower Thistly Cross cider. I've been in the Coo a few times now and whilst it is still on the quiet side as a new bar, it seems to be growing in popularity little by little. Mandy, the owner, is an intense but lovely lady who is strict about her rules in turning the pub around from the rowdy, loud reputation it had previously. She certainly knows her stuff about whiskey, with a 'drammy' award for her previous bar in Creiff and plans for whisky tasting nights in the near future. With every visit, there's been a new quirk to her bar. - I love the book collection and the super teeny whisky bottles. Not to mention the painting of the 'Coo' in question in the corner. It would be nice to see some candles, I think that would really fit with the feel of the bar. When we had been booked as a band to play an hour set at the Coo, we were nervous. On our first visit we were the only people in the bar and Mandy told us of the folk music scene she wanted to welcome to the pub. It didn't sit well with the fact that the jukebox played generic pop songs. And that's one of the major factors for me for the pub. With some nice music, the bar changes completely! We put some Dylan on the jukebox and, with a little bit of folk, it certainly feels closer to the folk-whiskey haven Mandy's been dreaming of. Prices are a little on the expensive side but what you're getting really is premium. With 150 varieties of whiskey, a hefty gin collection and the most popular local ciders all in one place, you're spoiled for choice. Whilst at first I was unsure of the Curly Coo, I only hope that things improve because this bar has so much potential. Just be sure to take some money for the jukebox!

The Old Bridge Inn is a super-friendly gastropub in Bridge of Allan. When we walked in the door…read morewith Luna (our golden retriever) we were immediately warmly welcomed by the chef and invited to take a seat where Luna would be comfortable. We then got some tasters of their beers (three real ales and some craft beer too) and settled down to peruse the short but sweet menu in the very welcoming interior. The waitress was very nice too and both staff members were very dog friendly, with Luna enjoying some doggy treats courtesy of the house too. We chose our meals (a main sided portion of mussels and fish and chips with crushed peas) and enjoyed our beers. The food did take a while to come out but we were treated to a lovely crustini each free of charge whilst waiting. When our food came it was really good. A very large and fresh fish with lovely peas, and the mussels were excellent too. If definitely come back here and suggest you visit too.

Five star updates are the best kind, it's true. The Old Bridge is worthy of that awesome four to…read morefive star transition for several reasons: - The best, most juicy burger on my birthday. - Returning with friends and it being every bit as good. - The consistently warmest of warm welcomes. - The ever impressive specials board. But what makes the Old Bridge Inn really special is their chalkboard list of suppliers on the wall; all local. That makes the Old Bridge Inn just the sort of local business that I want to support! This is now my go-to restaurant, and deservedly so.

Fun pub atmosphere, great beer options, good food. We especially liked the pizza and the fried…read morechicken wings.

We had a been to the BrewDog in Aberdeen and had a good experience. We came to Sterling Castle on…read moreNew Years Day, and went into BrewDogs for lunch, Big Mistake! There was only one girl working on the restaurant. It was unclear if she was working both the front of the restaurant and the kitchen, but she did allude to being the only person working. My friends and I all ordered drinks, my two friends ordered pizzas and I ordered the crispy chicken wings. The pizzas took an hour and 15 minutes to come out and my "crispy" chicken took 1.5 hours. I was completely grossed out by the way the chicken looked. It was served in a soggy mess. It was not at all crispy and it was so mushy that it looks like O had soup in a bowl. I peeled the chicken from One wing and could not eat the rest because of how poorly they were cooked. If you are one of the only restaurants open near a major tourist attraction, you need to staff more appropriately for the anticipated number of guests. Also please take more pride in your food, this was the worst culinary experience I have had in Scotland. The one star is for the beer selection, they have a wide variety.

We were looking for local breweries and found Allanwater. We arrived at noon mid-week and were…read moreseated immediately. We were offered tasters of each brew and settled on two we liked. Very good, very unique. The young gentleman serving us was very informative about each beer and how they were made. He even recommended a great local place for lunch. Recommended for sure!

As the designated driver, it's going to be hard for me to enjoy a brewery enough to give it 5…read morestars, so 4 it is (for now!). I've also just discovered it's now called the Allanwater Brewhouse! A group of us visited here on Saturday night. I'd never been to Bridge of Allan but was pleasantly surprised at what a nice area it seemed to be. The brewery is off the main road and it can be a little confusing where to go but thankfully we stumbled through the right door (look for people milling around in the beer garden, and then go in there!). Inside it's a pretty interesting space to sit in - high ceiling, lots of beers adorning the walls as well as beer paraphernalia and a cosy, well worn vibe. For a better description of what it's like read Jenni G's review! We ended up sitting right by the fire (which, although it wasn't on was still warm) on beer kegs with cushions which was a really cosy spot. For a Saturday night it was busy but not heaving so it was good to be able to get a seat and have a chat without it being too noisy or cramped. I didn't go up the bar myself so can't comment on the staff or prices, but they seemed to have an interesting selection of beers (mango) and I enjoyed my oj & lemonade (haha!).

Came here once during our stay in the Sterling area. We would have come more often, but it's not…read moreopen for dinner daily. It's a very nice, cosy Pub. Very friendly, cheerful staff. An nice and happy atmosphere. We got a nice table by the window. Our Bulldog was welcome as well. Got some beer and ordered some starters and mains. Had baked goat cheese and Haggis balls for starters. Both excellent choices. Nicely executed. For the mains we went for beef steak strips with chips and Bangers'n'Mash. Here again: Both great choices. The steak was nice and tender. Good grilled flavour. The bangers were wonderful - from a local butcher. Good stuff. The highlight were the delicious chips (fries). I don't know how the cook does it, but these were probably the best fries we've ever had. Crunchy and crispy (like we've never had before) and inside hot and tender. Divine. Brillant chips. Prices are fair, staff was great. Food excellent. A perfect package. Loved it.