Fantastic atmosphere , great food and very reasonable prices. Christopher Murray is the owner and personally comes around the tables for a chat and to make sure everything is well. I highly recommend this establishment. read more

On my first visit to Ayrshire, I stayed in Irvine at the Marina View Guest House, and The Ship is right next door They have a healthy beer & wine menu, but I wanted to try something different and uniquely Scottish. I asked if they had any kind of specialty drink that they did, and he said no and then he paused and he said "well you could do Irn Bru and vodka." So I said "sure, I'll give it a try." The waiter was cool - attentive and friendly. I ordered the crab cakes as an appetizer. They were good. The consistency is a little different than what you would get in the states. I think there was more of whatever the binding agent was (flour and egg?) than the way I've had it back home so it was more cakey and held together better than the way I'm used to which falls apart easily. I had the steak pie which was delicious. The meat was tender and just fell apart. The veggie mix was excellent - carrots, snap peas and maybe parsnips. The snap peas or peas in the pod were absolutely perfectly prepared. They were hot throughout but still were crunchy and slightly sweet. I didn't finish my steak pie only because it was hearty and filling and I wanted to save room for dessert. And oh what a dessert! I hadn't heard of Jaffa cakes, so while I was imagining cake and ice cream like in the states, that was not what arrived! Jaffa cakes are like little wafer cookies with chocolate on one side. It was basically a sundae made with Irn Bru ice cream, chocolate syrup and Jaffa wafer cookies broken and arranged on top. I was the last customer to finish my food and next to last to be rung up. Unfortunately, the machine was having an issue and declining everything. They employed the number one IT recommendation to turn the machine off and turn it back on again. Problem solved, bills paid. I didn't catch the names, but these two who are the closing staff were so good-natured and funny, we were joking around, like we were all old friends! I had a great experience all the way around and highly recommend that you try it out. I look forward to the next time I visit the area and have a meal at The Ship. read more

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This is the oldest inn in Irvine and it's a gem. Their food was excellent. The Harbour is a beautiful area to walk with a lot of character. read more

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I was recently passing through the area and stopped in here with pretty low expectations, just looking for a quick bite before getting back on the road. Fortunately the food is so much better than the exterior suggests. I had an excellent piece of salmon and my father had a meat pie that was incredibly large. The meal also came with sides of veggies and potatoes that we couldn't come close to finishing. We were in at an off hour, so it was pretty dead inside; I imagine it's a bit livelier around dinner time. read more

The Ship Inn is a lovely pub down the harbour way in Irvine, probably a good 25 minute walk from the train station, although there is ample parking at the pub. The pub is split into several different areas which creates a really good atmosphere. Food is served throughout but dogs are only allowed in one room if you are eating (which isn't where the open fire is unfortunately). They sell real ale which is great to see and it is kept well. Food is well priced and fresh. A lovely place to stop off, especially with your four legged pal. read more

The Ship Inn is a traditional tavern style bar which I believe is one of the oldest in Scotland. I also think it was voted the Daily Record Pub of the Year also. The food is thoroughly Scottish, serving traditional local delights such as Black Pudding, Haggis, as well as Cullen Skink and various broths and soups- tomato and lentil are also an option for those of you not so favoured to the Scottish taste! Bookings are taken during the week, however on Fri-Sun it is strictly first come first serve! Very very annoying as it is ALWAYS busy in the evenings. You will find a wide range of customers from locals to people who travel to enjoy the relaxed, yet enjoyable atmosphere that the rustic building brings. Expect your table to possibly be a recycled sewing machine or other artefacts! All adds character and doesn't take away from the experience. Prices range between £3-£4 for starters. Main courses are priced about £8-£9 with some exceptions being a little higher. This is owed to the specialty nature of the dishes- fresh fish and local Scottish meats. All food is home-made and don't expect to find a salty, watery beef gravy with your steak pie! Everything from the homemade pastry, the local beaf, to the seasonal vegetables makes the Ship Inn a delightful little find. Definitely worth a visit if you enjoy good home-cooked food. nb. there is plenty of main course choice even if you don't favour Scottish style food read more

This is one of my favourite places in Irvine , infact actually its not..It IS my favourite ! it is situated on our beautiful harbourside in Irvine Ayrshire , it is the oldest pub and restaurant in Irvine and is run by Mr Ian Murray , a local man along with his sons. I cant praise this lovely pub and restaurant highly enough, not only do you receive a warm welcome but the service and atmosphere in this very oldy worldy authentic harbourside establishment are guaranteed to make your time spent there just that little bit special. I have been dining there for years and have never tasted food anywhere else on a par. The food is simply yummy !!!! No matter how full I am and the portions are very filling ! ....but soooooo good I could eat it all over again !!! They are one of the few places who do not serve French fry's !!! You are treated only to local grown fresh seasonal vegetable along side your food which I personally find very refreshing nothing quite so off puting as the smell of chips ! I really could go on and on about The Ship Inn as it really is a little jewel in the crown of Irvine but I would prefer you go visit a try yourself ! You wont be dissapointed I will enclose their web site info and have to advise that should you be in the area and decide to give it a try please ring ahead and reserve in advance as this is a very very .. very !.... popular place that I wouldnt want you to miss out on having a table. Trust me on this you want to ensure that you have a fabulous meal when you visit Ayrshire ? .... Visit .... THE SHIP INN ! 01294 279722 WWW.theshipinnirvine.co.uk read more

This place is fantastic. It's wall to wall nautical themed with charming service and delicious food. This is the kind of place tourists dream of when they think of an old timey Scottish pub. The seafood is fresh and the atmosphere is delightful. If I'm ever anywhere nearby again, I'll be back. read more

We had late lunch here few days ago while visiting the harbor at Irvine. Food was wonderful. We had delicious stuffed chicken wrapped in crispy pastry and FRESH yummy vegetables! Coffee was smooth and tasty and the house Pinot Grigio lovely. This is a little gem of a restaurant. Staff was attentive and friendly. Great experience! read more

Generous portion sizes, wholesome food with the odd adventurous quirk and decent prices. To bump up to a 4-star review maybe smaller portion sizes and a greater attention to detail. read more

Ship Inn has it all ,delicious food,pleasant surroundings and stunning views of the beautiful island of Arran.The Ship Inn is the oldest pub in Irvine dating back literally hundreds of years. Food is great value for money with ample portions.Service is great and staff polite and efficient.A great wee pub with all the atmosphere you could throw a stick at.Can thoroughly recommend this place so if you are ever in Irvine give it a visit .You wont be disappointed read more

Only been once. Waited 30 minutes for our order to be taken and when i finally got the waitress's attention she advised that the ovens had been switched off and no more orders were being taken as it was very busy. Not ideal when ypou have hungary 2 year old waiting for some lunch. Got our drinks refunded although this consisted of the manager slamming the money down on our table with no conversation. read more

The Ship Inn in Irvine is famous for its pies, and rightly so. They serve the best steak pies I've had, and you can choose to go for the smaller wee wan or the large big wan. I've never gone for the big wan myself as the wee wan isn't exactly small! They also normally have different chicken and seafood pies and pastries, and they also serve other main courses. Potatoes and vegetables are served in accompanying dishes and always include mashed potatoes, new potatoes, mushy peas (when I go with my family we end up fighting over these, they're great!) and fresh vegetables. The portions are generous and the prices are very reasonable. It's not a very large place so it's best to get there early to get a table as it's so popular. read more

I've been twice, the first time was nice the second time wasn't. It had been booked for a party of 12, when we arrived we were told that bookings were not taken and they would not be able to serve us. A shame as there were guests from all over the world in our party. I found the staff rude and unhelpful. read more

My husband and I recently had dinner here. The pub is very old and interesting. Service was great, and the food was excellent. I had a meat pie with a beautiful pastry on top -- very yummy. We will definitely eat here again if in the area. read more