Located inside the Islay House hotel…read more This restaurant serves up top quality meals using only locally sourced ingredients and makes every item fresh to order. The menu changes depending on seasonal offerings and the head chef has zero problem with special requests. We opted for the rare steak salad and seafood chowder as starters and were blown away by the taste, presentation and fair pricing. For our main dishes, we both chose the pan-seared salmon. It was cooked to perfection and served atop a mound of mashed potatoes, a sprinkling of peas and came with a dozen mussels. Amazing. For dessert, the creme brûlée was divine; I would bathe in it if I could. The restaurant is open every day of the week and is open to both hotel guests and non-guests alike. The dining room is set inside the quaint hotel, built in 1677 and is served by candlelight. In other words, you won't find a better ambience.

Need a reservation as they are popular! They were able to fit my table for one in with 24hrs…read morenotice. Located just north of the Port Charlotte Hotel, this spot is right on the coast, perfectly situated for a lovely seafood meal. Had the seafood platter for one, massive crab claws, a pile of fresh sweet langoustine and savory scallops, added 4 cool fresh oysters from the Islay oyster company. Heaven with a glass of wine. Dessert was a staff favorite, Nutella cheesecake with double cream. Roll me out now... highly recommend trying to get in here. Prices are what you'd expect for such fresh seafood and great service. Worth every penny.

Good food yes. Beware of the seafood platter for 2. We are confused why most other dishes on the…read moremenu are priced at 15-20 and this was 135 (170 usd). Nothing in the meal justified the price. Biggest disappointment of our week in Islay.

This review is for the hotel's bar area only. We actually did not stay here, as we were already…read morestaying at a different hotel. We went to The Islay Hotel's bar for a few drinks while waiting for our reservation to become available at a seafood restaurant right across the street. We had gotten there an hour ahead of schedule after walking back into town from a distillery. The bar area, which is separated from the actual restaurant, wasn't at all busy so we were seated right away. It was this exact location where I learned that apparently all restaurants in Scotland don't allow carry out service on Sunday's. I think this was the first time I've had coffee and an alcoholic drink at the same place at the same time, which is a little unusual for me. The three of us had a cup of mocha first, with my parents eyeing the amazing coffee machine that they had at the bar. After we finished our coffee, we moved on to their alcoholic drinks, where I had their Inch's Apple Cider and my dad had their Belhaven Best Amber Ale. I've been on the mocha/cappuccino train during this entire trip and the mocha I had here was really good. The Apple Cider, which was made with real British apples, was excellent. Apple Cider is one of my favorite alcoholic drinks, so this really hit the spot. I didn't get the chance to try the Belhaven Best because I'm not the biggest fan of dark beers, but my dad said that this was one of his favorite beers so far during this trip. I'm happy that we got the chance to hang out at the bar here before heading back to the restaurant for our scheduled reservation, rather than waiting outside in chilly, windy weather.

Fantastic food and great service at this restaurant in Port Ellen. Loved the calamari, lamb shank…read moreand desserts too. Book in advance for the restaurant but it is first come first serve for the bar.

Good food and service. Wouldn't believe you can get good pizza on a scottish island but I did…read more Atmosphere is family welcome. Worh a visit if your on Islay.

Solid pizzas with vegan options, which aren't too easy to find on this island…read more We tried eating in on a Friday evening without a reservation, but they didn't have room, so we ordered a couple pizzas for takeout. The pizzas were ready in 10 minutes. They have vegan cheese, so you can order any pizza with vegan cheese instead of dairy cheese. We got: -Ortolana pizza (£13.95). This came with cherry tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and mushrooms. -Vegetarian supreme (£11 + 1.50 for rocket). This came with pepper, mushrooms, corn, and red onion, plus the rocket that we added. The pizzas were very large and filling, with very nice crusts and bases. Not the most amazing flavour-wise, but for a small island pizzeria, this was satisfying. Recommended, especially if you're looking for vegan options on Islay.

Sweet little shop with indoor and outdoor seating. Service is super friendly and sandwiches quite…read morenice. Coffee was very good. Had a latte and we chatted with another customer and the server while we ate. Cute place to stop.

Great local market with good coffee/tea. These mini markets are vital for small communities and…read morethis particular mini-market doesn't skimp on hospitality. Keep in mind it's not a full grocery store and for that you should go to the co-op in Port Ellen. They do have a little bit of everything including a post office making it a central hub of activity.

A great option for a quick meal after a morning tour. The cafe is comfortable and the food is…read moresurprisingly good. The Cullen Skink soup is delicious. The sandwiches are also very good. The staff is attentive.

After the tour stopped here for a delightful lunch. The place is busy so do be patient. I had a…read morelovely smoked haddock soup and roll and my companion had a nice steak pie. I wouldn't necessarily make this a destination stop for the restaurant as it is just located right inside the Ardbeg reception/gift shop area and more like a cafe but if you are here for the great tour a perfect place to stop for a bite.

The location is really nice and lovely furnished. Lots of wood and light - just the way I love it…read more The food ideas were great as well at reasonable prices. I had a smoked haddock risotto which really sounds great. But... The taste turned out quite narrow.. As if something was missing. Maybe just bad luck. Try out yourself!

We're from America and had no idea what to expect from a Scottish country inn. It is charming in…read moreevery sense of the word. You get up in the morning, get pampered with a big Scottish breakfast. I liked to take a walk around the driveway afterwards and I saw deer a few times. The pub is downstairs, but around the corner, so inn guests have a little space from the comings and goings. Speaking of the pub, they have 400 whiskeys on their list, and a number of flights. It's also nice to go curl up on the couch next to the wood stove on a cool evening with a good book in the hotel living room. There's a dog and a cat in residence who are pretty sure that they run the place who are very good company. Dinners are large portions, I was more comfortable with the appetizers, especially the Kintyre smoked mussels. What really touched my heart was I'm gluten free, and they went out of their way to get gluten free bread and crumpets for me. I did not expect it. That's the first time I've gotten to have bread before a meal outside my home. Usually, I sit there while I watch everyone else eat theirs. I'll never forget that. One more unforgettable part of Ballygrant is going for a walk on a clear night. There are so many stars...