Duck Bay Hotel & Restaurant in Argyll & Bute

Nice food, but sneaky sales and poor hotel. The hotel rooms are very small, the sofa beds are uncomfortable, unstable and not suitable for small children as they have large gaps. There is no lounge or common areas in the hotel and absolutely not family friendly. Myself, my husband and 2 year old daughter checked out of room 31, on a DBB basis. The main issue we have is about the DBB package. When presented with the bill, we were confused to see a charge for my daughter's meal. I've went back, checked the website and my booking and there is no indication that my daughter's meal was not included in the price of the stay. We stayed in a family room and paid extra for my daughter. At the restaurant last night and checking out, the attitude of the staff was disappointing. We were informed, 'we don't get many families here', indicating to us that children aren't really catered for. The issue that we have is that there was no indication that we would have to pay extra for my daughter or that all paid room occupants are not included in the deal. I've emailed and only received dismissive and disappointing responses. Go next door to Cameron House, it can be more expensive but miles better by every standard.

Attended New Years Day. Firstly be aware that due to flooding parking is limited and at night it is very dark. Waited 40 minutes for food order to be taken. Ordered chicken pate which was solid, not served with toasted brioche as on menu but 2 hard bits of melba toast and lettuce. Main meal was Scampi with skinny fries. There was more batter than scampi and the fries were hard and looked reheated. Slow cooked Beef Ragu was okay but it looked and tasted like tinned steak. Desserts - cheesecake dry but the meringues are lovely. There are no specials on the menu and the menu has too many different burgers on it. We were here in March for a meal and we could not fault it but this time we were so disappointed and would not rush back. Apparently they have changed chefs and maybe this is the problem?? Overpriced for poor quality food and I have eaten much nicer bar meals at half the price elsewhere. On a positive note the staff are very friendly.

Good views, good scenery. Food was a bit pricey.

Called in at Bobbies for tea. Went with family and had a good time .

Stopped for a coffee and light bite, service was very slow, brought cakes but no tea and coffee, after finishing cakes the drinks arrived, but had to wait for sugar and milk, very slow and a bit frustrating. Staff weren't very cheerful at all, not what I'd expected from high end place.

The only positive comment I can make is that the front of house staff member was very good. Perhaps the restaurant should spend more money on decent chefs rather than Christmas decorations! Our reservation was for 6 and we had left before 7. That’s how quickly the food was fired out! Scallops were very over done. The pork belly and sticky rice (dry as opposed to sticky) tasted like it was out of a packet and bottle. My so-called seafood platter consisted of over cooked tasteless fish and scallops, lukewarm warm vegetables and some sort of yellow sauce drizzled over the top. Massively disappointing doesn’t even cover it. We will not be back.

Staff are always very attentive. We had the mix seafood grill which is always outstanding. My wee girl had the salmon fillet which was cooked to perfection. I can't think of a more perfect place to eat great food and gawk at the stunning Loch Lomond.

Delicious food, elegant service, the most beautiful Christmas decoration

My wife and I mentioned when asked how our stay was, that the bed was hard and we never slept well, her reply was that's a standard room. So by that statement she was insinuating that the beds were better if we had paid more, not what I wanted to hear. Is this your policy (pay more and you'll get a better bed) I would think for the money you pay all beds should be of a good standard throughout the hotel

We ate in the restaurant. Wow...the view is 10 stars!! Not cheap but good.

Fantastic food and Christmas 🎁⛄ experience 😋

Beautifully decorated for Christmas. A lovely atmosphere. There for food did not stay in hotel

Out standing from entering until we left,the staff were excellent and couldn't do enough for us (party of 12)ladies,the food was excellent,not one complaint from our table(and that's hard to do with this mixed bunch)also it was decorated for christmas what a job they have done just gorgeous.

Went for lunch in the restaurant. Food good setting was lovely. Service really slow. The staff are nice but not attentive or efficient at all. It wasn’t too busy and there seem to be lots of staff hanging about the bar and cleaning tables. A few reviews said the same. Don’t know why management doesn’t sort it out.

Must be one of the world's best places to visit. On Loch Lomond, views to lovely snowy Ben Lomond, great service, lively atmosphere, friendly people. An absolute must fo. Fabulous.

Service, food and location totally excellent. Decor like a fairytale with the countless xmas lights and decorations ✨️... lovely in one respect and also rather overwhelming!

Very poor quality bed. Could do with a proper coffee machine in the coffee shop.Full scottish breakfast was ok but the ingredients were few and of low quality.

Beautiful setting. Fantastic food and great service.

Booked in for family breakfast for nine people. Lovely surroundings, attentive staff and great menu. Everyone happy.

Excellent clean and comfortable

Beautifully decorated restaurant on the banks of Loch Lomond. Staff were competent and friendly, food was lovely and views were spectacular. They have car parking onsite and our lunch was really enjoyable. I will definitely be going back and enjoying the food and views on offer again

Came for a light lunch here at Bobbies cafe, the staff were really friendly and the food was tasty enough, nice view out onto the loch too to enjoy your food with.

On Saturday it was our last night at Loch Lomond and wanted to eat somewhere that offered a range of fish. That meant we booked a table a Duck Bay as nowhere else offers as much choice of fish as they do in the locality. Having spent a week at Loch Lomond every year for the past 25 we have eaten countless times at Duck Bay and have yet to be disappointed. Saturday night was no exception, fabulous food and impeccable service. I had the Tuscan fish stew and my wife had salmon . Both dishes were beautifully presented and delicious. I am coeliac ( gluten free) and the list of different dishes available on the gluten free menu is very impressive and is an example to others in the catering industry. Well done Duck Bay !

Great range of cakes etc! The one negative was the service; took an age to order! Setting is very nice o looking Loch Lomond.

A very clean, well decorated & well located medium size hotel serving a wonderful table service breakfast not to mention the wonderful staff! The adjacent restaurent has idyllic views and serves modern & traditional food & drinks all day.

We booked a breakfast to start off my mums 70th birthday celebrations. My sister emailed the hotel prior to advise it was a special occasion. Not once did any of the staff acknowledge or wish my mum a happy birthday despite her wearing a 70 badge . Very disappointing! Breakfast was very tasty but small portions .Duckbay needs to up its game . We went from there to the Marine hotel in Troon & the difference in staff is unbelievable. They couldn’t do enough for us ! Small gestures go a long way. We won’t be back to duckbay so many nicer hotels .

We arrived without booking after a walk and swim in the loch which was fabulous. My husband and I and my daughter, 9 month old grandson and our dog. We had to sit outside as we had the dog, which we understood but there was no cover at all over the tables and it was raining. The rain was very light but it still would have made any food or drinks soggy! My Grandson stayed in the pram with its hood up. We were not approached by anyone. My daughter had to go and ask for a menu and had to wait for them while three members of staff discussed someone who had phoned in sick. When she finally got the menus she asked if the sandwiches could be toasted, to allow us to have something warm, and was told no, so cold sandwiches or nothing for us. After weighing up what we could have and how we would manage to eat it, we decided against it and left. Service appalling & hardly dog friendly as advertised. We felt as if we were treated as 2nd class customers as we had the dog and had to sit outside in the rain.

BEAUTIFUL scenery! Absolutely stunning! I was aghast. Lees a legend give the man a raise

Very poor, walked in for dinner staff unhelpful and didn't know anything: if we could book for the following evening, how to book a resevation, what time was food served

Enjoyed the visit, scenery was stunning, felt really sorry for the young lad that was on the bar himself he was very professional at his work even though he was over worked and had some difficult customers , well done that young lad, didn't catch his name , he is a credit to your company.

Tasty food, the best view on the lake, friendly staff.

Great food and a window seat with a fantastic view over Loch Lomond

Stopped for afternoon coffee & cakes. Delicious & fab view of the lake.

Great views from the terrace while you eat

This was our last stop on our way home from the Nc500. The room number 12 , which we paid £229 for B&B , first room after reception downstairs , noise was loud at night and woke us at 6:00am ! Shower water power awful. Not a lot of toiletries ! No water to drink ! The restaurant was like Blackpool illuminations with flashing lights everywhere and we couldn’t get a table till after 8:00 even tho I rang up ! Food was ok Service was a little over the top We have stayed in a few hotels on our trip and this was the worst , sorry we won’t return anytime soon.

We stayed at the hotel overnight on our way to Fort William. We booked a double room overlooking the loch but on arrival we were upgraded to a suite which was lovely. Huge room with views overlooking the loch. Staff very friendly. My only criticism is that there wasn’t adequate toiletries, we only had one small bottle of shower fell and shampoo, there was no hair conditioner or body lotion which I would expect on a stay in any hotel. Other than this our stay was very good and I would recommend

The Duckbay is beautiful with a wonderful atmosphere however the food has a lot to be desired. I have been twice this month due to family celebrations, the first time the food wasn’t great but I thought I’d just ordered the wrong thing and let it go. The second time I ordered fish and chips thinking this would be a safe option however the fish was inedible, it tasted of powder that stuck to your teeth. I told the waiter but nothing was done. I have been visiting The duckbay for 30 years and unfortunately won’t be going back

We have visited Duck Bay Hotel many times over the years and enjoy taking friends/family, especially those that haven’t been before. We have a holiday home in the area and are frequent visitors. Friday was a great day weather wise so it was a perfect setting for an evening meal with the view out over the Loch. Food was good as ever. We each had different things and agreed that all was good. Service was a wee bit slow between starter cleanup and mains being served. Think the food had been sitting under heat lamps a wee bit too long as my main had lost a bit of freshness, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. Have found this a few time at Duck Bay. May mention it the next time we are back. We didn’t have sweets or tea/coffee this time, only because we had stuff ourselves back at our place. Would defo recommend Duck Bay for a good meal out.

Made a reservation online took all my details and got there 10mins early and guy said it couldn’t went through with a bit of an (we’ve been booked out attitude when I said I made it 30mins ago) so waited another 50mins for a table .. ordered food starter arrived and I said to the waitress we are waiting on drinks she said they were just coming ( the polite thing would have been to say your drinks are just on there way .. do these not usually arrive before your starter) guy did apologise when they arrived . Mains came I had the Asian pork belly with crackling ( crackling was like rubber) told the waitress for feed back she just repeated “like rubber don’t think it reached the kitchen feed back ” paid in cash and leaving gave the same waitress the money as we didn’t want to just walk away , didn’t say thank you or anything just took it ,not sure I’ll be back anytime soon

We had lunch on Sunday September 1st in this beautiful and very pleasant restaurant located on the banks of Loch Lomond. Very warm and friendly welcome from the restaurant staff. We really liked the salads we chose. A must-see place in the region Michel and Marie Moulin Lyon France

Super food, best view in any restaurant anywhere...Food is only beaten by their window on paradise. Favourite restaurant bar none.

Fabulous location on the banks of Loch Lomond.

Nice hotel, but you don’t get much for the price you pay. £249 for a very small room and a sad breakfast in the morning..

Quite expensive but great place

A wonderful place, the lake is wonderful, and the village as a whole is beautiful. I recommend visiting it, it is less than an hour away from Glasgow.

Amazing location. The essence of Scotland.

I recommend this restaurant to you. We liked both the outdoor and indoor spaces, as well as the friendly and good service from the staff. The food was enjoyable, although my husband wasn't very happy with the type of steak he ordered, but its taste was good. The fish and chips we ordered for our two-year-old son tasted very good. The only drawback was that we had to wait a long time for the table to be cleaned before we could order dessert.

Just went for coffee. £18 for 3 slices of cake and a biscuit on paper plates. £15 for four coffees in paper cups. It's all about the view, but thats a lorra lorra money to pay for the view!

Great place for lunch or just a coffee

Stopped off for something to eat and had fish n chips, I have to say it was the worst ever, undercooked chips and fish that seemed to have been cooked and sat on a hot plate for quite some time, for the food alone I would not recommend this place. That said it is in a Fantastic location and the staff were nice.

Being a restaurant beside the water, you'd expect the fish and chips to be at least half decent. That's not the case with the fish and chips at Duck Bay. For £18.95, the flesh of the fish was quite thin, the majority was covered in bubbly batter. The ratio would be 20% fish, 80% batter. The chips were also oily and soggy. Will not recommend the fish and chips here, but other things like Sherperds pie look decent. Service was 5/5, though, lovely smile from waiter and was very attentive.

Delicious food and amazing views!!! Staff very knowledgeable and friendly too 🙂

TLDR; So...it's worth walking there if you're staying near by. The food is mostly good. But the service is really painful... Went to the restaurant twice because we were staying at the Lomond Castle up the way and it was a 15minute walk. We made reservations but they weren't needed... we went around 6pm both nights and it was not full. The look out onto the Loch is beautiful. It's location is great. But on these nice sunny days we were there, the surrounding area was VERY busy with tourists, locals - all camping, having picnics, on the beach - it was actually obnoxiously busy on the outside. More calm on the inside of the restaurant. Tastefully and appropriately decorated. We enjoyed that. The service is really terrible... I don't understand why each table needs like 4 waiters/waitresses - one to sit you, one for drinks, one to take order, another to bring food and any random person will bring you the bill. It's really terrible. And they don't make eye contact with you so you can't even get their attention to ask for help - was trying to flag someone down for 10minutes before having to get up and go to a guy standing at the bar just to get water for our table. I agree with comments that the wait staff are inexperienced. A girl cleaned a table next to us and sprayed her table cleaner all over me while spraying the table. I mean..cmon. The menu had lots of interesting items though... the best things we had: crispy tempura chicken and crispy duck salad were amazing. Wagyu beef burger was dry and needed salt and flavour. Ox cheek was interested but not amazing. There is a great kids menu - our toddler had the burger (very bland) and the bangers and mash which he enjoyed.

The place is very nice for photographing and drinking coffee only, but the service is bad and slow, and one of the dishes that were ordered had a hand hair in it..

Lovely place to spend an afternoon. Unbeatable views

Visited with hubby Beautiful setting and view lovely restaurant but that’s where it ends Hubby’s burger and chips fine my fish and chips worst I’ve ever had Chips small dried up crunchy bits you get at end of Chips in chip shop ie scrap bits batter that would crack your teeth asked if I wanted curry sauce and pickle said just pickle was one large dried up pickle I couldn’t cut and charged £2 overheard another couple saying theirs was bad too Left most of it and said to girl at end it was awful she just looked at me then gave me bill no other comment was made so £47 for 2 mains and 2 cokes won’t be back which is a shame as location and views lovely but think they need a new chef in my opinion ! What a waste of money !

The restaurant is the best in Scotland.

Nice and clean with a very good view and also very friendly staff

Standard menu, certainly not bad

Lovely meal . great day .staff very helpful

Came here for dinner on the evening of our wedding with friends, the food and service was fantastic and we had a wonderful time. Thank you.

Had dinner in the restaurant. Good food and friendly staff. Shepherds pie was amazing , so was the view!

Beautiful restaurant lovely food thank you for a great night

This place has always had the advantage of a beautiful location. Shame the service does not match the location. Picture shows the “chunky” chips 🍟 option with our fish and chips. £18.95 for a fish supper. Complained to the manager and gave no discounts. Was just happy with the poor customer service. Again comes down to the great location. Complacent and absent management.

Food's not great. The burgers were tasteless. Lovely lake view.

This restaurant is so beautifully located right on the Loch. I came in here myself to have a decompression dinner at the end of the week. The food was delicious! I opted for the Prawn and Chicken tempura for starter which was totally gorgeous. For my main, I had the Wagyu burger. The burger to my taste was slightly overcooked especially for the grade of meat! But it was still very appetising and went down a treat. Service was generally very good, it was very busy so things were quite slow and I did have to reorder a drink twice. However, this didn’t detract from the wonderful experience as I had more time to admire the views. Huge props for having a draught non-alcoholic beer! Will certainly be back.

A very wonderful place to eat, with a beautiful view of the sea, a beautiful view, and they have a beautiful after-tea

A very serene environment with lots of sightseeing. Close to Lock Lomond etc

Terrific place for a meal or just coffee.Views are fantastic. Great experience.

Complete absence of any customer service. Finally acknowledged after 10 minutes waiting at the door (as the sign directed) and advised they would just clean us a table .Took another 10 minutes for them to actually seat us. Still not served after 15 minutes sat waiting so left, advising the staff why. Not even an apology then, let alone previously. Whilst we were waiting to be seated there were at least 3 customers waiting at the counter waiting to pay - again, without even the courtesy of being acknowledged let alone an apology. Typing this whilst sat 5 mins drive away in the Fountain Cafe, Alexandria with completely the opposite experience i.e. the very epitome of excellent customer service! The view aside (style over substance!) avoid the Duck Bay Marina and come here instead. You won't regret it!.

I stayed here last week. The restaurant was excellent, with large portions, an extensive menu and superb service (a special mention to Gregor, the manager and Gary the wine waiter who were both super helpful). The views are stunning and golf wasn't too bad either lol.

Nice hotel restaurant in a great location along Loch Lomond

Great food and amazing GF menu. Staff really helpful and amazing views across the loch.

Would not allow us to purchase anything to eat even when we asked if we could sit outside. Not very friendly at all. Shame as a good location.

Lovely setting over loch Lomond .Had the most amazing sausage steak pie and mashed potato and veg .Husband enjoyed fish and chips

Rude waiter .. no tea party dish after 5.00pm For me this is quiet strange as tea supposed to be served at 5 o'clock! We felt unwanted anyway

Very very Beautiful location,v very nice staff.a very lovely hotel and food.

A friend and I went there for breakfast. It was gf and delicious.The staff were so cheerful and attentive. Thank you for the birthday cake too. ☺️

Ate in the restaurant with family on the Sunday night. Outstanding views, great service and very good food. Always busy so worth booking in advance.

Restaurant review. It's a beautiful spot, worth eating here for the views alone. The food was mostly good, the service was hopeless.

The rooms, the facility and the setting are amazing! The service and hospitality, not so much. To be fair, there were some friendly staff in both the hotel and restaurant, but surly or indifferent were more common. I’d think twice before booking there again.

We went for the breakfast, first class highly recommend

Came over from Dubai to bring my daughter here for a birthday treat. Restaurant service was horrendous. Waited over 10 minutes for empty plates to be removed. Wasn’t asked at that point if we wanted dessert. Left waiting, confused. Returned later and asked. Left again for another 5-10 minutes. Restaurant wasn’t even overly busy. Wasted a great day. So disappointed!

Stopped by for dinner as we were holidaying in the area. Very glad we did as the place is beautifully decorated inside and out and is situated right on loch lomond with some stunning views. The staff were excellent and very friendly. The food was delicious and well priced considering the upmarket vibe of the place. Definitely worth dressing smart / smart casual if you're visiting.

Went for breakfast. Good gluten free options. Can't beat the outlook across loch Lomond. Surprisingly affordable.

We booked in to celebrate my sister's special birthday. You don't have to book but you may need to wait longer for a table. The view is stunning, with lots of activity. We were attended to immediately with water as they took our food orders. The food was delicious with a wide variety of choices. Dress code is smart but some people wore jeans & We wore dresses. The staff are very attentive & friendly & our waiter advised us on food re allergies. The toilets are on the left as you go into the dining area & are spotless. Thoroughly enjoyed my meal & look forward to my next visit!!

Beautiful setting on the shore of Loch Lomond. Great viewing deck. Fab restaurant and an amazing tea room. Best cakes you could wish for

We enjoyed coming here for a wee coffee with a cake or for lunch. Service is always great, however sometimes it takes a while for someone to come and take your order. Our last visit was very disappointing as my coffee wasn’t great and my my croissant was worse than something you get in the corner shop. Would think twice before our next return.

Booking table - quicker to do online than actually being there in person face to face. Service - ordered 2 drinks which staff couldn’t get right. ‘One of the Managers’ stood telling us how tired he was from new born and all his family woes before taking order. Food - starters nice enough, nothing outstanding (mussels and prawn cocktail). Shared the main fish platter with lobster added as extra £35 for the smallest and over cooked half lobster I’ve ever had. Wine - saved the day! Raised issues with ‘One of the Managers’ whose actual response was “yes, unfortunately it’s usually either the food or the service that lets us down.” I’ll leave it at that.

Got Food Poisoning, they are probably trying to get as many people in and out as possible without paying attention to quality or even public safety.

Situated on the banks of Loch Lomond about 1 mile north of the outlet shopping at Balloch Shores. Plenty of parking, no ev chargers, there are some at the outlet shops. The hotel is in good decorative order including the rooms. Our room was a little small. Excellant view of the loch from the restaurant. Dinner was good but breakfast was heavily weighted in favour of those requiring cooked breakfast, so not good. Staff very good. Would be hqppy to stay again, just pick a bigger room.

This Place is Lovely, had a really nice stay here and the food was very nice, and a lot to choose from off the menu, would Highley recommend, the view from the rooms and restaurant were great, over looking Loch Lomond and the price for our room was a lot less than I had expected

Please be very carefully when booking a room here, we thought we had booked a room with a lock view and a balcony , what we got was a juliet balcony and no lock view, ( if you stood on the bed you could then see the lock) at £149.00 a night I did expect a view of the lock.When we complained to reception we were told that they only put the best rooms on the website so might be better to phone and check your getting the room you think you are booking. I can't comment on the restaurant as it was fully booked during our stay, so unless you pre-book you have to go else where for food. The room we had was very small there is no space for your suitcase and due to the lack of storage you really do have to just live out of your case. On the upside the breakfast was very nice. It's the first time I have been to a hotel the promised so much but delivered so little for the price they charge

I went with 3 members of my family. We had all booked individual rooms and were all happy with the comfort and style of the rooms and the fact that 2 of us had private terraces. We had coffee and cake in the afternoon then evening meal followed by full breakfast. All of the food was excellent and the staff pleasant and friendly . I enjoyed my stay and would definitely return

Relaxed dining in great location. We eat out a lot and have to comment on the absolutely amazing service by everyone who served us. Would recommend a visit if you haven’t been!

1 night stay, dinner and breakfast Cannot fault anything, patio room was great, loved the fact we could walk out right beside the loch Dinner was amazing, best steak pie ever, my husband loved the thai chicken Breakfast was sooo good, cant beat Stornaway blackpudding, poached egg was perfect and the picture windows out to the loch in the breakfast room gave amazing views and wild swimmers watching too. All the staff we met were brilliant Would definately book again and aga8n

We booked for dinner last night and I cannot fault the place Food was great and staff were outstanding a credit to the company!

Husband and I have been here few times to celebrate our anniversary beautiful scenery especially if lucky enough to get a view across Loch. Staff always lovely breakfast and meals never disappointing. Booked back to go in May for my 60th

A large gluten free menu with plenty of options to choose from. Food did not disappoint and staff friendly. Restaurant decor clean and modern and lovely view over Loch. Ask for a window table.

Attended restaurant for lunch ordered, our starters and mains, 35 minutes later starter hadn’t arrived, diners attending after our arrival had orders taken and been served, after main meal, ordered desert and coffee, coffee wasn’t served to me at all, I complained to the server about the situation and I just wanted the cheque so I could leave, he was about to apologise, but was an obvious automatic response, quick enough to get your cheque though it was at the table within a minute