Gracie Neills in Ards

My friend and I visited the restaurant today. We were warmly greeted at the door and the dark haired lady was happy to escort us to a table in the bar, for a casual meal. We were presented with a very extensive menu, which clearly stated which meals can be prepared gluten free. However, we actually chose a meal from their ‘Today’s Specials’ menu and a nice bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. A very friendly, chatty, member of staff, Paul, in his bright , blue , patterned shirt, ha, who was perhaps a manager, made himself known to us by checking that everything was to our satisfaction. We thoroughly enjoyed our creamy Thai chicken curry and will definitely return in the near future.

I expected more and got less. Very disappointed with the quantity although everything else was fine. The costs were as expected but the chips were few, the mushy peas barely saw the plate and the portion of fish was small. Unfortunately, I would not be rushing back to what used to be one of my favourite locations.

Five of us visited without booking for lunch and immediately noticed the well turned out bar man and his welcome. We walked through the very atmospheric and comfortable bar into a lovely bright restaurant at the rear. Our waiter was attentive and some of us had the two course lunch at £14 which is very good value. The toilets were spotless and the outdoor patio area looked comfortable. All together a great place to visit.

Really disappointed in the Lamb shank. Photo shows how it was served.... I queried it with the waitress, and the reply was - why, what's wrong with it? She did offer to substitute... But not in the way that it made it customer friendly. I ate what I could but it was mainly fat, sinewy bits and about 4 mouthfuls of meat. The mash was delicious but veg hard and tasteless. Came home and looked at Facebook. Very unfortunately my meal came far short of the photos on Facebook. As other reviews have said - quality is important. I would say that hubby enjoyed his meal of chowder. But we'll not be back.

So to start, the waitress was amazing, we were here on Mother’s Day for my mums 60th and it was a big group. She was so attentive, everyone’s meals looked incredible. The lamb I was told was the best ever. Except mine. I really fancied chicken tacos and was excited cause I’ve never been here before and iv heard how great it is. The chicken tacos consisted of One open wrap-not taco shells A few pieces of chicken, dried cabbage, and a bit of mayo and sirachia. No guacamole, no salsa, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream, limes. Nothing taco related at all. Sounds really moany but for £17 I could have made that in 2 minutes at home. I think I expected a lot here and got nothing. For £17 I should have had all the above ingredients. In today’s cost of living a meal out is a total luxury for me. So I’m honestly gutted at how crap mine was. I didn’t say anything at the table as it was my mums birthday and mothers day

Last minute visit for Sunday Lunch. Super helpful staff particularly the maitre D who double checked in with us after the meal arrived. Delicious Roast Beef and Duck Dishes. Will definitely be back. Many thanks

Beautiful surroundings and wonderful food. Great atmosphere wonderful pub with trending restaurant. Helpful staff

Absolutely the best meal we have had in a long time.Restaurant is newly refurbished.The menu is extensive and top quality food. Staff could not do enough,very professional,from front of house,to bar and waiting staff and kitchen. Would thoroughly recommend.

Just popped in for a quick unplanned lunch. We got offered a number of places to sit and chose the bar area, with a nice fire blazing. We both choose from the the specials menu. I had the flat bread and my wife had the pulled pork sandwich. I raised an eye brow when the flat bread arrived. It was simply a piece of supermarket pitta, uncooked. On top of it we a few dices of overcooked pork, some pickles and a drizzle of sauce. I was affronted that this dish was £12 for an ingredient cost of less than a £1. I understand that restaurants are having a difficult time, but that goes both ways. If you are going to charge excessively, make sure the culinary experience matches. My wife's pulled pork was on ciabatta, but the pork was excessively 'wet', not because of the sauce, but simply the water content. As a result the bread was a soggy mess. On a positive note, the chips served with the pork were excellent. We finished our food in muted silence, I paid the £32 bill, but mentioned to the barman my concerns. He said he was sorry to hear that, and would pass my concerns to the chief ... Sadly, with money becoming tighter, we will think carefully on where we dine again. So disappointed, in what is a great venue,

perfect location on a very cold day, the fire was a welcome sight. We both had the honey chilli chicken one with rice and one with chunky chips in garlic butter absolute perfection and no problem with changing the side dish. The staff were very friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend Grace Neil's.

Had been away for Xmas and missed the new opening of refurb. Boy did I get a surprise. Grace Neill's is stunning. The decor has changed so much but the staff are as good as always.Paul you have a good team there. What a difference it's amazing.All the best of luck in the world.Love this place.

Had a meal here tonight as we are staying in the area. Food was amazing the service brilliant. Would recommend highly

We were here for Christmas dinner, and to be honest we were kind of disappointed. Starters were all lovely, but quite a few of our party had steaks for main course and they were all very fatty this is excusable if it was one steak on the table but it was them all. We never mentioned this on the day as it was Christmas Day so we just got on with it and didn’t want a fuss but when paying the Christmas Day prices you expect quality food, maybe not the chefs fault maybe the butcher needs changed. Apart from the steaks everything else was perfect.

Excellent service,and he staff were so friendly, the food was delicious, especially the chocolate brownie,and the pirn star Martini was top notch, we had a wonderful experience.thano you so much.

Always guaranteed delicious food when we eat here. Service is fantastic, friendly staff and great value for money.

We had a lovely evening in their restaurant. The food was excellent, and the service outstanding. What wonderful staff, very efficient and nothing was too much trouble. Thank you, especially to Kaya (hope I've spelt his name correctly!) who was our server for the night. Highly recommended and looking forward to the next time

Great historic pub. Excellent service and cosy atmosphere. Would recommend for sure to people who are in town. Good drinks

We had a family dinner on Sunday July 2nd. The service was excellent and the food was delicious. The scampi was excellent the other guests enjoy the Turkey and Roast Beef too. Reasonably priced. And to make the day even better - they had live music on the patio from 2-5. Amanda Agnew was Terrific. Everyone enjoyed the afternoon and dinner.

This was my first time visiting, and I absolutely loved it! This place is a well oiled machine. There are plenty of staff, and although they are a very young workforce, they are some of the best servers I have come across. The service is...

We thoroughly enjoyed the Thai Green Curry and the Mushroom Risotto, which was not marked on the menu as being vegan but the friendly and welcoming waitress checked with the kitchen team and confirmed that it could be prepared as plant based. There are other...

Gracie's never disappoints!! This is our second time coming back as a party of 7 and we were all delighted with our meal choices and service! The place was busy but food was on time and fresh and delicious! Strawberry and Mango daiquiris were unreal!...

This place is outstanding from food to atmosphere. The staff are fantastic no sooner a table is emptied a hive of activity from staff to clean and reset. The management should be proud of them. The Sunday roast is to die for. So tasty and...

Always have enjoyed this wee pub , bar man calling last orders at 10pm. Isn't what you expect from this establishment. Would love to know if this is his authority or is last orders 10pm now. Been in many times and never had this issue....

We all wished that we had arrived earlier to dine there! The bistro next door looked so nice. Maybe on our next visit. We were told to visit Grace Neill’s. The oldest pub in Ireland and it did not disappoint. The kids entrance was small...

We have eaten in Grace Neill many times - the food has always been very good and we enjoy the live music. Tonight we booked a table for 4 in the restaurant for dinner and enjoyed lovely starters and main courses. The problem arose when...

Easter sunday disaster, We had 4 children with us who all ordered chicken goujons , the children all ate them bar one child who left them to last and asked myself to cut it up, to my utter shock it was completely raw inside, we...

My friend and I had a lunch booking today and to be fair it was busy, which is why I'm giving 4 stars. I waited a long time for my soft drink, the food was just OK, I had the large sized seafood chowder and...

Second time here, 1st time excellent food and service, this time very disappointed first off all, my glass was covered in lipstick, glass was changed quickly, food arrived starter was very nice soup of the day, main course roast beef arrived, roast potatoes two off...

The food was great, the service was great. What more can you say!!! We used to go to Grace Neil's every other month before Lockdown (March 2020) and like a lot of people, we still aren't back into the habit of going out to eat...

Although we didn't eat at Grace neills.my friends and I had cocktails and wine. The service from all the staff was excellent they really looked after all our needs

Decided to call in for lunch as it sounded a quaint venue. The pub, which is entered through a very low door straight from the street, still boasts several original rooms at the front, before opening up into a large welcoming lounge bar with casual...

Enjoyed a lovely lunch with friends on Saturday. I chose salmon which was very tasty. Will definitely return soon. Great busy atmosphere.

Had a nice meal but scampi was a very small portion which was served in a shell. The other dish was the Sea Bass which sat on a bed of mash potato and it was cold. You get a nice Guiness but food was disappointing.

The restaurant is wonderfully unique and the staff friendly and helpful. The fish comes practically from in front of the door and my family loved their fish and seafood meals. As a vegetarian, I found only 3 options and decided on the Thai green curry....

Lovely restaurant, shame about the food. 10 oz my backside ! & cooked incorrectly. Shame ! Picked for special occasion.

Visited today for my Dads birthday meal. First time here & very impressed! Absolutely faultless from start to finish. Party of 17, every meal perfect & most helpful & friendly staff Iv witnessed in a long long time, really couldn’t do enough for us! Would...

Well what can I say myself and my partner decided to call in for a couple of drinks but stayed on for some food. Have to say the food was excellent just nice portions the staff very friendly and helpful will certainly will be back...

Booked last minute on a Saturday afternoon, arrived and shown to our seats by a lovely woman, the restaurant was packed but the waiter who took our order was very friendly and the service was very quick and efficient, I opted for the salmon and...

Grace Neills would be a regular spot for myself and my partner as we live near by. Recently they have updated the menus and I am a massive fan. The prawn tacos are delicious!! And a really good portion size for a starter!! With a...

First visit and booked in for Sunday lunch. Was meeting family and couldn't find the restaurant at first, but Google maps came to the rescue. There is carparking off street, which is very handy. We were seated towards the back of the restaurant. It was...

We just had a lovely meal in Grace Neills, it was so good I didn't even wait til I was home to leave the review. The food was great but the staff were the best iv seen in a restaurant in a long time. Amazing...

The food was delicious, turkey & ham , seafood gratin and good pints of Guinness, however our table was sticky and the wine glasses were not clean, the table was wiped again at our request and we got our wine glasses replaced but in our...

Exceptionally welcoming and accommodating staff, nothing too much trouble. Food was lovely. Would highly recommend.

Just had the best meal tonight with friends, amazing food and our server Mark was the perfect host; so friendly and had us in hysterics laughing! 10/10 experience at Gracies

Wow..... what an amazing meal myself and the family had today for my partner's birthday treat. Seafood Chowder was amazing, really is the best in Donaghadee. Partner loved his Brie Wedges and one of our daughter's had the Potato & Leek Soup which she loved....

Called in for a meal with my wife expecting a decent dinner. We had visited before and had an enjoyable dinner so I thought we would give it another go. Sadly this was not a good experience. My wife had fish and chips, I ordered...

Grace Neill’s would be the ‘local’ for my partner and I and we enjoy frequent visits for meals and drinks. We had friends staying from London and when they said they wanted a cosy pub lunch, we knew exactly where to bring them. The atmosphere...

Visted Grace Neills twice in December, with one visit being NYE. Each time was flawless. Covid checks carried out on entry and all staff wesring PPE,. We ordered from the bistro menu and all meals were delicious and pipin hot. Restaurant, bar and toilets were...

Where to begin. Zero covid checks. Miserable service. The toilets are what I would expect to find in a 1 star hostel. Drinks not available. And then the food came... I would have accepted average pub grub given previous experiences but that was far too...

Arrived for a birthday celebration and I’d hardly say the welcome was exactly warm. Told the Waitress who ‘greeted’ us we had a booking and she gestured towards a seating area. Ten minutes passed and no menu or even a drink order taken. The server...

My husband and I have been to Grace Neills several times, but this is the first time leaving a review! We recently visited with friends and it was great. Great menu choice for both food and drink, and the customer service was good also. We...

Booked in at Grace Neill's to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. Was a wonderful evening, my boyfriend had the fish and chips and I had the chicken stack with sweet potato fries, it was all amazing. We had dessert and a few drinks which were...

Me and my Dad visited Grace Neills on Tuesday evening. Grace Neills never disappoints, we’ve never had a bad meal there. The food was absolutely gorgeous!! The staff couldn’t do enough for us. Aaron especially has amazing customer service and always goes the extra mile...

Every meal I have had in this place has been outstanding. The staff are very attentive and professional. One of my top places to eat. Staff brought a sausage for my pooch which is a lovely touch. Lots of veggie options too

This is a regular spot for my wife , kids and I. Great menu, my eldest son is plant based and always loves his food here and the drinks are 10/10. Staff are always so nice to and know they’re stuff

perfect food, amazing staff and beautiful surroundings its the best. there are quite a few restaurants in the area and I've tried them all but this is my number one and anyone I bring here agrees.

Bright and friendly atmosphere. Helpful and courteous staff. Varied menu. Seafood chowder delicious. Wheaten bread tasty and moist.

Brillant we place never knew this place existed hidden gem family birthday and it was unreal food was amazing well definitely be coming back unreal the staff were on top form also

The entrance to the pub is lovely, the rest of the building needs a bit of an update. Ordered a £24 steak and asked for it rare and it arrived so tough , tasteless and well done with a side of Soggy overcooked vegetables. The...

We recently revisited this lovely old pub and were not dissapointed. service was excellent as was the food. Such a good helping that unfortunately we could not manage a sweet. definately will return soon.

Best bar / restaurant in the area! Fantastic food and service once again. We visited again for a family occasion. Paul and his staff were amazing.

Fabulous well-priced food in a lovely clean and tidy setting. Parking available at the back (accessed from the RIGHT HAND lane of the one-way street that approaches it). The beef starter was really terrific.

It was my first time in this restaurant for quite a while and I was disappointed. Although masks were worn etc., there was little evidence of social distancing. Cigarette smoke from outside wafted into the dining room. My main course - sirloin steak (at £24)...

Superb lunch experience today in Grace Neills. Seafood Chowder and Seafood Platter to share were beautifully presented and very much enjoyed. Our waiter was friendly and helpful. Toilets were impeccable. Thoroughly recommend Grace Neills for first class food and service.

Dined tonight Nd have to say that the food was exquisite. Sea bass and something as straightforward as an 8oz burger. My word, it was just the tastiest meal. Both dishes cooked to perfection. The seabass was especially fab. Reasonably priced, attentive staff, good wine...

Saturday night dinner at Grace Neills, it was my second time here with my boyfriend and it was just as amazing as the first time! Had no issues booking a table, wonderful service despite it being busy, excellent food and the drinks and dessert were...

Decided to treat my daughter and my mother to their lunch today as hadn't been to grace Neill's in years. So disappointed. My mum ordered the starter of prawn and hens egg salad which cost £9 for prawns and one bit of wheaten - it...

I visited grace neills this evening, the service was apauling. We waited 1hour for our food order to be taken and we had to go in ourselves to ask for the order to be taken. We then waited 45 mins after we had finished our...

We recently were at Grace Neils for the first time, I’m not usually one to write reviews but I felt I had to after how poor our experience was at the weekend past. First of all I’d like to say it’s a nice place and...

This bar / restaurant just keeps getting better and better. The new beer garden is amazing with attentive and well trained staff. Initially we had just called in for a drink but having read the new menu we decided to have food. Even though we...

Went to Grace Neil's last night with 3 friends for a friend's birthday and simply had to do a review after such a great night. From the minute we arrived the service from every member of staff was fantastic and the food was amazing. Thanks...

First time out and what a triumph!! Got a seat I. The beer garden, got a couple of awesome Guinness and ordered the seafood platter and the deep fried Brie starter between us, what can I say, FANTASTIC. Service was great, Guinness was great, it’s...

Hubby was accused of being drunk when he hadn't been drinking and staff so rude we just left and were lucky enough to get into the Bull and Claw for dinner. Won't be back.

This is one of our favourite restaurants so decided to try the lockdown takeaway service. Expected it to be decent but was blown away by how good it was! You would struggle to find a better chowder. Glad to see this restaurant surviving during difficult...

We have had a few take aways from Grace Neil's during the lock down. They have all been great.. food is absolutely lovely and service on ordering and delivery brilliant.. I would recommend 👌 😌

Despite attempting to engage the management via their web page, I am still being ignored over the queries I presented. No doubt if I were booking I would have been answered immediately.Their takeaway left a lot to be desired and I chose to discuss this...

I have left a couple of previous reviews (one good, one bad), decided to try Gracies again despite our last experience. We used to eat there a lot and always enjoyed it. So this time we arrived at approx 7.50pm on Monday 21/09/2020, the restaurant...

Great to visit donaghadee again this area is stunning, decided to visit Grace Neil's as I've read up on all its history and see great reviews,my friend and I got straight to the cocktails which were great ha they didn't hold back on the alcohol...

Great wee spot! Traditional original snug bar, contemporary lounge, bright and spacious bistro all lead out to a beautiful beer garden ... Wide range of food & drinks with friendly efficient service... 5 star all the way

In the heart of stunning Donaghadee town! Private car park.Very cozy lounge-bar with a real wood burner, authentic wee nook at the front.Clean and well set up bistro-restaurant.Seasonal Beer Garden with outside bar, heaters and fireplace.The food is lovely! Great variety and well priced.The cocktails are do die for! Staff are attentive and friendly.Stayed for live music after dinner, great fun.Perfect experience

We love this restaurant. I have been a few times for lunch and each visit the food and service has been excellent. We decided to visit on a Friday night for steak night. We started of with sharing platter followed by sirloin steaks & sides and a nice bottle of wine. The food was gorgeous as usual. I have to mention both Aaron & Agnes these two are amazing at their jobs their service 5 star and consistent. They are both a credit to Grace Neills. Thank you for another amazing time. Food, service atmosphere excellent.

Had lunch with friends on Sunday andit was excellent the seafood platter to share was first class great service and music great atmosphere andparking available too

Out for lunch with family; service was exceptional and the food - wow. Always go for the fish/seafood. Can’t go wrong!

Thank you to the staff of this restaurant for making a great night out.Loved the £14 Friday steak night... Cooked to perfection.The staff were so much fun and yet professional... Aaron made room for us even though we hadn't booked. Definitely a restaurant to be recommended.

Characterful old pub with a modern extension at the back provides a pleasant eating experience. Food is of a good quality and reasonably priced. Staff are friendly and welcoming and service was good on the Monday evening we visited. The pub serves a good quality pint of Guinness.

Had a great meal in here. Little bit pricy but good quality grub. Nice atmosphere, it's the oldest pub in Ireland so there are nice little rooms and low ceilings.

We really enjoyed our Sunday lunch today - some from the Sunday menu and others from the ‘normal ‘ one. Roasts were fabulous- really hot and very generous portions without being off putting. Service was extremely attentive and appropriate. All in all - amazing value ( wine and beer included) and I would have no hesitation in returning. Araan - not sure of his spelling- was an outstanding ambassador.

Great food served beautifully. It has a lovely atmosphere . The oldest pub in Ireland Also great music at weekend , they do a great steak night on Fridays

Had a lovely meal this evening. The waitress we had think her name was Bethany was fantastic nothing was to much trouble at all. We shall definitely return again.

Conhecer esse pub,o mais antigo da Irlanda do Norte,foi uma emoção..Pois nossa filha havia morado na graciosa cidade de Donaghadee 15 anos atrás e costumava frequenta lo..Meu marido experimentou seu primeiro pint de Guiness que veio bem gelada,aprovadíssima..atendentes super simpáticas..Se tiverem oportunidade ,não deixem de conhecer o esse MITO

Nous qui souhaitions manger un petit quelque chose sur le pouce... Belle découverte en poussant la porte par hasard de ce restaurant. Plats délicieux et faits maison. Cocktail au top. Serveurs agréables. Parfait !!!

Grace Neill's pub boasts in large lettering of being Ireland's oldest pub, and this is what initially lured us across the threshold. The front part of the pub interior does indeed appear to be very old, but at the time of our visit (around lunchtime) this oldest part was deserted with all activity confined to the much larger open rear extension that appears highly unlikely to date back particularly far in time. Staff were friendly, and, although we only ordered drinks, most of the other customers (who, by all appearances, looked satisfied) were eating lunch. There is no clear reason to dispute the age of the premises - which was known as the Kings Arms in 1611, but later changed to Grace Neill's (who ran it after it was purchased for her by her father). What might be in dispute, however, is the claim that there are no older pubs in Ireland. Two Donaghadee residents informed us that the claim had been fairly reliably discredited, and one might expect locals to be among the greatest supporters of such a claim. Regardless of the reliability of the claim, such a record is an irrelevance when seeking a decent pub (which this is) - although it can help to lure passers by inside. Do linger in the oldest part, in the front, for a few minutes before you leave.

I haven’t been in this establishment for over a year and was hoping that it had seen the error of its ways by employing and training more staff etc. Sadly not. Four patrons in the front bar.....no one behind the bar. The back bar was busy but not full. I stood along with another customer being completely ignored by the two people behind the bar who appeared to be only interested in making cocktails and servicing the restaurant. After nearly ten minutes I gave up and left. I look forward to this potential gold mine of a bar being taken over, hopefully soon. My advice to visitors to this town is to take photos of the great exterior and then walk on.

Great variety of options for lunch including a number of specials (all £10 or £11 each). Fantastic value, good quality and generous portions.

Our hosts suggested Grace Neil’s not just for the history but for the food, and they were spot on! Excellent food, excellent servers...the original pub has all the ambiance as the restaurant in the back was added later and its’ more modern feel is a contrast to the original pub out front. It’s quite large with the addition but you can also enjoy an Irish sunset and a pint outdoors on the patio which was popular the night we were there. It’s a bit pricey but well worth it.

Another visit back and as usual we decided to dine in Bangor where we had an excellent quality dinner.Due to unforseen circumstances we were not able to enjoy a dessert there so reluctantly ended up a Gracies.The service was good. The live music was too loud. The cocktails ranged from average to awful. The Guinness was good and as feared the desserts were grim. At least it made me appreciate the meal we had enjoyed in Bangor fully.

Had dinner last night at one of the oldest pubs - the food was fantastic. It arrived hot and freshly made. Great gin fizz and Guinness on tap too! Friendly spot. Good service. Highly recommend you give it a try.

service was good as it was busy,the yorkshire pudding,veg and roast potatoes disappointing as the roast beef was excellent,very disappointed with the desserts,drinks good price,would i give it another try? maybe.

What has happened to Grace Neills? So we planned to go for breakfast, as we have many times, but today it was closed, I checked the website for opening hours and I was right, 10am opening, it was 10.25am...so I rang to make sure they were opening and the guy told me 3 to 4 minutes...grand! We went in 5 minutes later and was told by a member of staff it wasn't open until half eleven! I explained what the guy had told me and she told us to take a seat We ordered, all was grand, then the drinks came, Orange juice that was very clearly 'off' served in a dirty glass and luke warm coffee, breakfast came and the two kids brekkies weren't what they ordered. Very disappointing...all the times we've been here for food, it's been fab and is always busy...today we were sat on our own and not one other customer came in, in the time we arrived to the time we left...so sad to see a lovely place like this on the decline... it'll be a long time before we're back again.

We had lunch today sat outside in the sun great atmosphere it was busy and we had to ask for the menus inside we ordered drinks there is a lunch menu as well as the full menu there is something for everyone on both Nice food and good prices