Kildonan Hotel Dining in North Ayrshire

We were staying at the Seal Shore campground and the Hotel was next door. We had been in previously for drinks and decided to come get for food on hubby’s birthday It did not disappoint… lovely fish and chips and a “ on the house pudding” for hubby’s birthday 🥳 What a lovely welcoming restaurant and the music was great too

We were stopping at the campsite which is next door to this hotel and bar and we had our 2 dogs with us, one of them is reactive to other dogs. We visited on the first night and sat outside on one of the tables encircled with small walls. We enjoyed the food and beer and all was good. We decided to return the following evening which proved a mistake. The bar was fairly busy and several people had multiple dogs wandering around leads. We sat where we had sat the previous evening and went to order food. We were told that food was only being served inside and on the decking outside. I explained that we had a reactive dog and sitting on the decking would really not be good for us due to the other dogs around,could we not take the food where we had sat the previous evening? Unfortunately not! Very disappointing as I really didn’t think it was a big ask.

We have eaten here three times already during our holiday and thoroughly enjoyed all of our meals. The food was beautifully cooked and delicious and the atmosphere was friendly and very welcoming. We are visiting again on our final night. Dog friendly too. Stunning views while you wine and dine.

Read the negative reviews but decided to make our own mind up from our own experience...glad we did. Went for an evening meal here, was greeted straight away by a lovely friendly staff member who went above and beyond to make sure we had a good time. The food was delicious, it was well presented, hot, plentyful and flavoursome. Restaurant area was clean, tidy and well set out with lovely tableware. Only fault was the enterance was not clearly marked from the carpark so we walked about the buildings until we finally found the way in...more signage would be beneficial.

Visited as a family, 2 generous half portions of fish and chips for girls and a full portion for me, husband had the burger. Crispy batter, fresh fillets of fish and crispy handcut chips were fantastic. Burger tasty with lovely red cabbage slaw on the side. Grear value and nice service.

Early evening meal we were first in so the place lacked a little atmosphere but we had choice of the best seat in the house -!! Food was ok and service was good and welcoming

Popped in for something to eat and was not disappointed! Steak and Ale pie was crammed with delicious chunks of steak and my wife thoroughly enjoyed her fish and chips. Staff were very friendly and helpful, definitely recommend it!

Despite the mixed reviews we decided to try the hotel for a meal, and are glad we did. The menu was quite restricted, presumably due to it only recently reopening after Covid, but had a range of standard pub classics. We both had the fish and chips with some sides and food was great. Well sized portions and good value. Good place to go for some pub food and a drink, right on the beach.

Visited at lunchtime for a drink and a snack.We asked for Chicken and vegetable soup,and when it arrived, were presented with what looked like consomme with bits of veg floating in it along with some pieces of chicken. This would have been OK, but the veg. were, to put it kindly,a bit on the Al Dente side. There was courgette, celery,red peppers and parsnip,the last of which was inedible because it was almost raw. The bread rolls which came with the soup were excellent, and the view was great. Things aren't easy for the hospitality business just now, but this was really not good.

Just popped in for a coffee. It was better than anticipated, well crafted and good flavour. Order from the bar/ self service. Great view from the terrace over to Pladda and Alisa Craig. Few seals into the bargain. Felt a bit grimy, mostly cos windows were a bit salty and tables tired.

Arrived at the restaurant at 2.05pm after walking for 5 hours. This hotel was a recommended lunch stop by a number of tourist guides. We were told by unsympathetic staff that food finished at 2pm and they could give us nuts or crisps. Absolute disgraceful hotel in such a scenic location. We asked for soup or sandwiches but again were abruptly refused. Added to this both staff and customers inside this establishment had decided that COVID 19 was a thing of the past and masks and social distancing were from a bygone era. Will never be back near this place but then they probably knew this and couldn’t care less.

Greeted by very friendly staff, and was seated in an area off the bar, couldn't really call it a restaurant, there was a large wide blind separating it, the noise from the people playing pool in the bar area was very distracting, menu limited and uninspiring, ordered steak and ale pie (big mistake)and fish & chips, the pie came in an oral dish with a very cold flakey pastry lid placed on top with chips and a big pile of soggy tinned carrots, the meat in pie was dry, no self respecting cook (couldn't call chef)would serve such a meal, wish I'd had the fish and chips it looked much better. Ate the chipps and meat.Very very disappointed, told waitress she said sorry, and took it away, for such a stunning area no one at the hotel cares enough to make it a place to go to, because we won't again (used to be frequent visitors)

here is a hotel clearly riding out on it's fantastic location and not making the effort in the kitchen. Family of 6 ordered steak sandwiches and BLT's. Could not have been more lacking or disappointing given the price being charged.

It's such a pity that the location does not reflect on the food which was so basic , what could possibly go wrong? The presentation was not good for starters with shredded carrots on the plate along with soggy chips, the steak pie meat was tough and certainly not worth £10.95. The veggie burger was a bought in product probably costing 30p and retailing at £9! The staff were pleasant and friendly but overall the impression was very negative as the place looked very tired and in need of modernisation, I am just glad that we are self catering in Kildonan and can provide much much better food than the Kildonan Hotel. It is what it is as it is the ONLY hotel in the area which does not give the proprietor the opportunity to serve such very poor food

We had booked our table so arrived on time .We were greeted by a member of staff who then showed us our table, We expected to be asked to hand sanitise and provide a name and contact number but this did not happen;maybe the e mail details in the booking covered that protocol. We ordered drinks and our food at about 6;50 and waited.At 7:25 our meals had not arrived and when we pointed this out to the server she said they were very busy and it would be 5 minutes: this was spot on as far as the time went .However several people who arrived after us were served before us , or so it seemed to us. The meal itself was underwhelming and we left feeling rather disappointed by the whole experience

The steering and location is brilliant! Lovely view and nice for drinks outside but don't expect much eating here! The food was honestly awful! There's 3 mains(fish and chips, mussels, and steak) - we had all 3 and every one was a disappointment, 100% I...

If you are prepared to drive off the main roads or take the bus then this is a great place to visit. There is quite a bit of building work going on, with the hotel bedrooms being converted into luxury apartments but the bar and...

Dropped in for lunch on Friday. Arrived on Arran and on way to hotel my wife and friends stopped for lunch. Greeted by the owner and made most welcome.

As ferries had been disrupted, the Kildonan had no one in the Hotel, so they weren't making any food so the restaurant was closed, Have eaten here before and it was very good, but at the moment it's closed, except for a drink from 15.00...

Went here whilst on holiday in Kildonan, enjoyed Two evening meals here, friendly staff nice atmosphere

The food is absolutely delicious!! Any questions the staff are always happy to answer and accommodate you to the best that they can!!

We visited here to look at the new luxury apartments that are being built using the hotel as a framework. I don’t think there are any rooms left to book but there is a lovely bar area with excellent views over Pladda Island and beyond....

Very limited menu, misses out on the opportunity to make this a destination foodie place, given the sea views and local seals playing on rocks off the shoreline.

Dropped in and we were seated right away,busy place so were sat in the bar area. Natchos to share,never thought we were going to reach the botton of a very full and really warm bowlfull with seperate dish with dip,superb,fish m chips were superb tasty...

The online menu is priced lower than the actual menu, which has been commented on by others. It isn’t the most inspiring menu and the quality is just OK. Nachos made with sliced cheese that wasn’t fully melted - really? Everything else we had was...

Food ok but prices were more expensive than shown on website and charged an £11 service charge on bill without our prior knowledge. Also advertised on the window on entering as accepting The Arran Card which should get you a discount but on producing card...

Decided to try the bar at the Kildonan Hotel as we were staying local and it was the only place within walking distance. The bar is ok but because of the design/layout etc it is a 'noisy' bar...everyone seemed to be shouting to be heard....

We rang at 12 noon to check if we needed to book the restaurant for the evening meal. ‘No’ was the response ‘there’s no need to book the restaurant, just turn up, there will be plenty of space”. We turned up in the evening as...

Stunning location, views unlike any other. This place has such potential but unfortunately one of the chefs couldn't make a sandwich (you know two slices of bread and maybe some filling) for my sister who couldn't have anything else in the menu due to a...

Amazing setting with stunning view, BUT, the service and quality of food was very poor. £9 for nachos that was basically a bowl of crisps with two slices of cheese on it, and four jalapeños on top. The cheese slice underneath wasn’t even melted. Sent...

Some of the food was great (crab salad starter, chicken supreme) some was poor (sea bass, scrambled egg on burnt toast) service friendly and efficient, location stunning, hotel ambience tatty. Ok for a casual lunch if in need but would not visit again.

Lovely meal out with friends food was delicious but could have done with a bit more on the plate having starved ourselves all day, but really nice place an beautiful surroundings.

So we went all the way from Lamlash to Blackwaterfoot with the intention of having lunch at the Kinloch. Went into the restaurant at around 1.30 (restaurant does lunch until 2.30) only to be told in a very offhand fashion that they were taking no...

Yes this was exactly what we needed after a long day in the hill! Lovely staff and lovely location. Just a couple of wee things, they could do with a bit of tiding up outside. Also a clearer entrance and signage.

ambiance très différente de ce que nous connaissions avant la rénovation et l'agrandissement... plus grand chose ne reste du pub...

Lovely meals and very well priced You can choose to sit in the restaurant or the bar. Menu is the same. Staff very attentive They have a great outdoor area with stunning views

We stopped off for a late lunch at this spectacular spot overlooking Pladda Island and Ailsa Craig. Lunch was enjoyable although lunch menu limited. Would like veto come back for dinner. Highly recommended. Live music on Sunday afternoon is a good way to relax with...

We came for dinner. The stench of stale cooking fat which hit us in the face as we opened the door should have alerted us. We were shown to a table in the rather run down dining room which had a broken floor and looked...

I came to have a small lunch. The club sandwich came in a baguette, which wasn't my favourite. Staff were friendly and beer was good.

We had a lovely couple of days here and ate here both days & obviously had our breakfast. I'm a vegetarian and hubby eats everything lol 😂. Meals were beautiful & tasty . Chef even made me a special dish last night. I've posted photos,...

We did not stay, but stopped one evening for a meal The food was expensive and poorly prepared. In fact it appeared that the fish, vegetables and rice had either been prepared from frozen or reheated, without any flavour The following night we ate in...

We dined at the Kildonan twice in September and both times the meals were great. Be careful of the portions, they are generous and we could not finish entree and mains. The second time we shared an entree and that was about right. I am...

We did not stay here but ate in the restaurant, lovely dining room excellent food at a reasonable price.The service was excellent . probably the best value for money I've seen in a long time.The location is a bit out of the way but worth...

Stunning location and views. No allergy book. No real knowledge of allergies. Said ok with peanut allergy but were selling packets of peanuts over the bar. Very little for gluten free. Tried to order an Arran Dark but was out of stock. Ordered a decaf...

Visited for dinner having booked to stay next door and wanting to stay close for a relaxed evening. I arrived when reasonably quiet so thankfully had the pick of tables and got one with a great view. Service was quick and polite and menu was...

Its a while since we ate here but we were not disappointed. The Kildonan has been updated and has wonderful views over to Pladda and Ailsa Craig. The waiting staff were very friendly and polite and the dining room was beautifully decorated. We both ordered...

The views are stunning, however the food and service has gone downhill. The days when Rod was in the kitchen guaranteed a good meal. On our last visit, the food was mediocre, and very definitely on the tepid side. The service was extremely poor. We...

Heerlijk gegeten, en vergeet het dessert niet! Zeer vriendelijk personeel. Het uitzicht is grandioos,pracht plekje.

Spent several evenings in the Kildonan Hotel having dinner. Very nice menu with typical bistro type dishes and daily specials together with some local fish dishes. Not all menu items were available for a couple of nights which was disappointing. Fresh Mussels were delicious. Two...

Popped in here for dinner on another blazing hot day. Got drinks from friendly staff and headed straight outside and lucky enough to get the last booth on the very front on the shore line. Parasol shade was a very welcome relief from the sun....

Enjoyed a tasty family meal here. Views were fantastic. The servers were attentive and polite. Our food was good and the price was fair. Would eat here again.

Came here for dinner with family of 12. We requested a table outside which the restaurant were able to fulfil. The views of the beach and sea from the outdoor seating area were lovely. Food is to be ordered at the bar, which meant all...

Staying on Arran and touring the Isle came across the Kildonan Hotel. What a lovely setting for the hotel. My wife and I only had lunch but the standard of food was very high and tested wonderful. We were blessed during our stay on Arran...

I stayed on the adjacent campsite for two days last week. I had two excellent meals at the bar/bistro...first evening delicious vegetable curry...second evening delicious steak and ale pie with perfect chips. Both washed down with Belhaven Special. I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and was...

This is a great wee hotel (see my review on the main page) but the food is the only reason I gave it 4 out of 5. The burger I had was like a reconstituted frozen grill steak that had been reheated and my poached...

Lovely location for some food and a drink over looking the sea. The pie and chips was nice but the special paella wasn’t great, small portion for the price and more like microwave rice with some mixed seafood than real thing. Probably best to stick...

We dined here when staying overnight after the third of our four days walking the Arran Coastal Way. The food was very tasty - I had crab salad followed by seafood linguine - with efficient and friendly service which merited the automatic 10% charge. Very...

The service in the bistro was first class and the facilities were very modern, with wonderful views of the coastline and towards plaza beach. The menu was very good although limited and we enjoyed our meal.

I've already reviewed the hotel (5 *'s) but will say again that if you're looking for a lovely restaurant on Arran (especially a restaurant that does great seafood) then do try the Kildonan Hotel restaurant. You won't be disappointed. Food cooked to perfection, good choice...

Breakfast - no soya milk, no fresh butter, no fresh marmalade. No view of the bay because fence panels had been placed to block the view. Waitress also got prefer wrong. Such a contrast to other less expensive hotels/B&B's we stayed at on Arran. There...

We nipped in for lunch as we were staying next door at the Seal Shore campsite. The location is equally stunning and it must be great to eat outside when the weather permits. We were there in October, so made do with the great view...

Staff friendly and helpful. A most relaxing place to have a drink. I know that vaping is not illegal in premises in Scotland but given we don't know the effects of vaping it is a pity that it is allowed inside at the bar. Very...

Ate in the hotel restaurant Friday and Saturday nights. Was very busy, but service excellent and food lovely. Will definitely return.

Stayed in the Caravan Site next door, this place has live music every Sunday and gets very busy, entertainment and scenery is excellent, well worth a pop in for a nice cool pint while taking in the breathtaking scenary

Only two days on Arran this trip and having parked in Kildonan village before walking to see the seal colony down the coast, thought we would stop for lunch here being the only place for any kind of food. We were greatly disappointed and in...

Fantastic food ,lovely staff very pleasant helpful people . Very much enjoyed our visit ,the most amazing view and the wildlife was also amazing watching seal,birds,and otters in the bay was fabulous

This is a good place to eat with a no nonsense homely food and a wine list that suited us for choice and price. Hubby said his steak was perfectly cooked and very tender, fish and chip portion was huge so you need to be...

The Hotel was in a fabulous location looking out over the beach and on to Pladda and Ailsa Craig and the large sea facing windows made the best of this. Additionally on good days there is some nice outdoor seating. We were staying in a...

I'll restate a few things from the hotel review: Both the chicken and the beef pies were amongst the best I've ever had. The bar has a very nice selection of beer and whisky. The service is good, and the servers are very nice. While...

Our only night out on Arran. Waitress nice and friendly but working alone. Food took an age to come. Kids happy with burgers when the finally arrived. Sea bream didn't taste right. Came with boil in the bag rice.

There is an ok menu with different specials on each night.The food is a hit or a miss.wish We had ate out elsewhere.

We stayed at Kildonan hotel for a couple of days and was the most dog friendly place we ever stayed. Our room was over looking the beach and the hills and to a have a balcony was a bonus to enjoy the fab views. The...

Maggie had been here with her girlfriends and could not stop talking about it . So I surprised her with a weekend visit in 2nd week in January 2017 . Though not busy we were had a grea time . Relaxing . lovely walkas on...

We used this place quite a bit when we stayed next door at the Seal Shore Caravan Park. Lovely bit of luxury, great food and stunning views. Kids were happy with their options and husband happy with the beer choices! Happy husband, happy wife! Bet...

we had wonderful seafood there last year in a very nice atmosphere. But this year a lot has changed: there you can only have very basic pub food, the garden was untended. We will not return

We visited the hotel last week for a family lunch. It was a lovely day for the time of year so we were able to sit outside & enjoy the amazing views. The food was really good and the portions were really big. Maybe a...

A know a wrote a review saying things were good a got a deal through itson and upgraded to the delux suite which wos lovely but the room wasn't clean under the bed behind the chest of drawers clearly hadn't been dusted a wud say...

Wonderful location, so much potential but what a disappointing experience. Very poor customer service and food. Attitude of staff dreadful when asking about gluten free options especially as very few options available

Hadn't expected this modern style of bistro tucked at the southern end of an island of so few inhabitants. Great view of Seal Island & Ailsa Craig in the fading light when we were there. Nice atmosphere, good selection of beers (especially) and other drinks....

A joint platter including a variety of meats and Arran cheeses with a Steak and Guiness pie that really tasted of steak and Guiness with a fabulous view from our table to the Isle of Pladda. Service brilliant

A very disappointing experience, new layout, new staff, new Chef. Service terrible, food cold and poorly cooked. Overall a real disappointment and sadly one to avoid. A real shame since previous visits had been outstanding.

Veel opties zijn er niet om in een gehucht zoals Kildonan te dienren. Het hotel met brasserie en pub ligt...

We were camping next door at Seal shore campsite (Best campsite in Arran) and we needed good honest grub after a hard day of holidaying and so we popped in around 5pm. It was a beautiful day so we sat outside. We had our Autistic...

Had a lovely meal at the killdonan in the conservatory over looking the gardens. Hotel needs some work and completing but the food was excellent did not stay

As part of an anniversary trip, my wife, my self and two very good friends had dinner here. The restaurant has wonderful views across the sea and is in a fantastic setting. The menu offered a choice of food where most would find some thing...

accueil chaleureux par un personnel attentionné et sympathique - excellente nourriture - carte assez complète - service rapide

Stopped off here for a drink during a round the island drive. Great for the good weather with very cleaver seating out the front looking out to the sea. Good prices and friendly staff.

My fiancee and I had dinner here whilst staying in the hotel for a wedding on the island. I had the venison which, although the menu stated would be cooked rare, came medium which actually suited me. The sauce was beautiful. My fiancee had a...

Friendly pub with wonderful views over the sea, fab to sit with a drink and watch the sea otters playing on the rocks outside. Food was ok,

we had a very good lunch looking out across the water. The location is 30/40 south of Brodick but worth going to. It was not the cheapest Panini (Brie & cranberry) I have had but was very nice, served with fresh salad. My daughter had...

Had a lovely meal in this restaurant on New Years day. The menu was very good, including the childrens menu.

Arrived here on boxing day in awful weather and in need of subsistence. Friendly welcome from a nice lady from behind the bar (she was polish i think). My wife and two children and parents in law all had hot drinks and food from the...

Doesn't look great this place, but friendly welcome received (although it was a shame that no staff were Scottish!). Wine and beer were good, with good range of choice. We ate in the bar, the service was good and we were very pleasantly surprised at...

this place is very nice renovated and offers wonderful food especially seafood. We will come back and enjoy.

The weather wasn't the best but the setting of this hotel is fabulous. Staff were friendly and helpful and service very good. I ate the hake which was cooked to perfection. Only one little problem we had scallops for the starter and the plate wasn't...

While staying on the nearby campsite we tried the kildonan hotel, what a waste microwaved rubbish awful vegetables. We would not go back a tin of beans would have been better

Bright modern restaurant with full length windows to appreciate the fabulous views over to Pladda and Ailsa Craig. Pleasant service - a bit too efficient when you're enjoying the view so much. Food was okay - reasonable choice of seafood. Main course lemon sole and...

Was staying in Arran for the weekend, pitched up in the campsite next door and thought I'd pop into the bar for a beer or 2. Unfortunately upon entering I was told that I couldn't get served as I wasn't at the wedding in the...

We stopped at this little haven for our lunch while travelling round arran. It has a lovely atmosphere and a fab suntrap garden looking out to sea. Though we only had light lunch it was delicious and staff were helpful. I would imagine this hotel...

We always loved visiting Kildonnan for its sandy beaches and fabulous bar lunches at the hotel, We were very disappointed when this time we had our toddler with us, we had decided that we would sit outside and enjoy the view and let the wee...