McCuaig's Bar in Allerdale

Derek and the gang so welcoming, as always. Love our nights in the pub to quench our thirst after days of walking around the island. Loving the refurb too!

The menu here and the quality of food showed such an improvement over previous visits a few years ago. Most offerings are with chips which suits the location and the clientele perfectly! But coffee and a variety of scones were also on offer. Service was quick and the staff were all so pleasant. Despite being busy, they still had time for a quick chat with everyone. Noticed increased seating now, You’ll not find a better view as you sit looking out onto Church Bay with your generous portions of burger or fish and chips!

Great location. Functional, non-smiling barman. I felt like I was somewhat of an inconvenience rather than a customer.

Cafe/restaurant was lovely. great squid and chips. Barman wasn’t very nice. He was extremely grumpy. Certainly was not service with a smile. A little personality would go a long way. would not return.

Went on chippy night portions are huge.food was great..staff are very friendly and helpful.fantanic bar definitely a must if you come to the island !!!

Friendly staff Basic chippy menu Lovely battered fish but let down by tasteless frozen chips Lovely view outside over sea

Never have we tasted such dry, crisp chips. The Guinness, amazing. Staff delightful took time to chat

Best fish and chip I've ever had, with great service and a fantastic view while you eat. 2 meals and drinks all for £30. Can't beat it.

Brilliant spot on Rathlin Island for something to eat. Friendly staff , welcoming and warm. Lovely location beside the harbour. Thank you 👍

Spent a long weekend on Rathlin. We Spent plenty of time in the bar and also had food from the cafe. They do a great pint of Guinness and drinks are reasonably priced. Food on both occasions was lovely the fish and chips I highly recommend. What makes the place is the staff and the locals. Made to feel extremely welcome and is a reason we come back to this beautiful island

I didn't order much, but a simple order of chips, aka French fried potatoes, was very inexpensive and came with more chips than I could eat.

A nice little bar with very friendly and helpful staff. Lovely food and the Guinness is truly excellent!

With little or no competition in the off-season, this bar will always get customers. And I guess since most customers rarely ever return to the island, they don’t really care what people think. I only wanted a cup of tea and a bit of cake, so I went to the café rather than the bar. The lady behind the counter was pleasant enough but barely did little more than take my money (she handed me a paper cup and pointed to where I could make my own tea). To be fair, she did manage to put a stale scone on a paper plate along with little plastic pots of Flora and jam. Both the inside and the outside of this place looks so tired and unkempt; I’d love to think that, as it begins to get busier, they will put in more of an effort, but I would not bet on it.

Lunch in the revanped Ebb and Flow cafe in the bar. Full food back on again and back to it's best after getting mostly light bites due to the pandemic. I had the chicken goujons and chips, excellent. Tge food is back to what the bar was well known for, leave the sandwiches at home folks, you don't need them.

As we approached Rathlin Island on the ferry, the first thing I noticed was the roof of the bar which had the name 'McCuaigs Bar' painted in large letters. That gave me a giggle and I was well aware of where I'd be getting my pint! Lovely atmosphere and nice staff. They poured a great pint of guiness, to the other half's delight. We would go back for sure.

The best Guinness I have tasted anywhere, the sausage rolls were wonderful not everyone wants fried food first thing in the morning! Nice seating area outside

Not impressed, ok if you want fast food on a basic menu. Certainly not recommend. Served in a takeaway container with plastic knives and forks. Gone downhill since our last visit

Asked for decaf tea or coffee, no herbal teas so ended up with a glass of water. Seating outdoors was broken, scruffy. Broken pots lying around. Needs an update!

We were having our morning pints and we’re going to miss the bus to go see the wee puffins, so the wonderful caitriona rang the bus driver and asked him to swing by the pub and pick us up! If that’s not going above and beyond the I don’t know what is! Guinness & Irish coffees top quality too Ar fheabhas mo chairde

Great place to stop for a beer after exploring the island. Staff were welcoming and able to recommend the beer. Some areas were untidy, but this may have been due to the amount of people visiting.

My first stop on the island every time I'm here. A very friendly and welcoming place. You can walk in here and end up chatting to anyone; locals and visitors from afar. The atmosphere is very relaxed, almost like being at home. Great food and lots of interesting artefacts from ship wrecks on display. Catriona and the staff are wonderful people.

Went to Rathlin on Sunday 27th. Had a long walk and a picnic by shore. Then ventured over to bar for a pint. Sat outside with loads of others and it was devine. Never been at the bar on Rathlin before. Very basic inside but spotless with very pleasant staff. I assume it has only opened recently again and wish them all the best.

So nice to see a pub following social distancing guidelines. Ruairi couldn't have been more helpful! Will be back again soon. Big thanks from the Campbeltown/Ballycastle crew!

I was on Rathlin already cpl of times. Beautiful place. MC bar is very nice.... prices are really cheap and staff is so nice. Good and only one place to drink bushmills after whole day of walking. Highly recommended

We had a delicious post-walk meal here. The service was friendly and excellent. We ate traditional beer-battered cod and it was superb.

Per quanto ho visto e l’unico posto pubblico che offre pasti caldi Buon menù, data la lontananza dal resto dell’isola vale la pena di una visita.

Called for lunch recently. Found the staff friendly. Ordered food which came fairly promptly. It it is my opinion that most of it came from the freezer and wasn't great on flavour. They pub could do with a spruce up and the toilets could be cleaner The pub is beautifully situated but premises and food let it down.

What a menu choice! Delicious food, friendly staff, super atmosphere. Music on a Friday and a DJ on the Saturday.... including a disco ball!

...anche perché in quell’altro prima delle 19 locali non aprono e nemmeno a provarci ti fanno entrare. Sono stato accolto con grande cortesia, è un posto per gente del luogo e per turisti, si mangia bene quel che si deve mangiare qua. Atomosfera piacevole e calda (anche perché fuori piove e fa freddo nonostante sia agosto e stare qua è davvero bello). Sarà anche l’unico posto, ma ne vale la pena, come tutta l’isola.

Had a lovely meal here in the evening. Staff where very friendly and welcoming. Good sized portions and reasonably priced, also a great variety to choose from, what's not to like?

Really enjoyed another meal here. Lovely food, great atmosphere, lovely and very attentive staff. I had the crab salad which was absolutely delicious! Thanks again.

Lovely wee bar right at the sea shore. The lady behind the bar was very nice and the food was excellent. Thought the pricing was very reasonable too. Definitely going on my next visit again!

That is, the evening meal you would not otherwise find on the island. Enough variety in the menu and on tap as well as in bottles to satisfy and at a reasonable price compared to mainland though it has minimal competition (a hotel DR promising luxury) on the island at night. The rating would be "average" were it not for the location.

We visited Rathlin Island on a rainy day so after a visit to the bird sanctuary and walk around the Island we needed to warm up and recharge. So a decent chowder and beer, and firnedly service at McCuaig's were welcome. Convenient and tasty.

This is a pub stuck in the 70’s. Grumpy bar staff and dogs not allowed even in the bar area. It is the only pub on rathlin which is why it survives. Not impressed, could do better but never will.

When going to this island then a visit to this bar is necessary. Whilst we only had a Guinness and a sandwich it was beautiful. If you get a good day on the island you can sit here all day people watching. Restaurant was very busy. Even the food brought out to people sitting beside us was very appealing.

Good food and friendly welcome. Only a 5 minute walk from the Ferry Port. Menu was good and the food quality could not have been better. Recommended.

McCuaig's bar was a bit hit and misss. I really enjoyed a great pint of guinness. I also had a 6 oz burger and chips which was very good. My wife choose chicken gougons which were very disappointing. The chicken batter had been deep fat fried which spoiled the taste of the good chicken breast inside. Service was excellent with staff very helpful

We had a lovely meal tonight at McCuaigs. The lovely staff were very attentive despite being very busy. The food was really good. All 4 of us enjoyed our meals, very generous portions, freshly prepared from the extensive menu. Delicious! Thanks to all. We'll be back,!

highly recommended this one. Prices are not to dears. Professional staff. Cash machine available. They also accept card payments.

We visited here on our overnight trip to Rathlin island. Staff are friendly and service was great. You have the Bar’s main menu or there is a specials board. My husband and I both took battered fish and chips. The batter was lovely a light and not greasy. My kids are 4&6 had off the kids menu which has a great choice. They even adapted the menu for one of them. Food portion size was amazing! We sat on till late evening with our children and staff made them feel welcomed and interacted with them. Overall great visit. Would definitely recommend. A+

On our first day trip to Rathlin Island, we came across this bar and decided to have lunch. One of us had a starter which came fairly promptly. The waiter then cleared away the plate after which we waited and waited. A waitress came along later and remarked that the starters had been cleared and we said we were waiting for the mains. Then we waited and waited and waited. Almost an hour and a half after placing the order I went in to find out what was happening. The waiter enquired from the kitchen and told me they were just starting my vegetarian chilli. I said we had been waiting a really long time (there were very few people in the restaurant by this stage). He made more enquiries in the kitchen and said it wouldn't be very long. He was very helpful and apologetic for the delay. When it came the food itself was very tasty. My friend had gammon, pineapple and fried egg but there was no pineapple.

Freshly made food. Gets very busy at lunchtimes. Very accommodating. Warm welcome in a cold rainy day!

Been there often on my travels, just back from a two night stay. You just don't get a bad meal there and at a good price too.

After a wonderful sunny walk to the East lighthouse and then to the old coastguard hut, we were really ready for lunch. We sat outside with a wonderful view of the harbour and drank our Guinness. Then the fish and chips arrived. Wow! we had never eaten better anywhere. Fabulous!!

Rathlin Island is a spiritual home to our Historic Lifeboats and we have been welcomed there for many years and nowhere more than Mc Cuaig’s, who are great friends to the Lifeboats. Their consistent hospitality, kindness, food, sustenance and company has been the tonic for many a departure voyage of weeks, or months and a magnet for the return to home shores. The Ships Pennant of National Historic Ship, ex RNLB “Joseph Soar (Civil Service No. 34) ON 971, has only been issued twice in the last 15 years and one is to Mc Cuaig’s Bar.

I have been twice this year so far to Rathlin and I love going to the island. Highlight each time has been the superb food in the bar. Loved sitting outside eating and relaxing amongst friends and visitors. Catriona and her staff are doing an excellent job especially considering the many constraints she must experience on a daily basis, not knowing how many visitors are going to arrive, will the weather affect deliveries, how many demands will be made to accommodate the many diverse individuals that arrive?

I recently spent a few days on the island with my girlfriend and two little chihuahuas. We had many a tasty pint in here during our stay and had lunch before we headed home. We both absolutely loved the vegan options on the menu! The staff we encountered were really pleasant and happy to have a quick yarn whilst serving up some drinks. We'll see you guys again soon!

Sorry to have missed the pizza night.. The speciality nights are always great community nights in the Island bar. McCuaig's staff are always very welcoming and helpful. Great patience when we can never make up our minds what we want to order!

As someone who has visited Mccuaigs bar on a weekly basis for a number of years I could not recommend it highly enough to anyone visiting Rathlin either if you are a family with young children or a group of people looking for a fun, friendly place to eat/drink. We have always been well accommodated for by the staff whether it has just been my husband and myself or the 2 of us and our 2 young children. The food is always tasty, the environment always family oriented and friendly and the atmosphere always welcoming and warm. I could not fault McCuaigs in any way and would highly recommend it for anyone young or old, with a family or on a night away with friends. It is the perfect spot for any occasion. The staff are very accommodating and friendly and willing to help in any way they can, all you have to do is ask and they will do their best to help. Considering this is a small pub in the heart of a small island community I think it offers its utmost to provide for islanders and visitors alike and offers a unique island experience that you would and could not experience in many other places in the world. Myself and my family will definitely be back and would not hesitate in recommending it to anyone visiting the island.

Had a few pints in McCuaig’s over our stay on Rathlin. Last night we went to they’re Pizza Night. In fairness to the pub yes there was an extremely long wait, but it’s an island with one pub, filled with islanders and visitors all looking forward to pizza. If I had been on the mainland I would have complained and not waited as there is so much competition there. Here we enjoyed an extra couple of pints, relaxed enjoyed the views and when the pizza arrived it was worth the wait. Thanks for the hospitality

Have just enjoyed a lovely meal and been greeted warmly by staff. No slamming doors. Enjoying the Absolute radio playing in background but unfortunately the volume seems to have been reduced. Had fun playing with the local children as of course it is a community pub and children can't really be put in cupboards for the summer season just to appease some narrow-minded and uptight tourists. Highly recommended.

Not much choice for food on the Island but arrived at 5.30pm and tried to order fish and chips. Told not possible and pizza only. Waiting over an hour so far with locals screening out of control kids running about, doors slamming and staff that just don't seem to be able to cope or even care. Terrible shame as could be nice here. Sorry the review rating on TA does not reflect reality. Avoid and Bring sandwiches.

Visited htis palce a ocuple of times over the past two years. Have to say it all looks a bit tired and not very cusotmer orientated. Noisy Absolute Radio blasting across the place, for the benefit of the staff and not the clientele. Amongst my friend three have had dodgy tummys after eating fried food there. Had hoped for a warm friendly trad Irish pub but this is all a bit of plastic and formica.

Excellent hostelry with a chance to meet with the friendly Islanders. A good choice of ale and grub will set you up for a fine night’s craic. McCauigs is the only pub providing food, and it’s good plain home cooking. On a good day their outside tables are very pleasant with delightful views of Church Bay and the Marina.

A cold Guinness awaits you after a hard days rowing/exploring. You can't quite miss this place right at the harbour, seems to be the spot where people meet and have the craic.

Next door to b&b.good; bar food and great chats with locals. Great beer after a long days walk. Everybody on the island use the bar as a meeting place.

Stopped for lunch whilst visiting Rathlin Island with friends. The pub is situated right on the harbour front with beautiful views. Cottage Pie - it was tasty but could have been warmer. Massive fish and chips. Food Hygiene rating 4/5.

Beautiful food. Cheap too. Drinks are good and not overpriced. Staff are extremely friendly and very welcoming.

Visited here twice during our weekend stay on Rathlin and both times were great. The first was just a quick drink and the second was for an evening meal. The food was so good and the staff are lovely and really go out of their way to be helpful. Great value for money too and fantastic selection of drinks. Wish we lived closer!!

Service was quick and the tea good. About 5 minutes walk back from the ferry we stopped for a few minutes. The view is good, the seas were calm would suggest taking the fast boat which does not rock as much as the slow boat over on the crossing.

Staying overnight on Rathlin Island, we can in here for our evening meal. The seafood chowder was rich and deliciously tasty. Cod and chips may be a straightforward meal, but here it is served very well cooked based on gorgeous flaky fresh fish, with lovely hand cut chips.

We had lunch here on a trip to Rathlin Island on a beautiful sunny day. The fish was one the nicest I have ever eaten really well cooked not dry and the batter was lovely and light my only criticism is the chips would off been nice to use fresh instead of frozen ones.

We stayed on Rathlin for one night in September and visited the pub a couple of times. We went for lunch and can highly recommend the lasagne and the chowder! We also went in the evening for the comedy night. The staff and locals were incredibly welcoming and friendly, so much so that we ended up staying a lot later than we had anticpated!

This is a very family friendly place. The service was great and portion sizes were huge. They have live performances on some weekends.

After exploring the island and buying a few souvenirs we had a picnic in the sun then a drink in this lovely friendly pub. Good selection of food and beverages.

We visited here twice over 3 night stay on the island, lovely food at excellent prices and very friendly staff!

We'd walked around five miles in the heat so a cold pint of Lager and Guinness was definitely on the cards. The bar was really busy which isn't surprising as it's the only pub on the island as far as I know. Nice well kept bar with lovely staff, nice that we could sit outside too and enjoy the glorious weather

We stopped here for dinner on our overnight stay in rathlin. Food was really good and great value for money, especially the kids meals. We took our drinks outside and were able to relax and enjoy the sun while the kids played on the beach just in front of us. Could do with updating the decor but apart from that it was faultless.

Went here on Saturday for dinner as a party of 14. Our waitress was brilliant and couldnt be more helpful. We had booked a table inside but because the weather was beautiful we asked if we could sit outside. Not a problem. The service and the food were really good. We stayed on in the bar and enjoyed a few drinks and the music. A great night was had by all!

Of course it is the only pub on the island and I think that overall, it serves Rathlin well.

A perfect place for a good dinner and a nice beer after spending the day on this beautiful island watching birds and scenaries (that takes your breath away.) McCuaig´s bar is located next to the water wich gives a lovely view, listening to the waves. The food and service is excellent and I can strongly recommend this place!

On a day trip to Rathlin after walking, This was an oasis on a hot sunny day, the menu is quite small but the food was delightful, do try the seafood chowder it was to die for, fresh fish being the basic ingredient.. Staff were extremely friendly and helpful..

Good food, reasonable prices, very friendly staff. Great views across Rathlin sound towards Ballycastle

Called in here for a drink and snack out of rain. Stew and soup were of very poor quality, certainly wouldn't be back or recommend.

Called in here for a drink and tried the Malfy gin, perfect start to the evening....and what a view! The decor is basic but staff were great. Called back the next day to eat, and my friend had great fish and chips. Very helpful about gluten free options, so I had fresh fish and new potatoes. Gorgeous.

We went here twice during our stay and both were excellent. Food is simple but welcome after hiking!

Honest it's the only public house on the island so you don't have much choice! It is rough a hell in terms of decor for which there is no excuse. Drinks are fine. Rory was lovely but the girl with the dark hair and glasses is very sharp. The blond lady was lovely. Generally ok and can see it doing well in the summer. Other than that We felt it let rathlin down a little bit

We stopped in McCuaig's Bar after hiking to the East Lighthouse. The bartender was very friendly and helped us with making up our minds on where to hike to next since we had plenty of time before our ferry arrived. She pointed us to another lighthouse on the island where we saw seals!! One of my favorite Ireland memories.

As the only watering hole on the Island McCuaig's is a bit of a focal point. The exterior is lacking in architectural style although the name on the roof is funky. In side the bar is traditional and well stocked but the large public areas are lacking in any cosiness. More like a church hall youth club than an Irish pub. This said we enjoyed drinking there and the food was good value, promptly served and reasonable quality. Service friendly. Overall not bad at all but lacking history and pub wow factor.

Spent the evening here while staying overnight on the Island. The staff where friendly enough and there was a nice atmosphere. We had fish and chips for dinner, we where disappointed with the quality.

We had just got off the ferry from Ballycastle & wanted something to warm us up. We went into McCuaig's Bar had some tea & a starter each. It was lovely. Staff friendly and helpful.

Después de caminar se agradece....

We just missed the food which stopped at 8. We were starving too. It's such a gorgeous location and we will sail back there very soon. I was touched by the lovely lady Marina who met us at the pier and gave us a brochure. Unfortunately we could stay only one night, so never got to eat at this place but as said we will visit again. I'm hoping the staff crack a smile this time! Not too friendly. Hopefully on our next visit food plus staff are able to be described as lovely.

Llegamos al puerto como llegó la lluvia, así que decidimos visitar algunas viviendas, el pub es un pub de la ciudad no lujoso, pero es un pub local que sirve comida buena en Rathlin. Todo el personal que nos encontramos era amable, especialmente de Teresa. Todos nuestros platos eran perfectos y no es caro. Muchos asientos dentro y fuera.

Simple, mais dans l'esprit de l'île. Un coin pub où plusieurs musiciens animaient l'après-midi et un coin restaurant proposant une...

Fue durante una estancia de una noche en Rathlin fuimos al bar Mc cuaigs temprano por la noche para la comida y luego esa noche para una gran sesión de música con un montón de música tradicional y barrios muy agradable

Disfrutamos de algunas almuerzo afuera en el viaje día soleado de Rathlin. Un gran servicio y su estofado irlandés era delicioso y hecho tradicionalmente.

Visiting Rathlin we checked out the menu for lunch. Satisfied with what was on offer we entered and headed for the restaurant. As we opened the door we were met by some female member of staff, holding the door and preventing us from entering. We were informed ... "There's a private function and we're not serving meals for half an hour," ... whereupon the door was closed in our face.We were not asked if we wanted to wait, or come back in half an hour. Not sure who the staff member was but she needs trained in customer communication. We went to the hotel for lunch and we're welcomed and treated in a totally different manner.

Called in to McCuaig's bar during a short trip to Rathlin island. The decor and facilities are not sophisticated but the welcome is friendly and the Guinness is excellent. The food is pub fare of a good quality and, like the drinks, is reasonably priced. At the time we visited there were some customers having an impromptu session of Irish music which made the visit particularly memorable.

Have to say this is my number 1 spot to eat on Rathlin the staff are always welcoming and professional the food is always good and the Guinness is great

Great friendly bar with helpful locals. Great tasty hearty bar food. Brilliant place to hide from the wind and rain

Loved our quiet day in Rathlin. Husband headed to the pub with some older men we toured with on the puffin bus from Northern Ireland. Nice family pub with normal prices and very friendly. Can't wait to go back again. Wish we had stayed the night on the island.

Dear lovely ladies,I arrived on the island at 5 pm and hadn't eaten as I was driving half the day. Even though your chef was gone home you put together a beetroot and goats cheese salad, a lovely soup and a nice bit of wheaten. I sat outside in the blazing sun with a glass of wine. I had been made to feel like a terrible inconvenience at the Manor House and both of you showed hospitality and care. Thank you again.

Thanks for helping out hotel when Manor House kitchens went down, but food average, burgers burnt and the usual plastic frozen chips. Pool tables could do with repair as both broken. But on plus side the service could not be faulted and staff very attentive and keen to ensure all happy.

I think this may be the only bar on the island. We stopped for a drink while waiting for the ferry. It served the purpose. I didn't find it particularly clean (?think sticky tables!) A few tables outside opposite the harbour.

It smelt of cigarettes as you walked in, perhaps we had just missed someone smoking outside to be fair.The inside is even darker and less inviting than the outside.Some brighter more pleasant colours would make this place significantly more attractive. Take a leaf out of the Manor House's book and move into this century with your presentation, some American tourists looking for a time warp might like the surroundings but people willing to spend money generally expect a bit more.

Only bar on the island but still keen to please and very reasonable value for money.Beer was brewed locally and great flavours. I tired Fairhead Blonde and Rathlin Red, both went down too easy

This bar is located on a beautiful island just off the coast of North Antrim in an idyllic setting. It should be quaint and cozy but it's not. It looks and feels like a works canteen. While the staff is very accommodating and friendly the owners have made no effort to make the premises fit the environment. The food is very ordinary and also canteen-like; surely it would not be too onerous to slice a few potatoes to serve fresh chips or at least put butter or mayonnaise on the dry salad sandwiches!So much more could be made of this bar with minimal effort.

Clean but basic bar where we had to wait a long time for chips that were cold, undercooked and like cardboard. Such a shame, it could be such a nice place with a bit more effort.