Portcullis in Stirling

Came here for a drink and an evening meal. The pub is set in a nice location and is lovey inside. Staff are incredibly nice and friendly - genuinely really lovely. So why not a higher score? The food was awful. Garlic bread fine. But the beef and haggis burger. As well as the steak were really bad. The accompanying salad terrible and like something out of the seventies. Would I eat here again? No. Would I enjoy a pint here? Yes. I’d truly love to score this place higher as the staff are so nice. But the food is really bad.

Went here yesterday for the first time was absolutely beautiful garlic chili chicken was to die for and staff so lovely and approachable.

What a lovely place, good atmosphere and great staff. The food choice was ample, prices were reasonable and food quality was good. What sets this place apart from others is the quality of service by three very nice people - Kate, Anna and Leanne. These three could not have been any better - they were friendly, attentive and really helpful. I cannot praise the staff and this restaurant any higher. The photograph is simply so that staff know who has written this review. Thanks. Barry

Excellent food, friendly and welcoming staff. 10/10 Sirloin steak was perfectly cooked and the portions are incredibly generous

My wife and I chose here for our 45th wedding anniversary as we've been a couple of times before and really enjoyed it. This time it was a bit disappointing as we both felt the meal wasn't up to the usual high standards. I chose the chicken,leek and potatoe soup and my wife chose the breaded camembert my soup was delicious but my wife said her camembert wasn't hot but lukewarm. For my main I chose the sirloin steak and my wife decided in the hamburger...again she said the bun wasn't really toasted but still soft(like a normal roll) and we both thought the chips could've been in the fryer a bit longer. The meal was fine but wasn't up to its usual standards.

What an amazing place at the entrance to Stirling castle. This is a real homely, welcoming and warm environment - so much so we popped in for a drink before the castle tour and then immediately after. Emma is such a lovely person, so helpful. this is a must - whilst we never ate here the food looked amazing, and the people sat around clearly enjoyed it.

A fantastic place to eat, never shy from gud portions so be prepared and turn up very hungry if you're not used to healthy sized portions. Highly recommended

Fantastic visit with my wife. Quick check on Trip Advisor for local restaurants, reviews looked good and menu online. Was closeby and great location right at castle. Phoned and booked table no probs. Friendly welcome, nice ambience (great music actually 😁 ). Great menu choices - real comfort good menu with twists. Great service and we really enjoyed all three courses and bottle of wine. Good prices as well. 5/5 brilliant, well done team! 👏🏼 😊😊

We were just having a walk & found this place, went for lunch staff were lovely & helpful , food was great thank you all.

Dinner was amazing 🤩 Chateaubriand steak for 2 was the best I’ve ever had and excellent value. Service amazing and a special mention to Ross for his informal bit attentive hosting. Will definitely be back.

Great little restaurant/bar. We’d not planned to eat here so hadn’t researched it or pre-booked. It’s only small but luckily they had room for us (party of 5). Good food, good service, nice range of beers, reasonably priced with a lovely ambiance. If we didn’t live 220 miles away we’d eat certainly visit more frequently. Worth a visit after a walk around Stirling Castle which is just 2-minutes away.

Early evening dinner. Was recommended a beer when I described what I prefer. Perfect. A lot of food at a very good price. Very friendly and attentive staff.

The bartender was a very nice guy, polite and gave very good info about local beers. The enviroment is great.

Pequeño restaurante al lado del castillo, la comida muy rica y las camareras encantadoras. 20€ de media por un plato principal.

The staff is really nice and the food delicius. I really like the room. Highly recommendable!

Excellent food & reasonably priced. Understaffed but the two who were there did their very best for everyone! 5 stars for the staff!

Comida deliciosa en el restaurante

Just stopped for lunch. What a decadent treat! Definitely want to come back again.

First time at the Portcullis great food and service Jamie is a great host 👌 Will definitely be back 🤩

Great food, excellent service. Can't fault it and will definitely be going back

Amazing place and staff. Congratulations guys, you are the best. From Portugal we were all very plesead to meet all. Big hugs

Nice food, well priced! Totally recommend

Lovely pub grub. Friendly staff. Beautiful real fire for those winter months.

The location is lovely at the top of the town next to the castle. The Portcullis is in a yold stone building. Inside the restaurant it's cosy with a beautiful large fireplace. It's not too big. Feels cosy and welcoming. The staff are friendly. The food is your usual standard food which is perfect for a nice meal with the family. I didn't stay there.

Dinner was excellent, big portions. Beef strips with garlic and ginger, beef was tender and a very good dish, would recommend. Chicken tenders dish would recommend as well. Waitress was very helpful and made sure we were very welcome and everything was to our taste Would highly recommend this restaurant.

Just in for a meal staff was very friendly and helpful

One of the friendliest bars we visited during our entire trip to Scotland. The man working behind the bar took the time to explain the different whiskys to us. He was super friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Although we didn’t eat there, the food looked great and I’d definitely try it if we visited again. Also the open fire was perfect on such a cold day 🥶

Great meal, the staff were friendly and very accommodating. I felt safe to eat here even with all my food allergies and intolerances.

Great place, food and service! James was a fantastic host explaining us lot of typical food and drinks :) i fully recommend this place!

Excellent service and excellent steak as per usual.

Comimos muy bien, pero es que la atención de las chicas fue perfecta. Estuvimos muy a gusto y nos quedamos con un excelente recuerdo. Repetiremos si vamos por la zona. Un 10!

Popped in to have lunch. There was a massive sign saying that we had wait to be served. After 2-3 minutes and no one assisting us, we went over the bar. We were told we could take a seat by a friendly staff member. Yet again another wait, with no communication as to how to order etc.... we did not even get a menu. After 5-10 minutes we walked out. Definitely a place where the bar is a priority over the food side of things Sad... cause the roaring fire was so inviting... but nothing else

The quality of the food continues to deliver such amazing value for money…. The surroundings are hard to beat and friendly staff just make sure that your night is as enjoyable as it can be …. It must take a lot of hard work to keep up this standard 😊

Lovely pub restaurant beside Stirling castle. Hearty tasty food. Friendly staff

Booked a table.Two staff could not cope with a full restaurant. Went home after waiting and waiting.

Omg the food was DELICIOUUUUUUUS !!!!!

This is one of a handful of places my family go to on birthdays/occasions and have been for years. The food is always good and good value. It's the vibe that makes this place special as its always the place we have the best nights, it's cosy fire and warmth always puts you in a good mood.

Dog friendly ONLY outside We stopped for a drink after visiting the castle with our dogs. We had a coke and whiskey outside. Dog bowls outside.

Great food beer and whisky. Lovely staff made it a very nice visit. Free parking at the end of the day in the castle grounds. Would definitely recommend and we'll be back Thanks Toby, Suzy and the fluffy dog

I asked for a coffee and the waitress treated me with very bad manners. I thought maybe she was stressed, because it looked like she had a lot of work. But then with other customers, she treated them kindly. Very bad manners with foreigners, i would not recommend

Restaurante al lado del castillo de Stirling. Decoración típica de pub escocés, con chimenea. Muy buen ambiente y acogedor. El personal del restaurante muy amable y comida buena y abundante a precio razonable. Pedimos pan de ajo con queso de entrante y una lasaña de principal que no pudimos llegar ni a la mitad de la abundancia de las raciones. Repetiría sin duda

Me and my wife decided to visit this restaurant again as it's been a while since we last here,and it's still a cracking place for excellent meals at a very affordable price. For starters I chose chicken broth and my wife picked camembert and for our main courses I chose steak pie and my wife chose beefburger with pepper sauce. I had a lager and wife had a gin and then a small red wine. Service was very good and staff are friendly and very helpful,in total our meal cost £56 and it was worth every penny. We will definitely return a lot quicker next time! 10/10

The menu is just that little bit different, The portions are large, well presented and delicious. You can ask for smaller portions. I went retro and had Cheese and Pineapple salad served with chips. The chips were piping hot and perfectly cooked. The salad was fantastic- cheese, pineapple, beetroot, coleslaw, grated carrot, sweetcorn, lambs lettuce, tomato, cucumber, sliced pickled cucumber. I only left the olives and celery as I don't like them and on another visit will say not to give them to me. It was attractively served decorated with 2 "spring onion trees"

Amazing food, service exceptional and a very busy place. Would recommend booking in advance if you can

The service in the restaurant is outstanding and wine selection adequate. Sadly the food is average at best. Portion sizes are far too large and the taste is bland. With such a wonderful location this restaurant should be offering fine local product. Even something transitional. Instead it’s offering average tasteless food from a menu that seems suck in the 80’s. Such a shame, I was really looking forward to eating here

The steak was on point! But the overcooked under seasoned veg and deep fried mushrooms and frozen onion rings was a let down plus 20mins waiting oan a drink

Perfect atmosphere for the old section of Stirling right next to the castle. While we didn't stay at the hotel, we had dinner and Scotch here a couple times. The staff made you feel most welcome and the food was delicious.

Great location,just outside the castle. We only had a few beers. Every table was reserved, which was pretty silly as the place was more or less empty.

Absolutely beautiful pub, excellent service! Definitely recommend!

Thoroughly enjoyed lunch here during a day trip visit to Stirling Castle from Edinburgh. A sign on the wall read “Pub of the Year, 2023” and I can see why. We had good food at a good price, enjoyed cask ales, and found the service to be absolutely top notch. Word to the wise, however, to book ahead. We nabbed a table without reservation but a number of walk-in guests behind us had to turn away disappointed. This place, for its location, charm, and quality, seems to be quite popular among locals and tourists alike.

A family favourite amazing location really friendly attentive staff, and the food is always so good.

After a long drive we were happy to arrive here and things just got better. Our room was spotless and had a stunning view. Our evening meal was well above standard pub fayre. The Scampi was lovely and the Broccoli Cheese with Chicken was excellent. O cannot attest to starters or puds as I could only manage one course such was the generosity of the portions. I was also pleased to find an excellently kept ale on the bar. The above makes me likely to return but what stood out here was the excellent staff. The initial welcome was friendly and informative. A slight issue with the room window was fixed in a jiffy and a fan provided from private quarters. Bar was staffed and dinner served with politeness and friendly efficiency and ice water provided for the room (on the hottest day of the year) All of this was done by the same 2 young ladies who frankly should be teaching customer service such was their proficiency at it. Breakfast was simple and very nice, served by the friendly owner.All in all a great place to stay

Sitio bonito, sin reserva será complicado comer ya que hay pocos sitios para comer cerca del castillo. Horario amplio, comida variada y buen servicio. Highlands Chiken riquísimo 😋

We had a brilliant meal here today, only complaint was we couldn't finish it

Las hamburguesas estaban muy buenas y super contundentes. El sitio un poco ruidoso pero muy buen ubicado (justo al lado del castillo). Las camareras eran muy simpáticas pero han tardado muchísimo en atendernos..

Waren sehr lecker essen, immer ausgebucht, daher besser resvieren.

Great ambiance and better staff. Mum and daughter know how to take good care of customers. Old grammar school. Great food/beers and proper fish n'chips.

Second time in 10 years here and it gets better. Beautiful sirloin and sticky toffee pudding. Staff were so friendly. Will return hopefully before another ten years.

The staff and owner are amazing ,lovely bar and restaurant.

Un auténtico pub con buen ambiente, las camareras muy amables y serviciales. La comida buenísima y a precio razonable. Se puede ir con o sin niños.

Website unreliable, despite saying it opens at 11.30 then waitress appears at 12.15 barking abuse when asking what time they plan to open. Don’t need to be verbally abused when asking a genuine question.

We visited during the recent World Cycle Races, a super place & great service despite the stress of the disruption & being very busy due to the events. Went back the following day it was so good. The staff are friendly and helpful & the food quality is excellent. Would definitely return. Well done guys, The effort to get up the hill was well worth it. This is a must for any visitor to the area. Thank you all.

This restaurant had absolutely excellent food and service, and when another customer had a medical emergency, the staff was efficient and professional. Cannot recommend the Portcullis enough!!!

Stayed here for two days and wished it could have been more. The rooms were beautifully decorated and spotlessly clean. The food was excellent and there was a good choice on the menu. The staff were very pleasant I was surprised it was only a 3* I would have given it 4* or 5* I would certainly recommend a stay here.

This review is for the pub. The stylings were very warm and nice to look at. The outdoor seating area was charming as well. The service was pretty poor EXCEPT when they sang the birthday song to someone else who was dining. They nailed that. Food was just ok. The strength of this place is that it is right next to the parking lot for Stirling Castle and the prices are decent for the portions.

We had been looking forward to visiting The Portcullis Stirling for dinner for some time and decided to go on Saturday evening 29th July. We hadn't made a reservation but managed to get a table in the restaurant upstairs. The view from the window was very nice, but the restaurant itself is pretty basic with large brown wooden tables with a napkin, fork and knife. There was no atmosphere in the room, just very very low background music. Our starters arrived, we both had prawn cocktail, it was average. My husband had breaded fish and chips and i had chilli con carne for our mains. The presentation of the food is very nice, but it was much the same as the starter and i couldn't eat anymore of the salad decoration, sometimes less is more! The fish was good but the chilli was too sweet with no spice. One criticism, my husband asked the girl serving us for vinegar for his fish and chips and she brought him a bottle of Tesco distilled vinegar, not a very professional look. Surely you have vinegar cruet dispensers? My husband had to cover the top of the bottle with his fingers to allow him to sprinkle the vinegar, very unhygienic. No other customer should have to use that. We won't go back.

Estuvimos comiendo aquí y todo estaba delicioso. La sopa del día es excelente. Las camareras que nos atendieron fueron super simpáticas y amables. Muy recomendable.

It's back to its best. Friendly staff, great food and large portion sizes. What more can you ask for when having a meal out and all for a very reasonable price.

Have been to the Restaurant/ Bar only. Very friendly staff and the Highland Chicken is really good here!

Very disappointed in the fact that I sent two e-mails in an attempt to book a two night stay here but neither of them were even acknowledged? Even tried the telephone number and was told that it was for the restaurant only and to send an e-mail!!! Not a great way to do business!!

Myself and work colleagues had a lovely meal here great value for money delicious food and well presented, staff were excellent and very helpful. We did not want to leave, big thank you

Increible poder comer a escasos 50metros de la puerta del extraordinario castillo de Stirling sin reserva,y hacerlo a un precio razonable,en un restaurante super acogedor,platos ricos y personal eficiente y amable.Pedimos pan de ajo,espagueti bolognesa,coctel gambas,pollo rebozado y unos espagueti con salmon que no estaban en la carta,todo ello por 85e aprox,precio inmejorable.Los espagueti salmon estaban de vicio.El local esta decorado al estilo del tipico pub,todo de madera,alfombras y chimenea,se estaba genial.

First time in restaurant & was pleasantly surprised,, good vibes, excellent service & food was delicious,,, presentation was lovely,,👍

Great pub food in an awesome location of Stirling.. very old school , which I am glad to see... its homely and the staff we very friendly and welcoming..

Really rude staff. Waited 20 minutes after being sat without service, waitress snapped when asked for water.

Nice food, good service and reasonable prices. Very busy so be sure to book in advance. Menu had something for everyone. Desert is a must!

Great food and hospitality (recommend for Stirling folk AND tourists)

Great staff, real ales and excellent food definitely worth a visit

My great aunt used to run this hotel many years ago in the 1980s. It was great to see that it was still as beautiful. We stopped for lunch, which was delicious and great service

We stumbled across this gem after Stirling Castle had closed, so glad we did! Great atmosphere, good food and service as well. I don’t know what it’s like during castle hours but I’d suggest waiting to go in the evening. Parking was not an issue and we were able to walk around the exterior of the castle without crowds. It was a wonderful last meal in Scotland.

We ate in the restaurant for lunch. Absolutely amazing food, so fresh! Highly recommend.

Great food, great ale and lovely staff. A CAMRA award winning hostelry.

My husband and I stopped here for lunch while in Stirling. We had a wonderful dinner! Burgers were excellent as was the service. Very friendly and were seated earlier than our reservation.

Food was rather homespun, generous portions but with no finesse. Staff were friendly but there is a lack of professionalism in general.

Tolles Restaurant mit sehr guten Steak. Netter Service.

Went for early evening meals with a reservation. Food was so-so and disappointing. Conversation near-impossible in noisy room. Shall not return.

Lovelly place to eat traditional British food highly recommended next to Stirling castle and great views highly recommended

Went there in 2019. Went back in May 2023. Wow. Incfredible service from everyone who works there. Food is excellent. Prices fair and atmosphere is wonderful. The cutlery is over one hundred years old. Classy place. They deserve cloth napkins on the table because.. IT...

Lovely pub/restaurant. The food was delicious and the staff is really great. Don't hesitate to go there (make a reservation!!!)

At the entrance to Stirling Castle, its position is fantastic. Very friendly and attentive staff. Food was lovely

Le restaurant est très bien, le repas est très bon et bien servi. Personnel adorable.

The location itself is reason enough to book. It's a beautiful historic building. The food was delicious, the staff was very attentive to our needs. The restaurant is very popular. Our view was incredible. The rooms themselves are cozy, clean, and quiet. The bathrooms are renovated and spotless. It's hard to tell from google maps, but there's a staircase outside leading directly up into the Sterling Castle parking lot so it's very convenient if you happen to be visiting the castle during your stay.

We visited The Portcullis last night for a meal and I must say it was lovely, it felt like we'd been transported back in time to medieval Stirling or a cosy inn from a fantasy epic. The table service was very friendly, staff were chatty and it really added to the vibe of the whole place. The food was great, some real classics on the menu and the Steak Pie we both ate was delicious, dessert on top of that was also brilliant. The pricing too, another positive compared to other establishments in the area was fantastic, this place is on to a winner if it keeps up what it already does so well, we definitely will be back. Ps. The owners son (We didn't catch his name) was a particular highlight of our visit, great, honest guy, with a groovy shirt collection, if he's reading this the YouTube channel is Forrest Thrills.

Lovely and classic British pub/restaurant- dark wood paneling, coal fire, the works. Great location . Food was very good and reasonably priced. Wait staff were lovely.

Stopped in for lunch after visiting the castle and were received the friendliest staff. We enjoyed the cozy, historic ambiance and the health lunch portions for a reasonable price. They have a cute garden patio as well.

We had a delicious late lunch here. The highlights were enjoying conversation with the friendly locals, and the crackling fire.

Our driver arranged lunch here. It was a very lovely old building right beside the entrance to Stirling Castle. Great food and service.

We went for day out to Stirling Castle,we went for lunch not to stay,hence no stars for rooms,we were outside because it was so busy and tables had to be reserved,but 5 mins later the maitre'd told us there was a table inside as someone had not turned up for a booking,bonus for such a large party,prices were not too bad either, considering you are at foot of Castle,meal was fresh and mostly homemade,great variety spoiled for choice,the staff were amazing and couldn't do enough for us,aged from 2yrs to 78 yrs our party of 9 was served quickly and we had a great time, the toilets although small was spotless and we will be back thankyou so much ladies 😁

Big portions and good prices.The food was delicious, especially the lasagne, the beef and the soup of the day.They have a lot of options to choose from, even for vegetarians like vegetarian lasagna.The deserts and cocktails were also very good.

Popped in for lunch after visiting Stirling castle and Old town jail. What a great find!! Staff very very friendly and helpful. Food was exceptional at this cosy pub.