Ptarmigan in Stirling

While staying in the Hotel, we had a pint in the Ptarmigan and it was fine - as was the service. From an atmosphere perspective it felt more like a pub than the the bar in the Buchanan, but less so than the Drymen Inn or the Clachan, and I guess it’s in that midstream area between pub and hotel bar. We would be happy to use it again - depending on what sort of atmosphere we were looking for.

Arrived on a Monday and asked a table of 5 for the family. The bar area was full so we sat in the lounge area. Very friendly reception and good engagement throughout, food was good without being excellent considering the cost and rating of the hotel. May go back, but would try other places first.

Where do I start, didn’t stay at the hotel came in for dinner waitress came to table small girl blonde hair in bun , first of all her attitude was off to start with!! We asked what she would recommend she said nothing I don’t eat here I only work here ok so what are the favourite dishes ? None that I know off , I’m only here for the money so ok well after that we picked steak pie asked for chips got mashed potatoes ! Asked for no sauce on Cajun burger or salad came loaded with both called girl over asked her if she could get it replaced as not what we ordered ! Her reply was no sorry I can’t do that there is your food and enjoy!! Well what a cheek the girl should be trained disgusting to talk to people like that later found out her name was Paige from the other girl, this girl needs to stop been arrogant with customers we will not be back unless you can assure us our order will taken correct and not by a wee girl chewing gum and not caring Alex

Very impressed with this lovely cosy place. Very good homemade food great portions and reasonably priced. Steak and ale pie and homemade chips to die for! Friendly service means we’ll definitely be back. Thoroughly recommended.

(We are Americans—New Yorkers—walking the West Highland Way!) We stopped into this bar on our day in Drymen and it was a lovely spot. Wonderful and friendly bartenders. Great for day drinking, having a few beers. Older crowd. (Younger folks wanting a cute night, check out the Clachan)

Just stopped to have a late lunch / early dinner at the winnock Hotel, at the ptarmigan bar. What a lovely experience a wee table for 2 by the open fireplace we had a lovely meal, along with great service. Pamela was a delight, friendly and professional. Will definately be back. 10/10

Had two very nice meals whilst renting a holiday cottage locally. They had covid measures in place which the customers adhered to and we felt quite comfortable about

Walked in to the bar but were never even acknowledged by the lady pouring drinks. No one else was there so a quick hello or ‘won’t be a moment’ wouldn’t hurt. We were finally acknowledged and when we said we wanted to order food we were told to take a seat as they needed to print more menus. We were left sat there 10-15 minutes and no one came to ask us if we wanted a drink or anything so we walked out. They didn’t have many in there bar and were mainly focused on getting drinks for the restaurant. Not impressed!

People wandering all over the place with no masks!! And most don't seem to know what social distancing is! Sick of young people being blamed - these people range from mid- thirties to about 70!

We had a great lunch here. Black and blue burger (delicious and well cooked), cajun chicken baguette (really generous portion) and a brilliant hot smoked salmon salad with really well dressed salad leaves and capers - top work chef

Visited while away for the night, popped in for a drink in the afternoon, sat by a roaring open fire which was lovely, man on the bar called Chris was so welcoming and friendly and was happy to chat with us to the point we enjoyed so much we returned for dinner that evening, food was lovely cooked fresh to order and tasty and our waitress kat could not have been more helpful and attentive, we ended the rest of the evening sat at the bar chatting away to them both and hope management will pass on our review to let them know they made our very rare nights away very special and we can not thank them enough, we will be back and book to stay over next time instead of where we did

Staying in the Whinnock hotel, so downstairs for dinner.The restaurant was quiet (I was early) and the waitress got me sorted out quickly. Two menus - fixed price and a-la-carte and you were not allowed to mix and match between them, so I went for the latter.Cullen Skink soup - with green vegetables, which I am not used to but still nice - then an excellent piece of lamb with mashed potatoes. Yummy!Desert was Cranachan, again very nice, and a couple of pints to wash the whole lot down with came to about £35.

good bar food, reasonable prices. Nice selection of beers and soft drinks. A very large selection of whisky.

... and fab food to match. The service is excellent. The food arrived piping hot and delicious. I’d highly recommend a night in this bar restaurant

Popped in here for a drink whilst visiting Drymen and found it very busy. Dining room was obviously very popular with locals and visitors alike. Good range of drinks available.

Great evening meals menus , friendly staff , great atmosphere, the steak pie was beautiful. Credit to the chef and serving staff . Will definitely be back if visiting the area .

Beautiful evening meal , coal fire on music on in the background, steak pie is must . Credit to the chefs . Serving staff lovely and pleasant. Will be back .

We popped in here after arriving in Drymen from our first leg of the West Highland Way. It was very quiet but just lacked personality.

De bar is onderdeel van the Winnock Hotel. Je kunt er gezellig bij de open haard zitten. De barmeals waren wat minder van kwaliteit dan in het Winnock restaurant.

We had our lunch here before we left for an event, starts serving hot food from 12 pm. The food is normal pub fare and plenty of choices, serving sizes are good.

Quick afternoon drink very quiet and staff seemed more interested in chatting amongst themselves. Only had one drink then left.

This bar is shared by non-residents. It is a bit small and can get very crowded. Drinks prices are very expensive.

My husband and I enjoyed a lovely lunch here. The young man behind the var was very helpful and my gluten intolerance was not an issue. In fact the barman and chef went out of their way to make sure my allergy was catered for.

Auch hier war das essen sehr gut, die Portionen waren gut. Man konnte nachdem essen noch gemütlich zusammen sitzen.

This is a great traditional Scottish light meal venue; we hadn't booked and asked if there was a table in the restaurant but it was full, so we were offered a bar meal instead. We ordered and sat in the lounge area rather than the bar itself, but there was a great atmosphere in there - we just wanted a bigger table. The food came within 15 minutes and it was excellent. The fish & chips are the best i have ever tasted anywhere - amazing! The only problem was that the vegetarian options were very limited, so my daughter ended up with soup because the bar staff said she couldn't order omelette because it was after 4pm; i admit to being a bit surprised by that as an omelette takes a few minutes preparation and cooking, so i would have been impressed if they chef had agreed - and they would get 5 stars instead of 4.

Enjoy your visit to Loch Lomond, fine food, music and great conversation with fellow travelors as well as local's. Fish and Chips are lovely as are the meat pasties.

After walking the first day we decided to get something to eat before we went to the B&B.; Great service. Good food Excellent value

Das Ambiente war nicht ganz unseres. Da waren wir schon in urigeren Inns. Aber alles sauber. Die Bedienung freundlich. Das Essen war dafür gut portioniert und schmackhaft.

Soirée écossaise dans ce resto/pub. Ambiance sympa, cuisine écossaise, bière locale, whisky. Bonne soirée

Went for an alfresco lunch on a lovely sunny Good Friday to the Winnock Hotel in Drymen. We only wanted salads and sandwiches but had to wait an hour to get these. No one checked up to see why we were still waiting and when I enquired about the whereabouts of our lunch was told it was a printer error in the kitchen that caused the problem. Weren’t offered any complimentary drinks or anything for the inconvenience from the blonde haired lady server (though I did ask for that at the bar and was given some!)

What a fantastic meal, fish cooked to perfection by new chef addy. Macaroni was delicious. Kids loved their food. And the Guinness is tasty. Family meal with drinks a reasonable 45£ Definitely be back

Stumbled across this place on the way home from a day trip around Loch Lomond. Lovely atmosphere and liked the traditional

You have to try the pies here they are excellent,friendly staff and relax afterwards beside the open log fire

We visited for food after seeing on tripadvisor that there was a vegetarian menu. Food was nice but quite expensive. My partner had the meat burrito which looked great and I wish there’d been a vegetarian equivalent! Would have been good to have a cheaper lunch menu- portions were huge for lunchtime. Staff were friendly and chatty. It’s a nice place with a gorgeous fire but was quite quiet so we moved on after food.

Wonderful experience in a typical Scottish Inn. Food was good, service great and staff wonderful. Try out the steak pie and add a delicious dessert.

We live locally and would like to try this resturant, but are yet to try it, as there are no vegetarian options on the menu (except macaroni). In this day and age, it seems very old fashioned not to cater for vegetarians nor those seeking a lighter option. Shame! I will update review if they update the menu.

Visited after a they had a busy night the night before - we visited about 3pm - bad timing maybe - dirty tables, floor dirty, dirty glasses all over, chunk of glass (big) on the floor under our table, menus sticky, football on a big screen and a run down feeling in other areas - maybe the very weedy beds at the front of the hotel stood out more because of the bad vibe coming from the place today - probably get better but I will not be going back.

This place had so many different options. I enjoyed the mac and cheese and my husband had the chili burrito. Both were excellent! The bartender was friendly and attentive. We stayed for hours planning out our day trips and relaxing in the pleasant atmosphere. It's not fancy, but if you want to sit down and relax in a cozy lounge with good food this is the place to go. There were also several different vegetarian options. We would definitely come back!

Ate here after walking all day. Right across the street from our B&B.; Robust menu, very Scottish. My Cullen Skink rocked: lots of flavor and good textures. Followed up with the excellent sea bass - very fresh and perfectly cooked. Desserts all very good. In a group of ten, everyone was happy. Beer selection not great. Interior decor very rustic Scottish and consistent with menu. Lots of patrons but noise level OK. Could converse easily in 10 person group.

My wife enjoyed her haggis pie and I enjoyed my Venison and red wine pie which I found very tasty. Very good and friendly service.

So I was timid, I’m not going to lie. Trying Haggis is a necessary evil for visiting Scotland but just the description can put you off. I visited The Ptarmigan while on a business trip and shied away my first visit from the haggis and instead the venison meat pie. Wow. I love meat pies and this was one of the top ones I have ever had! Puffed pastry, deliciously cooked meat, a delectable “lick the plate” sauce, buttered veggies and of course, a neat glass of Auchentoshan 12 year to wash it all down.

Dropped in as this place had good ratings. got seated and after an interminable wait we had drinks order taken, with a promise of a taster of the beer to ensure I liked it, a long wait and drinks turn up, no taster just a pint.

Party of three in for meal and drinks. Only suitable table available for our group was a dirty table with empty glasses. After waiting a considerable time my wife frustratedly went to bar to get us menus . We had hoped if we asked for menus it would get us some attention from the staff, but to our disappointment it did not . When we got our menus we found it to be plain and under selling their potential. We discussed what we wanted and waved a few times at bar staff to try and get some service. I believe that we were ignored and not mistakenly missed as the table beside us served their food and the waiter could not of missed us nor the state of the table .

Had a bowl of soup followed by a delicious omelette with Ham, Chicken and prawn filling, was really tasty.

We popped in on our road trip . Lovely barman, kilted, and super service hubby had Coronation chicken I had chicken skewers then the most amazing irn bru ice cream ( delicious) open fire newspapers super duper thank you

The hotel has a restaurant and a bar where food can be bought. I went with a friend from overseas for bar food. Normally in Scottish bars, home-made produce is put before us. In this place, everything came out of a freezer - oven chips (I ask you in this foodie day and age!), steak pie straight out of an Iceland freezer shop and peas out of a tin, I would guess. My friend's fish hadn't seen the sea or a loch for a long time and was served with the same oven chips. The service was casual in the sense of "I really hate my job and have a hangover". Nice place but avoid the bar food and ask if the restaurant serves home-made produce. If it doesn't, move on to Balmaha for fresh fish.

Had been out for a Saturday walk with family around Conic Hill. Had parked in car Balmaha Car park, with plan on going to Oak tree. Unfortunately was very busy and bar area is no longer a bar but more of a restaurant. Staff were exceptional rude. Like a pint and something to eat after a walk, so as a walker one to miss Now set up for those having a wee drive out.

This bar is part of the Winnock hotel and was fabulous all round serves a well stocked bar of numerous whisky,vodkas,gins etc...I like grey goose vodka when I'm out or away and some bars only serve the cheaper vodkas but this bar had everything and even though they had just finished a bottle,the barman immediately went to get a new one from the cellar and we were a bit late for food as the restaurant was closed but they serve bar snacks which was beautiful..

After reading the positive reviews about the pies at Ptarmigan my husband and I ate here one evening. It was a disappointment. The steak-and-ale pie tasted like something bought pre-made and reheated. The price seems high also considering the four vegetable pieces and portion of chips that make up the side.

Went here with friends during a one night stay in Drymen. We all enjoyed our meals and the service was very good. The drinks were also good and I might make a return journey soon just to have their generous steak pie again!

Wandered into this place and immediately felt at home , so homely with friendly staff , and the place full of chatter and laughter. We fancied a cream tea and was so delicious along with tea and cappuccino. Loved the experience and will wander back in when we book into the Winnoch.

We stay at The winnock a lot and always eat here with our Grandson. The food is your typical bar grub but better. They always accommodate our grandson, giving him smaller potions of adult meals. The bar staff are very friendly and professional.

Popped in for a quick meal. Bar was pretty quiet, ordered steak & ale pie at bar. Very friendly staff. I can honestly the pie was the best I've ever had anywhere! Both in quality 7 quantity, it will never be bettered! The bar is not the most exciting furniture wise.... but top marks for the food.

My friends and I visited the Ptarmigan after finishing our first day of the West Highland Way. We had several vegetarians in the group so we were delighted to find a vegetarian menu and the selection of pies were amazing.

We had a meal in the bar, which wasn't the most attractive setting, however my wife and I had steak pie and venison pie respectively and it was actually superb and reasonably priced (£9.95 each).

I must begin this review by clarifying that the star rating of 2 has been given in light of the level of service received; the food itself was delicious and arrived promptly.

My husband and I ended up here because everything was an hour and a half wait. We ordered a salmon salad and a sandwich and just waited forever. It became apparent that no one else in the room we were in had received food either.

Other places in drymen all booked up for dinner so we ended up in the restaurant here. Chose the Scottish taster menu .... not cheap but thought good local Scottish produce would be worth the extra expense. All very disappointing. Tasted as if it had just come out the microwave and didn't represent our great Scottish food that could have been served. Wouldn't recommend here if you love food.

We (somewhat foolishly) didn't realize that it would be so hard to find a meal in Drymen. The Ptarmigan was the first place we went to; the menu looked good, but we wandered around the square looking at other options. It quickly became apparent that this was the place for us!

Apparently only one other reviewer has shared our bad experience. The food (albeit very late arriving) was delicious but the service was dreadful. My husband and son arrived at the pub for lunch separately and therefore placed independent orders at the bar. They were both consistently ignored by the barman, who fiddled around endlessly with his back to them, even though he knew they were there. My husband's order for food and wine was met with complete (deliberate?) incomprehension. The same man (Kalom) slapped our cutlery and wine bottle on the table unceremoniously and without a word, although the meals themselves were brought to us by a lady with a smile (the only one we encountered while we were there). The feeling that we were not welcome was accentuated by the local men sitting watching sport on the big screen, whose resentment at our invasion of 'their space' was all too evident. We're Glasgow based and could easily have made this a regular haunt but we'll never go there again.

Accommodation very good, bar menu and quality of food superb, staff very friendly, Linda receptionist very helpful, hotel great location, plenty free parking, we shall return and recommend.

We ate here for 3 nights while staying in Drymen. The choice of food was great and plenty of it. The lentil soup was absolutely delicious!!

Honestly, Ptarmigan was our third stop of the night and was not one of the places we'd been recommended. To miss this great bar and restaurant would have been a mistake. The service was terrific and each server who helped us was extremely friendly. The food was very good (particularly the tortellini) and the sundae was fantastic. You might be told to go to other restaurants in town, but don't count the Ptarmigan out. It will be well worth the stop!

Good range of drinks with friendly helpful staff and the gents wearing the kilt. Plenty of atmosphere. with open fires

Good value and good choice. Working our way round Drymen venues and this is best yet. Good value with plenty to vegetarian options. Happy to return again fo dinner. Parked in public car park on Stirling Road - 3 minute walk away.

Die Pies sind gut, Salate frisch. Wenn man nicht ausgiebig essen möchte, völlig ausreichend. Preis - Leistung sind absolut okay.

This was a great choice tonight the two boys behind the bar where great. The atmosphere was lovely as there was a bus trip from Wales. The people were so happy and friendly. We had a lovely night and I would recommend this place. The menu was good with a lovely choice on it.

Everything about this place was wonderful. Staff food drinks. No complaints at all. We will be back.

We decided to eat here as we were staying in the area. It had been over 40 years since I had last been in (thrown out of) this bar. big changes,, very cosy especially by the fire. Took a while to get served in the bar, however when the staff knew we were there they were fantastic. Food was very good and service time excellent. Although it became busy it was still possible to have that privacy to talk. All the better as the music playing was from the 70's and was the music I had always loved in the Winnock (no complaints if it is still the same tape 9/10

Had lunch and dinner in here, nice friendly staff. Great open fire and very comfortable seating areas. Great prices for food and drink. Great selection of drinks. Evening dinner was fantastic, venison pie, veg and hand made chips. Very tasty and at only £10 it was brilliant value. Draft Cider very nice too, allowed to taste before hand which was a great touch. Would visit again when in area.

Greeted by friendly helpful staff who were proud of where they worked. Great service from them and very good pub food, all home made and well presented. We enjoyed the home made pies and a succulent steak. Would happily recommend this for a nice pub meal. Good value too!

Attended on 2nd January and 9 of us were easily accommodated for lunch even without having had a booking. The staff were very friendly and the food was great. Good value as well.

Came here for food on Monday night and it was fantastic. Service was excellent, food fantastic. Felt like we were really important. At this stage it's a 5/5 rating. Came back again tonight and couldn't be different. My wife went to order and was asked to sit down and someone would be over. The waitress did eventually come over, unfortunately to someone else who had came in after us. After a while of sitting down waiting we gave up and went somewhere else. Consistency needed

Typical bar food....staff friendly . Apparently they cater for bus parties. Ok if you like that kind if thing, but personally prefer Drymen Inn. Didn't stay at the actual Hotel only popped in for a meal.

It wasn't yet time to check in to our bed and breakfast for our night in Drymen, so we wandered into this public bar of a local hotel, dropped our packs at the foot of the bar and took our seats, the place was empty but for my wife and I. I ordered a Vienna Lager on cask and my wife a bottled cider, the cask was rank, tasting of vinegar, so I asked the barman if it was supposed to be like that. On tasting the beer, he pulled another third through the line and was still clearly off, so the cask was removed (eventually to be replaced by a smashing pale ale), and a pint of Belhaven Best poured in its stead, no questions asked, no trying to convince me the beer was supposed to taste like balsamic, and even the price difference was refunded. This is exactly how a bar serving real ale should be. The service was superb, courteous, friendly, and exemplary in professionalism. Whenever I am in Drymen again, I will be drinking at the Ptarmigan.

First of all, it's been a long time since I looked at a menu and seen so many delicious looking choices that it was hard to decide.

This is a cute little pub in the hotel. They serve dinner between 4 and 6pm, which appears to be a novelty in the town. Decent service. The locals were welcoming. Dinner is typical pub fare.

Came in here for a Saturday evening, nice place and decor, staff were very friendly, good varied menu and decent prices, all round it was very good

Nice bar that served food, rather than the main hotel restaurant. We had a pie and chips and it was one of the best pies ever (a little extra gravy on the side would have been good - we could have asked!!). The only downside, my husband had a bottle of beer and that seemed to be the last bottle of IPA in the place!!

Great atmosphere as there were people from many nations there. Get in early for a table as it gets really packed!

Stopped in after doing part 1 of the West Highland way, we were absolutely ravenous. Ordered scampi with chips and peas. We didn't have to wait very long for the food and this was a Saturday after 5pm so was pleasantly surprised it was so prompt. The food was delightful and portions excellent. The waiting and bar staff all very polite, helpful and courteous. Recommended.

I have already reviewed the Winnock Hotel which was great, but we dined in the Ptarmigan on a couple of nights and it was excellent too. There is a cracking big fire and if you are fortunate to get a table next to it, jump at the chance. Service is extremely good, even when the staff are under a bit of pressure dealing with a crowd.

This is the bar of the Winnock Hotel in The Square, Drymen. I note that some of the reviews for the Merlin Restaurant in Drymen actually refer to pub food. These reviews will be for Ptarmigan pub rather than the hotel's Merlin Restaurant.