Starfish Restaurant in Argyll & Bute

How unprofessional! We booked a table over a month ago and also booked an overnight stay. We've been here before and we were really looking forward to our return visit. I received an automated email the day before and confirmed my booking. However, when we arrived the place was in darkness. Seemingly the restaurant has a new owner who closed up for the winter with no notice. This disgraceful behaviour does not inspire confidence for a return visit! We very lucky to have a wonderful, meal at the nearby Anchorage Restaurant. The seafood and service were was first class.

Booked, received confirmation, reconfirmed 18/10/2024 following an email from the restaurant. Arrived to find the restaurant locked up. Discovered via social media they closed for the season 11/10/2024. Very disappointing!

Very unhappy with this restaurant’s lack of professionalism and courtesy. I booked a table over a month ago and my husband and I travelled from Glasgow and booked an overnight stay nearby. We’d been here several years ago and were really looking forward to our return visit. I received an automated email the day before asking me to confirm the booking, which I did. However, we arrived to find the place closed - no sign, nothing. Was told by a local that the restaurant has a new owner who closed up for the winter a week or two ago. This appalling treatment of customers does not inspire confidence! Fortunately, we had a wonderful, fresh seafood meal at the nearby Anchorage Restaurant.

Like others, we booked in advance and had it confirmed by email only to find it had closed some weeks ago. Despite phoning and emailing we got no response. Such disregard for potential customers is appalling. Be very aware if you have made a booking.

Incredibly disappointed that this place had decided to close without telling us. Especially since we had just arrived in Tarbert (Stonefield Castle Hotel) to be informed of this by the hotel receptionist. We had booked with the restaurant over a week before arriving and received a confirmation from them, followed by a reminder, just 2 days prior. Not to let us know personally is not good and not to point us to alternatives is definitely NOT GOOD service! PS I wrote to them about this but have received no response - shocking! So disappointing!

Like others before us, we booked lunch for 15th Oct 2023 and reconfirmed when we received an email from Starfish on 13th Oct. Arrived on time to find place locked up. No notification and no apology. Local gossip suggests new owners lack interest. The Starfish restaurant website this afternoon is still accepting bookings! AVOID AT ALL COSTS. An alternative is Samphire in Inverary which is an excellent seafood place.

Booked and reconfirmed, got there and we plus another booking were left on the pavement as it was locked and shut. Looking at reviews we are not the first. BEWARE.

Booked, received confirmation, reconfirmed, and restaurant was locked up and shut when we arrived! Nothing more to add other than I would expect the owner/manager to reply to this

Lucky to get a table at this brilliant restaurant. Owner was a superb host, with perfect hospitality. Explained the specials and the offers on the wine. Great langoustines and scallops for starters. 3 of us had the special salmon main, which was as good a fish dish I've had in years. The other 2 had the spaghetti & seafood which had langoustines and mussels. Trust me you don't want to miss this place. Even welcomed our small dog 🐕 with a water bowl.

We had a wonderful Sunday lunch today. Five adults, a toddler and a dog were warmly welcomed and looked after so well. The food was delicious, served thoughtfully and with care. We were not rushed despite lingering longer than usual. Excellent service and value! Looking forward to our next visit.

What an amazing place. Having read recent reviews, we were a little concerned as we were hoping for something special seafood wise. We were not disappointed. We were warmly welcomed, nothing was too much trouble and the food was exquisite. We also shared our experience with another couple dining at the next table and we all agreed that the food was superb. Highly recommend a visit. We pushed the boat out having three excellent courses each and a bottle of wine so our cost was £119. Worth every penny, my mouth is watering now, hours later.

Walked out before even ordering. Bad atmosphere could hear chef grumbling in the kitchen. Waitress has given up. Terrible really. Such a shame as it was a great place under the previous owner.

Front of house needs training. Stock control on basics needs work. Starter over-cooked but mains were excellent. With good management, it could become a very good place to eat.

I've been many times, always excellent visits under the previous owner, and now 3 times since the new management took over. The food has been excellent on the last 2 occasions, the chef recently coming out at the end of the evening to share details about one of his sauces. Very slow service last autumn, only 2 staff serving when we were in this spring, and about 4/5 the last time although communication between them seemed variable and one poor young lass looked terrified. The specials were written in red chalk on the blackboard - quite hard to read with ageing eyes! If they can get the service issues straightened out then it will do well.

We visited on a recent sailing trip and the place certainly lived up to the expectations with a fantastic meal for all 3 of us. The service was good and our main waitress was very attentive. We did have a small issue with the items on the final bill but this was resolved without fuss. Certainly highly recommend.

We really enjoyed our visit to The Starfish. The service was very good and the food was delicious. The seafood pasta was scrummy with plenty of seafood and the sauce was to die for. They also sell my favourite wine (Sancerre) by the glass which...

Came here for dinner with family, we were a large table but booked in advance. We have been before to the starfish and loved it. The food is absolutely delicious, could not fault anyone’s meal. The service needs a lot of work. The staff are...

Our friends were moored in Tarbert, so we took the opportunity to drive down & sample the re-booted Starfish. The experience honestly couldn't have been better. We'd told them in advance I was vegetarian, & they'd worked out a special veggie menu so I wasn't...

This is the worst service and food I have ever experienced. Long time to wait for food and when it did finally arrive 1.5 hrs later disappointing. Scallops x 3 could hardly see on plate for £15. Fish 3 very small pieces on plate for...

Good food shame about the service. Staff urgently need training in customer service. Simple things such as clearing away the empty starter plates when the mains arrive. Don't leave a table empty handed. Serving so called chapati 10 minutes after the main course. No style...

Was a great restaurant now has lost the plot…Turing customer away at 7..50 pm with 6 free tables……service very very average and simply not as good as it used to be….such a shame…….

Always such a lovely place, great welcome, fabulous food, the scallops a definite hit! Service brilliant, we’ll definitely be back.

So disappointed. We had been meaning to try this restaurant for years and eventually saved up to go. Straight away we sensed an unusual atmosphere. The chef had just shown face to moan very loudly that customers had arrived. The waitress although nice seemed very...

Shocking service and food! Used to be a favourite and from the moment we walked in we realised something had changed! And it had - the owner in 2021. Firstly we were the only people in, yet when another couple came in the waitress said...

What has happened to this restaurant? It used to be such good value with great specials board. 3 tiny scallops for £15 is a disgrace. Seafood pasta was good but langoustine on top was small and overcooked. Place was half empty which was never the...

Veruit de beste Sint-Jacobsschelpen ooit gegeten! Boterzacht, licht krokant en recht uit zee. Wat moet dat meer zijn? Daarna zeevruchtenspaghetti...

Friendly staff.Excellent food.Best seafood pasta I've ever had.Reasonably priced and lots of choice.

Three small scallops for £15. Main course of hake that was very bland. 5x white wines unavailable and a limited specials board. Voiced my disappointment to the waitress and she said she would pass it on but sadly no feedback. Such a disappointment as we...

Great lobster bisque starter followed by seafood pasta. Both very good. Good friendly service. Only disappointment was lack of beer. Choice of 3 lagers.

Wonderful choice of seafood! Regularly changing specials, nice ambience, friendly staff. Recommend booking.

Fantastic food, fresh of the boat and cooked to perfection by the very tall chef!!! Atmosphere and craic with the staff was superb but the showpiece was the food. We had to have starters as they sounded and tasted just as good. The spaghetti with...

Best meal we have had so far! Fresh hake and delicious seafood spaghetti with a fresh landed langoustine on it! Kids menu perfect, and we had a delicious rhubarb crumble with fresh cream for dessert. Good wine choices, and a whisky of the week (we...

After a pint of Loch Fyne craft beer, whilst being serenaded by the magnificent Loch Fyne Pipe Band, we had yet another amazing meal in The Starfish. Anchovies, sourdough, humus followed by Sea Bass, mussels, clams and tatties, absolutely superb. Wine selection is quality and...

My husband and I booked for dinner with two other couples and had a phenomenal experience. The freshest, yummiest langoustines, delicious Cullen skink and tasty wine list. We recommend this place and would go again.

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Starfish Restuarant. Food was delicious and staff so very attentive. The atmosphere was lively as the Scottish series was in Tarbert which gave Tarbert a wonderful buzz.

Had a fantastic lunch here for a birthday treat day out from the Isle of Arran. The food consisted of excellent quality ingredients cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. Even the table and glassware have been chosen with an eye for modern elegance. Loved the...

It’s a simple recipe, but rarely done as well as this. Find the freshest fish (not too difficult in this case as the boats are berthed perhaps 100m away), treat with care and deliver plates of flavoursome delights. We had a wonderful meal there last...

A year on from my last review which was far from complimentary I can say tonight we had a lovely meal. My husband had the hake which he said was beautifully cooked and I had the seafood spaghetti, we shared a bottle of wine, vast...

Wow - an amazing find, just behind the harbour in Tarbert. Outstanding scallops, amazing flavours, all 4 dishes v v good. Got there early, so got in with no booking, but they were soon turning people away. One friendly, helpful waitress, able to accommodate my...

Without doubt, the best sea food meal I have ever eaten. Oysters, anchovies, sea bass with mussels. The new chef is absolutely amazing and the staff are wonderful. The fish is brought to the restaurant daily just up the road from the harbour, couldn't get...

Brilliant service, very welcoming and informative about food choices. Great food with fresh local produce used. Great, relaxed setting and the food was delicious. Weren’t excepting walk ins so please book to avoid disappointment. Highly recommended.

First of all, staff were efficient and helpful. Food was disappointing. The fish was over cooked and I found a hair in mine. Had been looking forward to our visit but unfortunately we won’t be back.

We got a last minute Easter lunch booking. The food was fantastic and service excellent. The chef is ex Hebridean Princess via Glencoe. Really lovely place and only been open under this management for a couple of weeks.

The entire experience exceed expectations. Food & Desert quality and portion size were outstanding.

Been here twice now while in Tarbert, a lovely place to eat with great food just off the harbour. Very good service from friendly staff, well worth the visit.

The starter and main courses tasted terrible. Langoustine tasted of ammonia. Fried haddock was served up with soggy batter and burnt chips so old oil used. Starters microwaved and would have expected fresh considering the cost of the food. Avoid at all cost. Actually looking...

We popped in for lunch and were not disappointed! The service was ok the food was amazing! we had the torched macheral and added crab chips as a side really good with a nice bottle of white wine we will be back

If you enjoy seafood, this is an excellent restaurant. situated just off the harbour in the centre of Tarbert. Although mainly seafood, they offer beef, chicken and vegetarian options. The quality of the food, cleanliness of the restaurant and service of the staff are all...

Visiting area for a short break and discovered Starfish was open. Was a reduced menu, but food was of usual high standard. Hake was lovely as was the seafood trio. The maple pano cotta was superb. Staff were their usually helpful group. This is a...

A frustratingly disappointing visit based on the terrible service. Please note that the food itself is really good and I recommend the food. However we went today as a family and as soon as we walked in we realised that it was busy and there...

Excellent family meal for 15. Food served timely by fantastic staff and was delicious. The restaurant itself is lovely and we had a great time.

Came for dinner on a Friday night and had the most fantastic meal - starter, main and sides completely delicious. Would absolutely recommend!

Fresh seafood. Great atmosphere. Service is excellent and friendly. Can’t recommend highly enough. Had the mussels in lobster bisque and half lobster and chips, both specials I believe and both excellent.

We visited for lunch on Saturday and had the most amazing experience. The food was exceptional - some seafood aficionados in our group of five and the fish was the best we have eaten in a long time. As well as the main menu (different...

Second time dining here. On both occasions the food has been excellent. Chef clearly knows how to prepare seafood. Simple dishes like whitebait and calamari done perfectly with restraint in cooking time and seasoning.

My husband and I booked a return weekend to Tarbert based on our fantastic dining experience at the Starfish this time last year. We had the most amazing food with great service and felt it was one of the best meals we'd ever had. Sadly...

Horrific! The waiters were lovely but at least 2 groups of diners walked out - we waited an hour and 15 minutes between our starter and main - by the time our main courses arrived the potatoes were stone cold and the sea trout was...

have been going to starfish for many years, the blackboard used to be cramed with specials, ate there a week ago and just two specials on the board, one of which was sold out. food was good, hake portion was very small, service was good,...

Wobbly table given to us, when we asked for it to be fixed we were told that 6 people had complained about it - so why were we shown it!!! Order missing a starter despite asking twice for it. One main was ok - no...

Une table excellente. Des saveurs exquises. Tout est préparé avec soin avec des produits frais. Établissement très professionnel avec une...

Un délice... Nous avons commandé une grosse assiette de linguine aux fruits de mer, c'était simplement délicieux. Le bouillon était...

After being told by previous diners that this restaurant was well worth a visit, we gave it a go.. We decided to order starters and loaded chips with crab. The starter of crab / avocado on a crumpet wasn't great .Standard tea time crumpet was...

We had booked for the 9 of us on the 16th as we were holidaying near by. We received a call on the morning of the 16th to say the chef was very Ill and they couldn’t fulfill tonight but they would call us back...

We booked a week ahead for six people. The only possibility was at 5.15pm on Thursday. There were only 2 other diners until after 6pm. The main fish dish was not available because of delivery failure. The remaining menu was so sparse that we had...

Beautifully prepared and presented seafood, friendly, relaxed atmosphere and generally great dining experience. We will definitely be back. Highly recommended!

Excellent food and good atmosphere as before. Attentive servers but could perhaps benefit from an additional one. They worked well and were great but had to work really hard with the restaurant full.

We returned to The Starfish having raved about it to friend. Our second visit didn't disappoint. The food was delicious and the staff were friendly and very helpful. Fresh seafood at its best.

We wandered into Starfish after a long drive. They were unsure if they could fit us in, but quickly worked out the tables and got us a table, which worked for our dog and us! The food may have been a little slow to come...

The food and wine were excellent but the service wasn’t great. I understand there were issues with staff absence due to Covid. Those working front of house were rushed off their feet. Big portion of Whitebait as a starter and lovely, meaty monkfish for main....

Food was nice, but the waiting staff seemed to really struggle. We had to prompt for plates to be removed, to order drinks, to order condiments, to ask for cutlery - ie spoons to eat the Cullen skink —- all after waiting first before having...

For a small town this is an out-sized quality restaurant. The seafood was fresh and good, and the service was eager and responsive. Several choices for wine on the list. The atmosphere and decor were appropriate for the fish scene.

Returned to the restaurant oh a busy Friday night, first time since the new management. Still a warm friendly welcome, and attentive service. Great food (still) - I understand an oven was inoperative but this had no impact on the quality of the food delivered,...

Cannot understand some of the negative reviews. From entering the restaurant the service was excellent and very attentive. For the comment about the food being over priced, the prices are comparable with other restaurants in the area. Would recommend this restaurant and will be returning...

I have read some of the recent negative comments and would simply add that these keyboard ‘experts’ must have been eating somewhere different to where my family and I visited this evening. The menu was varied and the quality of the various dishes our party...

New management. Under staffed. Food good but they need to be aware of coeliac issues. Got meal with wheat and meat when clearly said don’t eat meat and coeliac. Waiter wrote it down big mistake in kitchen. Big mistake and need to be very aware...

Was soo looking forward to our visit but it just was not for us. Great play is made of the specials but sea bass is hardly special along with mussels ? Anyway ordered the mussels for starters and although ok nothing special about them ....

My seafood cocktail with lime & chilli jam (at £10) was a shallow strip - about 10cm x 3cm of shrimps so completely drowned in seafood sauce that you couldn’t actually taste any seafood. My crab linguini (at £16.50), whilst advertised as coming with cori,...

After exploring the area we spotted this neat and clean looking 'Chippy' so we gave it a try and were not disappointed. Good portions, very hot, quality fish and chips, unlike our experince in some other urban parts of Scotland. A friendly chat and active...

How lucky is Tarbert to have at least two top class restaurants, this being one of them. Such a warm, friendly welcome from the staff who quietly but helpfully got on with making sure guests were happy. The food was excellent. I had Stone Bass...

The service was friendly though chaotic. But the food was so delicious that you could forgive that. The piece of stonebass I had was the best price of fish I have ever tasted. Would definitely come again if we were staying in Tarbert longer than...

Fabulous food. Good and fair priced wine list. Lunch menu varied although today fresh scallops unfortunately didn’t feature. Whilst our waitress Mary was delightful the overall dining experience is lacking a warm and enthusiastic presence .

Excellent restaurant. Very good service. Seafood marvellous.Langoustines and Cullen Skink were a highlight.Recommend and we’ll hopefully get the opportunity to go again.

Since we last visited there has been a change in ownership so, we were interested to see if the standard was as good. We were not disappointed. Food, and service excellent. Great atmosphere. You have to book as its very popular.

A delightful restaurant and gallery with good fish menu with tasty dishes. Between us we enjoyed the crab linguini and smoked haddock dishes. My guest suggested there could have been a little more crab in his dish but it was delicious. The haddock was lovely...

A lovely evening, food was sublime. I had the simply grilled fish of the day which was stone bass fillet, followed by lemon tart; my partner had the scallops to start which were perfectly cooked followed the monkfish curry and the ginger pud, all complemented...

Starfish is one of our favourite restaurants in Tarbert and last night's visit was the first this year. Food was good but not up to previous standard and much less of a choice of specials and menu choice is less. Also handed flimsy paper menu...

We had heard rave reviews about this restaurant but we heard from other restaurant goers that it has recently changed hands and has not been the same since. We booked for 2pm for what we thought was the last lunch sitting before the 5pm dinner...

This is still a good restaurant. I think there are new owners recently, the menu has certainly changed and is far more condensed than it used to be. This used to be my favourite restaurant anywhere; and the best seafood restaurant I have ever been...

Fab fresh food especially seafood. Excellent service. - very friendly and relaxed. Definitely do not miss when in Tarbert.

I visited here with family last week and it was incredible! The staff are so attentive and friendly, the food was so tasty and really good portion sizes, and they have a really good range of wines and drinks. 10/10 would recommend and will definitely...

Excellent seafood restaurant and very reasonably priced. Lovely friendly staff. Good selection of wine. Can highly recommend the monkfish, absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked. Although busy, we never felt rushed and staff very attentive.

During our 3 day stay in Tarbert we booked a table for our 2nd night and ended up going back on the 3rd evening. Not a big restaurant, thankfully, rather a cosy and very friendly space with excellent service from all the staff. This means...

First rate meal at this lovely little restaurant. An absolute must for anyone visiting Tarbert. The service was friendly and efficient and the food was just amazing. Cannot recommend highly enough!

I have to start by qualifying that I have a very limited appreciation of seafood - I would almost always prefer something from terra firma but my wife and the friends we were with really enjoy it so along we went and I couldn't be...

We had a variety of dishes... scallops, halibut, mussels, langoustines, artichoke tagliatelle, walnut and pear salad, liqueurs and soft drinks. All of the food was excellent. Knowledgable, helpful and friendly staff. We had a wee dog...he was quiet under our table...but came out for a...

We had booked our table for 7.30 but were an hour early. No problem, we were given a seat near the bar and had a negroni and a gin and tonic. Both excellent. As a table came up we were seamlessly moved to it. We...

Another lovely night at one of our favourite restaurants, great food and super staff. Mains were halibut and goan monkfish curry both delicious. Very relaxed evening so thank you Gillian Brenda, girls and chef , see you next year

Booked Starfish at the last minute for 7 people. From the moment of arriving to the leaving what a pleasure. Nothing was to much trouble . The staff very friendly and and great humuor . The food to die for . Pictures attached . Throughly...

Wow, wow, wow.First class food. Cooked and served to perfection. Everything was so fresh - nothing better than the taste of fresh seafood!. And staff to match - so friendly and helpful. Amazing flavours, amazing staff - what more can you ask for?

Tucked into a side street in the pretty fishing port of Tarbert, this unpretentious and very homely restaurant offers a wonderful and wide selection of the freshest sea food in the world, served in delicious and generous dishes. We booked in for one night on...