The Black Bull Inn in Argyll & Bute

We loved our fish & chip meal here. The staff were fantastic...sadly this pub CLOSES indefinitely from Saturday 28th September.

Vey well priced food menu with lots of options available, and the food was great. Very fast service and polite staff. The beef steak pie and the spinach and ricotta tortellini was lovely (only thing is I didn't know my pasta dish came garlic bread so I ordered some as a side dish, then ended up with heeps... but it was lovely, and I ate almost it all 😋)

The steak pie is delicious, and the service is top-notch.

Excellent service, super friendly staff! 🤩 The food was amazing, the desert was okish 😁

A good old fashioned pub with good beer.

Lovely lunch here. The homemade Minestrone soup was fabulous! The tuna mayo panini was also first- class.

Lovely little pub, popped in for a pint after dinner elsewhere. Had a little band doing a great job in there.

Nice traditional pub with nice atmosphere. Decent live music being played (Saturday evening) which matched the relaxed ambience of the place.

Stopped here for a bite of lunch we had panini and chips gotta say it was quite expensive for what it was but food was good staff friendly

We popped in for food, but there were no tables (book in advance), so we stopped for a beer in the bar area. The food that kept going past looked good, fresh traditional pub food. Staff are friendly and the pub is bustling.

Had a family meal and drinks in the Black Bull in Rothesay. Service was excellent as was the food. Haggis starter, Scampi and dessert. All were excellent. Also attended the fortnightly quiz evening. Lovely traditional pub feel with 3 different sections of the pub.

Cosy traditional pub. We had the battered haddock and chips and the steak pie and chips. On the menu the fish had mushy peas but they willingly replaced them with garden peas and the steak pie had a lovely variety of vegetables included. The meat was delicious but the "pie crust" was really a chunk of puff pastry put on top.

Popped in for drinks and had the minestrone soup which was lovely and came with a small hot roll and butter. Very friendly barmaids.

Nice friendly pub, lovely staff, traditional pub food done very well, great sticky toffee pudding

Joined the pub quiz, the place was incredibly welcoming. Pleasant drinks, wonderful staff coping very well on a busy evening. Had a great night!

I went here with my partner for quiet drinks after a day out walking on Isle of Bute. When we went in there were plenty tables in front of bar so sat there. After our second round of drinks we were told by bar staff we had to move into back of the bar as tables in front of bar were being used for meals. When we moved to back of bar there were no seats available. At aged 60 not good to have spent a lot on drinks and unable to be seated after a long day walking. Bar staff also told us we were in the way when standing in back of bar and we then left as did not feel welcome. This pub clearly prioritises customers who have booked meals. Will not be returning and fo not recommend. Avoid at all costs as attitude of the staff was disrespectful.

Very friendly and reasonably priced service excellent

I cant' comment on the food because I didnt get any. We had booked lunch for the end of our walk but on arrival a sign on the front door said No dogs apart from assistance dogs. This information is not on the website and it wasnt mentioned during booking. However I'm versetile and the inn says it does take away. So my husband went in with the rest of the group to have his lunch and get a carry out for me and since I was now going to eat outside on my own to get a treat hopefully a sausage for our dog. No way they said we dont have anything to serve something for the dog. A pub searving food with no tinfoil, clingfilm or greaseproof paper and how do they serve carryout. So nil points for the bull.

Great portion sizes and friendly waitress. We would return!

Very welcoming, staff and locals very friendly. Didn't have food.

Nice wee pub in Rothesay, friendly staff and locals.

Very good food, helpful people. Looked after dietary needs. Won't be the last time we've been there on this vacation.

What a Wee gem of a place the Food and Drinks Staff Everything Fantastic Only Pub in Town to serve great homemade food Highly Recommended Reasonable prices aswell Had drinks and a starter Haggis Pakora 😋😋included in price

Really lovely food for all the family. Good portion sizes. Proper pub food which is sometimes hard to come by. Staff were really friendly and service was fast, even for our large group. Would definitely book again if ever visiting the Island in the future.

Don't know about food or drink , walked in the front door to be told very abruptly we are fully booked ..no offer of having a drink or any customer service whatsoever. Hopefully the people that have booked get better service .really disappointed

A lovely little pub. The food was great. The staff were very welcoming

A good pub meal. Staff were lovely, food was decent enough, and there was beer !

Just had our Christmas meal food was great beef rib was to die for service was top notch as always 👍

Wonderful place! All the staff were so lovely and welcoming. Food was 10/10. Will definitely be returning when in Bute 💞

We found this lovely pub when on a day trip and we were welcomed the food was good quality and the portions generous I would highly recommend it .

In October one real ale on. Good pub food

Lovely people great food and a cozy atmosphere

Nice older world Inn type of pub staff very nice and friendly

excellent food and very nice staff catered perfectly

Lovely food. Would have preferred some vegan options too. Had to make do with vegetarian.

Good pub grub, decent portions too. Really friendly staff, a winner

If you like a tennets get one here, lovely great staff

This is an old pub next to the harbour with a good history. We had a very nice dinner . I had scampi and my wife had a sirloin steak both served with the ubiquitous chips and veg. Nice clean pub and quick service. Can be difficult to prebook especially if they have a function in the back lounge but worth the effort

Couldnt find anything attractive about this place at all. It has been a miserable, real old school, drinking mans howff for the 50 years, I've been going to Rothesay. Its not alone. The town has several such like establishments the island is famous for its scenic beauty but when it comes to hospitality and entertainment there is everything to be desired. The " Doon the Water" heydays are long gone. There is little in the way of good evening entertainment to attract the holidaymaker.😱🙄

Popped in for lunch on Saturday the pub has a good atmosphere friendly staff. We both ordered steak pie the portion was good but the meat was tasteless needed seasoning the chips were too big and some were hard the pastry was over cooked and too flaky for £13.95 it should have been better .I know you can’t please everyone. Most people won’t complain at the time they will just eat it .

Pre-booked a table for 7pm..one of our party arrived 6.55 and was told if we didn't order by 7pm they wouldn't take our order. Very early to stop serving especially when we had prebooked. Was told the only vegan option was "the chicken salad without the chicken". We left with out eating. Is a shame as it is a cosy wee pub with good prospects.

Nice place for a drink but restaurant hours so variable difficult to know if the kitchen will be open. Shame especially during tourist season.

Great pub very friendly and welcoming. Great pub grub too but check and book as not serving food every day and night and it’s in demand so it’s best to book.

Good prices. Clean and tidy. Lovely staff and good atmosphere

Great pub and reasonably priced food, would go back

A group of 7 of us called in for lunch at this lovely authentic old pub and found the staff to be very welcoming and friendly, the food was delicious and their choice in beers impressive, 2 of my party were visiting from Germany and were amazed to see there was even a Bavarian beer on tap. I will definitely be back.

Fabulous service as we needed to catch the ferry. Very good fish n chips. Very attentive and friendly

Excellent meal & great service...

Good pub for a pint and a meal or snack.

My husband and I popped in here on Friday night for a bite to eat. The kitchen was soon closing but they managed to accommodate us both. I ordered the steak pie and I think it has to be the best I have ever tasted. My husband ordered a burger which he also said was amazing. We popped in again the next night and again they managed to squeeze us in whilst the were very busy, which we both can’t thank Rita enough for. On this night we ordered soup for starter which was a great portion size and roasting hot. For our mains I had the macaroni and it was delicious but unfortunately I just couldn’t managed to finish as I was full to the brim. My husband ordered a rib of beef served with peppercorn sauce which was so tender and just melted in your mouth. Quirky little pub with amazing staff that were so helpful and friendly. They also go above and beyond in everything they do and are a total credit to the black bull team. Great job guys! Will hopefully be back to visit again the next time we are on the beautiful Isle of Bute.

Close to ferry terminal ideal for familys with young children catered for

Flash was a heated frozen fillet and chips were bland. For the location and cost I was expecting much more. The back pub was filled with locals and would not pass a health inspection. They need to be reported especially the disgusting state of the toilets. Avoid at all costs

Great place for an evening meal. I recommend you book in advance. It also has a good menu.

Bar staff very nice food excellent service good

Excellent place to eat. Went with friends, had a great time. Friendly staff who had time for us.

Fabulous pub grub. Really excellent quality with pricing spot on. The staff are simply delightful. Highly recommended if visiting Rothesay x

The wife and I were having a wee overnight stay on the Island and had lots of places to choose from for dinner but chose the Black Bull as it was recommended by our B&B. When we walked in it was very small and had but a few tables so we thought ourselves lucky to get a table as we had not booked, however we soon realised that this was just one part of the place when a family came in and were shown the family room where kids are allowed to be and also noticed another bar to the back so very deceiving big place. We had sat down and got chatting with a family who were sat at a table getting ready to leave and upon recommendation from the daughter I chose the steak pie for my main and my wife chose scampi. We both also had garlic mushrooms for starters. The breaded garlic mushrooms came swimming in a sauce with 2 pieces of garlic bread. To me they appeared like just any garlic breaded mushrooms that you get from Iceland or farm foods however the sauce they swam in was delicious and I could have sat with garlic bread and dooked in it all day long. Then along came out mains and the girl wasn't wrong the steak pie was huge and the scampi was plentiful. The steak in the pie was delicious and full of gravy, the chips were cooked to perfection and tasty, veg was plenty too consisting of green beans, broccoli and carrots. The pastry was possibly over cooked for some folks liking and didn't have that kinda gooy bit that you sometimes find and the minute you tried to cut into it it broke into a million pieces however it was still delicious. The wife stated the scampi was delicious and lots of it, came with tartar sauce, mushy peas and chips. It must have been nice as she finished the lot. Unfortunately due to the massive plate fulls we were unable to get a pudding but hopefully next time. We had just gotten back from a family holiday in Spain and have to say this was the best food we had eaten in 2 weeks.

Delicious food - top quality. Amazing choice available and all freshly cooked. We had haddock and skinny fries followed by Belgian chocolate cheesecake, both fantastic! Lovely barlady Anglie was so happy and welcoming. A truly great experience. Thank you! Tony & Angela

Fish and chips was fantastic , best I've had in a long time . Nice and crisp batter not your usual greasy soggy stuff were now accustomed to. Definitely return , thanks.

My food had no taste to it the puff pastry was so tough 😫

Mum and I came here as were at a loss on where to go and stumbled across it, ended up having a really nice meal in a pub that has a very nice atmosphere and lovely staff. Was a shame we couldn't stay longer due to me misreading the ferry timetables

Managed to get a table. Great food and service as always. One of the best places in Rothesay for food. Be back again.

Refused to put horse racing on tv

This is a wonderful place to stay,and the views are incredible

Excellent service and nice atmosphere

Nice pub good food and served real Scottish ale 🍺

I live over on the mainland but it's worth the ferry trip for this place alone. A normal pub menu but fantastic specials, real beer and a great atmosphere. I can't recommend it highly enough

Food was okay. Frozen chips-tasted fine. Steak pie was quite nice and veg fine too. Burger was poor. Small, dry, lack or ingredients or flavour. Have to pay extra for cheese which I ordered but didn't come. I'd have given 2 stars for food but 5 for service. Staff are welcoming and lovely! I'd be happy to pay more for better quality food when you have professional and lovely staff.

Cosy wee pub , friendly staff , would recommend 🍷🍺💕

We were looking for a pub lunch on our first visit to the island. Had noted the good reviews on trip advisor and thought let’s give it a try. Doesn’t seem appealing from outside but don’t let that put you off , once inside a warm welcome awaits and both the food and service were excellent. Building steeped in history. Not to be missed

Staff were very helpful and friendly

Big party of 18. Ordered in advance. Some orders missing. Staff rather disinterested. As long as food went out. Did apologise for missing dishes. Food itself was average. Bit greasy. Won’t rush back.

McQueen burger - seriously, one of the best burgers I've had in my lifetime. Had the extra burger with cheese and mushroom. Steaky awesomeness in a bun. We were there Friday night in April just off the ferry - worth phoning to book a table, just in case.

Mac and cheese wiz magic. Cracking pint of Guinness. Very welcoming and friendly.

We popped in unplanned, for lunch, as first time customers… We’ll definitely be back though. Our food was lovely and we were greeted with a smile and offered a cosy table in the warm and inviting snug. The lady was busy and certainly got her steps in! However, it was refreshing to see how attentive she was to every customer. Fantastic portion sizes and great quality food. Thank you.

Central location, Friendly staff, Great food and all very reasonably priced.

A group of 9 of us had a Christmas dinner here. Everyone in the group enjoyed the meal. Service was excellent, food tasty and well presented. Price was reasonable. No hesitation in returning. .

The food was wonderful and the staff were exceptional

Lovely little place for a bit of lunch food good and beers great.

Called on Saturday afternoon for a meal and drinks.The food was good and plenty of it .Beers also good.Made to feel welcome.When in Rothsey again will call

Absolutely fabulous food and great service… what a great place to go for a meal

Visited recently. The food was good, however the server had forgotten to tell us about the specials. On hearing the specials being offered to the table next to us, who came in 5 minutes later, our hearts sank! We would have definitely chosen different options...

Service food and price excellent. Well worth a visit.

Amazing people amazing service. Amazing food 11/10

Traditional pub opposite Rothesay ferry terminal and very handy for town centre. Friendly bar staff, pub games, meals served, real ale.

After a long walk and having just missed the ferry we went for a pint in The Bull. Fantastic traditional pub atmosphere. A refreshing pint of Abbott. Friendly barmaid. Controversial these days, but no children. A good pint and chat to round off a perfect day in a great wee pub.

Great beer and food and friendly welcome - all you could want from a pub. Was not open on Mondays when we were there, which was a pity.

We had a lovely meal on Sunday, I'm gluten intolerant and there is always at least 3 choices for me 👏👏. Thanks to Angie and her team who are always so welcoming and friendly. 🌹🌹

Staff are nice and good pub food.

Popular place on the front. Normally got 2 real ale taps on. Busy atmosphere, food OK, long time since I ate there. But a favourite of mine for a beer.

What a great place, staff exceptional. Food was wonderful. Started with pate and mozzarella sticks both lovely. For mains we both chose haddock and chips, beautiful piece of fish and very nice chips. Price with three ciders and a Cappuccino was £49. Very impressed with both the wonderful staff and food. We will be back.

Meal was great although we waited a long time to get meal drinks served straight away staff friendly

Yesterday as part of our day trip to Rothesay, we popped in to this local pub for lunch. We had pre-booked our table for 5 people, it was all set-up and ready for us arriving. Staff were attentive and the food was ample, warm and...

Great food, excellent service good value

Superb pub grub made with high quality ingredients, complimented by excellent, attentive, and friendly staff. We had a small child in our party and I was moved by the staff's attention and affection given directed to them.

Really nice pub. Lovely staff. Ok selection of beers. Great to chill out in and have a couple of beers with friends.

The staff in here where fantastic bubbly and great banter. And the food was fantastically prepared and absolutely delicious

We visited this pub during a holiday in Bute and found a place where good honest pub food was served in an efficient, friendly manner. It was very much a standard pub menu at sensible prices and with good portions.

Went out for dinner on our Saturday night here in Rothesay. Owner of the pub was extremely friendly and made us feel very welcome. Excellent pub food, nothing fancy or out-of-this-world, but a fantastic steak pie and sticky toffee pudding! Would recommend highly if you’re...

Friendly staff, nice bar - best in Rothesay… 🤔