The Bull & Claw in Ards

We dropped into the Claw & Bull on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon with no booking. The whole town of Portaferry was buzzing and we could see from the crowded beer garden that they were very busy. Even though we didn’t have a booking they found us a table with an amazing view overlooking the lough. The food was amazing and the staff were very attentive and friendly. Looking forward to a return visit very soon.

Went for lunch today to find a dog was allowed to roam freely around a restaurant. When our food came to the table the large dog came over and started to smell our food . Waitress did nothing ! she had a poor attitude from the start anyway - poor service -never again disgusting!!!

When I was student at QUB, we came here for drinks after work - it was a typical small village pub. 50 years later what a difference!! We called in for lunch and were blown away with the quality of the food on offer. My wife had the Strangford Crab and King Prawn linguini with scallions, lemon and chilli, tomato and coriander which had plenty of large prawns and crab in a nicely spiced sauce served with 2 pieces of local soda bread. I had the Strangford seafood Chowder with homemade wheaten bread which offered lots of white fish and salmon with small potato cubes in a creamy sauce. Both dishes were delicious and very tasty, highly recommended. We will return next time we're in Portaferry,

We visited the Bull and Claw on a quiet enough Tuesday evening in Portaferry and were pleasantly surprised to discover a full downstairs area with a lively atmosphere. We were quickly shown to our table and drinks order taken by Conor who was a fabulous host from start to finish. We had chicken liver pate and tomato and red pepper soup to start and two chicken burgers for mains. Only one dessert was needed as the portions were both generous and delicious. However, our abiding memory will be of the warm welcome and friendly banter served up by Conor and the rest of the staff. Big thanks guys and will definitely see you again!

Superb seafood - the seafood sharing platter is the best I have had and the main course of Strangford Crab Claws and Portavogie prawns is embarrassingly generous. Beware the brown bread with the starter - two slices and you will be full ! The crab claws suggest that the crabs in question were Olympic weightlifters.

I've been coming to Portaferry for years ... Eaten every resteraunt in this lovely place .... Like other contributes have mentioned ... The outside doesn't do the place justice . Basically , upstairs , is bright , great views , lovely cherry staff and utterly brilliant food . My new favourite .... Take a bow

Fab wee place. Had no expectations just passing through Portaferry and needed somewhere to eat. So called in and wow was really impressed. Kids loved their meals and honestly the sea bass main and crab and prawn mains were just brilliant. Great cocktail as well by the way.

Staff accommodated a group of 10 without a booking. Quickly arranged a large table with lovely views ( got to see dolphins while dining ) Excellent food and service and relaxing atmosphere. Definitely recommend.

First time for me with these guys. The staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was relaxed. I had the fresh scampi and it was amazing and my partner had the chicken burger. Food amazing and great staff with local knowledge. Will definitely be back for the Cod and Chips

We came to the bull & claw for an early evening meal for my mum’s 60th birthday. We’ve come all the way from Portrush & we had our dog Nevis with us so it was lovely to be able to bring him inside. The staff were lovely & attentive, they treated our dog like royalty & even took my mum’s bottle of wine off the bill when they heard it was her birthday which was a unexpected surprise. The food was superb & they had plenty of vegan options. We can’t wait to come back to Portaferry & especially to the bull & claw. Thank you so much to the staff for making my mum’s birthday so special- it was genuinely above & beyond.

We live locally and have been here a few times . We have always found the staff extremely friendly and helpful. I am vegan and they offer at least 3 choices . The food tonight was really good . My husband thoroughly enjoyed a fish platter and I had a really good aubergine and courgette pate. Lovely staff great views and good food .

Stayed in Portaferry for a week so ate here a few times. Not a huge menu, but enough that you could avoid chips for every meal. Staff were helpful, friendly and polite. Worth a visit

An early evening dinner after a long day at Mount Stewart, very relaxing sat looking out over the Narrows and our boat in the marina. One of us was slightly disappointed that her first choice off the menu was in fact not available, it needs a black line putting through the printed copies. Other than that very minor issue everything was superb, the service was excellent, one of the staff even remembered us from a previous year. All the mains were beautifully cooked and presented, as were the desserts. Considering the quality of our meals this was reasonably priced as well, I have paid more for much lower standards elsewhere recently. We will most definitely be back!

Such a disappointment! Don’t go mid week, upstairs restaurant isn’t open, obviously too hard to climb the stairs for staff or provide enough staff to provide a decent and friendly service. Extremely unwelcoming and unfriendly, it was like the customers were a hassle for the staff, even though the customers pay to dine there. Staff just huddled behind the bar chatting. Our mains take an age to arrive even thou the place was empty and weren’t cleared. It really was a very poor performance, including the large dog in the way on arrival, take a few tips from your donaghadee team.

Definitely a go-to place for when you are in Portaferry. We visited this place for the frist time over the weekend and we were amazed at not only the quality of food, but also the service. We had the fish & chip and chocolate fudge for dessert. This is easily one of, if not the best meal we’ve ever eaten. I cannot recommend this place enough! Such a warm and welcoming environment and the waitress Karen was so friendly and welcoming will definitely be back again!

We came here because it was dog friendly & the resident Rottweiler is a pussycat! The food & service were both fantastic, the menu varied & unusual. Would highly recommend!

A very good meal venison child con carne with home made tortilla crisps wild rice excellent warm frangipane dessert. Good service and cappuccino.

Great food with a great selection. Staff were friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommend this spot to anyone thinking of trying it, will happily return myself

Great spot! Was reassuringly busy even for a Monday lunch time. My picky eater son orders the Portavogie Scampi (Shrimp) with home made tartare sauce. I expected him not to like it so I just had the seafood chowder as I expected him to pass...

Attended for dinner and enjoy main course and dessert. Unfortunately our starters had been forgotten about. Enjoyed the food served and the waitress was really helpful, friendly and professional. We enjoyed our first visit.

I love a good meal and I love a boisterous pub. Not necessarily at the same time though. We had a nice meal and the staff were very friendly, but we were caught up in an 18th birthday party which seemed to get rowdier and...

Great food and drinks, lovely staff! But…. The beer garden was full of dog poo, big lumps everywhere! Really put me of my food which is such a shame as it’s a lovely restaurant.

Visited with family one of whom requested dairy free information. After considerable wait we were told which menu items were dairy free. The waitress did not really give the impression of being allergen aware or the importance of it . Having chosen the scampi the...

Dined here last night with friends before heading to a show. Party of six and we had a range of drinks, starters and mains, all of which were excellent. From crabs claws as starters to fish, steak, chicken dishes all were cooked perfectly, excellently presented...

Fabulous Tom Yum curry with crab claws, hake, prawns, wild rice and amazing sauce! If you love seafood and Thai cuisine, it’s a fabulous fusion without too much heat!

Had a great meal here. The Beer Battered Cod is incredibly delicious. Speedy service. The sticky toffee pudding is the best I've ever had. Loved the decor. All in all a great dining experience!

4 of us ate here on Saturday night, it was one of the most tasty meals we have had in a long time. 2 of us had the seabass, 1 of us the linguine and one the battered cod. All meals had great flavour and...

Stopped here for lunch today , and we were warmly welcomed , sat outside and ordered drinks and food. Couldn't fault it. The service was really attentive , banter good , great food and a lovely outlook. We will be back

Visited the restaurant for a family celebration with family home from London , Glasgow and Madrid. I’ve visited this restaurant before in May and really enjoyed the meal with good service . Sunday instead was a Fawlty towers experience , with firstly not being shown...

Myself and my wife had a lovely meal of prawn linguini and loster. The service was excellent and the bill was very reasonable. Recommended!

This place was wonderful! My friend and I are both vegetarian and were on a day trip and passing through Portaferry but weren't sure what vegetarian options would be available or which restaurants would be best to go to. We went here and the vegetarian...