The Central Bar, Ballycastle in Allerdale

Meh. To be fair, there is stiff competition in the area which may factor into my review. We ordered food and drinks. The pints were decent. The service was decent, the food was ok. The table was sticky and we didn’t linger. My seafood chowder was “ok”. Atmosphere was of a pub that does a lot of business due to its location, more than its appeal. Better options nearby.

UNSAFE FOR YOUNG WOMEN, VERY AGGRESSIVE DOORMAN & SECTARIANISM - DONT RECOMMEND Went to this bar on Saturday 6th July 2024 with a group of 15 women for a hen party. We were having a brillant night keeping to ourselves in a corner of the bar until the live music started, when we went to the dance floor. We then had older men sat recording us the whole time trying to get inappropriate shots of the girls. We reported to the bouncers who said that its a public space and they cant do anything, and the men were probably 'excited' to see young women and probably wanted to 'share some videos with their friends on facebook', we let them know we were uncomfortable with this. The doorman also made a point to let us girls know that he was from a protestant community in Belfast in a manner that we thought was a means to intimidate us as we are from a different community. I spoke with the bar manager who was v.understanding and agreed with us about the inappropriate nature, he actually tried to talk the doorman to also ask them to get the men out, but the doormen refused. He said he couldnt do anything but check the cameras to confirm the conduct was inappropriate, he suggested for our own safety we go elsewhere. I got his contact details and as I was getting them I saw the aggressive doorman hoovering. I asked the bar manager if I could get the doormans name and he said to ask him, so I did, the doorman immediatley got his back up and told me it was illegal to ask, I said okay no problem and turned to walk away, as I turned he grabbed my arm and I asked him not to touch me. I walked back to the bar manager, and the doorman followed me, getting up into my face and reiterating that it was illegal for me to even ask his name, screaming at me demanding to know why I wanted his name, I was stood in shock, I tried to say, that 'I asked, you said no, that's okay,' eventually as the berating continued I felt very scared, intimidated and like the doorman had violent intent, especially since he'd already grabbed me once. I ended up having a panic attack and being helped out of the bar by the bar manager and a friend, both who were shocked themselves at his behaviour. Our group left the bar after this and all the girls spoke to the aggressive nature and sectarianism of the doorman. This is the person whos meant to protect and look after people in the bar, de-escalate situations and make you feel safe, we felt the total oppostie, and for this reason do not recommend. Ive reported the incident to the Security Industry Authority. UPDATE: I contacted the bar to request CCTV, they ignored my requests

The food was simply bad. From the main course to the dessert, everything was very poor. Maybe it's good for a drink, but certainly not for eating

Very nice pub with delicious, vegetarian food

Lovely evening meal visiting ballycastle, very attentive staff, excellent food and great vegan options, the vegan salted chilli chicken was lovely.

We ordered, the kids fish chips, beautiful fish and the batter was excellent (just wish our 4 year old could have appreciated it as much as us) Mussels white wine and cream, this was the stand out. Absolutely fantastic. Roast of the day was ham, it was delicious, soup of the day was tomato, reminded me of my grandmothers. And the Nellie's beef burger, really simple burger but so flavourful. Enjoyed everything! Will be back!

Dark. My salad not available after 15 minutes. Chose chowder , other 3 guests had their food on my request. The potatoes were fridge cold. Could not find any fish pieces, . Did not complain to staff as special wedding anniversary meal for my guests and did not want to cause a scene. So disappointed .

Decent (but not spectacular) food with very generous portions. The menu is maybe around 30% cheaper than what you'd pay at a pub in central London so that was a pleasant surprise. Atmosphere was fine and it feels pretty cosy.

Been eating here last couple years. Recommended to friends and family. Had food yesterday . Food was great my two grandaughters age 2 and 4 wanted ice cream. Two small bowls of ice cream £14 shocked at this! ☹️

A pleasant welcome upon entry, a rather nice atmosphere inside, smiling and helpful staff, the only problem came from the dish, a fairly simplistic burger, 3 basic ingredients, certainly the basis of the burger, but far from to be quality ingredients, so if the price justified it, I would have understood it, but at almost €20, with a few fries, I had a harder time. On the other hand, if you like soup, it's one of their specialties!! But otherwise, the place remains nice and can be very suitable for families with children.

Excellent food and excellent service

Comfy pub to hang out, staff was friendly and helpful.

Just called in for a drink, no food. The staff were nice and it has a quaint interior, all wood. Personally I found it a bit dark.

Without a doubt some of the best pub food we’ve ever had. The fish was fresh and delicious, the chips were exceptional, every element of the roast dinner was cooked perfectly and the turkey gravy was sensational we had to ask for more to share with our chips. It looks like normal pub grub, but it’s next level. I’m just sad this is so far from Belfast so I can’t visit weekly to try their whole menu! 👏🏻👏🏻

Food was nice and they had vegan options. Vibe is a little generic. Lovely staff.

We recently had the opportunity to eat at this restaurant and it was an overall positive experience. The friendliness of the staff was immediately noticeable; We were warmly welcomed and well looked after throughout our stay. The food was really good. The dishes are deliciously prepared. The selection on the menu was varied enough to cater for every taste. Overall it was a pleasant visit and we would be happy to come back. Many thanks to the team for the friendly service and good food.

Ruby the barmaid , is the best barmaid here, no question about it.never waiting to get served when Ruby about. Ruby delivers 100% customer service Thank you Ruby Dave & Jimmy

We had a fairly large group in Ballycastle (20 people) and the hotel recommended amelia Ruas for a group dinner. They were so fab and accommodating we ended up eating there pretty much every night. Even when the party split up into smaller groups. The service, specifically from Steven, was phenomenal. The food was delish and they had life music one night that everyone loved. Would definitely recommend if you’re in the area.

We couldn't stay, the music was far too loud!

Great food and a very large clean establishment with nice staff

Was in for a meal today food was freezing turkey was like rubber didn't get half the stuff we ordered staff was really checky... I tried 2 get the waitress attention 3 times... when I went up 2 pay for the meals I told them the food was a disgrace and the words a so called manger told me was why did we eat it then... I told him the price was that dear we tried our best 2 eat it... defo defo not be back

Sorry to be so honest, but the food here was just bad. My seafood chowder was too salty and my wife's seafood linguine tasted of nothing. The menu said seafood linguine in wine cream sauce, but it was just a thick, floury sauce with no taste. The free dessert didn't improve the overall impression either.

Lovely meal had and Kyle the waiter was lovely all good would definitely recommend

There were four of us and we ate mussels, linguine and roast beef. The mussels were okay to good, the linguine was overcooked and just soaked in cream sauce, and the roast beef was really bad, more boiled than fried, it was tough and it didn't taste like anything. The service also left a lot to be desired. The gluten-free options were only available on paper. All in all disappointing.

The pints were fine but sweeping under my feet while I'm drinking was weird. No food available.

We had a great time and enjoyed the food at Nellie Rua. We ordered chicken curry, chicken bang bang, a chicken burger, and chicken wings. All of them were delicious, though I think the chicken burger could be improved. We also enjoyed the live music at the end.

All good,nice pint of Guinness, good food. Thanks

That was a really super Restaurant. Service was first class and everthing 100 Points. We like very much to come back.

Food was just ok, nothing special.

Wonderful evening and the best fish and chips!

Went out for a drive and came across this wee pub. Great service, great value and food was lovely!

Excellent food, excellent service and the interior is amazing. Bangers and Mash, Fish and Chips, Mussels and Turkey and Ham special were all amazing. A must visit if you’re in Ballycastle.

Great food, lovely and friendly service.

Been here over 3yrs whilst in Ballycastle, NW200. Good food, beers and friendly staff.

Friendly staff. Tasty pub grub. Place was very clean including the toilets

Went here last night was refused entry not by the bouncers but by a bald member of staff. The reason given was because I was wearing denim shorts. Was truly shocked as I drink here semi regularly and have worn this exact outfit here in previous visits. I’ve looked on all their social media and no where do I see any information on this being part of the dress code nor was there a sign anywhere. To top it off from the door way I could see atleast two men in sports shorts inside. It felt more like discrimination for being gay and slightly feminine more so than an actual official dress code.

Food was good Although strawberry ice-cream served with lemon meringue a definite no no. Lemon meringue wasn't overly fresh top was soggy and filling lacked zing. Strawberry ice-cream was too over powering and not a great combination. Fresh cream perhaps or vanilla ice cream would have been better suited with perhaps a lemon drizzle for flavour or a lemon coulis. Steaks however were cooked to perfection and vegetables delicious. Staff were very pleasant and attentive Food wait time was also excellent

Goats cheese & Beetroot salad was amazing. i don't often get a salad but was very glad I did, highly recommend!

Terrible service, I walked out it took so long. People pushing in line, no queue etiquette, bar staff inexperienced, understaffed and slow. will not be back.

Food was good and was only place around that offered selection and took cards. Waitress was charming. Bathrooms are nice and clean, although upstairs.

Fab food, generous portion sizes, quick attentive service and the live music was an added bonus! We visited on a Saturday night and the atmosphere was fab! Well worth a visit if you’re staying local!

My starter was still frozen a voulavants no bottles wine no roast beef which was on the easter deal service awful kids meals took 40 min our 1hr won't be back

Great wee bar with excellent pint of Guinness and good traditional music

Good food and was very fast ,great staff

Bit quiet on our visit but always was beautiful bar. The lighting feels a bit dark when you enter, but your eyes adjust. The barman/waiter was attentive and accommodating. The food itself was a tiny bit slow but worth the wait. Both dishes we got were perfectly cooked and piping hot. Reasonably priced. Pleasant background music without being intrusive. Thoroughly enjoyed it! Good luck going forward see you seen!

Lovely food and staff very friendly 😊

Out for Sunday drive called in for excellent lunch what a real treat could highly recommended will be back.

Under new management apparently and can highly recommend.

We come to Ballycastle the same weekend every year and grab lunch here. Megan behind the bar introduced herself, nice touch, food really nice , had the chicken stack, absolutely loved it, was a little overpriced, for couple potatoes, small piece of chicken sauce and onion, hay o on my holidays, see you next year

Food was 1st class, staff was super friendly and place had a lovely ambiance about it

Classic Irish Pub with delicious fish and chips.

Great place for seafood, I highly recommend the muscles and don't forget to tip Corrick our favorite bartender!

Absolutely awesome! Very tasty! Steak filet as you wish! My very highest recommendation!

Sehr gute Küche , klare Empfehlung

Sadly this public house has moved from family to cooperate hands but still worth a visit

Food was just about ok, would not hurry back.

Fine big bowl of stew, you could do laps of it. Tasty too. Good stout

The waiter acted annoyed when asked about the options for soda or beer. If you don't want this question, put up a menu. Some of the served food wasn't what we ordered. We ordered the Black bean stir fry and got a chili dish. The salad was supposed to have baked goat cheese, but it had something out of a tube. Personally I'm not a fan of having TV screens in a cafe, but I realise that's personal preference. The rest of the interior looked really nice and offered comfortable sitting.

Great for a few drinks and music. Great atmosphere. And really good service.

Extremely small portions and totally overpriced for all it was. Food was just OK, chicken stack was so small just small scraping of potatoes and chicken, no veg or side and cost £17. Lasagne was dry and hard around the edges. Kids meals were also very small my kids all asked for more once they had eaten theirs. Definitely not value for money and unfortunately the food itself wasnt even nice enough to make up for the small portions. We all left still feeling hungry. Service wasn't great, we werent told the specials on arrival, noone came to check on us throughout the meal. This was a treat for the last family meal of our holidays and it left us all disappointed.

Didn't like the music very republican songs

Food was delicious and at a good price, the servers were really nice too :)

Food was absolutely disgusting and very overpriced

Super pub typiquement irlandais, une carte variée, un service de qualite et très bon. Le coloriage pour enfant était bienvenu.

Had food here Friday and Saturday of the Armoy Road racing weekend. Both evenings we top class. Food could not be faulted. Big portions, good service, friendly staff, reasonably priced. Would definitely recommend and will visit again.

Visited Central Bar for the Wednesday summer karaoke 🎤. Fantastic atmosphere with very lively, talented and energetic singers. Great night had by all

Super bien mangé, plat savoureux et vraiment bien fourni, ambiance super chouette !

Beautiful restaurant, staff friendly & efficient, the food was delicious. Thanks

We really enjoyed our dinner here. The service was friendly and communicative and we would definitely come back.

Nel piccolo paese di Ballycastle sicuramente il posto migliore dove pranzare e bere una birra

Everything here was just okay. We ordered a drink and there was hardly any booze in it. The food was adequate but not up to Ireland standards. It felt like an American meal. Frozen --- shipped in --- and thrown together.

A group booking, great variety on menu. Everyone enjoyed their meals, freshly made, plenty of food and very tasty. Am enjoyable night and lovely staff.

😡😡NOT HAPPY ONE BIT ,i visit this bar frequently from time to time with my beloved wife suzie. One night i met an old pal in there who i used to hang about in the old days🤣🤣😂 , walter white , he excessively demanded that i owed him money and told me to step in his taxi but i was absolutely stonkied so proclaimingly refused , i was then met with the leader of the peaky blinders who threatened me with a lot of bad naughty punishments . I now have one arm and 1 leg left . decent night to say the least

Der Zufall brachte uns hierher... perfekt. Der Service von Beginn bis Ende absolut top, schnell und freundlich. Das Essen sehr gut und dann noch Livemusik. 🍀 Ein Hoch dem Zufall.

We visited on Sunday the 18th of June while on a short break and have to say the food was amazing the kids loved it too, Compliments to the Chefs and kitchen staff. All the staff were welcoming , polite and attentive . They were happy and smiling its great to see people happy at work, Nice place with great food and staff.

We ate here one evening. The service was fast, but unremarkable. The food was decent but unremarkable. We had Caesar Salad, fish pie, steak and chips. Not bad but not great. Could do better.

The food was excellent the service was brilliant would definitely go back if was close

It's a cool pub, I love the wood work and the inventory. The food was okay, the Guinness was poured quite well but the service wasn't that nice. Okay all in all.

The Central used to be a great place a few years ago. Unfortunately, in the last 1-2 years the quality of both food and service is steadily going down. After a few bad meals we still gave it a benefit of doubt because we used to be regular guests, but we won't bother to come again after our most recent experience. The staff is completely clueless. I've asked the server what all is in the vegetable curry, given that I've ordered it previously and it was bland and starchy, basically containing nothing but chickpeas, which is not what is described in the menu at all. The answer was "well, vegetables". Yes, but which ones? "Peppers and things, I don't know exactly, I can find out for you." This is not good enough. The servers have no clue what the restaurant they work in has to offer. Then the food arrived and we weren't given utensils. The two sauces we ordered weren't there at all, instead there were two sauces we had zero interest in. Kid's tomato pasta was a bowl of tasteless, unseasoned tomato sauce soup with pasta floating in it. House salad was bad, unseasoned, with tons of cheese and rice (?!) in it. But the biggest shock was that instead of vegetarian honey and chilli penne we were served chicken penne! The meal was virtually ordered looking and pointing at the vegetarian section of the menu, but the server didn't pay attention. They replaced the meal and the right penne were tiny. A fraction of the size of the wrong meal we initially got, it was pretty much a plate of sauce with a few pieces of pasta in it. Yet it's the same price as the meat dish. Overall, this was a very disappointing experience that cemented what we've been hearing from people from a while now, that the Central simply isn't a good place to eat anymore.

As soon as we walked in, I was taken away by the magical atmosphere. The tables were packed with conversation and delicious smelling food. I had a gorgeous fish pie with a beautiful cheesy mash topping - it felt like a perfect dinner in a Northern Irish coastal town. I finished the evening with a sticky toffee pudding, which was to die for! I would say, however, we were slightly disappointed by the service. We were asked on three different occasions to confirm our desserts and my partner had to wait about twenty minutes to be given the bill.

Got seated straightaway and was served by friendly staff quickly. Had the homemade chicken curry and sticky toffee. Very good quality and large potions. Only 4 stars as the dessert came out in 3 waves so people had to wait.

Excellent Guinness and Rioja, staff are friendly and location is spot on.

We passed it along the way. We did not expect such a lovely inside standing outside. We started with the chicken wings and they were awesome. The curry rice and linguini with seafruit tasted also very well and the size was more then enough. We can highly recommend this bar/restaurant.

Great staff and the food was unreal, a lovely family friends bar and restaurant

Have been overcharged by £20 with no considerations to refund me. Food wasn’t amazing as you can expect in a pub.

Slow service no communication from staff to let us no how long the wait food for 45 mins for one starter and hour 15 mins for a 4 mains was average nothing special no offers felt bored waiting disappointing meal every where was booked so came last resort must been short on staff or something as I work in hospitality myself taste of fish with chicken with my partners turkey n ham dinner

Managed to get a table for 4 without booking on a busy easter Sunday evening. The staff were very accommodating and did a good job overall, since it was packed out. Big screens showing sports. Our meals were very good. Mine, the steak burger with fries was huge! Fresh ingredients, nothing missing etc., I just couldn't finish it, delicious as it was. Pricing was about right for a pub. Good atmosphere in general, people all enjoying themselves etc.

Came here after a lot of driving and walking with my wife and her family....the food was some of the best we ever had and the service was excellent....if you are visiting The Giants Causeway and or the Carrick a Rede Bridge then I highly recommend coming here for something to eat.

Great service, staff really friendly and good atmosphere. Food is good as well. 🍺

Skvělá irská hospůdka, perfektní " fish and chips"

Had dinner on Easter Sunday. They were very busy, but still managed to get us a table for 2 with no waiting. Nice food & good atmosphere.

Super Vorspeise, gute Hauptspeise und sehr nettes Service. Das Ambiente ist toll.

Good food and drink at a great price. Staff friendly

Pros:staff lovely,starters nice,Guinness nice,cocktails nice,portions good Cons: empty/lacking atmosphere, they didn't have steak which we weren't informed about until it came to ordering which meant we had to rethink choices/caused delay, they also had to check if they had jelly as part of the kids menu, waited a while for starters to be cleared and we wanted to order a second drink (we were sitting with empty glasses) but there was no staff at all on the floor or behind the bar (I actually went looking) I think the two girls went for a break which is totally understandable but even from a security point of view you think you'd have at least one person about, eventually a lovely male server came and was very attentive, the kids meal was a frozen burger, husbands burger was OK came with frozen fries and frozen onion rings, my salmon was tasteless due to the fact I couldn't eat the accompanying chorizo butter which had obviously been cut straight out of the fridge or freezer and just tasted like cold butter, they'd put it under the brocoli so this was cold also,cream sauce on the sauce had a very odd bland taste so i didnt eat it at all,didn't complain at the time as we just wanted a quick meal and had a toddler with us, quite expensive overall for food that isn't all made on site

Great Guinness, nice customer service terrific food, what more could you want.

Lovely afternoon here with family.

Great staff and decent food. Good pint of guiness too.

We absolutely loved our visit here. Staff were super friendly and helpful. Portion sizes were incredible and food was delicious. Thank you so much 😊

Used to love this place but got a disappointing meal about a year ago - gave it another go on Christmas Eve and delighted to find it back to it's usual standard. Large portions of lovely lightly battered cod, great chips and nicely presented with a generous salad garnish along with the usual tartare/mushy peas/lemon. Back to being our go to treat when visiting the Antrim coast.

Went today for Christmas lunch cold no atmosphere only us eating in the bar says everything. Sauces claggy just not good 5 off us no one enjoyed their meal so disappointed went across the road to. Another bat lovely log fire packed such a difference and food looked amazing. Never be back in central testable