The Islay Hotel in Argyll & Bute

Scallops were absolutely delicious and the beef and ale pie was melt in the mouth. A great selections of wines and a lovely stop for dinner after a long day visiting distilleries. Staff were attentive, surprised just how busy it was for a Monday evening.

What an amazing hotel. Everything from the reception, the staff , the food , the rooms and especially the manager Nigel. No one could have done more for our group. We were made to feel special at every turn. Amazing. !

A great local pub with quite good food. The smoked haddock soup was excellent. It is also a relaxing place to have a quiet pint.

Nous n’avons pas eu la chance de pouvoir dîner dans le restaurant mais nous avons testé le restaurant le midi donc dans la partie pub. De ce fait, la carte était réduite mais en allant aux toilettes on longe les cuisines et le peu que j’ai pu voir donne envie de vivre l’expérience du dîner lors de mon prochain passage sur Islay. Le comptoir du pub est décoré avec originalité. Nous avons goûté le Cullen skink et le sandwich au crabe.

The Islay hotel & restaurant is well located. Our meals were excellent and the waiting staff were friendly and attentive. The decor possibly needs an update but that does not detract from the quality offerings. Well worth a visit.

Travelling between distillery tours for of us looked for sediment to eat, grab a pint and relax for an hour. We came across the Islay Hotel bar and were really pleased we did. The menu isn't huge, but it had more than enough choice for us and the staff were really happy to help out. We had a relatively lunch in the whisky bar... open sandwiches and chips with some beers while we ate. Was well made, tasty and at a good price. The hotel seems well looked after, with good facilities. I'd happily eat there again

Ho riservato on line questo hotel sull'isola di Islay per due notti. L'hotel é in ottima posizione, carino ma la camera era piccolina visto quanto abbiamo pagato, veramente caro. Abbiamo cenato divinamente e anche la colazione è veramente abbondante. Personale molto cortese. Purtroppo l'ascensore era fuori uso. L'hotel non dispone di posteggi privati.

I ate here twice during my stay in Port Ellen; once with two friends and once alone. One evening I had the ravioli starter, but beware! Ravioli may be plural in Italy but in Islay it is singular! That said, the one and only was quite large and tasty. Generally, I found the portions on the small side and the dishes quite expensive. Count on £30 for a main course with a glass of wine. However, the food was good even if not all the servers were friendly. Depending on who is on duty, they won't accept reservations.

We made a reservation for 10 and were told to get there "right away". We had to walk from No 1 Charlotte Street and by the time we got there they didn't have enough tables for us, so two of us had to get takeaway. Those who did stay were treated to a rude and semi-hostile server who objected when asked if it were possible to close the door, as it was blowing rain and cold on them. The server huffed and puffed and proceeded to give dirty looks and slam dishes down. She even gave us the evil eye when driving down the street the next day. These people are not welcoming, and the experience was bordering on creepy.

Excellent reasonably priced meal. Staff so friendly and atmosphere good. Crab claws were delicious and husband had fish and chips. Huge portion, with a nice salad. Wine also excellent and of course a large selection of whisky’s. Ardbeg on this occasion.

Didn't stay at hotel wish I had now. Called in on the off chance for food. No problem took me to a table and quickly came with the menu. I chose the burger with chips and onion rings. It was served after about 15 minutes although it didn't seem very big. Boy it was filling I had trouble finishing it. Then the waitress asked if I would like a sweet. I said Could you give me a moment which she did. About 15 minutes later I was served the dateline and ice cream cake. Bit like a Christmas cake. It was mouth watering and to die for. All in all I was there for an hour an three quarters. Food was piping hot and at a reasonable price. I left the young waitresses a tip which they seemed surprised at. Doesn't anyone tip for good service anymore. Would wholeheartedly recommend the islay hotel if your in the area

Fabulous selection of whisky available, as you expect on Islay, but accompanied by superb food. If the seafood was any fresher it would have been swimming! Staff were very open and friendly and by the end of 5 days were on first name terms and sharing banter! Hotel has been tastefully refurbished and equipped with sustainability in mind from ground source heating, led lighting and waste segregation throughout- well done guys! Only thing missing was car charger though there’s one at the ferry pier which was being replaced when we visited.

Great food, very friendly service and the music evening was great. Food was plentiful and well presented. Will definitely be back

Great Service, Friendly and Quick. Great Food, Loved the Ardbeg infused dish on the starter of chicken wings and the main was the best burger i’ve had in a long time. great menu to accommodate a friend who is pescatarian, so everyone was happy.

We stayed here for 4 nights and enjoyed breakfast and dinner several times. Excellent local food and kind service. The room was great and this was a wonderful place to stay to see the many whisky distilleries. Close to walking trails and a wonderful little beach in Port Ellen across the street from the hotel. We will be back.

Do not give these people your money, I took my family there for what I thought would be a beautiful meal. Ordered the steak medium rare, got some over cooked monster meat. Kitchen tried to say that medium rare is an opinion and I was wrong. Never been treated like it in my life, go anywhere but here.

Mooie gerenoveerde kamers met goed ontbijt (enkel bestellingen en geen ontbijtbuffet). Avondeten in het restaurant varieert teveel in kwaliteit en is niet steeds op de juiste manier klaargemaakt wat betreft gaartijd en kruiding.

Ordered the 50 day matured Ribeye Streak medium rare and got a cremated lump of stewing steak. Asked the staff to return it to the kitchen and was told that the chef recons medium rare is an opinion and his opinion was correct and mine was wrong. Got an apology from the staff and the kids meals taken off the price but I won’t be back.

As they don t accept reservations anymore, your only chance to get a table is come latest at 6 - get to the bar until the kichen opens and get your table then. Come later and nothing is available anymore... we tried 3 times - no dinner there... luckily there are other (excellent) options in Port Ellen!

We popped in on the off-chance of getting a table. The lady at reception was very accommodating, helpful and took time to explain / speak to you. We were seated in the bar, for food. The food was fantastic, very well presented and the staff were friendly and good hosts. Another establishment with a warm welcoming atmosphere, thank you!

Lovely old house, recently renovated and nicely done. Great location in the heart of Port Ellen and suited for many of the wonderful things to do and see in Islay. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. The restaurant is pleasant and the food was good. Breakfasts were great. The bar was lovely and well stocked with some amazing whisky. Convenient to the ferry at port Ellen, and easy access to the walking trail up to Laphroig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg distilleries which is a beautiful stroll, or ride on e-bikes from Islay E wheels who are located just around the block. Parking on the street adjacent to the hotel was never a problem. Walk across the street for wonderful views of the boats and the harbor.

Called in from evening meal. Lovely menu. Choose the vegetarian option of roasted veg linguine & pheasant and haggis pie … both delicious and good size portions. Good customer service.

We couldn’t get in any restaurants on Islay as we underestimated popularity, we turned up at this hotel upon recommendation and they managed to get us in. Table was small but we managed. Staff wee lovely. My mussels were cooked beautifully, my sons steak was blue and perfect for him. Then… surprise… a local band came on. What a lovely evening.

A chilly evening in May and we were asked to sit outside! Earlier we had popped in to see if we could book a table for dinner, you can't. Asked if they would be busy, yes they said but the rush should have died down by seven. Arrived back at 7pm and were sternly told we could sit outside until a table was available. No idea of how long and no desire to get cold. We ultimately had to have a take away from the fish and chip shop which was poor quality but apparently do take bookings as they had reserved signs on the tables. It seems that there is little on offer here foodwise. The hotel serves food from 17:00 til 20:30 if you can get in. Sorry Port Ellen pretty though you are we won't be coming back.

Phenomenal seafood, great whisky selection, and stunningly friendly service. They treated us like longtime locals, even though it was our first day on Islay!

Service and scallops were excellent but the fish was not fresh (not local) Ask before order. Shipping are usually wednesday or thursday.

A hastily booked trip to Islay meant that we had little time to hunt for somewhere to eat, relying on online reviews to help us. To say that we were delighted would be an understatement! The friendly staff were on hand to answer our questions...

Good and service was both quick and excellent. Had the lamb shank which was quite possibly the best meal I had during our stay at Islay.

Desperately disappointed with our experience of the bar, over two evenings. If ever there was an example of somewhere needing more competition, this is it. On the first evening, made to feel a bit uncomfortable that we asked for some advice on whiskies, in the...

Das Essen ist gut, die Preise auch aber es war auch schomal besser. Man sitzt zwar sehr bequem aber es...

My mum and I had a very good dinner: scallops, burger, venison pie and creme brulee. Excellent food and very nice staff!

We started with the scallops, very fresh and tasty in a nice butter sauce. Then I had the plaice, which was still swimming in butter. The second evening I had fish and chips and sister the lamb shank. Also very good. We shared a nice...

The staff, the room, the food; everything at the Islay Hotel was beyond my expectations. Everyone was friendly, accommodating (moving me to a more cheerful table for my meals, rather than a table for one) and helpful. Birthday wishes made me feel more than welcome....

We ate at the restaurant, BEST meal in a week! We wish we'd gotten 4 of the scallop appetizer, it was sweet, buttery, and perfectly cooked. I LOVED the salmon entree, juicy with a perfect crispness on top, and the pesto/parmesan potatoes and arugula were...

We went here for dinner while staying at the Machrie Inn and liked the food and drink options more than at our hotel restaurant. Very local and creative food that was delicious and a full selection of local whiskeys and a decent wine menu. Super...

The Islay Hotel restaurant was a real find. The kitchen really knows what they are about. We had a perfectly grilled Hake fillet and sauteed king scallops. There is a very nice wine list, quite reasonable, too. And for desert, Panna Cotta wirh berries. The...

Lovely meal at this restaurant recommended by a lical guide. Really decent food, quite expensive but good variety and you must try the soft shell crab burger!

We popped in here twice, once for lunch and once for dinner and on both occasions were thoroughly impressed with the quality of the food and service. I had lobster bisque for lunch and my wife had scallops, both delicious. For evening meal I had...

Friendly staff, clean restaurant, great food. Gluten free well catered for too, was able to enjoy calamari and fish and chips. Washed down with the Botanist Gin.

We went for lunch and for drinks another day. Both very nice. The scallops were so good and loved the bar area. Beautiful hotel and outdoor space is beautiful.

Only one restaurants where you get a meal by short decision whiteout a booking. In this case you get a place in the bar and can eat the complete menu. On 2 days per week included live music. Thanks

This hotel restaurant was so good we cancelled a booking else where to eat here a second time. An interesting caramelised butter. highly recommend

We were let down by the Ardbeg cafe that wouldn't allow our dog in with us, but the Islay Hotel welcomed him and we had a great lunch, though on the pricy side (we were on holiday so why not!) The staff were very welcoming...

The restaurant is a joyful place and the food selection is great. Our waiter was a blast and we joked with him all evening which really added a very fun element to our dining. The seafood is extremely fresh and I had an order of...

Very good local food in a pleasant environment and friendly staff. Make sure to make a reservation even for a weekday (this is true for all restaurants on Islay as there is a real shortage). We tried steak, macaroni with bacon and fish pie all...

A fine start to an evening in Port Ellen. A pleasant welcome followed by cheery and helpful staff, knowledgeable about the menu and ready for friendly banter. Food was spot on, not too much, not too little and fairly priced. With a sufficient range of...

Dining room was fully booked when we went and were given a table in the bar where the same menu was offered. We enjoyed a very comfortable dinner and sampled local beer and gin. A very enjoyable evening

Whiskey prices are massively inflated, service was poor with the staff more interested in cleaning up. Whole place has no atmosphere and by all accounts, no customers either, which isn't surprising given the prices. Feels more like an over priced holiday Inn and there's no...

Le seul bar de Port Ellen où l'on peut boire un whisky. La carte est exclusivement sur des Islay. Et...

Took my husband for his 40th birthday whilst staying a few miles away, based on the recommendation of a local. Fantastic meal and fantastic service, plus the added extra of a beautiful view. We both had the Islay Scallops as a starter which was stunning,...

We dined here our first night on Islay one week into our trip to Scotland. Six days later this remains our best meal in Scotland. The quality of the ingredients and creativity of the dishes were first-rate, and everything was delicious. Because of allergies I...

Was charged £20 for a single Dram of Laddie ten. Absolutely gob smacked at that price for a fairly standard whisky. Will not return.

Enjoyed a nicely cooked meal at the Islay Hotel. It is popular and was busy, but the staff were friendly and efficient. Well presented and tasty food, well cooked. Fresh fish in particular was excellently prepared.

We ate here 3 times during our stay and never had a bad meal. The staff are friendly and helpful and efficient. The venison was superb.

Don’t be put off by external appearance The outside looks somewhat unimpressive in the port corner of Port Ellen but once you step inside you will be very pleasantly surprised. The staff and friendly professional and helpful and the food is good. Looks to me...

Visited the restaurant and bar three times - twice for dinner and once for breakfast. The food is incredible - I have to say the desserts were out of this world! The Lagavulin creme brûlée and the white chocolate panacotta were ordered on both dinner...

Great food , the sauces are amazing . Steak cooked just the way I like it. Great value for money. So glad this has reopened will definitely be back !

Restaurant has great views so adds tothe enjoyment of eating at the Harbour Inn. Food good quality and staff friendly and very helpful. Thank you...Cullen Skink great!!!!

Dinner experience was lovely - big portions and local produce. Had dinners over two consequent nights - lamb loin with smoked mash, Mac n cheese. Knowledgable staff and good local whiskies

A lovely meal from start to finish. The service was excellent and incredibly efficient considering there was 9 of us. Would recommend to anyone visiting the island, the stone bass and softshell crab burger in particular went down very well with our group.

Gastro pub cuisine all pretty good apart from the tiny lamb shank. Respectable. Aubergine starter good. Risotto nice, decent fish

What a shame. Beautiful setting and bar. Service very slow and actually disrespectful from the manager. I think they would have preferred not to be as busy with our table of 7 who had sailed in after a rainy windy trip from Campbeltown. We had...

Great ambience in the restaurant. Excellent Gigha halibut and curried lamb shank for mains beetroot salad and squid for starters. Service also excellent. Gave it 4/5 due to very limited range of sweets and overall prices a tad high.

Varied menu and great service. Staff were friendly and very professional. The dining area is light, airy, spotlessly clean and comfy furnishings.

Managed to get a booking whilst on holiday in Islay, so pleased we did as it was an exceptional meal and the staff were lovely and really made the evening. We went for the seafood, my friend had salmon and we both thought it was...

We had dinner here, our food and wine were fine, but the overall experience was marred by the passive-aggressive behaviour of our young waiter. At one point he was crossing the restaurant whistling behind his mask, bizarre. But his aloof indifference was not what we’d...

Came in with some friends, and a young blonde lady seated us and gave us some menus, she was very kind and gave us a warm welcome. We then got served by a local lady in her 30s called Isobel or Ishbel, she was very...

My daughter and I tried this hotel for lunch - excellent baked potatoes - and were so tempted by the dinner menu, we returned 2 evenings later. Both chose the fish pie which we thoroughly enjoyed, followed by the banana and chocolate pudding, an interesting...

Amazing service and quality meal. Family birthday meal and couldn’t fault the food in any way, all cooked to perfection. What really stood out was the attentive and caring waiters, just brilliant! Well done all.

We absolutely LOVED our dining experience here. The crab cakes were some of the best, if not the best, we've ever had. I had the salmon special and it was delectable. My husband had the fish and chips, and he said they were top notch....

Our second visit to the Islay Hotel in 3 days but our first meal here! Hopefully not our last- the service was impeccable and attentive - and the food was delicious. Shortly after ordering we were treated to complimentary sour dough bread and caramelised salted...

My family recently visited Port Ellen Islay. We visited the Islay Hotel 3 times for food. The staff were great, friendly and helpful. The atmosphere was fantastic, food was delicious. I would highly recommend this venue.

4 of us ate on Saturday night , lovely welcome from all the staff (especially Nigel aka billy ) food was fantastic, scallops to start followed by fish , will be back next year 🍀

Didn't sample the food (this time) but spend a pleasant afternoon in the bar having a few drinks and some R&R. Staff were attentive and friendly and the hotel looks and feels very nice indeed. I have to complement the tiling in the restroom!

We enjoyed a lovely lunch. The weather was kind and we ate outdoors. The food was excellent and the service was pleasant and welcoming.

A very enjoyable evening spent in the bar. Same menu as restaurant which was full of choice and chef gladly adapted a dish for me due to dietary requirements. Very pleasant atmosphere and all staff hard working, efficient and friendly. Thank you

While staying on Islay my husband and I ate at the Islay Hotel twice and came in for drinks every night. Every member of the team gave us a warm welcome and made sure we had everything we needed, even our dog’s drink was topped...

WE popped in for a quick lunch and the baked potato was first class. Also very good service and top class. facilities.

While staying at the hotel for two nights we ate both nights in the restaurant as no other restaurants appeared open in Port Ellen. On the first night we had the fish and chips and the fish pie both of which were excellent, very tasty...

Quick and friendly service. Ate here two nights, fish and chips and fish pie were both excellent. Crab burger rather disappointing. Was really disappointed they had no Islay Ale either on tap or bottle. Red wine by the glass was way too expensive.

Excellent food and excellent service! We had the venison and the lobster mac and cheese as mains and they were both delicious! The venison was tender and full of flavor. We had the Ardbeg Uigeadail brownie to finish and it was probably the best brownie...

I was excited to eat here after reading the reviews, but unfortunately was quite disappointed. The food was really average, they messed up our order and I guess just hoped we wouldn’t notice (they did remove from the bill though), and the staff were a...

Lunch time is strictly 12- 2pm; only got there on second attempt at 1 30pm Great menu - sdaly I chose the wrong thing - the dreaded softshell crab burger - thought it would be a bit different but almost indigestible; fish and chips was...

Excellent meal, very well presented. Great waiting staff, all COVID precautions well observed. Highly recommend. Very central position.

A warm welcome and attentive staff but the crab burger was very disappointing. It tasted of little else but stale chip oil as did the chips which accompanied it. What looked like deep fried crab was accompanied by some other filling in a soft bun...

My friend and I had arrived back on Islay from Jura at an awkward " in between" time for a meal at Port Askaig, so drove to Port Ellen in search of somewhere to eat which didn't require a booking, in these Covid times.Arrived here, first impressions very elegant with their wine glass chandeliers, and that was just the lounge bar, not the restaurant. The menus were laminated for customers to scan upload to their smart phones. We didnt have smart phones, but waiter did bring us a paper copy menu.My friend had the Salmon with crushed potato and I had the Fish and Chips. Both were nice.Our lasting memory though of this meal was the caramelised butter served to us while we waited, we both assumed it was some type of cheese. I loved it, my friend hated it, but it's always good to try something new.Would we come back? yes we probably would nexttime we are in Islay.

Amazing choice of whiskies.. quite the education just reading the menu. Very professional and friendly service. Port Ellen is lovely. Thanks !

I ate at a place called the Islay House on one of my previous trips to Islay. It is NOT to be mistaken with the Islay Hotel. Unlike Islay House the Food here is good. The service is good and the rules they have set out due to covid make you feel very safe. It was also a pleasure to watch management ask a group of people not adhering to the rules to leave the building. God job guys. I'll be back on my next holiday to this lovely wee island.

I'd love to post a review...phoned to book a table after all it says booking advisable. "No, no just turn up 6.30, yes it'll be quiet." Turn up, "sorry full all night!!!" Raging as everywhere worth going on the island is full! Get your act together, you've just lost future custom.

Fresh local ingredients cooked to perfection. I had an amazing lunch here - ordered Islay crab cakes (which were the nicest I’ve ever had) and a special which was Islay venison pie - totally delicious. My fiancé ordered more typical bar food: the chicken pakora starter and pulled beef sandwich. While he liked his food, we both thought my local dishes were particularly spectacular. Would 100%recommend.

5 star service at this hotel restaurant with very friendly staff who made our birthday celebration meal very special. Food was tasty. Special mention to Issi for his fantastic personal service. Would definitely recommend.

Had a lovely dinner here - nothing too fancy, but well-cooked food and friendly, unobstrusive service. The whisky selection (mainly Islay single malts) is comprehensive and somewhat bewildering... only problem is the price; given the proximity to the distilleries, is there any need to charge double the London price for a single measure?

Fantastic stay. The rooms were fantastic. I was given a bathroom with a spa. The food was excellent - some of the best I have had in Scotland. The only negative is that the lift only goes to the first floor so ensure you get a room on the first floor if you don't want to carry a bag yp a flight of stairs.

Recommended as alternative to our hotel, where we will also be eating on more than one occasion, the service and food were first class. Relaxed, family atmosphere with a good selection from 2 menus. Warm smoked trout and a shared cheese and ham baguette were very tasty and set us up for the afternoon.

We ate in this restaurant all four nights we stayed at the hotel.Food was all good, well prepared, good quality and the service very prompt.

Haven't stayed or eaten here, only called on for couple of drinks during the week. Good range of malts however very expensive.

Nouveau menu excellent !!! Toute nos félicitations au chef. Mention spéciale pour le soufflet de crabe et le chevreuil. La sélection du bar à Whisky est juste incroyable !

We hebben hier prima gegeten. De binnenkomst door de hotelreceptie en nog een andere ruimte doet wat wonderlijk aan. Het restaurant is prima. Het eten was uitstekend en ook de bediening was goed.We hadden niet gereserveerd (reserveren is wel aan te raden!) maar kregen toch een tafel als "we maar quick waren").

On a recent trip to Islay to visit family, we twice dined at the Islay Hotel.The food and service is excellent, they have a good choice of foods and local produce being used. I would recommend you book the restaurant at weekends as it can get really busy although they do food in the bar area.There is quite often tradtional highland music in the bar and even the bagpipes are played on occasions.It is a lovely restaurant with good quality food, the staff are pleasant and helpful will quite often have a chat with you.The bar has an extensive range of whisky for you to try lots of different brands.I can definitely recommend the Islay Hotel if you ever visit Port Ellen.

We enjoyed our dinner here. Good menu with friendly and efficient service. Food was pretty good though not fantastic. Nice bar too.