The Ship in West Lancashire - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

I had read brilliant reports about this place and couldn't wait to visit. Sundays are extremely busy and you would definitely need to book. I ordered the fish and chips; hands down the best I've ever had. Even our boys ordered the fish goujons and cleared their plates. We had a lovely, attentive waitress who was just brilliant, making sure we had everything we needed. We cannot wait to return!!!

Wonderful pub! Came for food on a Sunday, and it was lovely. The staff were also very friendly and helpful!

Walked down the canal and had a nice cool Cider 🙂

Good beer. Good food. Sadly, filthy toilets. Very disappointed in that respect. down to 2 stars because of the dirty toilets.

Went here from my mum's 90th birthday food and drinks were fantastic I had the thick cut pork chops they're really tasty and the foot long pork crackling was a nice touch, Mum really enjoyed her birthday staff were very accommodating and they sang happy birthday

Fantastic Service and food Lady with Glasses well done.

Great food and service thank you

The service was exceptional. The food was filling tasty and amazing value. The pub is beautiful.

Brilliant local pub, always do a good real ale and the food is exceptionally good pub grub. One of our favourites

Well I wouldn’t know about the food would I because they stopped serving it at this time ugh I just want some chips Please like yeah

Impromptu stop to eat in the bar area. Great service and top quality food

I went with friends for lunch. I booked in advance online which was very easy to do. This turned out to have been a good idea as our waitress said that, as we had booked, we would get priority service as there was a wait for food. The pub was very busy as it was a beautiful day. We started out in the beer garden but it was too hot so moved in to our reserved table. The service and staff were excellent. It was a very busy lunchtime but our young waitress did not forget us or her promise that we would be served promptly and the very helpful young barman came over just to double check that he had got our drinks order right. I was delighted with the good choice of vegan food. I had the spicy mushrooms with noodles and green veg. It was very tasty. My friends are not vegan but they also enjoyed their food and one took half of hers home as she couldn’t manage it all - our waitress helpfully wrapping it up for her to take away. I thought portion sizes were good and the prices reasonable given that eating out is an expensive business everywhere these days. Altogether our visit was a very positive and enjoyable experience. I had heard good reports of The Ship but hadn’t been in for years but I will definitely visit it again soon.

Been to this pub many times to eat but recently it has gone down hill. Gave it multiple chances as it's always had a good reputation but the last 3 times hasn't been good. The food was so salty we couldn't eat it, the service was slow and the food is overpriced. A very busy pub in a lovely location so always very loud inside. The smell from the men's toilets in the bar area needs addressing has it is very off putting.

Great Sunday lunch. It was busy but Jen (I think) made room for me. The roast was fantastic and service was fab. Jen is an asset to your team, super attentive with great rose recoomendations!

Not been to "The Blood Tub" as it's known as around this area. Sadly was after a funeral but the buffet was brilliant and for real ale lovers a good choice on the hand pump

Really lovely spot on the canal, gorgeous food and staff, Jenny sorted us out and looked after us, kept the wine flowing and made sure we had everything we needed!

Great food. I’ve always received good service.

Family were visiting for the weekend. My nephew wanted to order the salt and pepper chicken but not too spicy. The waitress was extremely patient and took his order. The chef kindly accommodated his request and he was delighted with his meal.

Good food, generous portions, nice staff, great location.

Very poor experience of this pub. Called for a drink after a walk. We sat in the bar at first but quickly left due to very loud and raucous group sitting at the bar, one of whom worked at the pub. We went outside and struggled to find a table where there were no empty glasses. Two men employed by the pub stood nearby discussing everything that had gone wrong in the kitchen that day, their conversation punctuated with many obscenities. Later, four kitchen staff emerged for a smoke and again, a loud, sweary conversation about the chaos in the kitchen. So unprofessional and off putting. Meanwhile, no tables were cleared, every table was covered in empty plates and glasses. We wouldn’t eat here, given what we now know about the state of the kitchen.

First visit to the Ship. Food was fresh and really tasty, had the chicken pie from the main menu. The staff were excellent too, had a great vibe. Well worth the money.

Good food with a great selection of Cask ales.

Not a great experience on the food side at this local country pub. We waited nearly an hour for our food. My son’s fish and chips - oil was obviously too hot - hence the batter was not golden brown - like photos people have posted but in between golden and dark brown. I encouraged my son to tell them but unfortunately he was v hungry and ate it, you could stand your fork upright in the mushy peas without it falling over they were so thick. I had a salad with feta cheese and honey - basically it was a whole slab of feta straight out of the packet, drizzled with honey and heated in a fry pan with oil that was too hot so it burnt in parts underneath. When asked by the waitress if the meal was ok, she obviously didn’t like my answer and was rather annoyed with my answer. Don’t ask if you can’t accept constructive criticism. Would I go again ? No.

Not a great experience on the food side at this local country pub. We waited nearly an hour for our food. My son’s fish and chips - oil was obviously too hot - hence the batter was not golden brown - like photos people have posted but in between golden and dark brown. I encouraged my son to tell them but unfortunately he was v hungry and ate it, you could stand your fork upright in the mushy peas without it falling over they were so thick. I had a salad with feta cheese and honey - basically it was a whole slab of feta straight out of the packet, drizzled with honey and heated in a fry pan with oil that was too hot so it burnt in parts underneath. When asked by the waitress if the meal was ok, she obviously didn’t like my answer and was rather annoyed with my answer. Don’t ask if you can’t accept constructive criticism. Would I go again ? No.

Sunday roast was unreal very good food quality staff were very friendly and helpful bare in mind Sundays are very busy so you will need to book

Last time we ate here we got put in a corner and basically forgotten about - it took 20 mins for someone to take our order and then our meal took 50 mins to come out. It was not a good experience. But we decided to give it another go. Came along on a Tuesday evening, no greeting when we walked in, difficult to find any staff, eventually asked behind the bar if we could get a table. Sat down and offered drinks, but we needed to check our daughter would find something on the menu before we could definitely stay so asked for a few minutes. We sat there for 15 minutes, nobody came back. Went to look for someone - nobody to be found. Obviously short staffed, decided to leave. The atmosphere was not good, clearly not enough staff on, didn't feel welcome at all.

The ship is in a beautiful spot, and the staff were super friendly. The weather was amazing, and the atmosphere was great. Unfortunately, it was overpriced, and the quality didn't match up. The location might draw you in, but they're definitely cashing in on that appeal.

Lovely pub on the bank of the Rufford branch canal by top lock always a friendly welcome and good service with good food as well

Great ales and food. Every pint poured is high quality. Convenient location along the canal from Burscough.

Good country pub. Nice selection of real ales, reasonably priced. Food is good but expensive. Another visit 7 months later, ordered a gourmet burger. Presentation was excellent, burger was homemade and seasoned well, fries and onion rings were well cooked. Unfortunately I still it's overpriced. At nearly £17 the meal was I think worth about £12. That's the only downside I think.

So good I'm taking my walking group back there on Friday to do a walk then call in for refreshments

Wonderful and friendly staff, food was amazing, Abby made us feel welcome all of the staff was great, dog friendly

Fab lunch as usual! Love this place , really nice home cooked food, not your average pub grub, 1st class food , attentive staff, lovely location! What’s not to like? X

Very expensive for what you get. Poor value for money. My chicken was very overcooked and dry, and at pennies under £19 I expected better. Lasagne was very greasy and small, large dish but very shallow, which, considering all the grease, was a good thing. My son said the chicken burger was ok. Only thing I can recommend really is the tapas menu, which is good value for money. Staff are lovely.

Great place the food was excellent and the service was first class. The restaurant was clean and well set out with plenty of space between the tables. Nice choice of food and fresh local produce. Well worth a visit. I

Beautiful scenery, lovely staff. Ordered the Bravitas potatoes and breaded Brie salad. Food heave!!! I have visited before and will keep coming it’s a favourite

Gorgeous old fashioned pub with wide open fields on one side and the canal on the other. Lovely staff, food portions are huge and the quality is spot on! Have already booked to go back, this place is a little gem!

A Busy friendly pub , Food was amazing

Only had a coffee, as I was parked in there car park. Lovely pub, and friendly staff

Beautiful pub right on the canal. Staff were very friendly and a great location.

Came for a meal this evening, I had the chicken, my friend had the gammon, it was absolutely delicious. I've never been before, but will definitely come again!

Beautiful little gem along the canal

A lovely setting on the canalside

Excellent food and service, always busy, consider booking in advance. A few nice little walks along the canal bank. Dog friendly. Plenty of parking.

Once shown to a table, we couldn't fault the service, learned from our waitress they were totally taken aback by the footfall that day (it was midweek & not sunny). My advice, book, no matter the season or day of the week!... can't wait to return!!

I and my heavily pregnant daughter were warned by a member of staff that the large table we sat at, (there were others also sat at it) was for food only and we should move. It really wasn't that busy. We did move..... Somewhere else!

Got to say we were a little disappointed with our visit, we took our Shepherd and sat in the dog room provided. Nobody came to see if we wanted to order so went to the bar ourselves. We ordered 2 bacon sandwiches which came on bread which was about an inch thick with 3 pieces of bacon which has a load of fat left on them. When we paid nobody asked if we were satisfied with the food and service. Can't see us visiting again.

Service a little slow, I think due to the demand on the staff who were clearly working hard, but the food was amazing and it’s a lovely location.

Great food, attentive staff, service was great.

Went for a random meal for my birthday with my son n hubby. Service great. Food fabulous. Then we were asked if we wanted desert! I said it's my birthday haven't the boys got me a birthday cake! Lol! Then I was presented with a gorgeous brownie n ice-cream to celebrate for free! Happy days. Thank you. Can't wait to visit again. 😁

My first visit to this place and I will definitely be back. A warm welcome from the staff and quickly seated. I saw a dish on the online menu that wasn't on the menu I was given but when I asked about it they were more than happy to accommodate which made a good experience into a great experience. The staff were amazing, very friendly and smiling and were nearby when needed but not overbearing. Food was outstanding and I would go as far as to say it might have been my best pub meal ever. I had Gammon, egg and pineapple with seasonal vegetables and boiled potatoes as I had requested and then ice cream. My friend had a roast pork Sunday lunch followed by berry crumble and ice cream and was equally impressed. They do 2 courses for £24 which was a pleasant surprise. I drank Soda water which a lot of places charge for but at The Ship its completely free. The place was extremely clean as were the loos. 10 out of 10. Fantastic!

Went here for Sunday lunch and can't recommend it highly enough. I had the black pudding fritters to start, they had a delicate crispy batter on them and were accompanied by a delicious wholegrain mustard aioli which was the perfect complement. For my main I had the roast beef, this was tender and delicious and the trimmings with the meal were all executed perfectly, special mention to the tenderstem broccoli with cheese sauce (black bomber?) and the enormous home made Yorkshire puddings. The real ale selection was excellent, I had both the OSB Headmaster and Ship Special which was brewed by Moorhouses. Both well kept. Finally, the service was polite, friendly and very attentive. We'll be back again!

Was part of a group of 14 who ate lunch at the Ship. The service was great, really friendly and they took real care to ensure everyone had the right order and dietary requirements were taken into account. The food and drink were very good and excellent value. We were situated in a room behind the bar area, which was nice and private, and just the right size.

Lovely little pub on canal !! Food is delicious! Had nice relaxing time there with my family and then went for walk along canal looking at barges so nice . Honestly if you want nice chilled atmosphere good food little walk after go here ...I will return !

Without doubt the best roast dinner I've ever had, I had the beef roast dinner. Beef was cooked to perfection, gravy was very tasty without being overpowering and the veg was cooked all dente. I will absolutely be back in the near future to devour another one of these amazing roasts, perfection!

Visited on spare of the moment on Good Friday. Both my wife and I had fish goujons on baguette. More batter than fish in goujons, on an ambient baguettes, which could have been warmed to make crunchy. With a portion of skinny fries,a medium pinot grigo and a pint of porreti, just under £39.00.Been here many a time and main meals have been pricy, but very good.Not this time though.

Went to the Ship yesterday for a roast dinner. Excellent food. Empty plates all round. The staff were really helpful and polite. Deserts were beautiful. A lovely afternoon in a beautiful location

Been to most country style pubs in merseyside for food and truthfully the ship in lathom beats any for food,service and location and the food is way ahead of any miller and carter style places.in the few years I've been going there the standard has never dropped.

Lovely country pub, large car park opposite. Really nice inside, various rooms to eat in, dogs allowed in boot room, cosy with fires lit in colder months. We had Halloumi burgers with chips and coleslaw which was very good.Staff pleasant and attentive, would definitely visit again

Food service and price all good

I liked this canal side pub. Good choice of well kept ales in pleasantplace. Food was available but did not indulge.

Great food friendly staff we will definatally be going again. Soon I hope.

Thoroughly enjoyed my lunch of gourmet burger and chips - though it is not usually something I'd eat. It was simply delicious. And, huge! Mixed reviews from our table however. The fish batter was very dark brown and heavy and the pie was cooked for a tad too long (making the pastry rather dry). The bacon and brie on ciabatta did not go down well with our pal who said it had hardly any brie, tasteless bacon and was overpriced for what she received. Have to say that the service was very slow too as we waited for ages after ordering on this Monday afternoon. That said, my whole meal was fantastic and the vegetables accompanying the pie were cooked to perfection. The atmosphere inside was really nice too. The toilets were spotlessly clean and smelled amazing. Staff were friendly and helpful. So, some great points and some not-so-great but overall, I enjoyed my lunch.

impressed with the food in this lovley riverside cottage style pub, very friendly and welcoming staff well worth a visit 😋

Popped in to the Ship after walking along the canal. We arrived towards the end of the lunch service and staff were clearing tables. The place had a good atmosphere, roaring fires and attentive staff. Ordered dessert and drinks. This was no bother for the staff who were friendly organised and kept us up to date with progress on the order. Sticky toffee pudding was lovely really filling and worth having. Always have great meals and service at the Ship and I will definitely be back.

Cosy atmosphere in beautiful countryside 👍

Very attractive popular place in a gorgeous setting . Thumbs up from me . 👍👍

We were here on a busy Sunday - staff were superb and the food was even better - huge portions but extremely well priced. Recommend booking if attending

Sadly very disappointing. 8 for a meal and 5 meals were very poor. Duck completely overcooked to a texture like liver. The pies lacked meat and were covered in a totally overpowering very salty gravy . Pies arrived about 10 minutes before the chips and veg. Unfortunately, this was a very poor experience that cannot be recommended or repeated

Great food, staff were brilliant and a really nice atmosphere.

Great menu, lovely food & excellent attentive staff! Well recommended!!

Great lunch here today. Warm and welcoming pub with great food and even better service! We’ll be back

Always a lovely meal here, I often bring friends or family. Proper food cooked the proper way as it should be. Never disappointed 😊

We have tried many of the dishes and all were superb

Great pub,great food and service and location....

This was recommended to us, as the food was said to be great - and it didn’t disappoint. Both dishes we had were lovely, well presented and good portion size. Service was great and speedy. Felt like it needs a little updating (hence why I didn’t score it 5), but if you like a little more of a rustic look, they I’m sure you’ll love the place. Overall, a lovely lunch - well done and thank you.

Well first of all its location is quite a surprise by the Leeds Liverpool canal. I first came here in 1993 and had their then famous fish and chips which were very good. The old place since has had a gentle renovation and I was hoping the fish and chips, by the way do an excellent menu besides this, were as good as then. Just had lunch there and the old stand by is even better. The lunch time was very busy and the staff calmly deal with it with quiet efficiency. Most enjoyable!

From arriving to departing, everything was lovely. It was very busy today - both in the bar and the food sides -but non the less the service was excellent. Both menus had some good alternatives to the usual "pub and this could be looked at as a gastro pub, really ! Bit slower service - but good food takes time - so if you're in for a quick bite-this may not be for you ! Can't faunt the quantity or quality of either of the courses ! Will be back again soon . Easy to recommend here Jan 2024 update - nothing has changed -both service and food are excellent -long may it reign !

Food was excellent and we will definitely be returning. Even though the restaurant was very busy the staff still went above and beyond. We are looking forward to our next visit!

Waited forty minutes for our food to arrive after ordering, no-one else was eating in the pub . Our meals came out they we didn't have any cutlery or basics condiments salt and pepper etc. Had to ask for everything. . The staff never asked if everything was alright with our meals, glasses were empty and we were not asked if we wanted another drink. I have been going to the blood tub for over 40 years, very disappointed, used to be a fabulous place to eat and drink not worth the money at all.

I came here with my little girl for a little lunch. Food was amazing and staff are so friendly! All of the staff interacted with my little girl and couldn’t do enough for us on our visit. When the food arrived it was presented nicely and was so tasty! Can’t wait to come back and bring our full family!

Went for a quick Saturday lunch after hearing and reading many good reviews. I am often reluctant to post negative comments for small local business’s but I will make an exception here because I was amazed how poor the food was. We both went for 3 tapas dishes and regretted it the moment they arrived. I can honestly say that the black pudding had very little flavour and any flavour there was became lost in a very poor and soggy batter coating, which rendered the dish inedible. When it came to the chicken wings in salt and pepper the flavour was great but I am curious to know who supplies them? They were the smallest wings I have ever had (and I’ve had a lot). One of the wings was massively deformed and didn’t look anything like a chicken wing, another had suffered a horrific looking compound fracture (very off putting). The saving grace was the little sausages which were good. My partner had what was supposed to be garlic bread but neither of us could eat it as it was that soggy it disintegrated when picked up. Her nachos were burnt and came with dip big enough to feed the whole pub. As for her whitebait even our dog wouldn’t eat them. I still gave the staff a good tip as their service was great. The young lady even offered to knock some money off the bill but to be honest I didn’t want cause a scene and just wanted to beat a hasty retreat to go and get some decent food. Come on guys get your act together!!! The meal with tip cost us £50 and left us very dissatisfied.

I’m a fan of The Ship and have eaten there numerous times over last couple of years, but our most recent visit was a little bit of a let down, owing to the dining experience and price of non-alcoholic drinks. Whilst I cannot fault the food, we were seated in what felt like a corridor that was cold, damp, and close to the kitchen behind the bar. Once we’d finished our meal, it wasn’t really somewhere we wanted to stay and continue our evening with a drink. When it came to the drinks, I understand and expect large margins on alcoholic drinks within pubs and restaurants these days, but as the designated driver, I didn’t expect to pay £5 for a pint of orange cordial and lemonade (£2 for the cordial alone, working out at £40 per litre). Felt like daylight robbery to be honest! Needless to say, we won’t be returning anytime soon.

Excellent food and great value for money I would definitely recommend this pub. I have been many times and the food has always been consistently very good

Absolutely gorgeous food, lovely cosy atmosphere and the sweetest staff! Will definitely be back, thank you so much.

Popped in for a drink after a lovely canal walk. Kids got the huge chip butties and me and the hubby shared the salt and pepper chips (recommended 👍🏼). Cosy fire and lovely atmosphere.

Nipped in for a pint on a walk down the canal from Burscough definitely be going to eat there soon looked good

We’ve been regular visitors to the Ship for donkeys years. We love the real ales and high quality food especially the fish and chips. Sadly on this occasion (new years day lunch) the experience was at best average and I’ll tell you for why; The table we were sat at was in the back corner which felt damp and cold. The ambience poor and the plastic orchids and grubby windows didn’t help this feel at all special. We were required to pre order and pay a deposit. The food was good but the portions were quantity biased over quality. Far from fine dining. The service was friendly but value for money was poor. £24 for a steak pie and chips and the same for chicken breast and mash. Overall I struggled to give the visit 3/5. The quality of the food and the service saved me from giving it a 2.

The food was great. The sandwiches were great. I was surprised at the amount and the quality of the food given that it was a buffet. There were big pieces of ham and chicken. It was all very tasty. The beer was also very good. A good selection.

Went Christmas eve with my 2 Sons, the food was out of this world, the waitresses couldn't do enough for us and made sure we were happy with everything..Will definately be visiting again soon ..thankuou very much (the Ship)

Gorgeous meal for our group of 6 this afternoon, another friend arrived later and the friendly easygoing staff accommated her easily. Food was piping hot

I can see why this place has so many good reviews. Spent a little more than we usually would, but this was on boxing day and was well worth it. The chorizo and prawn starter was delicious and the lasagna was perfect. Staff were all lovely too.

Was very nice but could do to have more gluten free on the menu

So disappointed last night when we visited The Ship. A booking was for for the ‘festive menu’ for 8. Where was the festivity? No Christmas music, bare tables with only a red serviette.. where were the Xmas cloths? Crackers? Holly arrangements? .,. at least a little something. Didn’t feel a bit Christmassy. Especially as we had visitors over from Canada with high expectations. Food was OK but nothing special. Could have been any night though.. not 23rd December.. so many other restaurants nearby. Empty car park… says everything! Would not recommend.

Really nice pub and setting on a nice day for food etc, dog friendly pub, staff really pleasant and accommodating, food right up there with the best traditional dishes, it's been a few years since my last visit but I will be returning alot sooner next time.

Lovely friendly staff. Valve for money. Had a lovely meal here. Xx

Loved this place, everything about it was great. Will definitely return

Still the best pub food around. Good ales and a cosy old building. Helpful and professional young staff.

Been for Festive Lunch at The Ship, that's what we've done !! We always try to visit The Ship for something to eat when we visit the area and this time it was to celebrate Christmas and the arrival of a new-born (no, not that one !) Once again, the food was delicious, cooked to perfection, and the portions generous. There were six in our party and we all enjoyed the food. The staff were well presented, friendly and efficient throughout our visit. Although the place was very busy, it's Christmas time after all, the staff were able to cater for our varied dietary requirements, even the request for extra sprouts and champ potatoes, and made us feel very welcome. Special mention to the young member of waiting-on staff who, on a previous visit, and we only get to visit every 4 months or so, remembered that I prefer Champ Potatoes, without me even having to ask. That's service with a smile for you !

The food was excellent we all cleared our plates, staff very good, will be coming back.