Colonsay Hotel Restaurant
Ratings and reviews
4.0
Details
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CUISINES
Bar, Seafood, British, Pub, Scottish
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Reservations, Seating, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Table Service
Is this restaurant romantic?
Details
CUISINES
Bar, Seafood, British, Pub, Scottish
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Reservations, Seating, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Table Service
Contribute
4.0
58 reviews
Excellent
24
Very good
17
Average
11
Poor
6
Terrible
0
Emma W
Auckland744 contributions
Apr 2019 • none
Our two dinner experiences at the Colonsay could not have been more different. We had a later booking on the first night because there was an early event on in the restaurant.
We were seated late and the food took ages to arrive. When it finally arrived we had to complain about the battered fish as it was full of bones. The server did not care and said fish have bones, get over it.
We ordered a pasta dish to replace the inedible fish, which turned out to be average. We had to approach the manager about the fish and they agreed not to charge us for the returned dish.
We were so over the poor and slow service, we just wanted to get out of the restaurant and go to bed.
The second night was completely different. We were seated and attended to promptly. The food came out quickly and all dishes were of a far higher quality than the night before. We enjoyed dessert and wine and it was a really lovely experience.
The hotel restaurant should be a really special place to dine, hopefully they improve the service.
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ellie
Innerleithen3 contributions
Aug 2020 • couples
My partner and I visited the Colonsay Restaurant with friends who live on the island for dinner. We were seated very promptly and our order was taken quickly, with the waitress being super lovely and attentive.
The food was delicious and the view was beautiful across the water. I am also gluten intolerant and they catered my pudding to suit my dietary requirements.
The Cod Risotto was to die for - would highly recommend!
Written 1 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Boatman100754
Edinburgh115 contributions
Aug 2020 • none
It can't be easy running an upscale restaurant on a small island but The Colonsay has certainly cracked it this season.
Dinner on a damp August night warmed the heart with a range of imaginative dishes featuring tons of local produce and making the best of Covid regulations to create a relaxing atmosphere.
Just for instance. Seafood linguine: Ordered in the expectation of some basic fish in a tomato style sauce and in fact received a cornucopia of mussels, prawns, langoustine and more in a well balance and delicious sauce. A great follow up to gravlax cured in the delicious Wild Island Gin distilled on the island using local botanicals. In fact we started the evening with some of the Wild Island Gin and were delighted to discover it has won a silver medal in a prestigious international competition.
This was the latest of very many visits to the restaurant - and probably the best to date. Well done all.
Written 17 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trevor P
3 contributions
May 2023 • friends
A pretentious hotel with a bland atmosphere and poor acoustics. We had been asked to order our food the day before, when we booked the table for 8 people ?? We were shown to our table and the food arrived without any further interaction from staff, wine list, water all had to be asked for after the food arrived. The wine bottles when they did arrive were just placed on the table complete with screw tops, no offer to open or pour. The 3 burgers were exactly that, a tasteless burger in a bun, no garnish and condiments had to be asked for. Other dishes fine but overall prices are at least 30-40% above what I would have expected to pay for what was essentially bar food and bar service. Not an unpleasant evening but it could and should be a whole lot better.
Written 14 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark1924
47 contributions
May 2022 • none
Stayed at Colonsay Hotel for 4 nights, its in a lovely location on the beautiful island of Colonsay where accommodation is limited. Staff very friendly, bedrooms are tired and need updating, overpriced for what you get, breakfast average and evening meal menu didnt change in the four nights we stayed there (not lots of choice). Disappointing overall for price paid.
Written 7 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
noryorkie
Harrogate254 contributions
May 2022 • none
We stayed 3 nights in the hotel and ate in 2 nights which was enough as we'd had what we liked off the menu, without resorting to burgers and chips. We had expected more seafood so were disappointed int that. However what we did eat was very good and not too expensive - day 1: veg tagine, fish and chips, day 2: salmon pate, cod goujons sandwich for lunch day 3: cod cassoulet, pork loin and lovely rhubarb crumble and ice cream and chocolate bread and butter pud. Drinks £6.50 for a Colonsay IPA and £7.50 for local G&T.
Friendly service. Light and airy dining room with pleasant views over the garden out to sea. Let down by uncomfortable hard chairs and it's oh so quiet - maybe some light music would help as you can't help but overhear other's talking. However the bar lounges are very comfy and welcoming with sofas and fires burning.
Written 1 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alison S
69 contributions
Aug 2023 • couples
The hotel could be so much better. During our 3 night stay we felt that there was no one competent in charge. There was certainly no warm welcome, which was disappointing. First impressions were why had no one cut the grass or picked up cigarette butts outside on the gravel? The hotel sits in a lovely situation on an elevated sight a short distance from the ferry. So in theory a lovely place to stay. Bedrooms certainly need renovation, maybe this won’t matter if house keeping was up to an acceptable standard. Breakfast was poor, cold and undercooked served by young overworked staff. No sign of any one in management checking that all was ok. Until our final morning when a new manager introduced himself. I sincerely hope he can quickly improve things for paying guests and islanders alike. Colonsay is a magical place and visitors deserve better.
Written 14 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
grahamhen
Hinckley56 contributions
Jun 2023 • family
Four of us went to the Colonsay Hotel twice during our stay on the island. The first visit I ordered rib eye steak with a red wine jus medium rare. I received a well done rump steak, with a sauce of little taste. Not to keep the rest of the table waiting I ate it, however don't just serve up something that was not ordered! A quick word from the kitchen would have helped. The other three meals were very good. On the second visit we had planned for two courses but despite arriving at 7.00 we only got one course by 9.00, so we gave up & went home to have cheese & biscuits. Also the website states there are always 2 specials, one of which is vegan. The staff knew nothing about this!! Staff were really good.
Written 25 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DPR
2 contributions
Aug 2021 • family
Very accommodating in our need to eat before catching the ferry. The food was absolutely delicious, especially the sea food linguini. They even managed to offer and extensive range of gluten free options, just a shame that the sea food platter is only on the lunch menu.
Written 18 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LondonStravaiger
London69 contributions
Sept 2021 • none
Lovely hotel with a stunning setting on a very pretty island. We ate in the restaurant a couple of times during our stay. For somewhere with such great produce both the menu and the execution were a bit underwhelming but the charming staff and surroundings made for very pleasant evenings. As an aside the hotel is missing a trick by not offering a simple all day snack menu - especially when the ferry is delayed!
Written 11 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David G
Inverness835 contributions
Apr 2022 • none
My wife and I had a lovely meal at the Colonsay Hotel.
We shared oysters to start and they were lovely.
I had an argyle steak and my wife had a really tasty burger.
The food was perfect, the service was good and the waitress really nice.
It had been a very cold and wet day and we had been out walking.
We thought we would have a nice relaxing meal but the restaurant was freezing cold. They have a very nice looking solid fuel stove which was not lit. There were two old electric heaters, one was on but the thermostat was as low as it could be and the other would not work.
I asked about the heating and was told the fire couldn't be used as it smokes the place out. We were kindly moved to another table near a heater and that's when I saw the problem.
The restaurant is connected to the hotel by a short corridor that has a polycarbonate roof, which only has very minimal thermal insulation qualities. Any heat from within the restaurant goes through the roof, which isn't very good for the climate and I think is not allowed under the building regulations!
Written 22 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lindsay Dann
1 contribution
Sept 2022 • couples
Delightful position and bar/lounges. Furnishings very good.All the staff who we dealt with were unfailingly courteous and helpful but they were rushed off their feet so the service was sometimes painfully slow. There was no sign of a regular manager. On arrival in an evening, our room had not been fully prepared and we had to go to the kitchen to request teabags and soap. Returning the following evening after a day out, our room had not been serviced at all that day, although we had hung the appropriate notice on the door handle. Maybe some gentle scottish background music might lift the slightly funereal atmosphere in the large dining room. The fire door at the head of the stairs should surely be held open during the day so that guests do not have to struggle against it?
We had expected a better experience in this price range. Hope to come again one day, if reports look better.
Written 15 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dhmellor
Manchester12213 contributions
Aug 2024 • couples
This is a very civilised hotel located on a beautiful Hebridean island. Given its location it's no surprise that fish and shellfish are a speciality, and we enjoyed an excellent dinner of scallops, mussels and salmon. Service is efficient and friendly. The restaurant is a lovely airy room with huge windows overlooking the hotel garden. However, the lack of curtains and the highly polished wooden floor creates an extremely resonant acoustic, and even though the restuarant was only half full when we arrived, the noisy conversations from other tables were so loud that we had to move into a side room in order to hear one another speak.
Written 13 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John P
Darvel20 contributions
Jul 2023 • couples
This restaurant serves excellent, well thought out dishes. After dining once we made a booking for the next night, it was that good !
Starters.... cauliflower in batter with chilli sauce..... mussels (the best I have tasted)
Mains....pan fried salmon with crushed potatoes and green beans.
Ribeye with sweet potato slices, asparagus, mushroom with wee tomatoes and to die for sauce.
Well worth a visit.
Written 5 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elissa H
5 contributions
Apr 2024 • friends
We enjoyed wonderful meals here: a variety of breakfast options, lunches you can take in the pub or dining room which has great views. Dinners featured delicious seafood and other excellent choices. Popular and you must have reservations as ootions are limited on the island. Chef has a wonderful touch and selection of menu items. A bit short staffed.
Written 7 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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