The Anchorage in South Ayrshire

What a lovely location and we really enjoyed our breakfast here. The serving staff were so attentive, chatty and fussed over our dog. They welcome dogs inside next to the stone fire area. They brought her a water bowl and treats. The food was lovely and the coffee excellent. We will definitely come back and try the lunch and dinner options, and the well stocked bar 😀 And prices were really good. There is a good sized car park for the Anchorage customers - watch out for the turn off into the car park it is on the main road - don’t turn down the road to the harbour it is a No Through Road and there is very limited parking. We saw a lot of cars getting stuck at the harbour and doing a ten point turn to get back out!

What a fabulous find! A wee gem of a place...lovely decor, great atmosphere and the food was excellent. We both had mushrooms in a sublime garlic sauce and fish and chips in the crunchiest, most delicious batter ever! Too stuffed for a pudding, we had to decline, but the menu looked very tempting. The staff were attentive and very friendly. We were able to take our dog in too, which was a great bonus. She was given water and treats and made a fuss of! I can't praise this restaurant enough, the food and service were exceptional.

Fantastic food! Really delicious, staff are super friendly. Even have a dog menu!

Servers were amazing and food was local and and delicious. I’ll come back!

Very welcoming and cosy...friendly staff..great service and fab food..will definitely go back and would recommend

Excellent food, excellent service, great little place in a fantastic location.

food is always 10/10!! never able to fault the service with a smile either. but the dishes😔need a good buff up once in a while. been a few times and my forks have always been a lad filthy! all smiles form here on in troops, xoxo

Popped in here for a coffee to warm us up on a freezing cold but sunny day. Dog friendly bar area, which was perfect for us. Very pleasant staff, great service and fab coffee. Loved the decor and feel of the place too. Picturesque setting right on the harbour. Perfect way to finish our trip to the castle 😄 and we hope to come back one day to try the food.

It's uncommon for me to write a low score review but this occasion is justified. This is a local restaurant to us and we came with a large number of other people to a prebooked dinner a few days before Christmas to celebrate. It didn't bode well that the tables weren't set when we arrived and there was a lot of jostling to get them ready. This is not a busy place so no idea why everything wasn't ready for our quite large party. On sitting down it was hugely disappointing that although we were having the advertised festive menu there was not a single token or gesture to make the table festive. No crackers, no christmassy napkins, no holly, no smartly clad staff, no nothing. Add to that a 3 course menu was offered but each place setting had just one knife and fork, we were instructed to take anymore required cutlery from the pot on the table (and they still had to scrabble around to get enough cutlery for the 3rd course!)! There was no drinks ordering from the table it was take yourself up to the bar! So to the food. My choices were prawn cocktail, baked salmon and Eton mess. Prawn cocktail was miniscule portion, dry and presentation was very lacking, but edible. Salmon, nicely cooked but .... do I really want brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes with it? Seems like whatever main course you ordered you got the same vegetables. Really?!?! Eton mess .... as a pudding lover this next bit is very hard to write. I did not eat a single spoonful. What arrived was a plate of disgusting looking "mess" that looked like something the cat had brought up. In all my days I have never seen anything like it and I was shocked that a "professional" kitchen would allow that to be served. The cost for this meal was £30, that's not much you may think but it was the most expensive but the worst I had this year or even ever..

Spoke to Adele on the phone to see if our furbaby was allowed in while we had our Anniversary dinner. No Problem ! And the enthusiasm that she showed ensured we booked a table. We arrived at 2.30pm, our agreed time and were met at the door by a young bearded man from Cumnock, who couldn't have been more welcoming or polite. After taking our drinks order, a man who we later found out to be the chef came over to say hello to our furry friend, and again was friendly and polite. When our starters arrived we were both impressed and delighted with the fabulous tempura batter starters we had ordered, my wife King Prawn and myself the haggis. Both were sensational. In the break between courses the chef reappeared with a small plastic bowl of gravy for the dog!! About 2 mins later Adele arrived with a bowl of water for him! Our mains arrived, I had the Steak and Guinness pie, whilst my wife had the Cajun Sea Bass. Again the flavours and the meals were fabulous. As we were spoiling ourselves we also had a dessert, My wife opting for the sticky toffee pudding, and me the apple crumble and custard. Again both yummy! Portion sizes were just right, not a wee splat in the middle of the plate, nor enough to feed a family of four. The reason for this review is the amazing staff members who made our whole experience special, Adele, the chef, and the guy from Cumnock with the beard......we thank you. I hope your boss see's this review and rewards you all appropriately. If I could give more than 5 stars I would....even our dog loved you guys !

My wife opting for the sticky toffee pudding, and me the apple crumble and custard. Again both yummy! Portion sizes were just right, not a wee splat in the middle of the plate, nor enough to feed a family of four. The reason for this review is the amazing staff members who made our whole experience special, Adele, the chef, and the guy from Cumnock with the beard......we thank you. I hope your boss see's this review and rewards you all appropriately. If I could give more than 5 stars I would....even our dog loved you guys !

Unbelievably family & dog friendly place. The food service and staff were fantastic.

Lovely food and fab service for a group of 9 of us for dinner. Nothing was too much hassle and they were really accommodating of us and were happy to help by storing and bringing out a birthday cake which we brought earlier that day.

Took my French in laws here and they loved it.

Brilliant service, brilliant food and a stunning wee place . and friendly staff , , can't wait till my next visit 😊

Went on a Saturday afternoon and the place was busy, but the staff managed the flow excellently. Tables were cleared and food was presented so well Would recommend this place to anyone

We both had seafood dishes and they were delicious can’t recommend this place highly enough .the choices they have are great and the service is first class ,we will always go here for a special meal .

Lovely cosy pub overlooking the harbour. Friendly staff, great food and cosy fires. What more could you need.

Fabulous food - particularly the seafood from the specials board (although younger members of the group loved the burgers!). Individual dietary needs were really well accommodated and the service was excellent. Highly recommend.

Visited for drinks then returned for a dinner booking during our stay. Service was friendly and overall efficient. Food was good, enjoyed the madras curry special. Hope the establishment continues to succeed.

Visited here with a friend a couple of weeks ago who lives in the area & uses this place quite often as she takes her beautiful dog in with her. It was my first time at this pub & I thoroughly enjoyed it. Is located in a nice area by the sea so you can pop in while out for a stroll & as I said it's dog friendly so I was in my element with my friends dog & others that came in too (I prefer dogs to people the vast majority of the time! Lol). The lad that served us was super friendly and welcoming, as was the chef who popped out a couple of times to say hi to us & the dogs as it was quiet when we were in there on a pretty rough day. Although dog friendly, there's a larger section the other side of the pub if you want to sit away from animals so it's very much suited to everyone in that way. Food was really tasty & pretty reasonable, served in a good timely manner. Pub area & toilets all clean & hygiene etc too. Highly recommended to others and will return when I next visit my friends again.

Visited here with a friend a couple of weeks ago who lives in the area & uses this place quite often as she takes her beautiful dog in with her. It was my first time at this pub & I thoroughly enjoyed it. Is located in a nice area by the sea so you can pop in while out for a stroll & as I said it's dog friendly so I was in my element with my friends dog & others that came in too (I prefer dogs to people the vast majority of the time! Lol). The lad that served us was super friendly and welcoming, as was the chef who popped out a couple of times to say hi to us & the dogs as it was quiet when we were in there on a pretty rough day. Although dog friendly, there's a larger section the other side of the pub if you want to sit away from animals so it's very much suited to everyone in that way. Food was really tasty & pretty reasonable, served in a good timely manner. Pub area & toilets all clean & hygiene etc too. Highly recommended to others and will return when I next visit my friends again.

Steak pie was too salty to eat. They were doing some work somewhere as the smell of glue or something like was rather bothersome.

Good food ... Cheery staff. Lovely location 👌

Fabulous tempura mixed seafood grill, friendly staff, great service and so lovely with all of the dogs. Definatley recommend.

Fabulous seafood platter lunch!! What a treat. Could not decide what was our favourite element between the prawns, scallops, langoustines, sea bass, smoked salmon, mussels.. all excellent. If you like seafood you have to go. Service good too

Looked forward to our meal as reviews were good, but meal was mediocre! Service was fab, very attentive. But over priced, not very exciting, and poor portion sizes. In fact the main size tempura was a starter with fries! The fajitas were the worst I have ever had, not enough to fill one wrap never mind the 3 they give you. Steak was no better than a minute steak. Gluten free was certainly catered for and one of our party had fish, which they loved. I do think unless you are going for seafood i would skip. The seafood is the highlight for this restaurant it seems. Over priced and not worth a repeat visit I'm afraid.

Absolute gem of a place, the standard menu is great but the seafood specials really are! Awesome service too.

Visited The Anchorage for lunch today for my mums birthday. It’s in a lovely location and the interior is decorated perfectly. The staff were very friendly also. Now for the bad bits . . . . . . I tried to order braised steak which was on the specials board but was told it wouldn’t be ready for another 50 minutes and this was at 1.10pm. My mum ordered sea bass which was the smallest bit of fish I’ve ever seen. I’ve had sea bass numerous times before and it’s usually filled the plate. More like a starter rather than a main course. I did mention that we were very disappointed at the size of the fish but there was no recompense for this in any way. This place is not cheap so I don’t think it’s value for money on the portion size alone. The customer service is obviously lacking and doesn’t encourage a return visit. There’s plenty of lovely restaurants in this area so competition is high. We decided to skip dessert and visited the wee cafe a few doors down for cake which didn’t disappoint.

Excellent food and service. Friendly staff and dog friendly. Definitely recommend!

After a ride round of the coast we called in on the off chance to see if we could get something to eat. We had our dog with us, and so i asked if it was ok, which we were asked to be seated outside as thats where they had a seat. Not a problem to us as we would not expect to have a dog in the restaurant with us. Sat outside in a small courtyard area, and the waiter gave us our menus and took our drinks order. I chose the roast beef Sunday, ( Sunday is always a roast dinner day for me), and the wife had the salmon with chive mash. The meals were very tasty indeed. The salmon cooked just right, with the mash smooth and creamy textured. The beef was cooked to perfection for me, nice and pink ( how i like it). The gravy was exceptionally tasty made with the meat juices. A very nice couple of main meals. This was followed by an apple crumble with custard, piping hot, again very flavoursome. Overall a nice relaxing atmosphere, with nice food. Would definitely come back again of we were over this way

We walked to Dunure expecting to grab a sandwich at the Harbourside Cafe next door (also worth a visit) but The Anchorage has literally just opened 7 days a week. With an inviting beer garden and accommodating team, we had a wonderful lunch of mussels, langoustine and calamari, washed down with a couple of cold beers. The team couldn’t have been more helpful and welcomed us and our dog to sit outside or in the dog friendly part of the restaurant. We’ve already booked to come back one evening later this week for their seafood platter. Great value for money and delicious food. Thank you!

Had the most amazing lunch, fresh produce, great friendly service. Food was outstanding will definitely visit again.

We walked to Dunure expecting to grab a sandwich at the Harbourside Cafe next door (also worth a visit) but The Anchorage has literally just opened 7 days a week. With an inviting beer garden and accommodating team, we had a wonderful lunch of mussels, langoustine and calamari, washed down with a couple of cold beers. The team couldn’t have been more helpful and welcomed us and our dog to sit outside or in the dog friendly part of the restaurant. We’ve already booked to come back one evening later this week for their seafood platter. Great value for money and delicious food. Thank you!

The staff are really friendly and make you welcome. I had dinner here with my husband and dog (Orla) the meals were spot on and Orla was not left out. They gave her a treat and a drink as soon as we arrived. Definitely recommend and will go back soon.

Was there for dinner on Saturday night for my 60th birthday. It is a hidden gem. Food was amazing and the staff were so friendly. Would recommend this wholeheartedly.

Now reading the other reviews looks like we struck it lucky . Braised steak in peppercorn sauce and stuffed mackerel both very nice. Look at the photo

I took my kids for lunch here after reading the review. The service is great and our waitress was really so lovely. Food is good and the fish was very nice. Brownies were excellent. The area is stunning and afterwards we went for a walk on the beach. Great afternoon out.

The anchorage is a nice place in a fabulous location and it is a real shame I could not give it full marks. The staff are happy and friendly, the decor is nice, even witty, and the atmosphere is fine. So we had the haddock...

Visited on Sunday, food tasted delicious and portions were great. Staff were also very pleasant and welcoming. Would definitely recommend.

Incredible experience all round. Food, draught beer and the staff all amazing. Will definitely be back.

Had booked ahead and although initially quiet, it became busy. Waiter was v attentive, food was excellent, large portions but still managed to squeeze in puddings lol

Love it here. Staff are always friendly and the food is always consistently good, and good value. I'd like to see more craft beer options.

Love this little pub. Food is amazing and staff are very friendly. Was a must to return to this place after being there previously a year ago. Didn’t disappoint. I highly recommend.

Just stopped for dinner, food was great, good size portions and staff were friendly. Worth looking at their specials menu as the options were good.

Brilliant food with lovely friendly staff. Worth booking in advance since it can be busy. Dog friendly too!

I visited yesterday with three friends. I ordered the dressed fish supper from the 2 courses for £15.95 menu. When it came, the dressed fish looked like battered fish, and had been cooked beyond belief…I couldn’t even cut it with my knife, let alone eat...

Very nice food and good service received.

Love this, its so close to home. Food excellent. Doggies allowed. Staff brilliant. Dissapointed that it closed at 9.

My mum, myself and my dad popped down to the Anchorage today for our lunch, the food was delicious & Adele and Holly were very helpful and they couldn't do enough for us! Obviously can’t forget Sam on the bar who made our drinks very quickly! The service was super quick & we didn’t have to wait long at all for our food, I hope to pop back down again very soon to see everyone! Thank you again to all the Anchorage staff 💗

*It gave us food poisoning* In response to a reply from the Owner, both myself and my friend got food poisoning from the meals we had here. We were walk in customers and I ordered the Swiss Cheese and Mushroom pasta and my friend ordered the vegan tempura and chips. Almost as soon as I was finished my meal I began to feel nauseous and within a few hours I was vomiting. I was sick over 20 times and completely unable to keep down any food but also any liquids including water for over 24 hours. On the first day I had a terrible fever, chills and temperature and was completely unable to leave bed because I was so fatigued and unwell and was battling constant nausea, stomach cramps, bloating, gas and diarrhea. Because I was sick so many times my stomach was empty which resulted in such severe dry heaving that I have stomach and chest pain from pulling muscles 3 days later. My throat was in agony for days. We ate in the restaurant Saturday the 22nd *in the evening* and although some symptoms have lessened I still have nausea, loss of appetite and fatigue. My friend then became ill with similar symptoms yesterday and given my experience it's clear that it's also from this place too. She mentioned at the time that some of the dough on her food was raw. The servers were polite and friendly however they got our food and drinks order wrong twice. Given the poor state of the food, service and the food poisoning I would say it certainly was overpriced.

We were very happy with our trip here, the service was lovely and it's hands down one of the friendliest places we have been! The chefs homemade pate was beautiful! Ours mains were decent but felt the steak pie pastry was undercooked and the meat was tiny cubes that felt chewy still was delicious tho! Our dog joined us and was giving so much love and fuss from staff and even got some treats! definitely will be back

Lovely meal, quick & friendly service

Fantastic seafood specials. Well worth coming out here just for lunch.

The team here are wonderful, nothing is too much trouble service was fast and the food delicious. Keep up the great work

Fabulous location and quality of food good, but unfortunately they let themselves down. Warm wine; pour yourself. Portion size; not adequate for a main - £24.95 for Scallops and black pudding 'crumb' not substantial enough even for a woman. Side of fries - frozen chips....

Real surprise package! We have a caravan near Dunure but hadn't tried the Anchorage until now. Great atmosphere, varied menu, excellent food and great service

We visited this pub one evening and we loved it so much we actually came back the next evening for dinner again!! Beautiful location, very friendly and professional staff. The food is absolutely excellent! We will definitely be retuning when we are next visiting and...

Second time I’ve been here and really enjoyed it. Will be back and highly recommend. Lovely setting too next to the harbour

First time visiting the Anchorage, thought we would try and support local because we are losing so many of our local country pubs/restaurants. However, I would not recommend here, especially on a Sunday. Had a table booked for 6pm and they literally had nothing. No...

As a family we’ve been to The Anchorage several times, after todays experience we will not be returning & encouraging friends to avoid visiting. There was no lobster on the specials board so we asked if it was possible to order one? The waitress asked...

What a fab place, food delicious and the staff were so friendly. Highly recommended

Fabulous restaurant, food was delicious and the staff were so friendly and chatty. Would definitely return

Wonderful environment. Very friendly service with excellent food and drink. Shall definitely return when I'm next in the area

We visited on a Sunday and managed to get a sought after spot in the sun trap beer garden. That was the highlight and unfortunately it was down hill after that. The picnic bench we sat at had allegedly been cleaned. We had to ask...

Fabulous location, some of the finest shellfish and fish in the world in the waters below and yet it wasn't even good pub grub. A real shame, could be so much better

Food fantastic, service poor, wrong order for one family member and the kitchen ran out of chicken mid service. We were informed they were nipping to the 'shop'. Unfortunately this was not local. We would have preferred this choice was removed immediately from the menu and asked to select another meal. We were compensated for the inconvenience but 2 family members did not have dinner due to the delays.

Great food , amazing staff members

Excellent food, friendly helpful staff, we hadn't been for years, but well worth the visit and we will be back soon.

Lovely lobsters, great place Nice port What else?

Good food, friendly staff and a nice place. Good variety of food that was tasty and well presented.

Failed this time. Food overcooked and staff slow (not enough on). The 3 course meal we all had was overpriced and we felt expensive for what we got . Must do better.

The langoustines and scallop dishes were just fantastic, add these to brilliant service, a real gem in a stunning location too.

What a fabulous find this was. All of the staff were really lovely, friendly, and kind. They are a very dog friendly place. I had the King Scallops and my partner had the roast beef. My scallops were so v delicious. The roast beef was also lovely. Very good value for money. We intend to go back before our break ends.

Booked in for lunch on bank holiday Monday as when in Scotland I always like to try and get some seafood. We were not disappointed with a large seafood platter which was fresh and delicious. Followed this up with sticky toffee pud and rice pudding...

Staff were fantastic sevice slick and friendly loved the log burner goats cheese hit the spot main was good will be back

Large portions lovely servers. Made very welcome and will be back

Sehr hübsches Restaurant, super nette Bedienung und lecker Pommes.

Food was amazing, had mussels and langoustine and both were cooked to perfection! Absolutely delicious! Will definitely be returning

We visited on the last night of our holiday and it was the perfect ending. The staff were friendly, welcoming and provided a great service. Don’t miss the specials board full of local seafood from the harbour outside, we ordered our starters and mains from...

Had a superb lunch in this hidden gem of a restaurant. Great menu and staff were very welcoming. Our waiter Lucas was very attentive and lovely. Will definitely be back.

Lovely cosy atmosphere and amazing value for fresh langoustine special

Great food good service all round value for money.

Stopped in here on recommendation for my partners 30th Birthday. We were hoping for a great meal to mark the occasion and that's certainly what we got! We both had steaks cooked exactly how we asked and the desserts were amazing (I recommend the Krembo). Everything about the meal was great and throwing in a Birthday drink was a really nice touch that rounded the evening off nicely. Special mention to Adele who really looked after us and who's hospitality and friendliness put this well beyond a 5 star review!

Perfect service, welcoming and good food.

My wife and I were in today. The food was outstanding. Tempura great and the Fajitas were the best I’ve tasted. If I had a wee gripe at all it was a tad cold inside.

Well what can i say! Just had the valentines 3 course menu and it was exceptional. Cooked to perfection staff were brilliant a highly recommended trying here al definitely be back!!

Came here for dinner last night (28.01.23) with my husband and fur baby and it was lovely. The staff were very friendly, helpful and polite and the chef even came out to see our pup and give him treats😊. The food was delicious to say...

Venue extremely cold with staff not bothering to keep wood burning stove fuelled Asked for soda water and lime - we don’t have any lime juice Asked for mustard with meal - we don’t have any Asked for Skinny late- we only do full fat...

Lived a few miles away for over 4 years and this was our first visit - definitely not the last. Excellent food, friendly service. Warm and comfortable "pub" surroundings. Not the cheapest perhaps but certainly great quality and well recommended.

Fish and chips not brilliant. Ordered rice pudding but didn't use pudding rice and was very watery.

It's a lovely welcoming pub with good pub food menu. I love the vegetable tempura. Sunday dinner is fabulous, I'd recommend asking for extra Yorkshire pudding and gravy.

Delicious food prepared fresh with a wide range of beers and whiskies available at the bar. Friendly service, great atmosphere and top notch nautical ambiance.

It was lovely to be back in my local pub!! and as usual everything was great the staff cheery and welcoming the atmosphere warm like the fire and the food hot tasty and well presented...if you get a chance..visit..it is so worth it..

Nice wee pub/restaurant with good food and quick service.

We ate here our first night of three in Dunure with local friends as it was close to our cottage. Wow we had stunning meals and we all loved our 3 courses. I had garlic creamed mushrooms on crusty bread which was divine and my...

Haven't been in the Anchorage for years....I certainly won't be waiting long to return. Fabulous food and staff.

Friendly staff great atmosphere tasty food, Fantastic night

Absolutely amazing. The Cullen skink was to die for, best I've ever tasted! Very friendly staff, our waitress was lovely, place was lovely and clean and loved the decor! Were here on holiday but will def be back when we stay at Culzean holiday park again. Highly reccomended. 😊

We stopped off at The Anchorage on our way to Culzean Bay for a quick pint and a bite of lunch to be surprised by a mouth watering experience that made our day. Well presented and prepared cuisine with friendly service and pet friendly. The scallops melted in the mouth and the cajun chicken crepes were exquisite. Highly recommend a visit to the jewel in Dunure's crown!