Glenelg Inn — Restaurant in Great Britain

The beginning didn’t bode well. We introduced ourselves saying we had booked two rooms. The lady proprietor, hurriedly grabbed some keys and ushered us from the busy bar to a scruffy lobby saying that our room was up the stairs and along, she didn’t want to answer some of the usual questions when arriving somewhere new. Her response was, somewhat petulantly “I’ve got to get back to the bar”! I initially thought our room looked nice. Generally the furnishings and paintwork to put kindly were tired, dirty and scruffy. The radiator in the bedroom needed a new thermostat. The bathroom was again very quirky. The stained wash basin, in the Victorian style, with brass taps I don’t think hadn’t been polished since! We went to wash and freshen up but had to be very quick to catch the water in the sink, the plug didn’t touch the sides so water went PDQ. The enamelled iron bath, a similar vintage to the sink, surrounded by a strange quarry tile configuration surround. This raised position made getting into the bath very disconcerting. Up a step, then straddle a wide surround of said tiles into the deep enamel affair. I tried it once, but found it somewhat precipitous to achieve, my wife wasn’t even able to attempt the manoeuvre as she has a bad back, making such expeditions unwise. The state of the bath was very worn, stained and rusty in parts, didn’t look very clean, very uninviting. Have a shower then you suggest, well the shower attachment to the chrome mixer taps had a funny broken spike in the middle where the upright support for the shower head should be. So you had to have a shower holding the head! Again not satisfactory. We looked round expecting to find a television or at least a radio, there were neither. We were told that there was Wi-Fi, it was rarely available. When we asked the lady she said, “Well I’ve got it down here in the bar” there was also a television in the bar which is what we were referred to when we said we felt out of touch with events and the weather. As I said we were tired after our journey, there being no television to watch, settled down to bed early. Uh uh, we were above the dining room and kitchen with many loud noises, which are still trying to work out what they could be! Sleep did not come easy, especially when the live music struck up. Some nights the live music didn’t start until well after 10.00pm. Anyone wanting the supposedly best room, number six, should beware! As residents a table was reserved for us each of our five nights, on the nights we didn’t want a meal we advised the lady who seemed a little put out that we weren’t partaking of her fayre. The fayre itself was generally of good standard, rustically matching the bar itself but tasty, some other reviewers say overpriced, but as we came from the Cotswolds we didn’t think them too bad. We partook of the Sunday lunch, roast beef with everything piled on the plate, even the very peculiar accompaniment “beetroot puree” a pink lake fighting with the gravy to cover the plate. Please, vegetables, sauces etc. served separately, especially rare purees! Fried breakfasts were certainly in the Scottish tradition, if you had the bacon and eggs option, swimming in grease! The continental option, surprisingly missing croissants and such usual delights usually a few circles of dry salami and choice or red or white cheddar. Bread provided was of the least expensive sliced white which you toasted yourself. If you wanted toast you had to hang on to the knife which came with your mains, no butter knife only a very small side plate supplied. There is a lot more I could say, but I know I have gone on a bit already. Glenelg Inn, the only choice at this remote location maybe means that they don’t have to try very hard, so...

We were a group of 7. Two families made of four adults, 3 kids. We happened to meet the landlady earlier in the day and I mentioned our booking and she knew all about it and seemed nice and friendly. As is often inevitable when trying to organise children and families we were late getting out of the house and arrived just before 8.15 for an 8pm booking. We were somewhat taken aback to find our tables had been given away. Despite the fact 8pm was the last seating so there was no-one behind us, and the fact I’d seen the landlady in the afternoon and said we were coming, it seemed to be a case of “tough luck”. No accounting for young kids or the fact we could have been left completely stranded for food with no other establishment in the village. She did not enquire if we were ok for food and really just didn’t seem to care. We love the famous Scottish hospitality but it was obviously having a day off today. By complete good fortune we had hailed down a local fishmonger’s van during the day and bought a load of fresh fish that we were able to go home and use for dinner. Otherwise we would have literally had nothing. Yes we have to hold our hands up and admit we were late for our booking but she had our number and could have confirmed - as I already had - if we were coming. So I’ll leave it to fellow travellers to decide for themselves if it’s just a case of “too bad” on our part or if this was rather mean and uncaring. It certainly soured our trip and is now something negative we will remember our holiday to Glenelg for, which is never...

Came recommend by locals & other holiday makers. Was greated at the bar with a .. yes.. told reservation name ... just pointed to the table & said the waitress will come to you .. she came took drinks order.. after an age, another waitress came & asked if we wanted drinks told already orderd she took food order then came back with drinks ... The meals arrived both well presented one fish and chips all good .. I had the Venison pie ... (Nice to see a proper pie instead of some stew with a balanced baked piece of pastry on top) .. The pastry was over worked so was quite tough the filling had some nice pieces of Venison & the gravy was very flaversome but the addition of what only seemed like leftover Sunday lunch roast potatoes & batton carrot to bulk it out bit disappointing... The green beans could have done with another half minute I don't mind crisp veg but.... & the mustard mash ... might as well have just put a fork straight into the wholegrain mustard jar ... bit strong ..... no one came to see if everything was OK or ask if we required any more drinks .... Felt a bit let down as everyone said how good the Glenelg was.... ... Having worked in the hospitality trade for many years thought... it could have...