Kings Arms Community Pub and Hub — Restaurant in Scotland

Went for something to eat on a Thursday night. The pub was completely empty ( except for one table with 2 children under the age of 5 in the party) me and my boyfriend, both aged 19 were told we would not be able to eat unless we provided ID. We told the woman we would not be drinking and she demanded we go out to our car and collect our ID. We provided our ID and she proceeded to write all of our details down (which she did not do with anyone who entered after us) I asked why this was necessary and she told me you must be over 16 to enter the premises and we look young. My boyfriend regarded that the young children were clearly not 16 and she laughed. She let us know that it’s part of licensing laws however having previously worked in a pub myself I am well aware of the licensing laws and this is not one of them. It was 6.30pm therefore anyone under the age of 18 should be allowed to have a meal on the premises. Aside from all of this we were stared at in a nasty way by not only the member of staff who was so clearly desperate to get rid of us, but also by another member of staff who couldn’t even bring herself to smile and welcome us as guests to her establishment. On top of all of this, I have coeliac disease and can not eat gluten. When I questioned about the gluten free options on the menu the women clearly had no idea what she was talking about and began to make up what she thought might be gluten free. At this point we had both had enough and left the premises. I definitely do not recommend...

During our stay near this quaint little Scottish town my wife and I rode bicycles into Ballentrae to experience local fare and culture at the Kings Arms. From the time we entered the door we got a strange vibe that I can only describe as not being welcome. My wife and I travel often and regularly try to find and local gastronomy and drinks off the beaten path. 99.9% of the time everywhere in the world we are welcome as visitors, just as we treat out of town guests. Not only were we not given a seat at a table we were told we could not eat at the bar after sitting down and ordering drinks (we were asked to pay immediately after the drinks hit the bar). We weren’t given an explanation nor were we offered even a mere crisp to tide us over. Assuming worst case that the several open tables had reservations which potentially accounted for all the food in the kitchen the lack of hospitality in this small Scottish town to visitors from across the pond was beyond disappointing on an early Saturday evening.

For an establishment that has been brought back to life on the donations from the greater Ballantrea area I truly hope Kings Arms “Community” Pub learns the meaning of community and something related to hospitality and service.

First time in my 30+ years of traveling internationally to be denied...

We visited this quaint little pub on a Sunday evening during a recent trip to the area visiting family. We rang the pub ahead to enquire about food but unfortunately they had stopped service by 5pm. They did,however, inform us of a quiz starting at 7 pm, so we decided to give it a go for a bit of fun. Drinks were reasonably priced and the young barmaid was very helpful and friendly. The quiz was held in the restaurant seating area beside the main bar. There was a nice log burner to keep the place warm, and I noticed a shelf full of board games and puzzles for any kids who visit. The quizmaster was a nice bloke, but we felt he didn't explain some of the rules quite as well as he could have, and there was far too much time left between questions which made it drag on a little. Overall we enjoyed our experience in this lovely little pub and would definitely visit again. There are a lot of events for the local community held here regularly so check them out if you're...