Porters Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Scotland

First time visiting. When we arrived we were put at the bar table which had high bar stools, my face must have said we didn't expect this so the gentlemen asked "i take it you were not informed you were sitting here" He explained the owner had booked our seats and that normally they would let customers know they were sitting here. Had i brought my 90 year old Grandmother with me, we would have had a problem. At the end of our table was a bottle of hand sanitizer and so when people entered or left they were using this on our table. I asked the waitresses to move it and she did so no problem. After my coffee i decided to have a cocktail. Crocodile Dundee, i watched behind the bar as one guy made the cocktail in a shaker and asked another to pour it. When he tried to pour it he had filled my glass to the top with crushed ice and instead of using a strainer just poured and more ice fell into my glass. He then stuck his fingers in my glass (with no gloves) and pulled the ice back out but as my glass was already full of ice most of my cocktail went down the sink and i paid £5.50 for this. I certainly could not taste any alcohol. Our food arrived and my partner ordered the burger which was fantastic. I ordered the chicken supreme which did not have much chicken but was still nice. While eating our food the waiter walked through the restaurant with bags of rubbish to be put in the bins out side he did this more than once and was very off putting. In all it was ok but fingers in glasses, pouring half my drink out and rubbish through your restaurant is not great can't see me...

Would be zero stars, but that option not available.

Poor Service and Poor Attitude.

Sat 28th @ 6.30pm - can we have a table for 2. "Have you booked?" No but happy to have a table outside. "Just a moment" "Yes, no problem follow me" "Take your choice" Several tables available, so we sit down and are presented menu cards. 5 mins later, a waitress comes out and asks to take drinks order. We want to give food order at same time, but that requires a different waitress......?? We mention that we are on a quick timescale. "No problem, I'll tell the Food waitress" 5 mins later, drinks waitress comes out with the drinks. Placing them down and then says that they are "too busy and can't offer us food". We were not told that when we arrived and therefore don't want the drinks. Drinks waitress says that "she will check" and leaves the drinks. 5 mins later, a different woman, ( third member of staff) comes out and tells us that "they are fully booked and have a large table coming in, and that they cannot do us food" OK, bye, and we walked off.

15 minutes of our time wasted when we are on a quick timescale.

So, empty tables outside, plenty of empty tables inside when we arrived, we're in a hurry, so pretty sure that they could have taken an order for two main courses, served them, us eaten them, and be away, BEFORE they would have been able to complete the drinks order for the large table which was still to arrive, never mind taking their food order.

Negative revenue as they had opened the bottled drinks which we didn't want without...

Came for the eat out to help out discount visiting for 1st time. Booked 12 midday for lunch for 2.

Restaurant has a lovely quiet and cosy atmosphere. Waiting staff are attentive and polite, evidently quite experienced.

Unsure if the menu differed slightly from what was displayed on the website but this was not an issue, probably just due to current covid circumstances and mostly everything was present. Ordered the sharing platter with the cured meats and cheeses which was superb.

Implementation of covid guidelines seemed very robust, I was confident staff had done their utmost to keep everyone safe.

They seemed to be fully booked at the time - not surprised in the slightest, I'm sure they are very popular with the food and service they provide.

5 stars - very impressed, expectations exceeded. We will be returning, you have gained 2 customers. Exceptional value with the eat out to help out discount. I have absolutely no quarrel paying full price at this establishment, still worth every penny. Next time it will...