The Flying Stag — Restaurant in Scotland

I really wanted to give this 5 stars all round as The Flying Stag was recommended to us as somewhere we should go. So, we arrived and had to wait quite a while to be seated with waiters walking past us and nobody really acknowledging we were there. We were seated and after a while they came to take our order but hadn't given us menus.....left even longer. Nice to see vegetarian options available. The pub does have a lovely feel to it, a nice atmosphere but a little cold so take an extra layer if you feel the cold, but the decor is amazing. We ordered our food and when it arrived we weren't asked if we wanted any sauces so again had to wait longer to catch their attention to ask for vinegar etc. The food was really nice and the waiters were lovely when they were at your table but getting them at your table was the problem. Service was slow and when a side dish appeared on our table that we hadn't ordered we were told it was on our order?! Afyer we twice said we hadn't ordered it, It was later removed. Ordered desert whilst still eating our main as knew there would be a delay but wanted to make the most of having the waiter at the table. Ordered another drink and a coffee at the same time but they never arrived but did appear on the bill. When you pay a little bit more than other places, you do expect the service to be a little more attentive and I felt this let the evening down for us and won't be going back to eat. I think I would be recommending popping in for a drink to my friends rather than going to the...

What a lovely place to stop for dinner! The staff were incredibly welcoming and thoughtful. We stopped by with no reservation and the place was busy, but staff members found us a spot to sit outside and enjoy a drink until a table opened up inside. Every single person we interacted with was courteous and friendly, and our server Lee went above and beyond to make sure we got the most out of our visit. We really appreciated that dogs are welcome in the bar, and when we took a quick look around some of the other rooms another staff member generously offered to hold our dog outside for us so we could see the rooms where dogs aren't allowed. While we ate, our dog had her own bowl of water and was offered organic dog biscuits. This place is worth a stop for the ambiance, artwork, and historic pieces on display alone, and the welcoming atmosphere and good food make it hard to leave. The menu has great vegetarian options and the selection of wines and spirits is excellent. I can easily say this was the best service we'd had in a long time. We will most certainly be going back and bringing friends and family to share this special spot. I would highly recommend reservations as it is a popular place, even on weekdays. I got the sense that some tables were left empty so the staff weren't overwhelmed, which to me indicates that management clearly care about their team and are more invested in customer experience than...

Our second attempt at what could be a great spot, unfortunately let down by the service again! Our family of four really want to like this place, it has the potential to be a very special place and not something you can experience anywhere else. The building is incredible, the artwork and interior design is definitely unusual and interesting and something that will rightly attract a lot of people, but the food is just average if over priced and the service is shocking. The first time we visited the flying stag we were seated at the back of the room and it was fairly busy, like I thought we were out of sight and out of mind. Having to request service on two occasions and still too slow to be able to entertain the kids for that long. The second time was yesterday and this time we were sat in the middle of the room in front of the bar and it was very quiet with maybe 4 other tables in for lunch. The drinks order was taken quite quickly but the food order took a long time and we felt like the service was exactly the same as previously, no real urgency and a lack of customer focus. When the food came it was fine, nothing wrong with it but just average. By the time our food came our 18 month old toddler was nearing the end of his patience and to be honest so were we.

Such a shame because this could be a truly great one of a kind place. We will be reluctant to dine again...