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The Ship Inn
Review
About
Features
CUISINES
Bar, British, Pub
Meal types
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
Dog Friendly
Free Wifi
Full Bar
Highchairs Available
Live Music
Outdoor Seating
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Wheelchair Accessible
Location
Does this restaurant offer highchairs for toddlers?
Save this restaurant
Hours
Open until 10:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Monday
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Tuesday
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Wednesday
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Thursday
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Friday
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Saturday
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
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4.2
(892)
Excellent
467
Good
252
Average
87
Poor
44
Terrible
42
James H
11 contributions
Apr 2024 • couples
My girlfriend and I stayed here the week just gone. Booked our room last minute and we were met with a lovely response and a room that had everything we needed including a lovely en suite. Dinner had a great selection and was very reasonably priced and breakfast was included with our stay, with everything set for when we came downstairs. The owners were very accommodating and made us feel really welcome - we would absolutely stay here again and would recommend it to anyone looking to stay on the island.
Written 12 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
paul armstrong
thank you so much for your kind words and we look forward to welcoming you back in the future .
Written 13 April 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
jenabelConsett
Consett269 contributions
May 2024 • family
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would recommend The Ship Inn to anyone wanting to stay overnight on Holy Island.
Paul was very helpful when we checked in eventhough he had a queue of people waiting to be served at the bar as we arrived at his busiest time when the causeway is open and it was a lovely sunny day so lots of day trippers on the island.
Our check in time was 2pm but Paul told us to go to room 1 even though it was only 12.30pm. We quickly viewed the room, left our bags, and went to explore the beautiful island.
The room was quite big with an en suite, a chair and a large comfortable bed, a wardrobe and a set of drawers with tea/ coffee making facilities and biscuits.
The room was clean apart from a couple of stains on the chair and carpet but these were livable with.
The shower was very nice with lots of soft towels and hot water. The bed was very comfortable with lots of soft pillows.
We had our evening meal and breakfast in the Inn, and both meals were very good and there is very nice menu for evening meals.
Overall we had a very nice stay and would use again if we returned
Written 13 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
301lisa33
Coventry2003 contributions
Nov 2023 • friends
This is a pub and presents as a pleasant 'local', complete with slate floors. Good location towards the centre of the village. Food arrived quite quickly, but they were quite quiet when we visited.
Food is quite pricey, but it is located in a very touristy spot! The sandwiches were chunky, which I like. The crab filling in the crab sandwiches appeared to be 'cut' with carrot - really? - but it did taste fine. Unfortunately there were also a few pieces of crab shell, but you do always need to take care when eating prepared crab.
Written 19 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
paul armstrong
your review is very much appreciated but we dont put carrot in our crab its just fresh brown and white crab meat from our local supplier and very rarely get shell in the product
Written 29 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Daniel S
7 contributions
Aug 2024 • family
We went here for lunch on a Sunday around 1:30pm. It was busy, but we were told food would take half an hour. We sat in the beer garden, which was quite pleasant and spacious.
We ordered two crab sandwiches, a steak burger, a coronation chicken sandwich and an extra side of chips. The food took almost an hour to arrive, which was disappointing considering we had been told it would be half an hour. We heard three other parties asking staff where their food was. Staff were clearly stressed and unable to keep up with the demand.
When the food arrived it was presented quite well and the portion sizes were decent. The burger was ok but it was quite plain. The coronation chicken sandwich was good. The chips were more like wedges but they were also quite good.
The crab sandwiches were disappointing given the price of £15. The crab had mostly been minced up very fine and put in a sauce that made it almost like a paste. I personally didn’t enjoy mine. The crab sandwich photographed lacked any large chunks of crab and didn’t get finished. The other sandwich had a lot more filling than the one shown. The other food on sale looked much nicer, especially the fish.
Overall we considered the food to be overpriced and hit or miss, with the service below average. If you went at a quieter time and ordered some different items, you might have a better experience than we did. If you’re visiting Holy island for the day and want a quick lunch then I would avoid.
Written 11 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tracy P
5 contributions
July 2024 • family
We visited Holy Island on July 31st, we called in for food & drinks on our way back to the car, just after 4pm. We had no idea what time they were serving, the sign outside said food served from 12pm so we presumed food was served from 12pm all day. We walked through into the garden where people were eating & others were stood at the bar with menus so we went to order. My husband got hold of a menu & we waited at the bar, a very rude female member of staff came out shouting who’s wanting to order from the lunch menu, then snatched the menu out of my husband’s hand saying “where did you get that menu from?” She said lunch was finished & the evening menu would start in half an hour. Then the couple infront of us walked out & we just ordered a drink & went elsewhere for food. As we ordered our drinks another man at the bar ordered lunches for his table of 6 outside, which we couldn’t understand as we were rudely told food had finished. After being spoken to the way we were & having a menu snatched out of our hands we wouldn’t have stayed for food & won’t be returning. The female staff member should learn how to speak to customers.
Written 2 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
philip
9 contributions
Aug 2023 • couples
we popped in for some food my wife had the fish and chip’s which she enjoyed and had the scampi which would have been much better if they changed the cooking oil more frequently all I could taste was a burnt taste but the scampi was of good Quality sirvid with potato wedges and tartar and salad garnish! the bar man was grumpy ( maybe he was having a bad day) don’t know why he took over £500:00 in 1 and 1/2 hours he was turning people away telling them the kitchen was closed 15:30 when your bissiness is affected by the tide you would think you would stay open to suit, would I give it a 2nd chance! Yes.
Written 27 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul Armstrong
we dont stop serving food untill 4 .30 to give our kitchen a chance to prepare for the evening sometimes there is a wait in food as to the sheer colume of people that come to visit us and we need to stop sometimes to give the kitchen a chance to catch up . thanks for your feedvack but we always do our best to give people the best experiance possible
Written 27 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TheBagCarrier
Birmingham232 contributions
June 2023 • none
In many ways stepping into the Ship Inn is like being taken back to the late 1970's. The food menu only lacks "chicken in a basket" to make it authentic. The decor is similar. The owner complained about lack of staff in the kitchen and housekeeping but that doesn't excuse the food coming out not cooked (table near us complained about raw chicken) or the risotto being more like a soup. Given how much we were charged for staying one night there (they really do financially make the most of the lack of one night rooms on the island - that's being polite!) they should be able to afford more staff.
On a Thursday morning the beer delivery comes very early (6'ish) so be prepared to be awoken by the noise of the lorry etc.
Written 29 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rebecca M
Northumberland172 contributions
Aug 2024 • couples
We have dropped in to this pub previously and had a bite to eat and a drink. This time we only had a short stay and so wanted a drink only, it was early evening and most of the tables were reserved for dining, which I fully understand. We did find one table not reserved where we could sit and have a drink. However for anyone walking in, reserved or not, the atmosphere and welcome was really very poor. A few other people came in after us and sat in the garden. They had not reserved and after asking if they could eat in the garden, they were told 'no - they had to have a table inside and it had to be reserved'. Perhaps it was just an off night but with such a captive audience you would have thought the opportunity to do more business on an August evening would have been welcomed.
Written 27 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
paul armstrong
we always aim to please and people do eat in the garden if they would like to maybe it was fully booked inside and the kitchen was busy
Written 28 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rachael C
London681 contributions
Aug 2023 • family
Another return visit for lunch whilst on holiday in the area. Very popular, so recommend you go early when you arrive on Holy Island - the dining area and garden soon filled up and people were being turned away. Good service and very tasty fish and chips - the small size (ÂŁ13.95) was plenty big enough.
Written 26 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Paul Armstrong
thanks for your feedback and look forward to welxoming you back soon
Written 27 August 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
FamilySparrow
Royston77 contributions
Apr 2024 • family
Friendly and attentive staff when we visited one evening
Great fish and chips, with really light and crisp batter.
However dessert was vastly overpriced - £7.99 for two really quite small scoops of ice cream. At that price I’d expected 3 scoops minimum, and it did put a bit of a dampener on what was otherwise a nice meal that I’d have like to have given 4* to.
Written 6 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
paul armstrong
i apologiae for that but we have a new member of staff who charged a 3 scoop price instead of the single scoop price so i will look after you on your next visit but i wish you would have told us on your visit as we always gwt great reviews
Written 7 April 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
CAMS
Croydon28 contributions
July 2024 • couples
Nice bar, almost empty at 7pm, yet we were shown into the back room with no atmosphere, just the quiet, inhibited occasional voices of the 4 other occupants. My husband’s poached haddock was okay, served with plain boiled vegetables. My chicken and bacon pie was so bland as to be inedible, with tasteless chicken and a sauce in which I could detect nothing more than cornflour and water. Even the accompanying mushy peas were flavourless, lacking any seasoning. I did not have very high expectations but this was really sub-par. Not surprised that there were very few diners.
Written 4 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
paul armstrong
our baked haddock and chicken and bacon pie are two of the best dishes on our menu and is tasty as we have never had complaints and the night in question was busy earlier .than 7pm . thanks for your feedback
Written 5 July 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
fiona
1 contribution
Jan 2025 • friends
Just home after our first visit to holy island. We stayed at the Ship Inn for the weekend it was perfect start to finish. Paul and his staff were so welcoming nothing was too much trouble we were in a party of 16 the drinks flowed and the food was fabulous. The bar has such a fun atmosphere cosy warm with a lovely fire. Breakfast was delicious we just can’t wait to return. See you all soon.
Written 12 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
paul armstrong
Thanks so much for your kind review it was a pleasure to have you all over the weekend . See you again soon
Written 14 January 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Culture63748724720
Middlesbrough2 contributions
Apr 2024 • couples
We came here on a day out, so decided to sample the crab sandwich, it was excellent, we were just expecting a crab sandwich but oh no there was fresh salad, crisps and fresh coleslaw. It was the best crab sandwich we have tasted, plus the management were very polite and accommodating. Would recommend The ship inn to anybody going to holy island.
Written 7 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tobanola2019
Birmingham20 contributions
Mar 2024 • family
What an AMAZING place! Certainly a step back in time with shipping antiquities on display, wonderful beams and a beautiful stone floor. The atmosphere catches you before anything else. Its so easy to imagine the sailors returning ftom their voyages and singing their sea shantees with a yard of ale! And then ... the food! Well, after having experienced all the other restaurants on the island, this certainly came out top for quality, range of food and value. The food was tasty, colourful, fresh, succulent and well worth what we paid. We had the steak burger, chicken pie, gammon, fish cakes and haddock. All 6 plates were emptied and nothing but compliments paid. If you book to go anywhere on the island for an evening meal, this has to be first choice.
Written 28 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JH2013
Ilkley6 contributions
July 2023 • couples
We spent two nights here on a Northumberland break and it was a great base on a wonderful island.
The room was a good size and the bed very comfortable, and there was a very good size bathroom.
Paul, the landlord, manages the whole thing with a small staff but the service is excellent. The atmosphere in the bar was very friendly. Paul isn't a fan of having TV on in the bar, apparently but as one had been installed for the coronation, and a guest asked if they could watch Elton John's set at Glastonbury, Paul set it all up for them.
The food is good, a fairly standard pub menu but just what you need after a day in the sea air. Like most of the places to eat on the island, service finishes early, we couldn't get a table after 7.30pm anywhere, probably because the majority of customers are not staying over and need to have dinner and get off the island before the causeway closes. This isn't a problem, it's just something to be aware of it you don't plan ahead and book something in advance.
The Ship Inn is an excellent choice if you're planning a stay on Holy Island.
Written 11 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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