Old inn hits the write note with a warm welcome and fantastic food
For years, we have whizzed past Souter’s Inn on our way to catch the ferry to Belfast and each time we have made a pact to stop off there on our next trip.
A couple of times Pub Spy has come close but has been thwarted at the 11th hour by an escaped cow or a trundling tractor, which has necessitated a last-minute dash to the docks.
But a caravan holiday in Turnberry meant we would be staying just a few miles from the pub, built on the site of Robert Burns’s old schoolhouse.
Our wee laddies were enchanted by the inn’s thatched roof and asked if we were going to have lunch with Hansel and Gretel. After that, everything about our visit turned out to be magical and we all thought we had landed in the middle of a fairy tale. The staff were friendly, the pub was bright and cosy and the food was tasty, beautifully presented and great value for money.
We went on a weekday and the place was going like a fair. Tourists, families, ladies who lunch and men in business suits were all enjoying a wee bite and a chat.
The kids’ portions were generous and kept them quiet for a good half hour.
Our eldest declared the fish and chips “the best he had ever tasted” and the wee one gave their homemade ice cream a massive thumbs-up.
My husband is the burger king so when he says their toasted garlic chicken brioche burger was to die for, you know it ’ s a winner. Huge is an understatement – I thought he was going to dislocate his jaw.
My chicken schnitzel with caramelised pineapple and bacon was also very tasty and more than set me up for an afternoon chasing “our wee sleekit beasties” round the wooden for t at nea rby Culzean Castle.
I had a sneak peek at the drinks menu before we left and it made me wish we lived a bit closer as a mojito cocktail by the open fire at Christmas time would be heavenly.
The inn, which got its name from Souter Johnnie, one of the characters in Robert Burns’s most famous work, Tam o’ Shanter, is definitely worthy of an ode or two.