The Rockpool

A hidden gem in Queens Court. Excellent seafood restaurant with a cozy setting, great service and beautifully presented, delicious dishes. There is always a great variety of fish and seafood options, and the menu slightly changes from season to season, which makes the experience more exciting. Unsurprisingly, we have already become regulars!

Anniversary night, Friday night! First time here and we LOVED it. Set in the historic Queens Court in Ayr, the dining lounge is bordered by the original exposed stone walls, simply and beautifully furnished. We were smiling even as we approached. A genuinely warm welcome from staff who clearly enjoyed working there. We both ordered the 'Seafood Trio' - Seabass, langoustines & mussels. OH MAMA. DELICIOUS. The bisque it was dressed in was literally DIVINE. We probably should have ordered starters as the main was not quite enough, maybe some fresh bread to mop up the juices may have been a suitable accompaniment we will probably order next time. AND THERE WILL BE A NEXT TIME. The bottle of Italian white wine we ordered, delicious though it was, was nowhere near cold enough. I pray this restaurant survives through & thrives after this pandemic and beyond. Sadly last night, we were one of only 2 tables in the entire place. RECOMMENDED.

Amazing food, fantastic staff and excellent value, what more does any seafood lover need? The restaurant itself is a tad hard to find, but we’ll worth finding and after our first experience we have already booked to return this weekend so we’ll know where we’re going. Non fish dishes are few, so if you have non seafood eaters in your party I’d think twice or look at the menu before booking. But do not let this put the true seafood foodie off because this place is not to be missed.

The food was lovely - beautifully cooked and presented and good value for money (starters, main and a a bottle of wine for £60). Sadly for us the service could have been better. We were sat for 15 minutes before being offered drinks - perhaps because we were earlier than our booked time slot but some communication would have been good. Our bottle of white wine was server warm (I assume inexperience was to blame). The mussels were not available on the evening we visited as the chef did not want to serve that days delivery. Also there were no desserts available at all. Perhaps just an unfortunate coincidence for the evening we were there. If I were to go again I'd be sure to pre-order the seafood platter (see other reviews for pictures). The location on Google Maps seemed to be off a little - it's the other side of the road through an alleyway - it is well marked with a sign. A lovely meal and night out - I'd recommend it and happily go again.

I don't have enough nice things to say about The Rockpool! The food was delicious, the cocktails were lovely, the service was fabulous, and the setting was idyllic. Honestly, this was the best meal I (or the 4 other people I was with) have had for months. We all agreed this is our new favorite restaurant in Scotland! Thanks so much--we're looking forward to returning soon and often.