The Portcullis

We went just for eating: The location is great just outside the Stirling castle parking area. The interior is cosy and neat, with a nice, comfortable hearth, I want to say despite burning coal. The service is what you could expect, kind and simple. The drinks are rather pricey, even with the cappuccino being large and the tea being two small portions in one. Clean presentation, though, and the cappuccino was good, as well as the tea, being the standard Scottish blend. The food is where it goes bad. We went for some of the cheaper options as the menu is quite expensive overall, especially if you just want to have lunch. Even if it's nice that there are some cheaper, normal-priced options, it feels like being ripped off.... The steak pie is NOT a steak pie. It is a bowl of beef stew with a bit of pastry on top. I am aware this happens in other places too, and that it is easier for them, but it is just wrong to call that a pie. The pastry was a bit tough on the bottom making it hard to eat without pressing the stew out of the bowl. The beef stew was so overcooked it resembled something like dog food, despite tasting alright. There was no vegetables in it or anything though, just beef and sauce, rather one-dimensional, not a great taste. The carrots and peas were clearly from a jar or can. The peas were dry and the skin was tough, as if it had been standing for a while, or had been microwaved. The carrots were boiled I assume, whereas microwaving them would have been nicer, because now what little taste they had in the jar was replaced by water. Just tasteless and low effort, done cheap but still £14.50. The macaroni cheese looked nice, even tasted as though it was supposed to be fancy, with a distinct ricotta flavour in the sauce. But it was almost as if the sauce had more texture than the macaroni, being completely overcooked to the point of almost being mush. The ricotta in the sauce was also the only taste it had, the cheese on top barely tasting like anything. The thin slice of tomato that had dried out from roasting had the most flavour of anything in both dishes. The only redeeming factor with both dishes was that the chips were actually great. If the rest was like that too, it would have been a 4.5-5 star review. Cannot speak for the entire menu, of course, but the obvious signs of microwave use and low effort do not make me want to revisit next time we visit the castle or Stirling. I feel reluctant to be so harsh, as the staff was nice, but this is accurate with the quality of the food, nothing personal.

Excellent food served by kind people. The ambient is beautiful and the traditional dishes are very tasty. I really loved the experience! I recommend the place to you all.🫶

Well, location, location, location. The hotel is right at the gates of Sterling Castle. Which makes it quiet a convenient hotel to stay in. You can walk to the holy rude Church, and cemetery. The hike from the train station is quite a steep one. I wanted to stay in a room above a pub, which is what this is. Not your typical Scottish Pub. I expected Celtic music and got 80s pop. Everything in the hotel was sticky the tables in the restaurant the tables in the room the tables at breakfast. Food was so so and the coffee was atrocious,as thick as pudding, literally. 1780s building, which made it very attractive, but the room very tiny. The bed was comfortable enough but only a full size, which is difficult for two people to sleep in. The staff was very friendly and considerate, they actually gave me a key to the door of the hotel, in case I stayed out too late. No elevator.. so climbing the two flights of stairs to the third floor was a bit of a hump. As in most Scottish hotels, no air conditioning but it's not that hot in Scotland. All in all, except for the location it was meh.

Wonderful pub meal! We had the steak and ale pie and the highland chicken stuffed with haggis. Both delicious and ample portions. Great service.

This place became my husband and my favorite place. The authenticity of this place was captivating! Food was delicious, great price, lots of drink options, inside and outside seating. The staff was friendly, inviting, and very welcoming! We ended many of our nights with a drink here either in the restaurant, the outside patio and in a charming little space with couches that was very quiet and private. Highly recommend if you want to truly interact with locals.

We only ate at the restaurant and the food was fantastic. Comes out hot and tasty. Order the steak pie 🥧 Try the Haggis ask if they can serve it with mashed potatoes and Drambruie sauce.

Didn’t stay at the hotel, but ate at the restaurant. Best steak in ages. Everyone in our party of five loved what they got! It was a fabulous, friendly place. Great ambiance!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, no more to say but not to 200 characters yet, so continuing to here.

Great pub, good atmoshere, and tasty chips. The barladies are also very friendly. Furthermore, the building is beautiful and well placed. A worthy stopping point on your way up to the castle.

This place is a quaint little restaurant at the bottom of the ravine. The day was gorgeous. We chose to sit outside and share a glass of wine or two! It's located outside the Stirling Castle. Seating inside is limited. However, plenty of room outside. You have to go inside to order. I don't recall seeing any waitstaff outside. Food was not that good. I've had much better at various locations throughout Scotland. Easy come and go pub. Location is awesome. Service is just ok. September 2023

After visiting Stirling Castle we decided to grab a quick bite before heading off to our next adventure. Very old building with such a cute old Scottish feel. We ordered the soup of the day which was vegetable lentil soup. It was very good! Perfect for a foggy cool day. We also had to try their sticky toffee pudding which was some of the best I have had. We saw what others around us ordered and everything looked wonderful. Cute, non-touristy place. I would definitely eat here again if we are back. The service was excellent.

What a gem in Stirling. We went there to get a bite to say at the pub before touring the castle. Jaimie our server was fantastic and loved his dry sense of humour. You MUST order whatever the soup of the day is. It's all homemade and we had the chicken soup. It had chicken, peas, potatoes, carrots, totally made our belly's warm and full. The fish and chips is fresh, never frozen with a light batter and so tender. Thank you Jaimie and staff!

Just outside of Stirling Castle. They have great staff. More seating on the outside, than in. Beautiful area. Huge angus beef cheeseburger, was amazing. The cauliflower casserole dish was very good. And enough for 3 people.

Whilst the ambiance is welcoming, cosy and warm. The food does not live up to its description on the menu. Pretty disappointing

This place should deserve more than three stars, but I just can't bring myself to give them. There's nothing wrong with it if you like traditional pub grub and atmosphere, but I had serious trouble ordering any main course from the menu that I could eat (due to my dietary restrictions) except for haddock and chips. To be fair, the haddock was enormous and was served with a lovely side order of salad - the sculpted spring onions were a wee work of art in themselves and deserve a special mention. I could REALLY have done without the cheese, though - please list this on the menu, some of us are lactose intolerant you know? Chips came in a cup separately as there was no room left on the plate! The beer selection was pretty average, nothing too outstanding - I settled on a pint of Timothy Taylors. Can't we have a better range of Scottish ales on tap? The service was hurried and lacklustre - it was busy and we were a group of 8, but even so, a little less sighing from the obviously harassed waitress would have gone a long way towards a better dining experience. Prices a little high for what it was, but I guess that's inevitable given the proximity to the castle.

Excellent food and drink. Went while a visiting American law student at Aberdeen. Took a day trip to Stirling to see the castle. Famished by so much walking. The pub food was comforting and revived me. The place was incredibly busy, however, due to tourists like myself so it was difficult to get a seat.

The Portcullis is a fantastic, cosy pub that used to be a historic grammar school. It's conveniently located at the foot of the Stirling Castle and it makes for a lovely stop before or after a trip to the castle. After a trip to the castle today which was beautiful but very chilly, we were eager to find some lunch and hot drinks. We were lured in by our stomachs and our choice was confirmed when we saw the roaring fire! The warm tapestry-style decorations, the fire and our coffees and hot chocolates warmed us up as we admired the old stone walls and thought of the history behind this place. The food menu consisted of standard pub food and lots of paninis and sandwiches. My brie and cranberry sandwich was delicious and the staff were friendly. This pub was a great find!

The food was really good and our waiter was friendly. Would totally recommend to have the garlic chicken it was absolutely amazing! The restaurant has an old feeling but is cozy and welcoming. When we come back to Stirling this will be our go to place!

Best pub experience I have had in all of UK (in my three short months here) cozy and right next to Stirling Castle - service is incredible and the food fresh and high quality. Cousin had steak pie and I had the cheddar and haggis sandwich with salad. Salad is fresh and the house lager was fresh and refreshing - definitely a fan and highly recommend for anyone visiting Stirlig!

My husband found The Portcullis by googling castle hotels, and this was a wild success. The Portcullis is quite literally built into the walls of Stirling Castle-- in its past lives, it's been a school for boys and a military store; now, it's a pub downstairs and hotel upstairs. The rooms aren't the fanciest rooms I've ever stayed in, but the beds were comfortable and the showers worked great. Most importantly, the views are great-- the window in our bathroom in room one looked directly at the castle, and the other windows gave us a look at the town. Our rate included breakfast-- we didn't end up taking them up on the hot breakfast, but they had quite a few options that looked great. The pub is great as well-- we stopped there for dinner, lunch and after-dinner drinks during our few nights in town. At dinner I had a delicious salmon and shrimp pasta special, and my husband had a steak stir fry special. At lunch, my husband enjoyed the fish and chips-- they were probably some of the best either of us tried in Scotland. I had a baked potato topped with smoked salmon-- how had I not thought of this before? Not fancy, but a delicious combo, for a very reasonable price. They had a great selection of beers on tap, both Scottish and otherwise, as well as a nice variety of whiskies and other drinks. Stirling is definitely worth a visit, and Portcullis is a great place to stay to do it!

Went with my family (6yo). Decent for lunch if your hungry, otherwise wait, get a snack at the castle and eat a meal later..

A pub in Stirling that I haven't been to?! This cannot be! And so, after a gin or two, we had our hearts set on new territory within Stirling town. Headed up to the castle, we caught sight of the Portcullis. Of course, I'd been past so many times before but now, I was venturing inside. It's cosy. - So, so cosy. A very traditional pub. It was just a one drink stop but it was a pleasant one nonetheless. The drinks were a little bit more expensive than the pubs down in the town centre, but it's quite a touristy little pub, being so close to the castle. I ordered a gin and tonic, which I asked for with a slice of lime. They had none behind the bar, so the lady serving me said she'd head to the kitchen. After a little wait, she came back down to say the kitchen staff were on a hunt for lime for me. It wasn't worth all the trouble, I was fine with the drink as it was so told them that it was really okay without. Though, I was grateful that they were on a mission to find some for me. It's strange that they didn't have some behind the bar. Perhaps they had run out. I may well be back for food!

Good food and great service. Had a bellavens and a steak sandwich and the wife had wild mushroom soup she really enjoyed. Great atmosphere as well.

I went here with a tour group of students. Now, I had been in Scotland for weeks and had a wonderful time. The landscape, the people, and the food in Scotland were amazing. Here though? Here at the Portcullis in Stirling, I had a horrible experience. A young man who was the waiter or member of the staff was passing out the food. Since we were a large group and talking amongst ourselves in one of our final nights in the beautiful nation of Scotland, the young waiter had to shout. He said loudly, "who ordered the crudites?" I raised my hand but he didn't notice. So I said, "over here, right here!" He looked at me angrily as he put down the plate in front of me and said, "I heard you the first time, you fucking idiot" Needless to say, our food was quite sour after that treatment. All the Scots I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking to were polite, warm, and welcoming. Sadly, this man was not. He ruined my time at the Portcullis. I had a great summer enjoying Scotland and the wonderful Scottish people. I regret going to Portcullis though and I must warn you from ever going there unless you want to be treated rudely. Just avoid it and go to another pub where the staff is happy to meet you and see you. Go someplace where you won't be called a "fucking idiot"