Great Value Cosy Waterfront Hotel in Argyll on Loch Fyne with Excellent Seafood Restaurant
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For years we have just nipped through Tarbert en route to somewhere in Kintyre or even headed on to the isles. There seemed little to detain us in a sleepy town where the most frequent arrivals (a bountiful haul of white fish and shellfish from the local fleet) left like us, soon after arrival. That has all started to change in recent years with better eating and drinking options that actually use some of the local catch, a few wee galleries and, best of all, the shiny revamped Anchor Hotel.
Although the Anchor enjoys pride of place by the waterfront peering out over the fishing fleet and the pretty, sheltered bay that first encouraged man to settle in Tarbert in the first place, the hotel had looked more than a little faded. Under the bright new management of Alastair and Beverley the newly spruced up Anchor is now both a great place to stay and also to eat at too.
We liked the top floor room, which was spacious but still felt cosy for romantic couples. They also have a family room with a proper single bed as well as a double. Make sure to book a sea view room if you want to enjoy the best of Tarbert. All rooms share in common simple, well thought out design with decent fabrics, linen and a relaxed colour scheme, neither too traditional not clankingly modern. The Hypnos beds (which come with Royal approval!) guarantee a good night’s sleep and another nice touch were the bespoke headboards.
If you like seafood then you probably won’t want to waste too much time upstairs anyway, not when a superb restaurant, the Sea Bed, awaits on the ground floor that makes the most of the bountiful local catch. We feasted our way through Loch Fyne oysters and plump locally landed langoustines to start. These were perfectly cooked and laced with garlic butter. Then it was on to a hearty Tuscan stew bursting with tomatoes, huge king scallops, chunks of haddock, plump mussels and more local langoustines. The curry and sultana bread made an unlikely, but winning, culinary marriage with the rich stew juices.
Real thought has gone into a wine list too with a decent Chilean Sauvignon Blanc at under £20 alongside a more price pricey Sancerre, both of which are ideal with the seafood. An unusual local aperitif we tried (and loved!) was a shot of Botanist gin from the nearby island of Islay. With a slice of lemon and couple of cubes of ice this botanical rich concoction was an ideal way to kick off a seafood feast. A wee dram of the local Campbeltown whisky is then the ideal way to finish off a night at a hotel and restaurant that have made stopping off in Tarbert now not only an option, but a delightful necessity.
Harbour Street , Tarbert PA29 6UB, UK
Contact tel: Tel. 01880-820577
Services parking, hotel restaurant, hotel bar, pets accepted, internet access
Useful links
Hotel Website
Robin McKelvie's InsiderScotland.com Scottish Travel Website
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