The Fenwick Hotel

We stayed here the night before Ayr Races. What a smart, comfortable little find The Fenwick turned out to be. Great value bed & breakfast plus a lovely meal.in the restaurant the evening we checked in. Staff were friendly and helpful, room was clean and comfortable. It is right next to the motorway but it didn't disturb our sleep. Bed like sleeping on a cloud.

Looking for an easy way to meet up with an old friend who lives some distance away, so went for a special offer of dinner B&B and wine in the room for £99 for two. At that price, I didn't have high expectations, but was very happily surprised. Reception was small, clean and welcoming and our ground floor room was immaculate, with very comfortable beds and pillows. The bathroom looked to be recently refurbished and pristine. The biggest surprise for me was the food. Yes, a limited "pub grub" type menu, but what can you expect at that price? What we got was, I think, some of the best pub grub I've ever tasted. Haggis bonbons came with a fresh, lively pink peppercorn sauce, and you could taste the peppercorns pop in your mouth. Tattie scone nachos were inspired! My only criticism is that they are a huge portion and I hated leaving anything behind. For mains we both chose the beer battered fish. The fish might have been a little small for some people, but it was perfect for me, especially after I'd troughed my way through the nachos! The batter was light and crispy with no grease to be found. My heart sank a bit when skinny fries came served in a metal "bucket". I'm not a fan of skinny fries because they're usually frozen and become cold and soggy too quickly. Not these though.....they were clearly hand cut, they stayed crisp and hot, thanks to that bucket, and way to much for me to eat. The meal came with small separate bowls of mushy peas and the star of the show, tartar sauce. Now, I'm not a fan of tartar sauce. It's usually thin with the odd little lumps, too vinegary and the only other flavour you get is overwhelming dill (I think!). This sauce was thick, unctuous, acidic enough for a bit of zing, lots of interesting vegetable bits and a really well balanced, interesting flavour - no being blasted with dill! I can honestly say that I could have eaten it with a spoon! Add to that a small but very affordable wine list and even the free wine in the room was a decent Merlot . Service was efficient, friendly and fast. Breakfast was buffet style and while it wouldn't set the world on fire for originality, it was fresh, hot and plentiful. All in, it was a really enjoyable experience and at a price less than what we would have paid for lunch alone in Glasgow city centre. I really struggle to understand the negative reviews on here. I'm planning to try out their Sunday lunch this weekend with my family - and I've already booked another overnight stay with a different friend next week.

- An overall delicious meal. 👍 - The Tattie Scone Nachos starter is a great idea & works surprisingly well. 🍽️ - The Fenwick Hotel Sizzler was exceptionally good, I’ve not tasted a curry as tasty in a long time. 🥘 - The service was very pleasant, well timed and organised (manager Jamie). It’s been a while since we were here last, but we certainly won’t be waiting that long before we are back again. 👍