The Rock Inn really shows off the best Porthcawl has to offer.Having arrived early before the restaurant opened a queue had already started to form with egar eyes and empty bellies on full display! when the doors finally opened we were off! As we were entering we saw a few groups being turned away as it was fully booked, so as a warning book ahead or risk missing out on a solid Sunday dinner experience!we were greeted by the staff as we entered and promptly taken to our seats the staff were friendly and attentive. Thanks guys!We were offered menus and having been given just the right amount of time to examine it along came a happy, friendly face ready to take our orders.I went for the Crab as a stater and the Lamb as the main course and boy was I in for an experience.The starters came, a golden crispy coating covering a centre of soft delicate crab! the perfect amount you expect from a starter enough to make your mouth water as you sit and wait for the mains.For the main we had the lamb, it came juciey, succulent with a bit of a bite which I love! not chewy but enough texture to know your eating meat. Accompanying the lamb was a large crispy and fluffy yorkie of course home made followed by golden roast potatoes and a roast carrot and parsnip both full flavour! The gravy was something new, a very pale gravy hard to see on the food but boy was it packed with richness and depth! I normally like a dark, thick gravy, but this did not disappoint.you could almost feel the love and care put into the food.5 stars all around just make sure you book!!bravoooo!Food ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Selection ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Service ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Seating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Atmosphere ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Parking ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sandie Scanlon
Haven't eaten here yet, but the live music on a Thursday, open Mic night has a great atmosphere.
Dissatif
Worst Buddha bowl ever, fried Lettuce,Broccoli, Asparagus and deep fried Cauliflower along with pureed & peas. Chef needs to read the recipe. Never go there again.
Nicholas Clifford
First time here and wasn't disappointed ? great food, service and the atmosphere was comfortable. Definitely recommending to family and friends ?
sian r
We chose the special 2 course lunch for £12.65, had the main and dessert, the main was very bland and was missing onion, tomato and mushroom that you would usually have with a steak, when we mentioned this were told it would cost more. Our thoughts were well it was cheap, so can't expect the best. Then the bill arrived and it was an extra £8 each per person, when we asked about this thinking we had been overcharged, we we told there is an extra premium on a Saturday, there was nothing shown on the menu about this, and if you read the board outside the pub it is not shown on there either. We mentioned this to the waitress and she just said sorry she forgot to mention it. Well my friend and I will never visit this place again. We would like to warn others the extra charges are a disgrace. If we were informed about this before we ordered we would have chosen from the normal menu.
elizabeth B
It's like a maze inside the floor between the kitchen and toilet is slippery when wet I found Overall the Sunday Roast was plenty did not like the red cabbage it had a smokey taste the parsnip was deep fried but seasonal veg was fresh and cooked perfectly and plenty of gravy we did not get to have dessert we were told we had to go as the table was needed for the next customer even though we'd only been sat an hour this dampend the entire meal they had clearly over booked which was not our fault but their own calculation what a shame
carol amor
Yesterday we were surprised when we were able to book a table online for 12.30pm especially in Porthcawl this time of year. When we walked into the pub it was practically empty so that worried us and When we went into the restaurant it was empty except for one table so we thought we have made a mistake booking here and my goodness were we right .The food was terrible the vegetables were hardly cooked .What a waste of £40.Obviously we didn't leave a tip.This is one place we won't be back.Very disappointing but the empty rooms should have been a sign .On the way out still hardly anyone in the pub so absolutely this place is not popular .
Bertrand Billard
We got a table for 2 easily enough without prebooking, the service was really excellent, and we were definitely well looked after and informed of changes to the menu.We eyed the sharer steak options for 2 and 4 people, but the Chateaubriand (steak for two) was out of stock.We did get to witness the T-bone steak for 4 people, as a gentleman was celebrating his birthday, and two of his friends shared with him - it looked lush! Definitely one I want to try if given the chance :DBack to our menu, the squid rings were lovely and not overcooked, and my wife's cauliflower wings were excellent.Our mains were the burger with chips, and a lamb curry - we were both very pleased with the dishes, so full of flavour. You could taste the chef's skill and passion had gone into them.The one hiccup of our meal was the wait time between service to order dessert, and this was due to the live band that had started in the adjacent pub section of the Rock Inn.Nevertheless, once we'd ordered our desserts and they'd been served, we were pleased once again.The crème brulée had a new twist with the macerated strawberries on top, which actually went really well. As a die-hard Frenchman, I found the change surprising, but also felt it escalated the dish to a new level of appreciation so thank you for broadening my palate. My wife's knickerbocker glory, which I finished, was darn tasty too.Happy to recommend this restaurant and will visit again for that steak!
Geraint Lawrence
Top class pub with brilliant Gastro food.With excellent service and friendly staff and owners would highly recommend!
Katie E
Stunning food served to a high standard, staff were attentive and friendly. With live music at the weekend to boot ? A*
Great pub to go to.Live music was fantastic and I had an awesome pizza cooked outside in their beer garden to go with my pint.Can't fault it. Great place to go out on a Saturday night and I am excited to return and try other things on the menu.
Lisa Billard
I popped in for lunch last Friday and had a really excellent meal. I had the burger and it was amazing. It exceeded my expectations by a long way! Will definitely come back again and plan to go with friends. The staff are all very friendly and attentive. I would suggest that this is one of the best places to eat in Porthcawl.
Jo W
Nice pub, friendly staff but really disappointed with the food. We told our friends to meet us there for dinner after seeing the reviews. Two of us ordered mussels as a main course. I was surprised to see how small they were and came with only one tiny slice of bread each! The waitress reassured us they were mains not starter portions but when we asked she spoke to the chef about giving us some more bread. She came back with an extra slice each, it was laughable and extremely poor value for £18! The others in the group ordered burgers and were all pretty underwhelmed. Won't recommend for food again.
Steve Parry
Called in one day last week. Had a coffee and a sandwich in here and it was the best coffee I have ever had, food was also good. Great pizzas also
Reanne W
Really disappointed with meal and venue, nothing like as advertised on website, new to area and came across this place online, so thought we'd give it a go. My husband and I went, underwhelmed with deco, we ate in restaurant which they have tried to do up but it still doesn't meet the standard advertised, overcharged on drinks which I assume was due to us being served at the table, but I notice the website has since been updated with a revised drinks menu from April 2023, we attended 17th March. Cauliflower wings were swimming in oil, and my husband wasn't overly impressed with buffalo wings either. I had the rib eye and chips for my main which was overseasoned even for me, and my husband opted for the steak and ale pie, the peas tasted awful and mash inedible, reminded him of school dinners. Staff weren't attentive, and left unattended and without drinks or a steak knife. Would not re-visit.
The Rock Inn really shows off the best Porthcawl has to offer.Having arrived early before the restaurant opened a queue had already started to form with egar eyes and empty bellies on full display! when the doors finally opened we were off! As we were entering we saw a few groups being turned away as it was fully booked, so as a warning book ahead or risk missing out on a solid Sunday dinner experience!we were greeted by the staff as we entered and promptly taken to our seats the staff were friendly and attentive. Thanks guys!We were offered menus and having been given just the right amount of time to examine it along came a happy, friendly face ready to take our orders.I went for the Crab as a stater and the Lamb as the main course and boy was I in for an experience.The starters came, a golden crispy coating covering a centre of soft delicate crab! the perfect amount you expect from a starter enough to make your mouth water as you sit and wait for the mains.For the main we had the lamb, it came juciey, succulent with a bit of a bite which I love! not chewy but enough texture to know your eating meat. Accompanying the lamb was a large crispy and fluffy yorkie of course home made followed by golden roast potatoes and a roast carrot and parsnip both full flavour! The gravy was something new, a very pale gravy hard to see on the food but boy was it packed with richness and depth! I normally like a dark, thick gravy, but this did not disappoint.you could almost feel the love and care put into the food.5 stars all around just make sure you book!!bravoooo!Food ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Selection ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Service ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Seating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Atmosphere ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Parking ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Haven't eaten here yet, but the live music on a Thursday, open Mic night has a great atmosphere.
Worst Buddha bowl ever, fried Lettuce,Broccoli, Asparagus and deep fried Cauliflower along with pureed & peas. Chef needs to read the recipe. Never go there again.
First time here and wasn't disappointed ? great food, service and the atmosphere was comfortable. Definitely recommending to family and friends ?
We chose the special 2 course lunch for £12.65, had the main and dessert, the main was very bland and was missing onion, tomato and mushroom that you would usually have with a steak, when we mentioned this were told it would cost more. Our thoughts were well it was cheap, so can't expect the best. Then the bill arrived and it was an extra £8 each per person, when we asked about this thinking we had been overcharged, we we told there is an extra premium on a Saturday, there was nothing shown on the menu about this, and if you read the board outside the pub it is not shown on there either. We mentioned this to the waitress and she just said sorry she forgot to mention it. Well my friend and I will never visit this place again. We would like to warn others the extra charges are a disgrace. If we were informed about this before we ordered we would have chosen from the normal menu.
It's like a maze inside the floor between the kitchen and toilet is slippery when wet I found Overall the Sunday Roast was plenty did not like the red cabbage it had a smokey taste the parsnip was deep fried but seasonal veg was fresh and cooked perfectly and plenty of gravy we did not get to have dessert we were told we had to go as the table was needed for the next customer even though we'd only been sat an hour this dampend the entire meal they had clearly over booked which was not our fault but their own calculation what a shame
Yesterday we were surprised when we were able to book a table online for 12.30pm especially in Porthcawl this time of year. When we walked into the pub it was practically empty so that worried us and When we went into the restaurant it was empty except for one table so we thought we have made a mistake booking here and my goodness were we right .The food was terrible the vegetables were hardly cooked .What a waste of £40.Obviously we didn't leave a tip.This is one place we won't be back.Very disappointing but the empty rooms should have been a sign .On the way out still hardly anyone in the pub so absolutely this place is not popular .
We got a table for 2 easily enough without prebooking, the service was really excellent, and we were definitely well looked after and informed of changes to the menu.We eyed the sharer steak options for 2 and 4 people, but the Chateaubriand (steak for two) was out of stock.We did get to witness the T-bone steak for 4 people, as a gentleman was celebrating his birthday, and two of his friends shared with him - it looked lush! Definitely one I want to try if given the chance :DBack to our menu, the squid rings were lovely and not overcooked, and my wife's cauliflower wings were excellent.Our mains were the burger with chips, and a lamb curry - we were both very pleased with the dishes, so full of flavour. You could taste the chef's skill and passion had gone into them.The one hiccup of our meal was the wait time between service to order dessert, and this was due to the live band that had started in the adjacent pub section of the Rock Inn.Nevertheless, once we'd ordered our desserts and they'd been served, we were pleased once again.The crème brulée had a new twist with the macerated strawberries on top, which actually went really well. As a die-hard Frenchman, I found the change surprising, but also felt it escalated the dish to a new level of appreciation so thank you for broadening my palate. My wife's knickerbocker glory, which I finished, was darn tasty too.Happy to recommend this restaurant and will visit again for that steak!
Top class pub with brilliant Gastro food.With excellent service and friendly staff and owners would highly recommend!
Stunning food served to a high standard, staff were attentive and friendly. With live music at the weekend to boot ? A*
Restaurantji Recommends
Great pub to go to.Live music was fantastic and I had an awesome pizza cooked outside in their beer garden to go with my pint.Can't fault it. Great place to go out on a Saturday night and I am excited to return and try other things on the menu.
I popped in for lunch last Friday and had a really excellent meal. I had the burger and it was amazing. It exceeded my expectations by a long way! Will definitely come back again and plan to go with friends. The staff are all very friendly and attentive. I would suggest that this is one of the best places to eat in Porthcawl.
Nice pub, friendly staff but really disappointed with the food. We told our friends to meet us there for dinner after seeing the reviews. Two of us ordered mussels as a main course. I was surprised to see how small they were and came with only one tiny slice of bread each! The waitress reassured us they were mains not starter portions but when we asked she spoke to the chef about giving us some more bread. She came back with an extra slice each, it was laughable and extremely poor value for £18! The others in the group ordered burgers and were all pretty underwhelmed. Won't recommend for food again.
Called in one day last week. Had a coffee and a sandwich in here and it was the best coffee I have ever had, food was also good. Great pizzas also
Really disappointed with meal and venue, nothing like as advertised on website, new to area and came across this place online, so thought we'd give it a go. My husband and I went, underwhelmed with deco, we ate in restaurant which they have tried to do up but it still doesn't meet the standard advertised, overcharged on drinks which I assume was due to us being served at the table, but I notice the website has since been updated with a revised drinks menu from April 2023, we attended 17th March. Cauliflower wings were swimming in oil, and my husband wasn't overly impressed with buffalo wings either. I had the rib eye and chips for my main which was overseasoned even for me, and my husband opted for the steak and ale pie, the peas tasted awful and mash inedible, reminded him of school dinners. Staff weren't attentive, and left unattended and without drinks or a steak knife. Would not re-visit.