The Ship Inn, Elie

By Mystery diner

August 31 2016, 8:00am

What is it?

Historic pub with rooms overlooking the beach.

First impressions?

The pub was taken over by new owners a couple of years ago and has had an extensive revamp. It still retains its cosy traditional feel with comfy armchairs and open fire but feels a lot more spacious and open now.

What did you have?

Dad had the fish and chips (£9.50 or £13.50 depending on the size of the fish), Mum opted for the handpicked crab linguine at £15.95 and our son asked for the Ship Inn burger (£12.50). With drinks the total bill came to around £45.

Much of a wait?

Dogs are welcome in the bar area but as it was a lovely day we sat in the outside area, looking out over the bay. We had to order in the bar and the food appeared amazingly quickly – little more than five minutes after ordering.

How was the food?

he fish and chips (Dad had opted for the half fish at £9.50) was a mixed bag. The batter was deliciously crispy and tasty but some of the chips weren’t properly cooked, while the portion of ‘crushed’ peas was piteously small and the fish wasn’t very big either. The tartare sauce was very yummy but overall he felt the price was steep for what he got. Mum’s crab linguine was very tasty and complemented by the chilli, garlic, shallots and parsley. The generously-sized burger went down a treat though again a few of the chips were on the pallid side.

Good for children?

There didn’t seem to be all that much on the menu for young children but older kids would probably find something they liked. The Ship is literally a minute away from the beach so is perfect for a post-lunch play.

Good for the rest of the family?

The menu is quite sophisticated and for some reason the choice is limited for those eating outside. The atmosphere is very pleasant inside and out but we thought the staff were a little offhand, and there were seagull droppings on our table which should have been cleaned off before food was served.