We arrived in Kirkwall looking for somewhere to get late lunch and this central pub fit the bill. I had a very tasty creamy carrot soup and my husband had fish and chips, he said that the batter was light and crispy. Staff were very...friendly and helpful.More

Upon arrival we were given a friendly greeting and told that, as it was the county show that day, it would be a bit loud that evening. No specifics were given. Certainly no warning as to what was to come. Loud amplified thumping music was...played by the hotel in the pub/bar below us until 1am. This was not explained nor anticipated, since the website and booking listing had mentioned nothing about being a heaving pub until the early hours. The windows provided no insulation against the noise either, so we could hear every bit of noise from the beer garden outside the back too. Needless to say we didn’t sleep and were not happy the next morning. When I raised the issue with staff, I was sternly told that ‘we advertise ourself clearly as a pub on the website’ so we should expect noise. Yet there is no such warning on the website, nor were we informed during the booking process that it would be impossible to sleep until 1am. This is misleading and dishonest. Avoid avoid avoid. We will be making a formal complaint and asking for a full refund; the basic expectation of a hotel is that it is a place to sleep. A shame - since the location is great and the room was clean.More

I have to say this was a very comfortable stay I slept really well, despite being warned there might be noise from the bar…if there was I didn’t hear it. Clean, comfortable great value for money would have loved a sea view but that didn’t...take anything away from my stay. Friendly understanding staff, a big thank you to the Manager for allowing me to extend my check out time to 1100hrs in order I could get a shower & changed before going on to pick up the boat I am sailing on for the next 8 days after completing Kirkwall Park Run that proper made my day. Appreciate the staff working round me TY. Thoroughly recommend a stay here if looking for value for money & an easy to get to destination.More

Very nice fish cakes and fried cheese. Decent wine. Pleasant helpful staff and you get Morrissey on the sound system. Strongly recommended.

All of us (9) ordered different things from the meny and we all got big portions of very tasty food. The service was excellent!

Even when my low expectations this is a scruffy and tired hotel. OK at best. Not recommended for couples on holiday. Fine for travellers. Priced fairly though

Absolutely disgusting and disappointing hotel, the rooms are an absolute state, couldn't get breakfast as there wasn't a chef in. Also found out the manager was ill due to being drunk the night before. Absolutely shocking behaviour and ill never stay there again.

Used to eat here regularly when I lived in Kirkwall, Visited recently when in Orkney visiting family, Unfortunately the food or service is not what it used to be. Waiting staff busy chatting amongst themselves and we were not at all made to feel welcome,...waited a while for our food and when it arrived was disappointing and not very hot. The Bar area is also very tired looking and in need of some tlc. overall a disappointing experience, won't be rushing back.More

Myself and my good friends, Kymberlie, Qeera, Akita and Shethead visited the St Olas pub on a gals girly getaway after it came highly recommended by a local coffee merchant, his secret was using goats milk in his Lattes. We started with a few rounds...of VKs as they also came highly recommended. A tad sugary but boy were they moreish. I think I must’ve had 8 each day. The issue came with the music in the pub, the issue was there wasn’t any. They did have a jukebox but this costs £1 per song and some unruly gentlemen kept queuing the same song over and over. They must be big spenders. Aside from the music issue, the other patrons were somewhat intrusive into our group and harassed poor Kymberlie all night. All in all we won’t be back to St Ola, or Orkney for that matter. Susan Matthews.More

We arrived at 1745 for a meal, served fast and order taken. By 1845, 2/4 of the group had only just received their starter… an hour later! The bar staff stood behind the bar, with drinks and just chatting amongst each other, no explanation on...why the food was taking so long, nor bothering to serve us our drinks that we’d ordered 3/4 of the group eventually got their main course, whilst the 4th member continued waiting. The food eventually arrived and it was awful. Overcooked / as though it had been reheated. Really not good at all. The female toilets were in a state, only 2 out of 3 working, toilet roll all over the floor, ladies sanitary products left on the floor of the one stall. Will certainly not be returning in a hurry.More

Clean and basic accommodation. We had a one night stay after coming off the ferry and before going on to our Airbnb. Cooked breakfast was not available, despite having said when we arrived that we would want it in the morning. Neither staff we saw...were particularly friendly.More

A quirky place at the waterfront, with reasonable prices; fun and atmospheric, but the jukebox gets a bit loud.