The next stop on our family holiday adventure through Dumfries & Galloway is the charming The Steamboat Inn. Its beautiful, gemstone coastal surroundings made for a memorable dining experience.
If you missed our first review, be sure to check out The Crab Pot: A Family Holiday Dining Experience. This rustic yet contemporary restaurant was the perfect place to kick off our holiday. Especially as it was just a stone’s throw from our lodge in Sandyhills.
First Impressions Of The Steamboat Inn
Travelling along the main road to get to The Steamboat Inn does make you wonder if there is a pub located nearby. When you arrive in Carsethorn, home of The Steamboat Inn, the surrounding fields make it feel remote. But as soon as you head round the corner there is this impressive small village which delivers a wow factor.
The car park is situated on the opposite side to the pub, which overlooks towards the sea. If you’re lucky on a clear day, you can see Scafell Pike and the Lake District mountains. Looking towards the North, you can scan your eyes along the coastline and locate Caerlaverock Castle.
Our two connoisseurs, Luke and Chris, were really excited to visit this pub and after enjoying a fantastic Whisky Tasting at the Claxton’s, sampling a decent pint was the tip of the iceberg.
Walking through the main door of The Steamboat Inn, the bar and restaurant were split into sections, on the right hand side was the main bar which had a wide range of local brewed beers on tap. This was fantastic news for Luke. Then, on the left hand side was the main restaurant, which was beautifully set out so that you could still look at the sea from inside.
Thankfully, like at the Crab Pot, the staff kindly accepted our request and seated us in the corner so Eddie, our Lurcher, could feel comfortable. There were other dogs inside, but Eddie behaved well.
Main Review Of The Steamboat Inn
A first for Luke was having his first ever Scottish beer, and Chris at the helm decided what was the best drink to start with.
Belhaven Best, 3.2% ABV, Scotland’s flagship ale. This smooth, easy drinking beer had amazing tastes of toffee and caramel. An outstanding drink to enjoy before nestling down to some food.
After gazing at the menu, the waitress came to take our order. Luke went for a Haggis flatbread for starters and then chose the Seafood Chowder for his main meal. This was something he couldn’t resist, after enjoying his first Chowder back in August at Dylan’s in the beautiful area of Conwy, North Wales.
Luke’s wife, Isobel decided to go for Garlic King Prawns followed by Mussels, which both looked tasty. Even Isobel’s parents’ food choices were irresistible: Prawn Cocktail, Camembert and Salmon. It all sounded delicious and we all couldn’t wait for the food to arrive.
Whilst waiting for their food, Luke and Chris did their Connoisseur work by checking out the bar, where they discovered a Scottish beer brewed by Born Brewery. Cask Lager 3.4% ABV. It was only right to get a sample, again being the first Cask Lager Luke has ever had. It was a cracking beer, sweet and citrusy, came to Luke’s thoughts.
After finishing starters, we were told by the staff at The Steamboat Inn that they offered a beer flight. The beer flight consisted of three different beers, Belhaven Best 3.2% ABV, Cask Lager 3.4% ABV and Old Speckled Hen 4.5% ABV. Please check out our review of A Beer Tasting Flight at The Steamboat Inn
In all honesty, all three beers were beautiful and paired perfectly with the food we were enjoying. It rounded off the day remarkably, and as we couldn’t eat or drink anymore, it was time to settle the bill.
Conclusion
The Steamboat Inn has so far conquered the leaderboard for places to eat in the area of Dumfries & Galloway, whilst on our family moon.
From the moment you park up, to the warm and friendly welcome, this restaurant has the passion to deliver strong customer service.
The only disadvantage you might want to take into consideration is the parking. Being such a small car park and the only one we could visualise. Having to locate further parking could be a minor issue.
However, enjoying the food at The Steamboat Inn with the beautiful sea views, certainly delivered the cherry on top of the cake.
Cheers
