Windrose Bar & Restaurant

Went here for my mums birthday as we had heard great reports about the food… well to say we were disappointed wpuld be an understatement!
The service was slow even though the place was half empty, we got squashed onto a table for 2 (there was 3 of us) and they took half an hr before they took our order… we eventually got our drinks and waited on the food. I had pâté which was ok, bit runny and accompanied toasted bread was burnt. My mum had the chowder which had 3 pieces of fish in it and was just a bowl of sauce. She was very disappointed as she had this another time in Windrose and it was lovely. Mains were ok but nothing special, we didnt bother with dessert as most of them were not available. If it was a busy time of year then I’d understand but this was 6pm on a Friday night!
Wouldnt rush back at all

Great place to go for a meal. Especially the steak !!!
They have live entertainment on at weekends and my favourite time to go is when fusion are playing … It gets very busy on those nights though and after around 9pm you will have to pay in at the door.

We were recently here for our valentines lunch! (along with the kiddies)
We had our meal off their set Sunday menu! It was beautiful!
I had the standard turkey and ham but there was nothing standard about how it tasted! Amazing!
The kids meals were great and there was so much of it! It would have filled me!
They also provide the kids with packs that include pictures, stickers and crayons to keep them happy!
The deserts are beautiful! I have the sticky toffee pudding and I could have ate the whole pudding and not just a piece!
The views from the restaurant over the marina are beautiful!
You sometimes forget how beautiful Carrickfergus is from the right place!

Lovely bar and restaurant with a view of the marina!
Would recommend the knife and fork ribs… delicious

Just had a complementary meal, due to the previous meal being so bad. The management saw our review and contacted us to arrange this meal. I have to say the difference was remarkable. The food was excellent both starters and mains. Also on both visits the service was great, all in all very well done.

What a mixed review this will be!
Garlic cheese ciabatta to start. It was pretty cheesy, but could have done with a couple of dips as it was quite dry. Maybe a sweet chili/​creamy garlic duo?
Hubby had fish’n’chips (which obviously I had to try) and it was DELICIOUS.
I ordered the crispy chicken w/​sweet chilli sauce, it comes with noodles, stir fried veggies and prawn crackers. In actuality, I got soggy chicken, overcooked noodles and veggies. Prawn crackers were swimming with oil.
UGH.
Service was slow too.
If I go back, I’d not order the same thing again!

My parents took my nephew for the Sunday carvery as they had his favourite Mickey and Minnie characters there that day. The food was almost inedible, the yorkshire puddings were rock hard and when they asked for something a 3 year old could eat, were twice presented with huge plates of massive sausages and chicken goujons and a large bowl of champ. All they asked for was 1 or 2 normal sausages. The service was very slow, almost non-​existent and it took a long time to order a coffee. When the coffee arrived there was no spoon, or cream and by the time this was delivered the coffee was almost cold.
The only availble desserts were pavlovas which were so hard they had to attempt to cut them with a knife. They then approached the managed after unsuccessfully complaining to staff. He was rude and barely apologised, just complained that it had cost him £200 for the Mikey and Minnie costumes and how it was only a promo for an event happening next month. There was no refund offered, partial refund or even a free drink!
I posted this on the their facebook page and have been banned from posting on it now which I think says a lot. We will never be back, which is sad because it was a favourite spot of mine and this was the first time we have ever had a problem. Very badly handled by management.

The Windrose is a long established bar and restaurant and has always been a popular choice.
It is a busy restaurant during the days and evenings, and a lively bar at night.
The food in the restaurant is delicious, the Fajitas and Enchiladas are favourites of mine. Food does take a while to come, but I take this as a good thing due to it all being freshly prepared, and you are well looked after for drinks orders in the meantime.
The only issue I have noticed a couple of times in the restaurant, is when we have asked for foods we have been told there were none left, but maybe this is just a testament to how popular it is.
At night, the bar is packed and lively, generally with entertainment such as live bands, tributes and cover acts, making it a popular venue for people from Carrickfergus and beyond.

I only ever go to the Windrose for Sunday dinners with my whole family. They do a set menu, which helps keep the cost down too, which is always good to hear in these cash-​strapped times!
The food is lovely. Kind of pub-​grubby, but lovely all the same (my mum swears their Caesar salad is the best she’s ever had). I usually end up ordering a burger of some sort, and I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed.
The staff are also really patient when it comes to families. The kids in my family are well… rambunctious and yet we’re never tutted at, or made to feel embarrassed in any way. In fact, most of the waiting staff are pretty good at talking to the kids and looking after them.
By far the best thing about the Windrose though, is the location. After dinner, we always take a stroll along the marina (weather permitting of course) and watch the boats and the water, which is a lovely way to walk off that full-​to-​the-​brim feeling I always have when leaving!

Probably the best restaurant in Carrick. Great location overlooking the marina, with outside seating for those summer evenings.
Food isn’t cheap, but is priced fairly. The menu is broad, and I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve eaten here. I found the service a bit hit or miss a couple of times (slow, wrong orders etc), but that may just have been bad luck with newer staff — on other occasions it was great.
Downstairs has good entertainment — I especially recommend the nights when ‘Fusion’ are on — they’re really good! Beware eating downstairs towards 9pm as one night our meal was ruined by quite a loud and intrusive singer who kept demanding applause and then a pub quiz! Great for an earlier meal though.

this place is such a hidden gem!!! I’ve been downstairs for drinks and the atmosphere is very relaxing, and after frequently walking past and seeing the upstairs restaurant, i decided to give it a go. And thank goodness I did! the upstairs restaurant is divine!!! The décor is beautiful and the staff are incredibly efficient and friendly.
The choice of food and drink is great and the food is delicious! I particularly enjoyed the vegetarian option of mushrooms stuffed with couscous and topped with mozzarella cheese-​yummy!
Also there are lovely views of the boats outside, and this place really does make an excellent spot for a romantic meal (upstairs) or some good entertainment and drinks (downstairs)

The Windrose is in a great spot for enjoying a nice meal or maybe just a relaxing drink. It overlooks a modern marina so all the sights and sounds of a very nautical setting surround you. Also the recent refurbishment is great.
Food is not exceptional but is perfectly acceptable and complimented by being not too expnsive for food or drinks makes it well worth a visit.