Lido Troon

We were pleasantly surprised by Lido. They had a few vegan options marked on their menu (burger, pasta, plant based arancini balls) but no mention of vegan cheese for pizza etc. However when we said we were vegan, they told us they had vegan cheese and could make many vegetarian dishes vegan. They should really say this on their menu as you wouldn't know otherwise! I had a rigatoni aubergine dish made with vegan cheese and it was very tasty.

There's something about a bracing walk along the Ayrshire coast that sharpens the senses—and the appetite. This past Saturday, with the sun warm on our faces and the tide lapping gently against the shore, my partner and I worked up a proper hunger before arriving at Lido Troon at 6pm, pleasantly windswept and ready for comfort with a touch of class. First impressions: the place was packed to the rafters. Every table hummed with Saturday-night energy, and the noise levels were notably high—but not uncomfortably so. We could still chat easily without resorting to shouting. The welcome, however, was immediate and warm. We were shown to our table without a hint of the chaos you might expect from a full house, and our worries that service might suffer evaporated within minutes. The staff were everywhere—friendly, attentive, and impressively swift. We didn't linger over the menu; we both locked onto the same choice. To start: mussels pomodoro. To follow: barolo featherblade of beef. The mussels arrived with pleasing speed—a generous bowlful, plum and succulent, served in a hearty, tomato-rich broth that had just the right amount of garlic and herbs. The grilled sourdough on the side? Absolute perfection for sopping up every last drop. A starter that could easily have been a main. Then came the beef. Beautifully presented, the featherblade sat in a deep, glossy barolo gravy, flanked by crisp roast potatoes and vibrant broccoli. The meat was that rare thing—tender enough to melt on the tongue, yet still with enough bite to feel substantial. Every element on the plate was treated with care, and the portion sizes were more than fair. We left not just satisfied, but genuinely full and happy. After settling up, we took a leisurely passeggiata back along the shore to our car, the golden evening light and good food making for a perfect end to the day. Lido Troon, on a bustling Saturday night, proved it can handle the heat and still deliver delicious, honest cooking with a smile. We'll definitely be back—next time, perhaps with a reservation for that window seat. Verdict: Bustling, bold, and beautifully fed. A seaside gem that knows exactly what it's doing.

The food is EXCELLENT. The prices are quite high but if the foods good then so be it. Would absolutely come back again, and we will as we are in troon a good few times a year. The reason we didnt give Lido 5 stars was purely for the service. It wasnt awful, i just expected more. When entering, we stood a few mins before anyone approached us. Got a table without menus and again was about 5 mins later when we were given them. We were served by around 3 different people. The girl that served us looked and acted depressed. No hello or nothing… just “what can i get you”. She wasnt seen again. Guy brought out our drinks and food. Not once were we asked if the food was ok and not once were we asked if we wanted another drink. We met some family on the way out and they were not happy with their service either. The restaurant was quite busy but not overly. There was absolutely enough staff on to deal with the place so theres no excuses for what we got. As i say, it wasnt terrible, but it could be made so much better by a simple hello how are yous and asking if we would like another drink. The food was lovely!