Elephant Rock Hotel

Location: The hotel is frequently praised for its excellent location, offering beautiful sea views and easy access to local attractions, making it ideal for exploring Portrush and the North Coast.

Elephant Rock in Portrush is an intimate, boutique hotel which over the past three years has epitomised luxury, glamour & fun. As part of its birthday celebrations, we were delighted to have been invited to enjoy a delicious three-course meal in Eldon’s Restaurant, and handcrafted cocktails in Vi’s, the hotel’s elegant upstairs lounge. The evening started with drinks from the new cocktail menu; we loved the nutty, creamy Drunk Elephant, the beautifully bitter & fruity Riptide, and the Bartender Recommendation, Ode To Violet, Vi’s floral & nostalgic signature cocktail. And it was wonderful to hear about how the hotel had gone from strength to strength over the past three years from Managing Director Charlotte Dixon, and General Manager Joanne Boyle. Then, downstairs to Eldon’s with its resident DJ, blue & green velvet chairs, striking monochromatic marble tables, and art pieces including a gorgeous oil painting by Stephen Whalley of the stunning Elephant Rock landmark. The team in the restaurant provides a dining experience which champions fresh, seasonal ingredients, and showcases local produce through its contemporary menu. To start, an amuse bouche of Goats Cheese Bon Bons with Soup whetted our appetites while we waited for our starters. There’s a fantastic selection of appetisers to choose from, and we particularly enjoyed the Halloumi coated in Panko Crumble, with Levantine Hot Sauce, the Fish Taco stuffed with Cod Fillet, Baby Gem, Avocado, Sour Cream, Onion and a Lime Sauce, and the simply stunning plant-based Harissa Hispi Cabbage with Butter Bean & Tahini Hummus. The main courses we also excellent, particularly the Pan Seared Monkfish with Squash Purée, Chickpeas, & a Langoustine Reduction, the Buchanan’s Slowcooked Beef Cheek, with Carrot Purée and Champ, and another amazingly tasty vegan dish, Portobello Wellington with Sage, Smashed Sweet Potato, Pecans, Harissa, and an umami-rich mushroom jus. And make sure to leave room for dessert; the caramelised Pineapple Tarte Tatin, and the Selection of Dart Mountain Cheeses (Sperrin Blue, Banagher Bold, and Meeny Hill), were particularly good. With its quirky interior design, and incredible sea views, the Elephant Rock is the perfect venue to spoil yourself with an elegant and sophisticated meal or luxurious getaway.

We had a wonderful stay. The staff is friendly, the room quite comfortable, and the restaurant food was delicious. We were especially impressed by the absolutely huge breakfast that was available as part of the bed and breakfast package. I don't know how anyone could eat a whole breakfast as it was offered to us! The location was also excellent with easy access to walking along the beach and coastline as well as to the shops and other restaurants in town.