Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
Sugar Boat, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire

Sugar Boat

4.5 (577)
£25 and under
Bistro
30 Colquhoun Square, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire G84 8AQ

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 4 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for brunch
Welcome to Sugar Boat - a relaxed & informal neighbourhood bistro in the heart of the town on Colquhoun Square, a stones throw from the sea front. We are open daily from 7.30am (8.30am on Saturday & 9am on Sunday's) through until late. We serve everything from breakfast with a cracking fry up or eggs benedict with or avocado & poached eggs on toast. For lunch & dinner we offer a la carte menus. Lunch is the more informal with burgers, fish & chips & daily sandwiches. Dinner can be a little more special. Cakes, scones & savoury snacks are available all day. We have a Wine Shop for off sales from our extensive list of over 100 wines - everything from £9.50 per bottle upwards. Enjoy a tip top cocktail from our bar made with premium sprits & our home made purees, cordials and juices or enjoy a pint of a locally brewed beer or a can of local Scottish craft ale. Choose to sit on the square or in our rear courtyard.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    Bistro
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri 7:30 am–12:00 am Sat 8:30 am–1:00 am Sun 9:00 am–12:00 am
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Oliver Nodwell
  • Neighborhood
    Helensburgh
  • Cross street
    Colquhoun Street
  • Parking details
    A large car park is adjacent to the restaurant accessed via an archway from Sinclair Street & offers free parking for 2 hours. Free parking on local shopping streets for an hour or a couple of streets up the hill with no time limit. There is free parking too on the pier (5 minute walk).
  • Public transit
    Trains run direct to Helensburgh Central from Glasgow; Edinburgh (2 min walk). Trains run direct from London Euston to Helensburgh Upper (10 min walk). Local bus services drop you in the square from neighboring villages & towns to Central Glasgow. The Waverley Paddle Steamer regularly stops at the pier in Helensburgh between Easter & October.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Ask Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

What 577 people are saying

Sugar Boat reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • Dunbartonshire/Renfrewshire

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Sugar Boat boasts "great food" and "excellent service" in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Known for its "friendly, attentive staff" and "imaginative dishes," it's a local favorite. While some noted high noise levels and pricing, the "outstanding" culinary experience keeps patrons returning. Perfect for a memorable dining outing.
577 Reviews
  1. David

    Edinburgh/Midlothian1 review

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was amazing as always. Service was slow as always. But worth the wait as we weren’t in a hurry, and the ambience was worth savouring.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Jackie

    Cheshire2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A gem of a place . The best Cullen Skink and Calamari I’ve had . Fresh and flavoursome.

    Is this helpful?

  3. amanda

    Norfolk/Suffolk1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely place for dinner. Very friendly, helpful staff made the evening very pleasant. The food was also tasty and generous portions. Would definitely recommend.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Leigh

    Glasgow/Lanarkshire2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 20, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    As always the standard of food and drink was very good, however service was quite slow and we had to ask if our drinks were on the way. It wasn't very busy so we had hoped we wouldn't need to ask.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Joan

    Glasgow/Lanarkshire2 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on June 19, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Very disappointing on many levels After we made a reservation and paid £20 deposit, we were informed only Italian menu was available. We wouldn’t have booked had we known this On arrival we were advised kitchen didn’t open until 5pm We were happy to have a drink while waiting We ordered drinks and food Very long wait for our food. Arrived one hour later!! First time ever I was unable to eat my meal. I have never sent a meal back. It was extremely over salted , the ricotta cheese in the sauce was curdled. It looked nothing like a lasagne, it was flat. No layers visible. It looked ‘sloppy’ They took cost of my meal off the bill. My husband’s meal was ok. I was so disappointed having read so many positive reviews on Trip Advisor. We certainly would not recommend Sugar boat. I left hungry. .

    Is this helpful?

  6. Christopher

    Glasgow/Lanarkshire2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on June 1, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    The 3 Sunday lunches (roast beef) were ok but the cabbage was watery and the roast potatoes not particularly crisp. (The roast beef was good and a generous portion) The £12.40 for each of the large glasses of PicPoul was not good value for money. Generally felt walking away that £126 for a one course meal for 3 with coffee and a drink was steep for a average lunch. Would have to think seriously before going back

    Is this helpful?

  7. Michael

    Dunbartonshire/Renfrewshire2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 31, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    First time eating lunch at Sugarboat and it was delicious! Great food, Great service and well worth a visit

    Is this helpful?

  8. Bronwen

    North Wales1 review

    3.0

    Dined on May 30, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Had to eat separately to my husband, as his fish was raw in the centre and was sent back. No apology given. Surf and turf was nice but beef over cooked, as asked for rare.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Paolo

    London2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on May 23, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Good ambience. Good food and wine. A little too expensive overall in my opinion. Service can improve.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Philip

    Kent11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best (only?) real food for many miles. Friendly energetic team provide efficient service and imaginative dishes. Friday oyster for a pound is a fun start but great menu including specials. Especially happy to see Loch Lomond beers and a decent wine list. Worth travelling for.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Sugar Boat is rated 4.5 stars by 577 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United Kingdom
  3. Dunbartonshire/Renfrewshire
  4. Helensburgh
  5. Helensburgh

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 4 times today
Google Map for Sugar Boat

30 Colquhoun Square, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire G84 8AQ

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Colquhoun Street
  • Neighborhood
    Helensburgh
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Fri 7:30 am–12:00 am Sat 8:30 am–1:00 am Sun 9:00 am–12:00 am
  • Price
    £25 and under
  • Cuisines
    Bistro
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    A large car park is adjacent to the restaurant accessed via an archway from Sinclair Street & offers free parking for 2 hours. Free parking on local shopping streets for an hour or a couple of streets up the hill with no time limit. There is free parking too on the pier (5 minute walk).
  • Public transit
    Trains run direct to Helensburgh Central from Glasgow; Edinburgh (2 min walk). Trains run direct from London Euston to Helensburgh Upper (10 min walk). Local bus services drop you in the square from neighboring villages & towns to Central Glasgow. The Waverley Paddle Steamer regularly stops at the pier in Helensburgh between Easter & October.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Oliver Nodwell
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
OpenTable
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Careers
  • Press
More
Businesses
  • Restaurant Management Solutions
  • Restaurant Reservation Software
  • Restaurant Marketing Software
  • Restaurant Event Software
  • OpenTable For Restaurants
  • OpenTable For Restaurant Groups
  • Restaurant Resources
  • OpenTable Pricing & Plans
Join us on
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2025 OpenTable, Inc. 1 Montgomery St Ste 500, San Francisco CA 94104 - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo