The Dolphin

We parked at the railway station, about a five-minute walk away. It costs to park there, but using the ring go app made it easy to extend the car's stay. The hotel is right in the middle of town, and the pub was busy at times, with plenty of drink options and footy on. Breakfast was plentiful: a cooked full English, bacon butties, egg on toast, and more if you asked. Steve gave us a lovely welcome and explained the rooms and breakfast times. Our second-floor room had no lift access, but it had a lovely river view, a small settee for watching TV, and plenty of space. The bathroom was a good size too. When we left on Sunday, Sarah looked after us just as nicely as we'd been welcomed on Friday. We'd recommend it and definitely stay again.

The staff were so friendly and couldn't do enough for us. Our room was lovely and spacious, with tea and coffee facilities, plus both a bath and a shower. We stayed for two nights and would definitely come back.

The harbour views are spot on, and the location is hard to beat. Staff were friendly from the start, and it had a relaxed feel that worked well with kids. There were high chairs, and the staff were good with the children, so it was an easy stop for families. The starters were surprisingly nice and easily the best part of the meal. The mains were more hit and miss: the burgers were alright but nothing special, and the chips were bland and lacked flavour, even though everything looked good when it arrived. We paid about £60 for two kids' meals, two burgers and three starters, which isn't bad for the location. It's a decent place for food and drinks with a great view, though the food could be better. I imagine weekends or summer could get busy, but on a cold day in whitby it made a good rest stop.

The main problem was the staff member with red hair at the bar. Snakebite isn't illegal, though it may be against company policy, and I don't think you can refuse service when the drinks are asked for separately. We were a family of five coming in for a polite drink, not a stag party looking for trouble. If she'd politely said no, or explained it was company policy, that would've been okay. Instead she was extremely rude, which wasn't acceptable. I eventually got my drink, then we left the pub. Hopefully, like us, others won't give her much business. The young gentleman was very polite and kind, and looked embarrassed to be working with her.