Great little hotel with nice rooms and great food. Very friendly staff and owners, close to many…read moreattractions near Ballater and Braemar. Best breakfast I've had anywhere!

Charming place to eat after an outing to Loch Muick. Not only was the meal delicious, the service…read morewas friendly and attentive. Pricing was very reasonable and the restaurant had a home feel to it, which was very nice.

Aboyne doesn't have a vast choice of decent eateries. but we were up for the weekend and I found…read moreThe Boat Inn (on Yelp, natch!) whilst looking for somewhere better than the hotel restaurant for a Saturday evening. Despite our rather late booking at 4.45 in the afternoon and the fact that it was the Aboyne bonfire and fireworks display at 7pm that evening, they managed to squeeze us in at 6.30 in the upstairs Pine Loft restaurant. The place was packed to the rafters with families and kids attending the fireworks, yet despite this we were served very quickly and courteously and were soon enjoying our starters of smoked mackerel fishcakes with horseradish mayo. The fishcakes were so thick that they were served balanced on edge with a wee twist of lime on the top, and the waitress was very pleased with herself that she had managed to carry them upstairs without them falling over! Main course was a substitute for the grilled halibut, but as the substitute was swordfish (which we both love), it was a no-brainer to go for that. Served on a bed of chickpeas with samphire, it was absolutely delicious. More so because by this time the rabble had departed for the bonfire party and we were left in peace to savour our meal. For dessert, we both again chose the same dish (this is quite unsual for us!), the blackberry parfait with honeycomb. I was marginally disappointed it wasn't an actual honeycomb but a Crunchie-like candy honeycomb; however it was a great combination. Great food, with cheery and efficient service despite the place being absolutely full when we arrived. Prices were pretty good too - with a bottle of wine our 3-course meal worked out around £36 each.

Great food and okay service too - probably some of the best food we had during our Scotland…read morevacation (outside of a large city). Came here on a cold, rainy day and delighted in the hot tea and sensible food. The shop items are, in my opinion, nice but overpriced. We liked around, but didn't find anything we couldn't live without. The desserts were very good. Definitely recommend digging into at least one!

Have used the BFS before but there was a different vibe to it this visit…read more It was very quiet and whilst the food was ok/good we felt it had lost its edge a bit and service wasn't as sharp as it used to be.

We had a great Saturday Dinner at the Clachan Grill. The meal is two course £36.95 (appetizer and…read moremain course) or three course £43.95 (appetizer, main course and dessert). We did the two course (details below) and it was delicious with plenary of food for us to be comfortably full. The service and atmosphere were great. We were greeted and seated as we arrived. We made reservations and had a window table over looking the patio with a candle lantern in the window. Restaurants are busy on weekends so reservations are suggested. Parking is limited and we weee able to parallel park around the corner from the restaurant. For our 1st course starter we did the Pig Cheek and Grilled Goat's Cheese. Both were delicious but for me the Pig Cheek was so tender and delicious it is a favorite. For our second course we had the Pork Medallions with mashed potatoes and the Lamb Rump with fries. Both were superb. We really enjoyed the meal!

The closet town to Balmoral Castle in Scotland in Ballater. A charming Scottish town with a great…read morerestaurant, Clachan Grill. A nice bright airy restaurant with helpful and friendly service and really good food. We had the chicken, the rack of lamb and the beef - all were cooked just right and delicious. And the gin-soaked salmon and the poached pear. Equally delicious. A very pleasant friendly place.

We had breakfast here, and it was very good. I was excited because they had honey for the tea! ;)…read moreThe hotel restaurant did not.

Amazing portions. Quick friendly and everything was to temperature and excellent food and coffee…read more Being OPEN was key! Thank you.

Exquisite Scotland fare with elegance, panache, and sophistication. Rothesay has been open since…read morethe end of 2016 and was only meant to be a six month trial program for training the service-persons of royalty, by a grant from Prince Charles. The immediate success of Rothesay has granted staying power to this culinary wonderland. Colors and aromas will seduce you into salivation before even a sample of the cuisine hits your lips; delicate halibut, savory ham hock, pan fried Scottish salmon, beautiful chutneys, and a new vegetable for me; samphry (which is a cross between asparagus and sea plant). Delightful and beautiful! The service is impeccable and the staff strive for perfection in everything they do, from placing a napkin on the table, to ensuring the candle has enough wick and wax to last through your meal. This is one of the nicer establishments in town, so dress for upscale. The atmosphere is rustic and calming for a truly enjoyable, pampered experience.

Rick Steve's travel book as well as our B&B proprietor recommended this restaurant - it did NOT…read moredisappoint. Lovely interior and lighting along with attentive staff made our dining experience memorable and enjoyable. You can't go wrong with their seasonal menu items. We both enjoyed the local board affair.

We stayed in Ballater for our honeymoon and ate lunch here our first day. I had the venison salami…read morepanini and I loved it so much that we came back later that week. My wife tried different things and we loved everything we had. It is a great local place with amazing service.

Delicious soy flat white, brownie and scones! We were not disappointed with their treats! :)read more

Sesame lamb was excellent and chicken vindaloo was fiery and flavorful! Also provided a…read morecomplimentary tasting of rosemary and carrot soup and some type of coconut rice fritter--both were good and a nice touch. Limited wines by the glass and beer selection was sparse. Friendly service. Would eat there again and again.

Not your typical Indian restaurant. Although they serve the standard dishes, Chicken tikka,…read moretandoori etc. owners are from Bangladesh and most are I've never seen before on an Indian restaurant menu. We had the Bangladeshi lamb shank, and a chicken dish which I could not pronounce let alone remember. Both were excellent. For appetizers, we shared scallops 4ways. We stumbled into this restaurant because it was the only one open at 9:15pm still serving. Although the food came out slow, we realized that is was due to the effort to create the dishes. Service was excellent.

Had a fabulous lunch. I hear dinner is great here too. Seafood chowder was amazing!! Had small…read moreportion but it was large enough and filling. The club sandwich came with fresh perfectly baked bread, crusty outside soft inside. The meats and cheese selection was lovely too! Very friendly staff. Our waitress Deborah was very kind and cheerful.

Found this place almost by accident. I am so happy we did. Stopped for a light lunch and had…read morethe most wonderful mushroom soup with fantastic fresh bread accompaniments. I would love to come back and try their dinner menu. Very small and quaint with very friendly staff and near several distillaries.