Balavil Hotel Restaurant in Highland

We visited on Saturday night and enjoyed a menu of good traditional food. It was all fresh and well presented. A comfortable and friendly hotel restaurant.

Family dinner at the Balavil during our holiday, and food was exceptional! The seafood, steak pie, fish and chips and burgers all exceeded expectations. It’s clear everything is made in house, not your typical frozen burgers etc. Service was fantastic, nothing was too much trouble and everyone was so friendly. We were lucky on the night we were in as there was a folk musician on who was fab too. Excellent night out, we will definitely be back!

The menu was excellent for choice and all food cooked from scratch in the kitchen. The food was amazing and tasty and very very high quality and excellent value for money. My husband had haggis in an excellent sauce for starter while I had the smoked salmon salad with sourdough bread Gruyère cheese and an amazing sauce. The vinegrette on the salad was lovely and the salad contained many different kinds of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and olives. There was lots of salmon and it was very tasty. For Mains we both had the venison casserole which had been slow cooked in an amazing sauce which contained so many wonderful flavours including cranberries and red wine and much more. The venison was so tender it fell apart on touch and was complemented by fresh cooked veg and mash which was delicious. Could not manage desert I’m afraid but what I saw was looking magnificent.

This hotel is quiet at this time of year but they accommodated our party of 4 at short notice. There was an extensive menu, all of which was reasonably priced. All food delicious. Would return.

This restaurant had a nicely appointed dining room, and we did have reservations although they seemed unnecessary. James the waiter was gracious, and low key. He took our orders quickly, and answered all questions courteously. John had the venison haunch stew and enjoyed it enormously. I had the hot smoked salmon salad and it was delicious and totally enough as a meal. Wee would definitely return for another meal.

Beautiful restaurant, excellent staff and stunning food. Locally sourced products fabulously presented. Pleasant warm large dining room with ample space between tables to give some privacy whilst dining.

Lovely hotel, super friendly staff where nothing was too much trouble. Excellent food in the restaurant. Bar was friendly with good selection of drinks. Will definitely return.

We had dinner on a few evenings during our stat at the Balavil Hotel and we were very satisfied with the range of choices available and the high standard of the food. Atmosphere in the restaurant is pleasant with spacious layout and well presented tables.

Good food and drink well cooked and presented, friendly attentive staff. Haggis cake starter was delicious. The steak pie and venison dishes both were generous with big chunks of tender meat. A good place for supper.

We were staying in the area and visited the restaurant part. The service was very good, friendly and very fast. The menu was small but more than adequate, with great gluten free options. The food was really nice and reasonably priced. Nothing negative ar all to say about my visit.

We had consecutive nights here. You do wonder about some of these older hotels but have to say the standard of the food was pretty good and at a reasonable price. Place was jumping especially in the Friday which was good to see. Service was in the main good. I can imagine, lot's of new staff finding their feet. There are a couple of good options in Newtonmore but would happily say you shouldn't be disappointed coming here. Venison, Steak Pie and Battered fish all good options. Crumble lacked crumble but life can be like that sometimes!!

We had been in Balavil Restaurant a few years ago and enjoyed a drink and music. This time we dined and had such a pleasurable experience we came back twice! A really good steak and ale pie and chocolate cake for desert! So good that I repeated the next nite. Hubby had alternate choices and enjoyed those as well Good price and good food. Service was attentive and pleasant.

Wir sind zweimal im Balavil Restaurant und Whiskeybar gewesen. Die Bar ist typisch britisch, sehr gemütlich, teilweise gibt es auch Live-Musik. Gute Whiskyauswahl. Im Restaurant gab es bodenständige, schottische Küche zu vernünftigen Preisen. Sehr empfehlenswert!

The restaurant here is fantastic and the food is what led me to book a stay in the hotel having dined here a few years ago. A diverse menu with freshly prepared, delicious food, friendly staff and reasonable prices. I would happily return in the future. The steak pie was a highlight.

Service and food excellent - plenty to eat. More veg please. Battered haddock and pie ....delicious.

Warm welcome received when we went for an evening meal with friends. Waiting staff were very attentive and the food was excellent and very good value for money. Highly recommended.

Comfortable surroundings were booked a table in the bar area. The service was quick and the staff friendly and helpful. Food very good.

We were staying nearby for a week`s break and decided on having a meal out on the last night. Great decision. Staff were very friendly, nice beer on draught and the chairs were comfortable. The food was excellent, one vegan and one vegetarian between the four of us and they were well catered for. Starter was fantastic, local chanterelles on a bruschetta with creamy gorgonzola. Yummy, so good, vegan option was very much enjoyed too. 2 wild mushroom ravioli, veggie sausage, chips and seasonal veg and a venison bourgignon, all plates were cleaned. Side of fries was generous and shared by two of us, again very good. We all left well satisfied. Oh, and my son and his partner picked up the tab. Should add that it was very reasonably priced. Retired to the bar, where we stayed well past our intended time, but again staff were friendly and attentive. We are now thinking of a long weekend in the hotel, keep up the good work.

As the restaurant was only being a residents only during the time of our stay meals were being served in what I'd describe as a small bar area at the front of the hotel with good choice of freshly produced meals at a reasonable price.

Restaurant mit einer eher nüchternen Atmosphäre. War die hausgemachte Kohlsuppe mit Parmesan noch gelungen, war die Hauptspeise Haunch of Venison (Rehkeule) doch eine Enttäuschung. Als Gulasch zubereitet mit einfach gekochten Gemüse ohne Pep. Eigentlich fast schon schlimme englische Küche, wie man sie nicht haben möchte …. Einfach uninspiriert

we had a few afternoon tipples here staff were very polite and efficient,would recommened. cosy little bar and very clean

I had a home made burger which was lovely. My husband had a fish dish which he really enjoyed. The service was excellent.

We had a nice meal for 4 here in the Balavil Hotel bar area. The meal of venison stew although very good, we felt the portions were a bit on the small side. We had two bottles of house red which was quite nice. Overall although times are hard due to covid I still felt it was a wee bit expensive for what we had but still enjoyed it !

Was staying over at the hotel for a couple of nights and had a meal here on the first one. The food is really excellent quality, good value for money and the portion sizes are very good... I didn't have enough room after the blaggis cakes starter and venison haunch mains for a dessert so opted to finish the meal with a local whisky from their great selection. The wife, after sensibly skipping the starter, did and said the white chocolate orange cheesecake was amazing!This was actually the second time we've booked here for an evening meal, the first time we were staying in another hotel and tried it due to recommendations so it was a no-brainer to eat here again.

Excellent covid provisions in place. Staff amazingly friendly and helpful. Food choices and quality exceptional ( I don't eat meat and there was still a good choice for me) Superb value for money especially if you come from or have travelled through Edinburgh these days! Out door seats for drinks, easy parking - an overall great location to explore this stunning area. Please if you can support these styles of hotel as we want them and the services and jobs they provide to be these after this pandemic.

Was in for a quick two course dinner. Both the venison burger and rump steak were delicious as was the apple strudel. Would definitely eat here again if I was back in the local area.

Food was delicious and boy were the plates big.Cornfed chicken and haggis was amazing according to my husband. Homemade cheesecake is a must.

Great service, cozy and food hit the spot. Lasagna was tasty. Wine was good. Extensive whisky selection. I imagine this place would also be very cozy in winter. A solid choice when dining in Newtonmore, and much better than some other places we tried. Seemed like a good place for singles, couples, groups or families. Good social distancing set up.

Excellent FoodThe Balavil Restaurant offers simple dishes that are remarkably delicious. We went for a quick dinner on our first night in Newtonmore and were so delighted with the quality of the food we returned the next night too!!We tried lots of menu items but special mention to the fish, haggis starter (especially the mustard sauce), and the lasagne. All finished with wonderful ice cream. The restaurant is especially good value for feeding kids with a good range of reasonably priced starters, mains and desserts in their children’s menu.

Guter und unkomplizierter Service. Das "typische" schottische Pub-Food sowie das Bier hat unseren Erwartungen vollumfänglich entsprochen.

I recently visited the Balavil restaurant for dinner whilst visiting Newtonmore on a business trip. The lounge bar has a log burner that provided a much needed warm up as it was very cold outside and there had been a dusting of snow. There is a good selection of food and drink to choose from, I opted for a chicken burger which was very tasty. The Balavil has a cosy ambience and provides Highland Hospitality at its best. If you visiting Newtonmore, I would recommend a visit to the Balavil hotel.

The food here is wonderful. One of a kind - the only restaurant in Newtonmore which has a dedicated menu for vegans and gluten free. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff in this family run hotel.

We had dinner here in the bar area. The main restaruant was busy having two coach trips of visiters. The food was good and they had local dishes on the menu. I would recomend booking in advance if you have a party of more than two people.

As were staying just up the road we thought we would give it a try, and we are glad we did.I had soup of the day (Vegetable), and it was very tasty.My wife had Haddock Goujons, (very Nice)My wife then had Panco Breaded Chicken with Maple Cured Streaky Bacon, Scotish Mature Cheddar, accompanied by a Honey Coleslaw, Barbeque Sauce, House Chips and Onion Rings.I had Ale Battered Cod with chips served with peas and thir own Tarter Sauce.And it only £39.20, good value for money i think.

Arrived at the Balavil without a reservation and was welcomed warmly, the gentleman at the reception could not have been more helpful. A table for two was swiftly organised and drinks were served whilst we made our choices from the menu. The wild mushroom soup was really very good. The pork with black pudding was excellent as was the vegetable lasagna, both meals were delicious and well presented. We didn't have dessert although sorely tempted by the choice available. The other menu which was an enormous temptation was the Malt Whisky Menu, the water of life in glorious print.....

We ate here probably for the first time in three years? During our stay in Newtonmore we ate there with friends twice because the food was of excellent quality. A very good menu choice all cooked superbly. Staff are very friendly and attentive as seems to be the noem in Scotland! See you next year!

Our hosts at the Dower House recommended we try a meal here and we were very happy that we did. The drinks were reasonably priced as was the food, which was tasty and of generous serving size. The desserts were especially good. There was live music, a fellow singing traditional Scottish songs at first before starting on more popular music later on. While we were fine where we were sitting, it may have been little loud for conversation if you were sitting closer! We then walked home through the village. A lovely night out.

Wij hebben hier gegeten een paar avonden terug. De ruimte waar gegeten wordt is niet heel groot dus reserveren is wel aan te raden denk ik. De inrichting is misschien wat oubollig maar wel gezellig. Wij hadden wel stoelen die te hoog waren tov de tafel en daar zit niet zo fijn.Maar dat was geen ramp. We bestelden beiden een burger, één met kip en één met rund. We waren erg enthousiast!Mooi opgediend, en echt goede burgers. Wij hebben erg lekker gegeten hier!

After reading many reviews of different restaurants in the area, we decided to drop by here. It was definitely a good choice. The bar/restaurant has a very warm and cosy atmosphere, the staff was very friendly and I can very much recommend the breaded brie burger. I don't drink myself but I counted 60 different sorts of whiskey on the whiskey card. If we go here again, we will probably take this hotel instead to see if it's just as good as the restaurant.

Our hosts at Clune House B&B; recommended the restaurant at the Balavil Hotel. A great recommendation! We had two outstanding meals, which were fresh, hot and well presented, Despite the restaurant/bar being rather busy, the service was extremely efficient and we were well looked after by James Carstairs. We look forward to visiting this restaurant when we are next in the area.

Stayed in Newtonmore a couple days and both evenings we had dinner there. We had really good dinners, freshly made with good ingredients too. Service was really quick even though it was busy. Also the pub offers a great selection of whiskeys.

Every year we visit Newtonmore and we always go for a meal & a swim.

This is clearly a popular place to eat in Newtonmore and is understandable why. The menu is diverse, tasty and reasonably priced. The service is friendly and the restaurant and bar are atmospheric. Try the house special single malt! Delicious.

We were recommended the Balavil for a meal whilst staying along the road at Laggan Glamping. Despite not having a booking, they were able to accommodate us (family of 5). Good choice on both standard and kids menus and willing to serve starters as main options. Everyone enjoyed their food and the staff were very attentive. Would definitely recommend!

Six of us for a family meal. Fab food. Lovely traditionally Scottish welcoming surroundings.Staff very attentive and accommodating would definitely recommend

Stayed for three nights this last week and i can not recommend this hotel, the staff or location enough! I travel loads with work and found the food THE best that i have ever had whilst working. One member of staff made our stay...James on reception whom also covered the bar and restaurant! Thanks James awesome job. Oh the hotel rooms are being refurbished now so no point in me commenting on my room as its getting a makeover.

We had our meal here on both nights of our stay. The food was of good quality and arrived very fast. The staff were very helpful and professional. Would recommend.

Food was beautiful, service was fantastic and entertainment was very authentic, we thoroughly enjoyed our meals in the Balavil and would highly recommend.

A wonderful meal here, but the service was really second to none. Perfectly attentive but with ample space to enjoy your meal (and whisky!). Would definitely recommend and will hopefully be back.

Even if your intentions are not to stay in Newtonmore. Do yourself a favour and at least treat yourself to a wonderful food and hospitality experience at the Balavil Hotel Restaurant. We ate here twice and the food was high end world class. James and his colleagues were an absolute delight, which made the whole evening exceptionally wonderful. I could not rate Newtonmore's Balavil Hotel high enough. And hope you do too. You won't be disappointed. Thank James from the MacNeil's

Friendly, helpful staff. Good reasonably priced menu, recommend venison and sticky toffee pudding! Lovely ambience in panelled dining room. Despite being busy didn't have to wait long for food. Amazing whisky list. Best to book.

Traditional pleasant lounge area and bar (with live music!) We went there for dinner, and had: Braised Venison (good) and Lamb Skewers (stringy, very hard to chew). Service: professional but short. Price per quality: too much for this.

We were staying in a nearby B and B and the lady who owned it recommended this restaurant for a evening meal. She phoned and booked us a table. On arrival staff were very friendly. We had the fish and chips and our little girl had the pizza. It was all made fresh and the portions were excellent. Prices were very reasonable as well. Nice atmosphere and we had a really nice meal. I would definitely recommend it.

Came off the hills starving and despite a wee delay due to a bus load being ahead of us ordering, it was well worth the wait. The burger and chips were superb. Happy hillwalkers! Will revisit next time up this way. Very friendly staff too.

We had a family meal there was 9 of us, food all came out together. Staff were polite and friendly. Food was of good quality and reasonable prices. One little down side it was a little bit cramped for space

.....we went back the next night! One of our friends knows what he likes and what he doesn’t when it comes to places to eat.He is not a fussy eater by any means but recognises and enjoys a great atmosphere ,excellent service from friendly stafff and, above all, great food.Here at the Balavil he was delighted,so much so that he took us back the very next evening.Our thanks to James and the team.

Another coach-tour establishment in Newtonmore. The dining hall (unfortunately no space in the cozy bar) has the atmosphere of a student-hall dining hall. No music, nothing to make it cozy.

Loved the coziness of this restaurant and the delicious food! The goat cheese and beet root tortellini was devine. The best part of the meal was the sticky toffee pudding. Save room!!

Staff was very helpful at finding us a table within minutes in a very busy bar. Food was amazing and home made chips well presented and tasty. Entrainment to follow after meal rounded off the evening.

Booked in for evening meal, expecting to be seated in the bar / conservatory when we arrived we were shon into a large dining room full of people, I think alot staying at the hotel on coach tours, would have preferred to be in the bar, far more atmospheric

Un petit hôtel-restaurant où il vaut mieux réserver car il n’y a 5 tables ... c’est notre B & B qu’il l’a fait pour nous

We took a family party of ten to this hotel for a meal. The choice and standard of the staff was excellent .The food was out of this sourly the tastes will take a lot to be Beaton

The food was really quite good, with a small but varied menu. We were surprised when the only implement brought out with the spaghetti was a soup spoon, we had to ask for a fork. Service wasn't brilliant, but the place was full so I guess that could explain it.

Being local (10 miles away), we did not stay over , just there for an evening meal . We both enjoyed a starter plus main course. For us there was a satisfactory selection on the menu. Good ingredients, very well cooked and well presented, generous amount so we were unable to look at the desert menu. Beyond the food , the place had a nice relaxing ambience about it, serving staff good, and later there was a singer /guitarist in the bar adjacent to the eating area. The guy did a good job, interesting enough songs for us to listen to, but a sound/volume level that did not stop our conversation .

Very popular with touring coach holidays, but nevertheless the staff here made my friend and I very welcome and the food was well presented and enjoyable. Good ales too and the usual wide range of malt whiskey as well as their own house version

Friendly staff, always attentive and food was tasty, would definitely recommend this hotel for sleeping and eating.

We stayed here at the weekend with our 2 little girls. After a day at the Highland Wildlife Park, this looked like the perfect place to stay, with a wee swimming pool our girls were delighted!

We didn’t stay here during our week in Newtonmore but we stopped for drinks a couple of times, the kids used the pool and on our last night we had our evening meal. All agreed it was some of the best food we’d eaten. I can highly recommend the chicken Katsu burger! Empty plates all round. All the staff were excellent. Would highly recommend.

We were looking for somewhere that served evening meals quite early as we have our 17 month old little boy with us. Food served from 5pm so suited us. This place was lovely. Staff were very friendly and chatty but not intrusive. Service was quick. Food was really tasty. Booster seat was great for our little one. Would recommend a visit.

Stay and food were amazing a good varied menu for evening meal and breakfast had a very good selection. Would recommend to anyone staying or passing by.

C'est la propriétaire de la chambre d’hôte qui a réservé pour nous. Ainsi nous avons évité l'attente, car cet endroit fait le plein et pour cause. La région est magnifique et sauvage et c'est une chance que l'on ai recommandé cette adresse. Le menu est varié et alléchant. Nous avons apprécié le "Braised Local Venison" entre autre et les dessert copieux. Le tout dans un cadre agréable typiquement Ecossais. L'accueil et le service sont à la hauteur et chaleureux, comme souvent en Ecosse. A la fin nous avons même eu droit à la présence d'un guitariste-chanteur interprétant les ballades du cru.

Great meal, piping hot and lots on the plate, menu had a good choice and was a good wine list to accompany the menu, we all enjoyed the food , many thanks to the staff too.

Hadnt been here for a drink in some years. As we were staying in Newtonmore and had heard there had been a few changes went in for a drink. All staff very friendly and efficient. Got shown around the recently re furbished public (back) bar. Looks really good. The atmosphere in the lounge was so good we stayed for a few drinks watching all the food orders going past.

We had a really nice meal here , traditional Scottish food served in a highland pub atmosphere. Was too sure about it at first but we were really pleased , the portions were of a good size and the food was fresh even in in off season. We would recommend! But book before going as they were busy!

Dopo una lunga giornata sul lago di lochness, nulla è meglio di una bella cena in hotel. Le recensioni del ristorante erano ottime, ci siamo fidati e bene abbiamo fatto. Siamo arrivati che il ristorante aveva chiuso da pochi secondi (sono precisi!) ed era tutto pieno, ma ci hanno fatti sedere ed ordinare con tutta calma ed estrema gentilezza da parte dello staff. Lo stufato di cervo era eccellente, così come il camembert al forno con cipolle, le pizze e la selezione di dolci e formaggi. Buona la birra ed i prezzi in generale. Assolutamente consigliato.

We selected Balavil because it was half a block from our lodging. We're glad we did. We must have been early as the place was empty so I was afraid it would not be any good but luckily I was wrong. The back restaurant is huge and the pub up front is smaller and has a few table a plus lounge and bar seating. We ate in the restaurant as we had 3 teens with us with us. Everyone enjoyed their meals. I had the steak and ale pie and it was quite good. The burger looked top notch, My daughters gave the chicken pizza and smoke cheese risotto two thumbs up. It was nice to be a spacious quiet place after so many crowded tourist spots. We returned without the kids later in our trip and enjoyed several whiskies in the pub. There was even live music. The pub was packed unlike the restaurant.

Estuve con la familia y comimos dos noches consecutivas en este restaurante. Una gran variedad para los niños, nuestro hijo de 6 años tenía pasta y venado en la segunda noche y nos encantó tanto las comidas. Lo más destacado fue la tarta de mi...

Comimos en el Restaurante Balavil en tres ocasiones durante nuestra estancia en Newtonmore, ya que estaba muy cerca de nuestro alojamiento, la comida era muy buena, y el personal era amable y acogedor. Probamos la hamburguesa de venado y las cazuelas, ambos eran muy buenos,...

La comida era excelente, el servicio es bueno. Recomiendo cenar aquí. El hotel estaba muy lleno, pero el personal nos mantuvo informados de calendario para el próximo curso.

Nous sommes passés au retour d'une balade pour prendre....une bière et Cidres Anglais. Accueil sympa on est même reparti avec un verre collector.

Desayuno buffet con una buena selección de comida, preparado artículos siempre se caliente. Las comidas de la tarde y eran excelentes; menú variado con opciones. "caseras" principalmente alimentos donde sea posible.

Paramos para una bebida que caminando a través de Newtonmore. Fe pareció caro para una cerveza y un vino. El lugar no estaba lleno, a mitad de la tarde.

Un hotel/restaurante bar concurrido con una magnífica acogida del personal amable. Comimos en el bar 2 noches durante unas vacaciones en la zona. La comida era excelente y servidos agradables y calientes. La música en vivo en ambas noches era muy profesional. Si quieres comer y escuchar música al mismo tiempo pide una mesa adecuada. Muchos whiskies de malta a precios razonables.

After going out for the day me and a friend decided on a bar meal before a drive home.After making the decision to eat here, both of us were impressed with quality of the restaurant area, bar and the food. I had the steak pie, that was delicious and my friend had pizza.The staff were friendly and welcoming.Definitely worth a visit and I would highly recommend it.

Family meal out for special ocassion lovely food and great atmosphere with open fire. Great choice, lovely home made pizza's, haggis, vegie food and much more..

friendly efficient service, tasty food at great prices, hefty portions, and relaxed friendly atmosphere,

Our breakfast here was excellent.Large pot of coffee and toast, cereal then the full Scottish.Cooked to perfection and the quality ingredients made this the perfect way to start the day.

Nice quiet surroundings. Good quality food and plentiful portion sizes. Could do with a wider choice for vegetarians but the mushroom ravioli was very tasty.

great food at great prices,after two bad experiences in nearby kigussie we asked a couple of locals where to eat and this place was recommended along with two other restaurants,and it makes laugh when i tink about it,people from kingussie recommend newtonmore restuarants to tourists.how funny is that,anyway i am glad we did ask .we knew kingussie but hadnt visited it for a long time and a lot of shops and restaurants have gone...and it is quiter than ever.

Great atmosphere!! I would suggest to dine in the bar area, as the locals are friendly and will make good suggestions. Excellent service which goes beyond the normal. The food is delicious and the bar is fully stocked. Definitely would recommend this place for a meal.

Had a very tasty Beer battered Cod and chips washed down with a ice cold pint of lager. Me and my wife enjoyed the Bar and the staff were very attentive and chatty well done. Will be back

Although they were busy they took time to understand and check my special diet. The flat bread and brie was excellent as was the soup. Steak pie was good and my venison was beautifully cooked and adapted to my needs (gluten and lactose intolerant). The price was v reasonable, there was little wait and portions were ample. And we got entertainment as well!

Really nice pub. Really good menu - great selection and quality. Also a decent selection of drinks (including a vast collection of whisky!) My favourite pub in Newtonmore - and we tried them all!

This restaurant was recommended to us and we were not disappointed. We managed to get a table on a Wednesday evening, however, I would recommend booking a table if you are planning to visit on a weekend.

Lovely place for a warm drink after a long walk. Nice young man running things and very accommodating. Will be back!

C'est un restaurant sui nous a été recommandé par la personne qui nous hébergé et quelle surprise ! Nous avons mangé local avec des produits d'exception : le haggis est à tomber et le civet de cerf est tout simplement un délice ; pas cher pour la qualité des plats avec un accueil courtois

we stayed at the hotel and had dinner here. All the food looked good, but we ordered pizza and it was delicious.

Didn't eat here but enjoyed a couple of beers and friendly chat in the bar. Would definitely pop in for a pint again when in the area.

Beautiful hotel made feel so welcome by Fraser and Karen lovely atmosphere...food and very clean...will definitely return

Dropped on after we couldn't get on to another restaurant in town. Good steal is and good venison. Sticky Toffee pudding was very presentable as well. Only draw back was the noisy bus group in the bar while we enjoyed the entertainment but what can you say? They were having a great time too!