Balkenna Tea Room in South Ayrshire

Usually eat here and never had an issue. Today we called and waiting 15 minutes and not served. Approached the counter and older lady said it was table service and take a seat. (We knew this but had waited). Sat back down and waited nearly another 15 minutes and nobody took our order. We were walked past several times by staff and ignored. Left and went elsewhere. Really disappointed at being made to feel so embarrassed after others noticed clearly and those arriving after us were served. Will sadly not return as left to feel like we were deliberately being ignored. Completely embarrassing experience.

Stopped here on our way down the Ayrshire coast and really glad we did. Tempted by an all day breakfast it was superb. A beautiful view of both Ailsa Craig and Arran into the bargain. Would make point of stopping her when we travel the road again.

The 1st time my wife and I stopped here was 6 years ago on our honeymoon and the cafe is friendly, the food is well prepared and the cost is reasonable. The real reason we stopped was the view of Aisla craig is breathtaking. We are on holiday and decided to stop there again and have lunch, great food and service again, lots of photos were taken and the memories came flooding back. Thank you for the memories.

While the service was friendly and food ok, I couldn't believe a cafe would serve homemade soup with bread or roll? What is that all about? When enquired where it was, I was told it was extra! Flabbergasted!

Great food, fantastic cakes, wonderful staff. Amazing views too. We had brunch and snacked on cakes. Ate in and had a takeaway. Highly recommend a visit. We will be returning.

Quick pit stop for a coffee. Had a bacon cheese burger. Service was miserable. Seemed like waitress didn’t want to be there. Food basic and pricey. £11.60 for a Coffee and burger

Called in for breakfast today as had stayed nearby and passed here on a couple of occasions- Had a breakfast bap each with 3 fillings. Must say they were a little underwhelming but sadly the worst was the coffee Being served in a glass mug , you could quickly see the weakness as was practically see through. Barely any taste and very disappointing. As not local we won’t have a need to return but if we did, would def miss out on the coffee

Stayed at the campsite and used Tea room for dinner and breakfast next morning, food is absolutely amazing and service excellent, loved the campsite too will definitely be back .

A table for our group of 6 to sit together was accommodated by the friendly staff. Menu is varied and there is something for everyone. Cafe is clean and so are bathrooms. Food excellent and very tasty. Very convenient location to/from Stena boat. Would recommend.

Met family here for lunch and a catch up. Recieved a friendly warm welcome as a party of 5 + 3 dogs. Excellent range on the menu from breakfast, snacks,light bites, full meals and of course, desserts. Tasty and good value for money. Clean ,comfortable and plenty of parking also. The staff were lovely, nothing too much trouble. We'll definitely visit again the next time we're in the area.

We visited last Sunday for breakfast. 6 adults, 1 child and 2 dogs. Delicious full breakfasts, pancakes, rolls and poached egg on toast. Staff were fabulous and very friendly. Excellent service and really quick. Beautiful views overlooking the sea. We will be back.

Terrible service today 3rd Jan , staff struggling to cope was in 45 mins before baked potato and breakfast roll arrived , people who came in 30 mins after us received their food before us and take way customers were served before us . Waitress said we hadn’t been forgotten about , said there was only one cooking .also saw waitress take a tray of food and drinks into office area. Priorities all wrong today , food ok But whole experience disappointing!

Visited for breakfast and lunch whilst staying in Turnberry. Easy to order, friendly service, efficient delivery, reasonable prices. Thanks for looking after us. Enjoyed the iced lattes

We use this place regularly for breakfast and lunch and the food is always excellent. The older waitress is superb, being both friendly and efficient.However some of the younger waitresses do have a tendency to be a bit slower in noticing you have arrived and therefore coming to serve you. takes a bit longer.This is my only criticism and I do recommend the Balkenna very highly for food.

Enroute home after our holiday and went in for breakfast - good value and friendly staff- also dog friendly which sold it for us

Everything superb. Staff friendly and efficient, tables clean, food great and economical! Olus great sea views for free.

Travelling back from Edinburgh to the Ferry, this was an unexpected delightful stop. At the roadside, overlooking the sea and island, this little humble homely tea room was certainly not humble in food standards. I have never been presented a homemade scone was such care and visual delight! See the photo. I glanced at those eating around me and was surprised at the brunches being of such a high standard for a casual dining venue for visitors and campers etc. and all looking sooo delicious. Great parking area and I noticed a little playground area for younger children. Stop at this little delight and see for yourself.

We were welcomed in such a friendly way at this lovely cosy cafe. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit even though we had just stopped for cups of coffee. Now we had found this delightful place we will most certainly visit again.

On our way home from a day out I was desperate for a coffee but everywhere seems to close at 4pm. Arrived here at 4:45 and were served quickly with drinks and cakes with no feeling they were wanting to get rid of you to shut up shop. Decor is basic but nice views and good service.

Very few places to pull in for lunch on A77 but this is a gem! Traditional cafe, spotlessly clean, Lunch order served quickly and made to order. Delicious soup, fresh rolls and freshly prepared sandwiches

We always try to stop here when going to or coming from the ferry in Cairnryan. We have never had a bad meal and the service is always great. Same staff still working there too. You get a good plateful for your money too. Thank you for still be as good as ever.

Lovely friendly tea house! Had a delicious lunch - chicken and Ham pie. All staff were super friendly and it was a gorgeous view towards Alisa Craig rock. Plenty parking too. Highly recommended.

Visited on a Saturday morning. Roadside cafe with outdoor seating and excellent view. Extensive menu and friendly staff. Had large breakfasts and drinks. Although surrounded by excellent farms and produce, the fried eggs were chewy and the bacon was poor quality. Also a bit gutted to see the pre buttered toast tasted like margarine. Cheap meals but medium quality.

Fabulous lunch as usual ... and of course a great view of Ailsa Craig. The combo of a Toasty, and a bowl of home made soup is just so delicious.

Very disappointing. I had vegetarian breakfast here and my husband had large breakfast. Firstly, portions for both were very small. However, veggie sausage was freezing cold - as if it had just come out of the freezer and fried without being defrosted properly. I was shocked. I told waitress who didn't seem that surprised and she took it away. She then brought my whole breakfast back minus the sausage and said a new one would be out in a while. By the time she brought it out, the rest of my breakfast was almost finished. In my opinion, the whole breakfast should have been taken away and brought back out complete - and hot. An apology would also have been appreciated, but was not given. We were so disappointed as we have just moved into the area and Balkenna Tea Rooms was going to be our new weekly place for breakfast but sadly, we will not be returning.

Stopped in for a coffee and quick bite to eat. Staff all very friendly & the food was lovely too! Will keep in mind next time I’m nearby.

This has become our regular stop travelling from Stranraer to Glasgow. From the outside it looks tidy but nothing fancy, however the food and service is brilliant. Happy staff, good size portions (Home made baking) and extremely clean. Free ladies toiletries in the bathroom too which is so thoughtful. Honestly this is worth a stop every time!

Great cafe- friendly service, reasonably priced and quite the selection of food, drinks and snacks. Would visit again if in the area.

Simple tea room cafe , rustic ,basic,nothing fancy, food was good, .... the mains are better clue by miles than sandwiches . It's worth popping in

We will be visiting over this weekend which will be our 1st time in 31 years. Last time I was there was in 1991 when it was called Balkenna Milk Bar with my now husband. It was our 1st holiday together which was 2 weeks...

Wow what an amazing place. Very clean with a good selection of food. Very friendly staff and fast service. Food quality is very good. Homemade cakes available and even some food on the menu is homemade i.e steak pie etc. Definitely recommend a visit if...

Went in today - ignored by the older waitress sat at a dirty table and other tables were cleaned first….couple of young waitresses walking about…table still dirty and no greeting from anyone - there was only 5 tables in, had to walk out - could...

Visiting again a year on. No disappointment the food is excellent and such great value. Just from listening it was clear we weren't the only ones coming back again. Great views out over the Isla Craig. Couldn't recommend highly enough. 5 stars all the way.

Stopped for a quick lunch midday saturday for paninis and coffee. Friendly staff, happy with the quality.

29/7/22 Quite obviously have visited here for a long time , sometimes upto 3 times a week! So after a long shift (I’m a carer and my mum works in food retail) we took a visit to the beach then arrived at Balkenna for our...

Great little cafe diner. Second time here and will be back again. I had the haggis and beef pie. All home made and tasty.

What a lovely tearoom this is. Steak pie looked and tasted delicious and the macaroni cheese was one of the best I’ve tasted. Will definitely be a regular place for us to eat in. Portions were ample sized and, if you like the look of...

Amazing place to visit, nice, homemade food and lovely staff. Fun for kids, there's even a playground to keep little ones busy.

Needed to eat something and couldn't afford Turnberry Hotel. This certainly was very good value for money. Providing you don't expect fine dining this is perfect. Good special of soup and sandwich was my husband's lunch. He was very pleased with it. I had a...

Popped in today, dog friendly inside and out 👍 Hubby had steak & haggis pie, didn’t stop raving about it 😘 I had a wrap, good also, decor a bit dated but good & service pleasant! Worth a visit if your in the area!

Stopped here for lunch on the way to Portpatrick. Young chap serving us was really nice and friendly. We both had baked potatoes with side salad and it was very, very nice. They also stock a good range of Mrs Bridges preserves and chutneys, so...

Just ambling up the coast road back to Glasgow ... and lunch ! Had some amazing home made cream of tomato soup, followed by a toastie. Just hit the spot. And the coffee - an espresso and a latte - magnificent. AND of course a...

Dog friendly cafe with an amazing selection of cakes. They even had non-dairy milk. We were out on a hike along the Ayrshire coast, and were hoping for a fortifying cuppa outside. So glad we stopped in, we got so much more! Excellent Earl grey...

We come here quite often. The food is great and the staff friendly and efficient BUT can I ask why none of the staff were wearing face masks today? (Sunday 28/11) Also 2 lots of customers came in and didn't fill in their details which...

Popped in here for breakfast lovely n clean staff very friendly breakfast was great Had the special breakfast pancakes scrambled egg bacon with syrup hubby had the full breakfast couldn't fault it definitely worth the visit

We were the first visitors for breakfast on our way home from holiday in nearby Maidens. Had a very pleasant greeting from the waitress and once we had ordered, the breakfast was quickly delivered. The food was excellent and the waitress very attentive. We ordered...

We have just moved to the area a few weeks ago and finally got round to visiting this place that we kept passing on the road. Really varied menu (and separate vegetarian menu), lovely fresh food, pleasant clean surroundings, view to die for, free Wi-Fi,...

Stopped off today hoping to get lunch. Went into the cafe, two waitresses saw me and completely ignored me. Very annoyed I asked if it was table service or do we need to order. The waitress advised, without even saying hello, if you want food...

We've passed this place many times on our way to the ferry terminals but this time we had the time to pull in and give it a try and we're glad we did. Place was busy but we still managed to get one of the...

Great little cafe. Lovely staff,good food,dog friendly and spotless toilets. It's a great place to stop goin to or from Ferry

We called on our way to the ferry as we were too early, (actually three hours early due to a slip up which of course I blamed on my partner). The Tea Room was perfectly clean, very quaint in decor, and the girl who served...

If your passing you must stop ! If just for tea and cake !!! Tho they do all sorts of hot meals ! Staff great ! Good homely food . Pets welcome . Clean place . Must recommend !

We were staying at a lodge nearby to Balkenna Tearoom and visited twice while we were there - once for lunch and once for breakfast. Lunch was absolutely delicious- I had macaroni and it was cooked to perfection, my husband had the cajun chicken pasta,...

having passed the tearoom on several occasions, to which the car park was almost full every time , we thought it was time to pop in and try it out for ourselves. We most certainly were not disappointed , the layout, gorgeous views over the...

Nice Enough, your average breakfast place. Simple decor and basic food. The special breakfast was nice with the exception of the egg which was quite dry. Some dirt in the glasses but overall so so to stop in for a quick breakfast.

Stunning location with sea views. Popped in very last minute. Really friendly staff, lovely food. Loved the tables outside so we could sit with our dogs. Would highly recommend and will be back. Thanks :)

stopped off here yesterday for lunch ,before we got a table I asked a member of staff if they had a disabled toilet as my wife is in a wheelchair and was met by a vacant stare ,she then asked another member of staff who...

Called in here on our way home from Craig Tara and we weren’t disappointed. Very friendly staff and great food at reasonable price.

Stopped off for lunch in Balkenna. Food was nice, reasonably priced and awesome views over the sea and Alisa Craig. Also was nice to give people the option off picnic tables outside.

We had a wonderful weekend here camping . My 2 children loved everything about it , we had acsess to the park and showers and cafe whenever we wanted . The food and treats was excellent and the manager Laura and her staff were faultless...

Very friendly staff, good food & great views. Made me smile. Eating inside and out options, just outside of Girvan - worth a stop

I booked here with my elderly dad and wife today, and couldn't fault one bit of our visit. The food was amazing. The staff were very friendly. Its places like this that want to take your elderly parents out for a bite to eat. Faultless...

We stopped here on our way to Portpatrick and had a lovely morning coffee. The scones were excellent and the staff very friendly. The toilets were very clean and the free period products a nice touch. The views from the tea room of Ailsa Craig...

We were just driving the coastal route, looking for somewhere nice to stop for a bite and a drink, when we came across Balkenna tea rooms. The food was great but the desserts were SO good! Would highly recommend.

What a great little tearoom. Lovely food with a great selection of choice. Nice kids play area and outdoor seating. The staff were lovely and couldn’t do enough for you. Very dog friendly and our Angus even got his own little treat. Great find, highly...

We went hoping to get breakfast here, especially as there's a separate veggie menu. After other people kept getting their orders taken before us, including people who'd just arrived, my other half tried to call someone over. A woman came over, but instead of just...

Took my father for birthday lunch, service, food and overall experience was great, staff very cheery and attentive a very clean place also, well done balkenna

A visit to Balkenna never disappoints! Varied menu (and separate vegetarian menu), lovely fresh food, pleasant clean surroundings, view to die for, dog friendly, good parking and definitely the icing on the cake - friendly, helpful staff! A real home from home!

What a lovely little cafe, even had a separate vegetarian menu. Nice home cooked food, very friendly helpful staff, definitely worth a visit

Being fortunate enough to live in South Ayrshire, the tea room is one of our preferred eating places - either for a breakfast out, lunch or just afternoon coffee. Covid regs are enforced, with the tables further apart and details to be written down on...

When in the area, always pop in to eat here,as they are motorcycle friendly always plentyfull meal. Always quality, always exceptionally clean, try it, you wont be disappointed 👌👍😁😁

Good quality food with very friendly service. Empire biscuits were especially good. Plenty to choose from. Paninis were lovely. All day breakfast looked delicious. Good parking.

Had 2 coffees with shortbread here this morning - great large strong coffees and the shortbread was homemade and delicious! 5 star 🌟 service, too

Driving home from Portpatrick we stopped here for lunch. Great, friendly & efficient service, great food and oversized portions. I could only half of my macaroni & chips.Told the blond lady ( owner maybe? ) the portion was way to generous and she said she had already cut back on quantity and didn't want the plates of food to look miserly. At the miserly prices she charges nothing could be further from the truth.While enjoying our food we also got a fabulous sea view FOR FREE.Large safe car park to.I wish this place good luck for the future.I have to disagree with other comments complaining about the lack of Covid protection. This was CERTAINLY NOT THE CASE THE DAY WE WERE THERE.A pleasure to visit.

On arrival there were three tables with dirty dishes on them the tables were still sitting with dirty dishes when we left, about an hour later, the waitress cleaned one of the tables for guests when they arrived, she sprayed the table and proceeded to swipe the food on to the carpet. Other tables that were in when we arrived were having to get the waitress to bring food that had been ordered, but had been missed off there plate, and they were nearly finished there meal, before the other items were brought to them, you would think the restaurant would have more staff on as they are the only restaurant open between Ayr and Girvan, as we checked to see if anywhere else was open en-route.

the service was fab staff very friendly food lovely social distance in place felt very comfortable toilets also very clean

Very friendly staff, we just stopped for coffee and a snack, staff were so happy to serve. The waitress listened to our coffee requests and did her upmost to please us. Our dog Poppy was treated like a king and brought a dish of water and a bowl of warm sausages chopped up free of charge!

Exceptional staff - thank you, Tonya and Lauren. Couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful. Good food and coffee. Will definitely return. Also, plenty of outdoor seating and parking, and great view of the Ailsa Craig and coast.

Visited here last Saturday morning and was surprised to see none of the staff serving were wearing masks. Hand sanitizer and track and trace details to complete on entry. Four men came in no masks on and walked past sanitizer and sheet for track and trace details and then one got up and proceeded to toilet again not wearing mask. No one approached them to tell them they should be wearing a mask. Must say lovely view from tea room and staff were pleasant. Coffee and huge scone good. Every where else we have been for coffee staff wear masks.

We were staying near this little cafe and stopped to have lunch. Everyone enjoyed there food it was very reasonably priced. The staff were all very nice. Would definitely return if on the area.

Stopped twice on our travels around the area. Staff very friendly and efficient. Food was very good and freshly made. Lovely views overlooking the sea. A pleasant experience.

Extremely friendly and helpful staff. Ideal location overlooking the sea and Aisla Craig. COVID awareness facilities. Inside or outside seating. Good basic food, very reasonably priced. Excellent service and sense of humour. A small cake with a candle and two of the staff singing Happy birthday was such a lovely surprise.

Stopped in here on the way back up from a weekend stay in Portpatrick, staff friendly, location great with a lovely view of the Ailsa Craig, breakfast was just what the doctor ordered.Covid-19 track and trace info asked for when we arrived but a group behind us weren't reminded and didn't provide information. A good distance between all tables. However it was the first day of the new regulations where all staff are required to wear a face covering, none of the staff were but they did mostly maintain a distance from us apart from when serving our food and drink.

My husband and I stopped yesterday afternoon and were greeted by a lovely Laura and co. They were really busy, and because of social distancing and disinfecting, they worked as quickly as possible to clean up between customers. The coffee was freshly ground and was really nice. My hubby had a delicious French fancy and I had a very tasty cheese and pickle toastie and side salad. We will definitely stop here again.

Popped in to this tea room for a nice sandwich with an amazing view how disappointed we were ONE HOUR after arriving .... we were given our food a chicken panini side of chips and a Cajun pasta My panini was lovely with no side salad like it advertised My hubby’s pasta was nothing more than a Cajun soup with no recognisable pasta or chicken in it

Called in here for food stop whilst traveling down coast,ample seating with good clean toilets ,amazing views,menu good choices and prices decent with all homemade food which was delicious tho my child never got her drink or ice cream with kids meal ha,friendly young girl took our order and all staff pleasant .a busy little place with decent car park,a must when passing by.

We visited this tea room on route for the ferry to Belfast, the waitress greater us and was very welcoming and friendly. We both ordered the home made scones with jam and cream, they were the freshest scones with freshly whipped cream, absolutely amazing, we will definitely be back.

We went for some lunch here as we were going a drive along the coast. Great wee place to have something to eat. Food was lovely, great views, very friendly helpful staff and great value for money too! All covid compliant. Honestly would recommend a wee visit.

After many years passing on my way to Irish Ferry seeing it busy my friend and I, staying at Turnberry Caravan Park, decided to visit today. Highly recommend. Very warm, welcoming, friendly and helpful staff. All covid compliant: hand sanitizing, track and trace, social distancing. The food was amazing. Emma and Laura were excellent staff.

My wife and myself visited this establishment this morning for a fantastic breakfast. Service was second to none, full covid compliance with staff wearing face masks, hand sanitiser at the door, plenty on display and the main one being of a no touch basis, works automatically.Such good value and well cooked breakfast supplemented with a nice tasty latte.Definitely recommended and you will feel covid safe.Shame can't be said about the Kia Sportage (dark colour) who decided to park so close to our car they scratched our paintwork and said nothing, shame on you guys!

OMG this place is a good example of how to spread Covid!No social distancing between the tables. Staff not using any kind of face masks or visors and couldn’t get any closer to you when taking your order. Once we ordered the place got busy and all tables are spaced exactly as before less than a metre apart. Kid on the next table played with all the sauce sachets whilst staff watched. Tables were cleared but not wiped between customers then the staff doing this were going in and out the kitchen where hair was barely tied up let alone face protection used. Saw no evidence of staff washing hands or using hand gel even after handling money. There was social distancing spots on the floor which when followed one was under a table and the other a poor man’s chair so every time someone went to pay they were practically on top of him. There was hand sanitizer (a 100ml bottle) practically empty and what was in it looked like brown vinegar at the door. This was beside a note pad for trak and trace that we saw no one sign and we certainly weren’t asked to either. Sorry to say we won’t be back after specifically going to support a wee local business in these hard times who’s food is normally good. I will certainly be spreading the word regarding these risks as fast as this place could be potentially spreading the virus!

Stopped for coffee, place crammed full, no social distancing , no masks worn by staff serving food, poor show. This is just type of small business that must have suffered during Covid restrictions, you’d think that they would be keen to help prevent further outbreaks .

Just stopped off here for lunch I can not fault this place food really good we were a family of 9 still no issue for them they handled it well the staff was amazing special mention to Tonya( think that’s her name) very happy cheery great with the kids will be stopping back there again

Decent food,friendly staff but COVID guidelines not addressed except for hand gel at door. No recording of names and phone numbers for track and trace, no masks worn by staff when serving, tables not cleaned between customers. Poor effort

Stopped in for lunch today: met by lovely smiling happy staff: had the Cajun pasta: was beautiful: the home made scones were designed on Ailsa Craig which sits off the coast: it was that large and so fresh

Smelling like a greasy spoon on arrival. We waited an age to be served and the food was dreadful. Overcooked chips. Baked potato was stone cold and had to be sent back. Did not want a replacement as it had put me off. I didn’t even receive an apology. Soup was hot but looked like sludge and it was too salty, it was horrible. No bread served with it. I believe it was their First day open afterLockdown so I can only hope this was the reason the kitchen was chaotic. Food is very overpriced and poor quality. Will not return I’m afraid. I thought very carefully before leaving a poor review as I don’t like being so negative but our experience was not good. They also need to improve the air con of the place. We were smelling of old cooking oil for the rest of the day......not nice !

Quick lunch stop - home made chicken curry - half and half chips and rice - breaded haddock - good friendly service reasonably priced and with a fantastic outlook into the Clyde with Ailsa Craig taking centre stage. Plenty of parking clean toilets friendly greeting and reasonable prices

This roadside tearoom/cafe is situated beside the A77, close to Turnberry and about 50 miles south of Glasgow and less than 30 miles from the Stena terminal at Loch Ryan. So a great place to stop if you're heading to or from the ferry ports. The food is great local Scottish cafe cuisine, nothing fancy but good-sized portions, tasty and all at a great price! Staff are incredibly friendly, the place is spotless and just feels like you're eating in someone's kitchen! It is now the must-stop location for our family, both as we head North or returning back to the ferry.

Been in this little tearoom a few times,staff are very friendly food is good.... I had homemade macaroni, chips with homemade coleslaw today it was yummy.... Nice coffee too

Visited on Saturday with the family for a cuppa. Good atmosphere and friendly team. Shout out to Laura Amy & Millie who made us welcome, and the lemon meringue went down a treat 😁