Birdhouse Cafe in Aberdeenshire

Lovely wee cafe. Couldn’t fault it. Bagels were exceptional, with great fillings. Our group of 3 all had different varieties, and they were all great. Fab coffee and very tasty cakes. Great place to visit after a Sunday walk. We’ll be back 🥰

Ideal lunch stop, whilst passing through Banchory. Great Coffee with some tasty toastie’s/sandwiches on their home made sourdough bread. Finished off with their DDB. Friendly owners and look forward to being back next time passing through.

Oh dear yet another cafe that can’t be bothered to fry bacon and put the rashers in a roll after 11.30am. We entered at 12.20.pm and were told breakfast was over at 11.30. Alas that meant no bacon roll for lunch yet cooking was going on in the back of the cafe. What is it about these outdated and lazy cafes that can’t produce three rashers of bacon in a roll? It’s business for goodness sake - this snack for lunch is one of the most popular in Scotland. Get a grip and take on the challenge. There are cafes that will do even an “All Day Breakfast.” Guess what. All Day! All we asked for was a bacon roll and pot of tea for two. No that’s breakfast!! For goodness sake. Will not be back.

This little cafe is so worth a visit. Fantastic home-baked bread and wonderful attention to detail. We were 4 very hungry people who left delighted by the fresh, tasty, well cooked food.

So sorry to write a bad review as the concept of the cafe looked great and had a decaf coffee which was not great but ok. But the whole place was juts really dirty, it looked like it hadn’t been cleaned, which doesn’t make you want to eat anything out of there! It all looks like it needs some serious tlc, the surfaces weren’t great looking lots of marks and sticky/tackiness. The floor in cafe was really dirty! But looking through to the kitchen area certainly what you can see from standing at counter with Lino missing and scraggy, really dirty floor and rubbish in corner……made me want to leave and cancel my order. Where the coffee was being made was again really dirty, dirty dishes everywhere, a sink full of dirty water and dirty dishes, again making you not want to drink out of the cups as they didn’t look like they were going to get a good clean! The whole place was a total shambles. I then went to the toilet and as soon as you opened the door to go into the small area before the toilet you were hit with a pungent smell, I then entered the toilet to find the most horrific smell and diarrhoea in the toilet pan, surely there are toilet checks or they could of smelt it from where they make the coffee with is basically a door apart! By this time I thought I don’t want to eat or drink anything out of here! Anyway I didn’t want to be rude so I asked for some hand sanitizer to sanitise my hands after entering the diarrhoea toilet area and I was handed the most dirty bottle of hand sanitizer , I was more likely to pick something up from holding the bottle! Honestly the whole experience was crazy and but this time I was no longer hungry! My food then came to the table and to be fair it looked like a nice toasted sandwich, but there was a black hair dangling out of it, which was the last straw for me. There was no way k could eat anything from here or ever want a coffee again. Then instead of perhaps being given the coffee for free I was charged for my coffee by the very efficient but very young helper (seemed around age 10-11), no real apology. Juts a total shambles! I never write reviews but I had to write this one as you guys have a good concept and look like you make delicious bread and cakes etc, but you need to get the other things sorted as that’s the worst cafe experience I have ever had, I always seek out great coffee/ cafes wherever I go. You guys should look to the example of tarmagain cafe up at crathies, near Braemar, as an example of great coffee, amazing food, clean fresh setting, always always clean, as a local example to strive towards. With some more thought and time I’m sure you can raise your game to get the kitttke things right, as is you don’t get them right then your fighting a loosing battle! I wish you all the best for your business going forward amd I hope this review helps you strive to make things better, All the best

Absolutely great place, welcoming and friendly, with excellent coffee and delicious food! This is definitely worth going to Banchory, just for the Birdhouse Cafe. Highly recommend!

Absolutely fantastic service, coffee & food. Whether it’s just for a coffee, breakfast, lunch or snack we have always thoroughly enjoyed our time at the cafe. If your hungry: go for the Birdhouse Bagel..it’s epic!

Stopped here for a bite and a drink whist visiting Balchory. What a wonderful example of a cafe and great business! Staff are quick and efficient, food is so tasty and filling, and the coffee is superb. A must visit in Balchory.

Excellent little Coffee shop with self roasted coffee. Our hosts were very welcoming and we really enjoyed our stay. The plant based sandwich was very yummy and the best part: dogs are welcome.

Very nice quiche and salad for lunch with a nice pot of freshly brewed tea would recommend this place to any one visiting banchory

Simply great coffee. Went in past today for a quick coffee and was really impressed, plenty coffee types to choose from and the staff were extremely polite. Food looked good on passing also, will be back today for an other sit down.

Excellent service and food, would highly recommend for coffee, toasties and homemade cakes. Will be back

Stopped for a quick lunch while driving through town. Delicious coffee and grilled sandwiches! Large portions, good gluten free options and reasonably priced! Highly recommend! Owner was super friendly and helpful and gave us some great recommendations regarding places to stop on route to Pitlochry.

This was a real find. Looking for a dog friendly place to have lunch in Banchory this week we tried the Birdhouse Cafe. Staff were so friendly, and the menu perfect for us. We had the grilled sandwiches and they were amazing. They use bread made by themselves, we had the sourdough option and the sandwich came with a lovely side salad and crisps. Be warned, good sized portions, I had to leave most of my crisps. We will be back.

Nipped in here for a couple of takeaway lattes which were delicious. Man who served us was very friendly, reasonably priced as well. Will return.

Excellent coffee. You know it’s a good coffee when it’s not served in a huge cup and it’s served at a temperature that’s ready to drink. And the cakes are very good too!

Visited during a short stay in Banchory, and actually went in as very few places opened before 9.30 in village centre and we were wanting breakfast. So glad that we did. My partner declared his Eggs Benedict one of best ever and generous portion also. The place is very small and due to social distancing was very quickly.at capacity. We will be back on our next visit.

Great to be able to order soup, sandwiches, coffee and cake to enjoy at the end of a winter walk with family who we can only meet up outside with.Fabulous toasted sandwiches and hot soup to warm us up. Perfect and ready on time Thank you

Visited today (Wed 25 Nov) for the first time, had lovely sandwiches (I am very fussy). My egg sandwich was lovely and lovely salad and heaps of crisps. 1 of my daughters had the ham&cheese toastie and said it was very good too. My grandchildren had the kids sandwiches and were delighted with the apple/banana on the side. The man serving was very friendly and whatever we asked for was no problem at all. Hopefully be back as we are not often in Banchory.

We visited this tiny café for a light lunch and enjoyed great toasted sandwiches served with good salad. Friendly service and free WiFi.

We came for a lunch and had a really nice grilled sandwiches! Very delicious and the employees were very nice with us.

After a long cold walk my husband and I went in search of food. This is a lovely little cafe with delicious soup, sandwiches and cake. I had the cauliflower and broccoli soup with a sandwich and my husband had a sandwich and a huge slab of chocolate cake. Everything was very tasty and the staff were friendly. Would recommend!

I've been visiting Birdhouse Cafe regularly for just over a year now and considered it the best place in Aberdeenshire for Breakfast. This weekend I visited for the first time since the change of ownership and I must say I was disappointed.Firstly the service was noticeably slow. Despite being the only people in the place, our coffees took far too long to arrive. In fact, I'd already finished half mine by the time my partner received hers.I was initially pleased to see that the menus hadn't changed, but that pleasure was quickly removed when we received our food. The portion sizes were noticeably smaller. I ordered the Millennial Muncher with a side of Bacon, which when it arrived I was disappointed to see was about half the size of previously received portions. To top it off, I didn't get my side of bacon! My partner ordered the Breakfast Plate (previously my favourite dish!) which again was noticeably smaller than before and they had also substituted the Yogurt/Berry Compote for a small pot of Jam. Don't get me wrong the food was well cooked and presented but when you are ordering off the same menu at the same price you expect there to be consistency. After we received our food, it was like we were forgotten. None of the staff came over to ask if everything was okay with our food or if we needed anything else which meant we both sat with empty cups of Coffee.I really hope that this is a one off, although seeing how quiet the Cafe was when previously it was often I had to wait for a table does concern me.

I ventured in to this cafe on banchory high street today In search of a coffee while on my road trip and ended up walking out with a delicious large cup of GF mushroom soup and the most stunning sandwich I have had the pleasure of eating I goodness k owe how long.The Birdhouse Cafe is a cry back to the days of whe everything was golden and innocent and you immediately get the feel of the 60’s with the design not spoiled by the modern day joinery of aqua panels that offer no thought into comfort whereas the wood panelling made me very comfortable. They have A very interesting sandwich menu with clever names to depict each one on offer and too many to remember after one sitting.That said I went for the Pamela Anderson which comprised a freshly baked ciabatta with Leerdhammer cheese delicious home cooked ham instead of the usual processed thin slices this was chunky pieces and again a delicious taste alongside the strong mustard and dill pickles which I love in a great sandwich.The soup hit the mark it was another delicious item to accompany me further along the road.The cafe is run by husband and wife team Colin and Ruth who wished me well and used that lovely traditional not heard much these days Scottish saying of “ Haste ye back”I’ll look forward to my next visit and trying another different dish on their menu.

We stopped by for a late lunch and it was great. The food was good and the staff could not have been more friendly. Would highly recommend.

Called in on a blustery and chilly afternoon and got a warm welcome. Really nice selection of tempting goodies at counter to drool over - made it hard to choose. Eventually settled on a slab (generously cut) of hazelnut & pistachio cake, and partner opted for a Tiffin. Both were very yummy. Delighted that I got a pot of proper tea-leaf Earl Grey ( not the ubiquitous tea-bag) , and believe the coffee was very good too. A charming wee place, with caring and considerate staff.

Went for breakfast there recently, it really was the best cafe breakfast I have ever had! Everything was cooked perfectly, it was so incredibly tasty and well presented. Words really can’t describe how good it was!! Coffee was great too and the young couple who own it are really nice.Have also been there previously for afternoon tea and their cakes are incredibly good! Excellent quality and great value. Thank you!Can’t wait to go back for another visit soon. :-)

Popped in for lunch today on the recommendation of my son and wasn't disappointed. A tasty bowl of sweet potato and coconut soup with an exciting range of interesting and amusingly named open sandwiches. I had " Nice to meat you " which had pastrami, chorizo, cheese, chicken and a fruity chilli chutney which is possibly the best sandwich I have ever tasted. My wife's was equally varied and tasty. Coffee and cake for both of us both to finish what was an enjoyable lunch. The service was relaxed, friendly and efficient at a very reasonable price. We will be back.

This is a wee gem of a cafe. Lots of lovely fresh produce. The salads are enormous , fresh and filling. The home bakes are delicious. The breakfast dishes are gorgeous.

Popped in for lunch today,lovely menu with loads to choose from spoiled for choice really.half bowl of wonderful cauliflower,sweetcorn and coconut soup and half a coronation chicken sandwich with a small salad,absolutely wonderful and value for money.The staff were very friendly too.

We stopped off in Banchory at 11.45am for brunch knowing we were going to eat at the Birdhouse Cafe. It is a small cafe but we were lucky enough to get a table. There was a good choice of all day breakfast options, a huge choice of sandwiches, salads and a specials board.Satay lentil soup and a tuna melt ciabatta was chosen by my husband and I opted for a flatbread with halloumi, tomato, avocado and balsamic glaze. All were outstanding with a delicious latte. The cakes also look amazing and are all baked fresh by the owner. We will definitely be back especially knowing they are open on a Sunday.

We called in to shelter from the rain and really felt welcome. Coffee was wonderful and so were the cakes we had. Will definitely return whilst in the area.

Lovely small cafe which caters for all your needs. We went for a healthy poached eggs on toast with avocado and cherry tomatoes which was superb.

Wir waren auf der Durchreise und haben nach einem kleinen Snack ausschau gehalten. Das Birdhouse Café hab ich über Trip advisor gefunden. Es ist sehr lecker und günstig.

Excellent wee coffee shop in the high street. Always made very welcome . Cakes excellent. Service excellent.

Stopped here for a vegan lunch and pleasantly surprised to find that the young lady at the counter was knowledgeable about vegan and happy to adapt anything we liked. Wonderful feeling to be able to mix and match - thank you so much.

Lovely friendly service, delicious tasty soups, sandwiches and coffees. Highly recommended.We had the satay sweet potato soup and it was delicious. Portions for sandwiches are large. Come with a side salad and crisps. Excellent choice for lunch or coffee and cake if you are in Banchory. Warm atmosphere.

Stopped here after a walk to Banchory along the railway line. This is a lovely little cafe that serves really good food. We only sampled the sandwiches which were a delight, and included a healthy helping of salad and tortilla chips. There was a constant stream of people also dropping in to get takeaway food also, so certainly a popular place.

Visited the cafe on a recent short trip to Banchory and was very impressed. Hot chocolate was delicious, plentiful selection of tea, and massive cakes and scones that really hit the spot. To top it all off, the staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming. Will definitely be back on my next visit to the town.

So impressive staff very nice coffee and food great will definitely recommend to others , looking forward to our next visit

Inspired menu with lots of choices. A bit different to the usual high street cafe. Wonderful sandwiches, salads and homemade soups. 😋 Great home bakes. Warm welcome from friendly staff. It can get busy but table can be booked.

Love going to the Birdhouse cafe! Such a wide selection on the menu! The staff are always so friendly and attentive, would definitely recommend! Would be better if the premises were slightly bigger.

Best cafe in the area. Love visiting here the food is to die for ! The staff are very welcoming and professional. Highly recommend

Visited the lovely birdhouse on a cold winters morning and as usual got a warm welcome by staff which is always nice! Had delicious pancakes to start my day along with a rich hot chocolate

We dropped in for afternoon coffee and cake and we were very pleased with what we had. Although the variety of cakes was limited what we had was very tasty. The service was very very good.

What a wee gem! We were so delighted that the other places we tried (Raemoir Garden Centre and Woodend Barn) were too busy or we wouldn’t have stumbled upon The Birdhouse Cafe.

We are in Banchory for a weekend wedding and needed some lunch so popped in here.

I’ve visited here on numerous occasions, by myself, with friends and with my young family. Every time, the food and service has been excellent. This is always my number one go to for coffee and cake in the area. The portions are really generous and good value for money. I’ve tried numerous things on the menu and all have been excellent (the soup is always brilliant and comes with lots of lovely bread) and the open sandwiches are served with a lovely dressed salad and nice crisps. The owners are always extremely polite and welcoming. It’s a really small and cosy cafe and always busy which is a good sign! Would recommend 100%

Popped in here for a coffee but could not resist their gluten free cakes. They had a number on offer which, I presume, are home made as the selection was unique and tasty. The café is small but definitely worth a visit with very friendly service and quality food.

I visit the Birdhouse weekly for a takeaway coffee and cake. All the baking is homemade,fresh and delicious with frequent new recipes along with daily favourites. Recently tasted strawberry and white chocolate cake .....so yummy and most delicious the vegan blueberry and pecan cake.

We had breakfast here every day we were in Banchory. Yes it was that good! I just loved the pancakes and bacon with maple syrup and the breakfast tea was to die for. Great food, warm and welcoming service. Well done.

So pleased we called in here for refreshments. Lots of lovely goodies and cakes to choose from. Apart from being absolutely delicious... portions were generous and prices were reasonable.

Been a few times , lovely food and nice friendly staff . Only negative - on the menus there are no prices

My friend and I had breakfast here today on my daughters recommendation. I had smashed avocado with poached eggs on gluten free toast and my friend had the pancakes a favourite of hers. It was honestly the best breakfast we’ve had for ages freshly cooked , delicious and they catered for my food restrictions which makes me very happy. This cafe on our radar now to return to when we go walking in Crathes for sure.

My husband and I visit every fortnight or so for an early breakfast , everything is cooked from fresh and the standard is very high,Its also very good value . They have a special on every week . They also do great Gluten free bread and cakes . Coffee is top quality and staff are friendly and helpful . The menu for lunch is also good and the cakes are fab .Cosy , quaint and not a chain .

This was the first time we had visited this cafe, I had the Brie and red grape toasted sandwich, my wife had the Tai soup which both were delicious. We followed this with a flat white coffee for me and a tea for my partner accompanied with a slice of fresh homemade Victoria sponge to finish off lunch. Friendly and efficient staff would recommend this cafe to family and friends for either lunch or just a coffee and cake treat.

This is the charming sort of cafe that is now happily found throughout Britain. Beautifully decorated - the hand-made paper wisteria hanging from the ceiling was a particular feature - and with a menu based around local sourcing and high quality products. Very good service and not a trace of the dreaded kale in sight.

Dropped in for coffee and cake. The outside view doesn't prepare you for the interior which is delightfully decorated with the theme as named. A very extensive menu of delicious sounding and looking food in very good portions. The home baking was very tasty and the prices were reasonable. Friendly staff and clealry a popular cafe. The premises are small however it's worth the wait.

Visited this cafe for the first time and enjoyed a Cajun chicken sandwich. There is a great selection of sandwiches and toasties. Staff were very friendly and service was very good. Keen to return soon!

Absolutely lush, all enjoyed our food thanks marmaris.

Speedy deliver and great food as always.

I visited here on a sunday morning with my partner, we arrived at 9:50 ish and there were members of staff in so they let us in early. That was very lucky as it soon filled up! It is a very small place so you should be early to make sure you get a table.

It is always like sitting with mates on holiday having brunch before heading out for a wee adventure, very relaxing and the grub is top notch. You could wedge open a barn door with the slice of cake you get, very yummie indeed.

A great Variety of yummy tastes, gluten free available, small venue and busy, can get a little bit noisy but excellent service, seem to be a lot of regulars picking up take away.

Here for lunch -and cake. The coffee was good and came in an enormous cup - very much appreciated. Good selection of cakes, again very generous serving. The soup came with plenty of bread. No chance of leaving still hungry here.

Took an hour for a Mon it turned up and was wrong...rang was told they would send one straight out...(5mins away I live) Son has eaten his chips and still waiting on his burger 40 mins later a second call to be told am waiting for a driver.....shocking

Garlic bread was all burnt on top not happy

Excellent food and service with a smile. Good size portions and very tasty. A relaxing atmosphere if eating in the cafe. Take away is also available.

Friendly owners, delicious home bakes and good coffee! Always busy so worth calling ahead to reserve a table.

Een gezellig en klein cafeetje aan de Hoofdstraat. Bediening is vriendelijk en de koffie is lekker! Probeer de bananencake, heerlijk!

They took more than they should I ordered only once yet took two payments off me I suggest not going with them I want the money they took from me back

Cafeteria linda com estilo caseiro. Serve sopas e sanduíches bem servidos e de qualidade. Com muitas opções vegetarianas. Também serve café de qualidade e doces deliciosos. Serviço impecável de todos os funcionários. O local é bem pequeno e aceita reservas pelo telefone. Caso você queira levar comidas para viagem, eles usam recipientes que são biodegradáveis e ecologicamente corretos. Recomendo!

First time visit and was not disappointed small but perfectly formed café serving a wide range of goodies. Staff superb bacon rolls and carrot cake to die for. wonderful expieriance will be back soon.

Was such a nice wee place to stop but would say that the menu focuses heavily on local produce, however, you could see the chef go to Tesco to buy the salad leaves and tuna tins for my salad. Then when he came back i was told there was no avocado for my salad. Just seemed a little off and wasn’t too great seeing it all bought from the co-op next door. But had a lovely meal. Unsure why the prices aren’t on the menu?

My husband and I had lunch in this wonderful little café. The decor is beautiful, staff exceptionally helpful and pleasant. There are only a few tables, and it is a very small space, but the atmosphere is absolutely delightful, and the food is outstanding!

ordered £26 worth of food kebab came small instead of large no salad or sauce that was asked, chicken kebab was awful, rang up to tell them about no salad 30mins later he turns up and wants to swop, I eat the other one as I wanted to eat on time with my family, avoid this place always bought from here, going down in the dumps

we ordered a caprese sandwich and a tuna melt toastie. it's such an "intimate" place it's almost awkward in a way. you can hear what other people are saying and you make accidental eye contact . some may like that vibe, i don't know.

5 years on and they still have the best croissants and scones in Banchory. Their popularity is well deserved. Excellent soups, great sandwiches and a wide and ever changing range of cakes. Happy Birthday and Thank you!

Excellent coffee in a pretty little cafe. Service was good and friendly. The cakes looked very tempting but didn’t try them .... on this occasion. Busy little place which says a lot in a town with several cafes.

I’ve waxed lyrical about how good this cafe is before and never written two reviews about the same place, that’s how good the food is. I had breakfast there this morning, see pic. Perfectly cooked, very filling and extremely tasty. Very highly recommended

We stopped by for a late afternoon coffee and cake on a Saturday afternoon. Very warm, friendly reception. Cakes are very tempting and taste as good as they look. Really pretty interior and the window seat is great if you like people-watching. Would definitely recommend.

A very popular place to go for lunch (there is take out too though, if you do not manage to get a seat).

always seem to have a problem, when ordering from here, service is shocking. ordered at half 7 and at quarter to 10 or food still hasn’t arrived after phoning to chase up the order at quarter past 9, was told it would be 10 minutes, phoned again, 20 minutes later, to then be told it would be another 5 minutes. absolutely livid

Food was cold, batter on the chicken well done/burned till the point of bitterness, chicken dry,

my kebab didn’t come with salad or sauce which I asked for!!

ordered a half pound burger and got a kabab burger

Really enjoyed very please will be ordering again

I will NEVER order here again, food was freezing cold..! absolutely shocking..!

The food was of an okay quality however the food was rather late and came pretty cold. There was no contact to say that the food was going to be late and there was no apology for the food being late.

Unfortunately we had ordered a lamb shish mixed kebab, but received a chicken shish mixed kebab. Disappointed with the mix up, other food ordered was correct and enjoyable.

We enjoyed super delicious coffee and cake here this afternoon. Very friendly. Thank you very much indeed.

The staff at the cafe were first class and obviously enjoyed their jobs and interacting with the customers. The range of cakes and food was very good and the small cafe was very differently decorated and well worth a visit. We will be back.

Food was good as always but the kebab meat was freezing....strange as the pizza and chips were hot..never had any issues before

This place is a joke, walked in to be told that the vacant tables that we could see through the window were reserved, two other tables told us that were close to leaving and we were told by the owners that they were also reserved. I found the attitude of the owners to be snooty and this left us feeling embarrassed. This is a cafe that thinks it's a restaurant by taking reservations on all its tables. Don't waste your time and go to one of the many other cafes in Banchory where you will be made to feel welcome.

excellent in every category superb

Burgers were amazing but i order pizza last night from your restarunt and it tasted like cardboard

Excellent service, amazing bacon rolls! Perfect place to pop in whilst waiting for your car to pass (or fail😫) it’s MOT! The mocha wasn’t perfect but everything else certainly was... Great atmosphere, lovely ambience - thoroughly recommended.. 😊

food NEVER arrived, I phone to ask when the order would be delivered and got a mouthful of attitude, eventually told me it’ll be another 30 mins then took the phone off the hook!!! Pathetic service

restaurant closed due to bad weather, with out any notification, phone lines are now, not taking phone calls and my money hasn’t been refunded by just eat

Food was cold, burger and onion rings were soggy and the garlic bread was burnt. Will not be ordering again