Castle Kitchen + Bar in Ballymena

A quality restaurant nestled in the picturesque Galgorm Castle grounds, an enjoyable experience but not without its flaws. The menu has some real highlights, a selection of starters that caters to most tastes and an excellent array of mains that certainly tantalise the taste buds, the grill section being a particular point of intrigue. The dessert menu on the other hand was distinctly uninspired so I didn't even bother - a real shame as I am most certainly a dessert lover. The main course, I went with the sirloin cooked medium rare - something that so many restaurants are incapable of of achieving - was cooked to absolute perfection. Exactly how it was ordered and also seasoned properly with some tasty grill lines - whoever cooked that meat knew what they were doing! The only downside is the boring forced fried mushroom and tomato. That is phoning in the garnish - you are located on the edge of the countryside, it would be easy to offer beautiful seasonal veg which would be so much better. Truffle parmesan fries were rather good as a side dish and the pepper sauce was bang on though! I had a Guinness to drink and the pour was perfect - if you know Guinness then you will know what I mean! One downside was a less than perfectly clean glass, otherwise it was flawless! So overall very good food and drink in a modern and enjoyable atmosphere. Only let down by some curious menu design flaws and it isn't cheap - fix the flaws and I would be happy to pay for the experience!

On our recent visit for our complimentary meal in castle kitchen we came away very disappointed from the Galgorms Resturants once again. From start to finish the quality of the food was terrible. My Starter of chicken wings had dead flies in it. Main roast beef dinner was tuff and so chewy it was not even eatable. Dessert - Shell chocolate orange moose just tasted of pure sugar. So all in all we came away still hungry and not satisfied with the quality of the food & service. No alternatives were offered all was said was “Apologies about that” from one of the waiters. This is not what we expected for our complimentary meal after coming home the last time with food poisoning from the Galgorm. Email & photos of the food had been sent to higher management of the issues with the meal. Nothing was offered just an apology. The Galgorm Resort is not what it used to be. Avoid eating in any of their restaurants unless you want food poisoning or dead flies in your meal! Wont be back

I took a business visitor for lunch. Chicken Schnitzel was excellent as was the prawn sandwich with fries. Service relaxed and efficient. Always a great atmosphere.

It was my first time dining there. I decided to go with an early bird menu. Starter was very nice. I just needed a little more goat cheese. The burger was very disappointing. Very, very dry little over cooked. For the size of burger, the cheese, etc, was very scarce, unable to even taste it. I should have sent it back, Service was good, and my partner enjoyed his soup and chowder pie.

Burger was so dry and tasteless. Spent longer waiting to go there and back than actually there

The kind of place you would go to for your birthday after your mid thirties

This is an excellent restaurant, wonderful food, good service and very nice atmosphere, its great to be able to see what’s happening it the kitchen. Great venue for larger groups as well as couples. It is on the pricy side but it is special place also

We have tried all three restaurants at Galgorm and this is our favourite. Food is always piping hot and served as it states on the menu . The shuttle down is both convenient and speedy and the drivers are fantastic . We will definitely be back .

Reasonable menu at a very good price. Lovely surroundings and the restaurant/bar has a great atmosphere. Service was good as was the menu. Good value for money. Definitely will be back.

Our experience began with a 15 minute wait just to be seated even though we had booked a table and made eye contact with several staff that were doing nothing. Starter was good, waited half an hour for two cocktails, mains were poor, desserts also poor (also had to wait 15 mins just to get the dessert menu). Finally when asking for the bill that also took 20 minutes and we only got sorted because we left our table to go to the desk to pay before we’d got it. The dinner lasted 2 and a half hours. Was very slow and not worth the time.

Nice place, food ok a bit limited on choice.

Food is second to none. Decor is lovely and relaxed.

Had a wonderful meal. Went for the hugh tea 2 courses. Burger was huge, juicy ansd the caramelised onion was on point. The focacia with humous, feta and honey was incredible and you can't go wrong with buffalo chicken wings.

Fine restaurant at Galgorm Castle Golf Club. We had dinner there from the guest menu.Felt range of menu wasn't great but food we ordered was very good.Staff were very friendly and helpful.Good views of the golf course from the restaurant which is on the second floor.

Went with a large group. We had lunch on the terrace. The food and service were excellent. I would highly recommend Castle Kitchen.

Visited Fri 16th June. Setting is beautiful - decor and lighting on point! Warm welcome and offered a lovely table. Staff very very friendly and professional. Food was excellent. Steaks were both a little overcooked, but we seemed to be the last booking of the night and it was quite late so didn't want to cause a scene. Our order was last from the Kitchen. Still very flavoursome. Sauces & Sides also very good! Special mention to our Waiter Saureen (sorry if spelling is wrong). An absolute gentleman. So well mannered, friendly & professional. A real asset to the place!! Luxurious Shuttle Bus from Galgorm with a true gent of a Driver - thankyou! Highly recommend!

Limited food selection and small portion sizes unfortunately.

1st visit here and wont be the last. Lovely lunch 👌

Good food and friendly helpful service. The food was very good this time.

The food was good, but horrendously overpriced for what it was. Drinks very expensive too. Don't order the trout unless you're on a diet. 8 tiny pieces of gnocci is not enough as a side! All the other dishes (pork chop, burgers) in our party of 35 came with bowls of chips. Those who ordered trout went home hungry. Service was however very good and the surroundings are lovely.

Excellent vegan food. The sticky toffee pudding was the best pud I've had in a very long time.

Great atmosphere for eating, although still more expensive than surrounding restaurants in Ballymena.

Food mainly good. Service mainly not good. Staff nice but it all felt like a bit of a shambles.

The best restaurant at Galgorm Resort in my experience. The staff were great and engaging from arrival to helping us leave on the resort bus and we felt treated like regulars, thanks to them all. The menu is varied and interesting and the food delivered.

Absolutely amazing meal here. First class service as we were time bound and our meals came out super promptly. Highly recommended.

Amazing food. Had the Aged ribeye and it was great! Staff were very attentive and helpful with recommendations etc!

Excellent food, with attentive staff

Love here, although I was here at the weekend and got the chicken caesar salad, I was disappointed as there was a minimal amount of chicken for the price paid. Other than that all other experiences here have been amazing. Would recommend here to anyone.

Again I know I sound old, but the acoustics are so off. Do the architects who design these places never think about how it will be to eat there.

I have never eaten as much in all my life! It was so good you just couldn't stop. One of the nicest stakes I have had. Compliments to the chef and all the staff! So nice and warming.

My wife and I wanted to try the Castle Kitchen + Bar as this seemed to be a new and upcoming option as opposed to Gillies and Fratellis at Galgorm Resort and Spa. The food was incredible, lovely location/building with a 15 min free shuttle mini-bus for the Galgorm Resort. Food choice is good with a good vegetarian menu. Staff were very helpful and courteous. Would definitely recommend!

Delicious food, staff can't do enough for you. Goats cheese & Beetroot salad and Pan seared duck with dauphinoise was fab. Highly recommend.

Food was fantastic , staff very pleasant and special shout out for Tegan who made whole experience, excellent 😀

Great food was there for a family lunch will be back 😋

Had a wonderful relaxing and atmospheric afternoon. Busy but pleasant and cosy.

The food was excellent 👌 Staff was great

We come here quite often and usually love it however boxing day didn't go as well as expected or to their usual high standards. When shown to our table we weren't asked for a drink until 20 mins later, then another 15 mins later we had our drinks. Then Christmas turkey and ham dinner was nice however half a sprout 2 small carrots, small amount of mash, and one small roast potato was pitiful. ( £50 for four courses) we also didn't get asked for tea and coffee as part of the package. Also no dessert arrived for our child after we had eaten ours it was only ice cream had to ask for it. Another thing was false advertising for kids it states visit from Santa, well there was no Santa and you ha to ask for the present on the way out. Definitely won't be back for a Christmas or boxing day dinner at Galgorm. Service wasn't good this time.

Food great and staff good but too few?

Visited on Friday night, really average menu and food. The cocktail I ordered was spilt as it was set on table and then mopped up with a tissue... Also extortionately priced side portions - £5.50 each. The whole restaurant stank of cooking - we left with our clothes and hair smelling. Will not be back and will dine in Gillies or Fratellis when visiting Galgorm Resort in the future.

Had my 1st Christmas lunch yesterday and was a great experience. Beautiful scenery, great atmosphere and decoration. The food was amazing. Chose from the regular lunch menu. Had the flat bread followed by the iron steak and had the panacotta for desert. Everything was great loved all flavours. Totally worth a visit !!

Purtroppo non mi ha entusiasmata, ambiente molto caotico e rumoroso. Il nostro tavolo era incollato a un termosifone. Eravamo ospiti del Galgorm percio' la cena di 3 portate era inclusa nel pacchetto. Nulla da dire sulla qualita' del cibo, forse pero' io il bacon con i fagioli e le cozze come contorno del merluzzo non lo proporrei. Infatti, da buona Italiana, ho ancora gli incubi! Va bene osare, ma questo e' un po' troppo...

We had Rebecca as our waitress and she was amazing! 5 stars for her service. Watched her with other tables too and was so lovely to everyone! Will be back! The food was great too!

An excellent spot to enjoy some refreshments after a round of golf at Galgorm Castle golf course. The food was very good and the staff are very friendly

Good grub, friendly atmosphere, staff very friendly

Excellent service, lovely atmosphere. Great quality food - plant based options are very good and my son said he had the best dessert there (baked alaska!) Thanks for a lovely meal

My colleague and I had a great time as ever at the Castle recently. We were well looked after by our concierge who I apologise I can't remember the name of now. Bit of chat from him which is always good. Seemed to adapt quickly to the type of people we are. Everything was explained impeccably as to what the soap and pie were. Along with the fact that there was no steak available but this wasn't an issue for us. It is nice to know though at the beginning because it takes the pull of getting a steak out of your mind. Service was in good time, it was very busy but we definitely weren't sitting looking at our imaginary watches wondering what was going on. I personally had chicken wings with hot sauce and blue cheese sauce. Unreal. Would of usually got the deep fried brie but this was a welcome change now that the cheese is off the menu. Please bring it back though alongside the chicken wings. The hot dog I had was thoroughly tasty though I probably wouldn't order it again simple for the fact that I enjoy eating my hot dog like an animal and had to pick up the knife and fork for this one. That's on me though. Overall love it and wil be back again for probably the sixth time in the not too distant future.

Great night out location and atmosphere

Absolutely exceptional from start to finish. The staff were wonderful, Stefan is a gem! I had flowers with me and he offered me a vase for them while we ate so they wouldn't dry out. The other waitresses were lovely as well. Food was excellent, the complimentary nachos to start were a nice touch, the steak was cooked to perfection, the cocktails and desserts were out of this world. Honestly one of the best meals I've had out in a long time, will be back soon.

Atmosphere was great and friendly service, which masks a bigger issue. Food is little more than average and seriously overpriced.

We went for a family dinner and had a really lovely meal. The tomato salad starter was really delicious as was the chicken supreme main all very fresh and so full of flavour and freshness. Dessert was baked alaska and was so good! Lovely staff and quick service despite the restaurant being busy. My daughter is vegetarian and there was a full menu for her to choose from I am gluten free and again a full menu of choices when normally in other restaurants there is only one or two options max!

Wow! Incredible food all cooked to perfection, my wife and I had a beautiful 3 corse dinner, we had different orders throughout so we got to try 6 different dishes. I had the most incredible steak, really excellent cut of meat cooked medium/rare and it was perfect. Starters, sides and deserts also where perfect. Cocktail/Drink selection is excellent. Great menu if you like your meats but other options for those who don't, only thing i would add to the menu would be a chocolate option for desert. Staff where very helpful and friendly. May be a little on the expensive side but you most definitely get what you pay for.

Great food,great service and very nice place to eat.

Had an evening meal here for our 34th wedding anniversary. Great food. We had the tempura fish and chicken goujons. Really enjoyed it. Really lovely staff, very attentive and professional. The waitress who served us during the evening, she went the extra mile, meeting my specific request for dessert. Thank you all for a lovely dining experience 😀

Good location and really nice, busy atmosphere. Food was pretty good, cocktails looked good from afar.

Pleasant and cheerful place which will not disappoint on the food they serve.

Great place ,excellent service. Will come again.

Food was delicious, staff are so friendly. Cocktails were so good. My bill was mostly drinks 🙈

Pleasant environment with good food at a reasonable price. Shared car park with golf club, so expect to walk a distance when golf course is busy. Visited again on a Saturday night (first visit was lunchtime on a weekday). Very different experience. Loved the food and staff were very friendly, but the evening was spoiled by the "background" music at ridiculously high level. Our server actually asked for it to be turned down because she was having bother hearing us to take our order.It was ok for a while but within 15 - 20 minutes was back up to the same high level. I went to have a meal and conversation with friends - the meal was great - conversation was impossible. Note to management - if customers are shouting at the person across the table, it's too loud!

Love it here! Food and drinks are amazing in a very relaxed atmosphere.

Really good restaurant in a beautiful location. Went here with the family and I have to say that the staff were very accommodating of all of our needs + the chefs cooked exceptional food so I would highly recommend you eat here especially If you are staying at the Spa. My only recommendation for Spa goers is book your shuttle back sooner rather than later as you can end up waiting if a lot of other spa goers are there too.

Monkfish kebabs were delicious! Portions too big however!

Fabulous food. Staff were excellent. Didn't catch my server's name, but he was top class. He's the guy with the red beard, thoroughly attentive and good craic, without being overbearing! Had the steak and it was melt in the mouth stuff, as was the garlic bread starter! 10/10 dinner....

Lovely food and friendly staff. Really nice atmosphere with one half a bar and the other for dinning.

Lovely food and great atmosphere

Lovely food and great atmosphere

My sisters and I took our mum out for weekday lunch. We had the 3 course lunch which was amazing. Good choice of starters, mains & desserts. Every course was delicious. The staff were very polite and attentive. Would definitely recommend a visit.

Lunch menu excellent value. Great food and good atmosphere when it's busy..

Ambience is OK but the food very average. On the plus side the Mojito cocktail was spot on.

4 of us girls had a lovely time @ the castle. Atmosphere always buzzing. Food is OK. The new menu is pretty basic. No frills. Non us would reorder what we had so that’s a bit disappointing. Service was very good.

Great night and many thanks to all the staff especially Kurtis and Ben

1st time eating from the new menu. Absolutely love the menu range and totally loved my main of Sweet cured Bacon Chop…..fantastic! My friend had Seafood chowder pie and it looked amazing too. I can’t wait to go back (booked for next weekend!). Attentive service throughout. Well done.

Breakfast was great ,all you can eat and great variety

Lovely place to go for lunch and not that expensive for the quality and quantity of food highly recommend lots of choice must visit spot !

Excellent food, service and surroundings!

Food great and surroundings lovely, the staff are attentive but not intrusive. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is that I think it's overpriced, especially at the weekend.

A very nice restaurant to go to gor a lovely meal, good Gluten free option, friendly staff.

I have previously eaten in this restaurant and had a lovely time . What has happened?? From the moment we arrived the atmosphere was awful. The lady who greated us was very unpleasant and unhelpful, I would even say she was rude to us.We were shown to our table and then left there as she went to speak to other staff. The server wasn't much better , our order was wrong and to be honest the food was less than average. On leaving we found out that we were greated by the manager ! I think some training in customer service is required and definitely some manners could be of help to her.

A perfect experience at this restaurant. The food was excellent as always and the staff so friendly and helpful.We cannot speak highly enough of this restaurant.

Beautiful meal here today. Service was 10/10.

Amazing food. Excellent friendly staff with great service throughout our stay. Made to feel very welcome

Service not great and getting used to that. Shown to out table and then 15 mins later asked to order food and drink. No one checking the covid passport at all during lunchtime. Watched people just walk in . We had out passports ready as per the sign but staff member didn't ask. Food was good and arrived quickly. My drink arrived and the glass had a large visible lipstick mark from a previous customer . Watched someone leave, just the table given a wipe. The salt/pepper not wiped that everyone handles nor the chairs. The coivid passport although not perfect was designed to put people at ease. Overall disappointed with the service , hygiene, covid regulations but the food was good.

We had an amazing attention here. Waiters were all fun. Place looked lovely and food was delicious. Definitely recommend the baked alaska for desert.

The food was good and my kids enjoyed their meals. My wife’s burger was very good. The staff were friendly. I gave them only 4 stars/circles as my portion was very small. I ordered the ceaser salad and there was only a few pieces of chicken.

Just home from castle celebrating my birthday with good friends.Staff absolutely brilliant.Food amazing,even had soya milk panne cotta for desert.Highly recommend this place .Always had great time whenever I visited5 stars all he way.

Probably the best meal I've had this year, absolutely fabulous

Food is good but service leaves a lot to be desired. ipads being passed about instead of menus. Surely wipeable menus would be much more hygienic? Staff chatting behind the bar, had to leave our table to go and get their attention on 2 occasions. Missing food and drinks but noone asked if we had everything we needed, hence we had to leave our table again to ask waitress for missing items. 10% service charge was added as we were part of a large party...unfortunately the service didn't live up to our expectations and had it not been added to the bill, I doubt we would have left a tip.

Not bad food was not nice don't think I will be back

Was lovely experience except for the very long wait for Santa and was freezing and really dark trying to get kids back to the car

Overall a poor dining experience and as a local regular visitor we will take a break from dining at the Castle Kitchen. We had sent a private email (rather than public shaming) to explain our concerns and disappointment but since no one has had the courtesy to respond we feel compelled to air our views. An average rating is generous but we have some manners unlike the absent recipient of our email .

Yummy 😋 Xmas Food Affordable and Friendly staffs

21.95 for a kids meal and my daughter is one! Also 31 for 2 course adults meal. Food was average and cold and service diabolical. Didn’t even give me the right order, charged a pound extra for a scoop of ice cream for my daughter. Staff also very rude and added another tables drinks onto our order. For that price would be expecting very high standard of service and nice food. Was also seated in outdoor area, freezing with a one year old! Honestly in shock at price of a kids meal. Like wow.

Really lovely place, staff are so pleasant and the food was divine. We ordered, sea bass and rib eye, followed with mini baked alaska. Loved it. 😍

Poor value. Poor atmosphere (more like a sports bar). Poor food. Poor hygiene.

Very friendly staff, special mention goes out to Timothy. Excellent meal and surroundings - maybe a wee bit pricey but we all know the old adage. Our ribeye and fillet steak were so tasty the accompanying sauces were untouched. Hadn’t had a baked Alaska in years and it just delicious. Definitely be back.

Lovely atmosphere and good food. Really enjoyed the steak and ale pie (special) and sticky toffee pudding. Steak was very nice too

The restaurant was exceedingly cosy, the food and cocktails were absolutely top-notch! Was given my order in approximately ten minutes which is unmatched to other restaurants i’ve visited in the area if i’m being totally honest. A special thanks to Jakob who gave us our drinks throughout the night really kindly and made us feel really welcome when asked for help☺️

Good food and good menu, especially like that they have a full vegan menu, not something you often find in these parts. Lovely setting, good COVID procedures and overall enjoyed my visit. However, our server was rude, seemed as though taking our order was beyond her job description and she never checked on us throughout the meal, we waited over half an hour after finishing eating and had to eventually get the attention of another server to get our plates cleared away and ask for the bill. We had originally wanted desert but there was such a delay that we didn’t have time for it in the end.

Just back after a beautiful meal with my husband and son. Choice on menu was so good. The food was amazing, congratulations to the chefs. Staff were so friendly and very attentive. This restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and never disappoints.

First time here and everything was excellent.Food was great and the waiters/waitresses were very good.A special mention to Rebecca who went out of her way to attend to us. Will be back again.

We had a really great night out with good friends lately here . The food was super especially the baked alaska . Service was efficient and everything we asked the female server for she brought it quickly and always asked if there was anything else we needed . She even got us finger bowls and extra Napkins for our ribs. Thanks Rebecca for looking after us so well. You really made our evening. We'll be back.