Colonsay House Gardens Cafe in Argyll & Bute

Visited the island 8th- 11th August with intent to visit gardens and cafe Only open Tues and Thurs. Not on the Fri / Sat / or Sun Not very helpful for those on holiday looking for somewhere for refreshments.

Friendly staff, great food and a fantastic location. We had hot drinks before walking round the gardens, then returned for lunch. Colonsay smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel and cinnamon bun excellent. We’ll be back next time we’re on the island. Thank you.

Popped in to visit the gardens and just had to stop for a mocha and one of their cinnamon buns before my walk. I was lucky to have great weather so sat on the sunny deck and made the most of the sunshine. The gardens are just stunning and worth a visit. The cafe does lunches also so will definitely make a point next time to have lunch also. Lovely friendly staff and overall a great visit.

Fantastic selection of freshly baked cakes in lovely garden with friendly staff :-) We went twice, once on a walk from Scalasaig and then on the way back from the beach. Gardens worth a trip round too.

What a lovely group of people that run and work in this place. We visited in May on a very busy day, right at the end of service. When we asked if they had any vegan soup or cakes left, they apologised that they had ran out with it being such a busy day. Thinking nothing of it, we left and didn't get a chance to try again until our final day on Colonsay. When we visited again for a walk before our ferry to Oban, we bumped into the manager there who told us that she had hoped that we would have came back earlier as she had baked a vegan cake specially for us. This was such a kind gesture, we were blown away. She was finishing for the day but insisted that we speak to the staff once we had finished our walk and that they would box some up for us to take away. We did that, but unfortunately the very helpful man couldn't find where it had been stored. Not a problem as the thought behind it was the main thing. However, next thing we knew as we were waiting in the queue for our delayed ferry, he had actually driven down to the terminal to give us our cake. It was delicious! Service doesn't get much more generous or friendly than this. We will not forget it, and it will be our first port of call when we return next year. Thank you so much!

We visited this cafe twice on a short visit to Colonsay. Wonderful, imaginative homemade soups, scones, delicious cakes in generous portions. Everything made locally using seasonal ingredients.

Arrived upon opening time at noon to a lovely greeting from the 2 ladies in charge, Moreover, 5 freshly baked cakes to choose from - cake heaven! Hard decision. Got big slices and good coffee to enjoy outside on the patio overlooking the beautiful garden. Cakes quite expensive at £4 a slice and coffees too, but this is 2022 and just have to accept it and 'we're on holiday' .

The gardens include an amazing collection of trees, shrubs (especially rhododendrons), mixed borders and woodland walks. A blast of colour on a misty day and a good place to shelter if the weather is inclement. The café was run by a lovely young couple and sold delicious homemade cakes and sandwiches. Highly recommended.

Simple and delicious homemade food served in the garden terrace by two friendly youngsters from Latvia who arrived on the island 3 days before lockdown- great credit to them for sticking it out.

An excellent lunch overlooking the beautiful gardens. The feta tart and salad was delicious and the cream scone an added bonus!

Lovely place to eat and enjoy a quiet seat. The food is lovely all home made by Katie. A great stop on the way to the beach

Interesting to stroll around gardens and then have a coffee. Cafe has very good outlook over terraced lawns.

Popped in for a coffee after a beach clean up at Rubh a Geodha on Saturday, was not impressed, even the background music was depressing.

It was pouring with rain and the cafe was packed, but it was our best experience of Colonsay. Everyone was friendly and the orders kept on coming, but the young lady in charge took everything in her stride and kept smiling. The home made food was delicious, especially the brownies. There was a lovely view out to the garden with a terrace with seating and umbrellas for fine weather. Also a selection of cards, prints and other small items for sale. We would have loved to see the gardens too, but the rain didn't let up. Everyone felt very welcome, despite the wet clothes and wet dogs.

The Gardens and house are lovely but a few of the tracks around the gardens were blocked by branches and trees, long grass made finding the trails very difficult, some of the little bridges are a health and safety nightmare being broken and rotten. I think the grounds need another gardener/ranger. It has so much potential and could be amazing but seems to lack groundsmen and inspiration. The shop/café is confusing, you don't know if things are for sale or if someone has left their stuff on the shelves, is it a shop or is it a café? Apart from that the Staff were lovely and very friendly and the food was brilliant.

The cafe is extremely small and very cramped, but the soup was fantastic and so was the rest of the lunch we had. Service was fast and friendly and we admired the lady staff member so much for her calm and professional manner, working in what we thought was quite difficult circumstances. I withheld one star in my rating only because it was too cramped - rather too many tables squeezed in for comfort! It meant no one wanted to talk to each other because everyone else would hear. Some background music would be a very good idea to help set the ambience and muffle conversations.

This is a lovely cafe open when the garden is open and attached to the main house in what seems to be an old fashioned summerhouse with suitable chairs tables and seats sort of taking you back to the 50s or earlier. Charming staff and lovely cakes with scones to die for. From it you can go out for a small price and view the woodland sheltered gardens. A must if you go to Colonsay.

Colonsay atrae a gente después de un hermoso paisaje, la vida silvestre y un ritmo más lento de la vida. ¿Qué podría ser mejor, entonces, que una tarta de queso feta y hongos o una enorme losa de chocolate fudge cake después de un paseo a lo largo del Strand, o sobre la heather? La cafetería ofrece todos estos aspectos. Asociado con su fascinante Colonsay House & Gardens, ricos en flores hay asientos interiores si llueve y mesas en el exterior, en la terraza si el tiempo lo permite. El servicio es cálido y acogedor, con cualquier música de fondo bien elegido en vez de inoportuno. La única desventaja es la apertura muy limitado, quizás 3 días a la semana (miércoles, viernes y sábado) y a la tarde. Uno desea el café podría encontrar otras personas igualmente bueno para servir que el viajero hambriento podría haber té y pastel de zanahoria en todas las tardes. Imprescindible para un visitante de la isla, especialmente si se combina con una caminata por los jardines

Friendly staff. Very tempting 'home bakes'. Pleasant outside terrace for good weather and great views over the gardens (see separate reviews for the gardens). Has limited opening hours. Best to combine this with a visit to the gardens rather than going specially for the cafe.

Really great stop over fab cakes and very nice staff too. We were able to sit outside with the dog and enjoy the garden. There is an extra cost for visiting the gardens of £2.50.

Visited here twice during our recent trip to Colonsay.

Un almuerzo o un té en el café no se puede perder si visita Colonsay, pero tenga en cuenta que sólo abre un par de días a la semana. Tuvimos un delicioso almuerzo en la terraza, mirando los hermosos jardines y bosques. Las ensaladas son frescas y sopas caseras. Después de tomar un paseo de 90 minutos a través de los bosques y jardines de flores, terminamos la visita con té y pasteles. A mi marido le encantó los bollos, y me sentí lo mismo de la tarta casera de chocolate - - delicioso! El café no aceptan tarjetas de crédito, así que tengo efectivo a mano.

Visited here a few times on holiday for lunch and coffee and cake.Cakes were superb very fresh and tasty.Soup and Quiche were both very tasty staff very friendly

Hermosa casa y unos jardines preciosos, difícil de recordar que estás en una isla Hebridean Exteriores con las palmeras y agapanto. Precioso rincones tranquilos, el canto de los pájaros y un montón de mariposas. Hermosa cafetería con pasteles caseros a un precio muy razonable. Podía pasar una semana de la paz en el jardín!

We were staying in the apartments linked to this tea shop and gardens and popped in for a well deserved coffee and cake. Mein host was perfect, so friendly, filter coffee just what we needed and the home made toffee apple cake and chocolate brownie...

I visited the cafe twice whilst on Colonsay. On both occasions my wife and I chose different cakes. All four were excellent and you can help yourself to fresh cream. There is a lovey outdoor terrace that looks out to the main garden with alovely...

Deliciosos pasteles caseros, ensaladas, hermoso entorno. Si el clima es agradable y el crudo, no son mosquitos a causa recomendamos encarecidamente El Colonsay Casa jardines y la cafetería, donde podrá sentarse afuera y disfrutar de los preciosos jardines. Si el clima no es tan buena,...

Visited during our recent stay on Colonsay and enjoyed amazing quiche with the freshest salad (straight from the kitchen garden). Scones and coffee also excellent. Terrace seating overlooking the beautiful gardens.

Great wee café in a great setting within Colonsay House gardens. Lots of home baking and good coffee.. definitely worth a visit .. or two!

Great cakes, great service, great place. No hesitation on returning, lovely gardens and walks, and oh....those cakes!

The extensive garden is impressive and beautiful, including a mature tree with the largest girth in Europe. The stream and waterfalls are an added bonus. Too bad the house is open just two days per week.

Delicious homemade bread and soups and homegrown salads served in beautiful garden surroundings, inside or outside.Free parking adjacent.

To be truthful, I didn't get to eat any of the gorgeous homebakes because of my dietary restrictions, and I honestly came in only to get away from the midges outside, but I'm so glad I did! There were delighted smiles on everyone's faces when they saw the selection, and their smiles were even bigger when they brought back their empty plates. The cook was behind the counter, chatting as she concocted her wares, dishing out island advice and community information to locals and tourists alike. What a great way to enjoy a holiday coffee break! (My husband DID try the cake with his coffee and gave it a hearty thumb's up!)

Friendly staff and fabulous food and cakes make this place stand out. Its very quirky though so don't even think about comparing it to a mainland cafe. Mmmmmm, cakes. Fantastic.

Now I'm from London so am used to paying over the odds for cafe food. But even in London, we don't pay four quid for a roll. I bit over the top I thought. I'm also not keen on food being positioned where customers can breathe/sneeze/dribble over it (OK, not many people dribble) so I avoided the cakes. A pleasant spot but a bit overpriced.

Lovely place to enjoy homemade cakes, tea or coffee on a sunny day. Great selection. Particularly enjoyed the custard layered sponge cake with hundreds and thousands. Make sure you take a walk round the gardens too.

This is a lovely cafe, perfectly situated in the grounds of Colonsay House. A must visit after exploring the gardens! It is close to Kiloran Bay too.We had a wonderful leek and potato soup, followed by delicious freshly made sandwiches and an excellent scone with jam and cream. The staff were very friendly and the quality of the food unsurpassed.My only comment was that for lunch it was a little expensive but the quality of the food and surroundings did make up for this.

The Colonsay House Gardens Cafe is an absolute gem and a must when visiting this beautiful island. If you are lucky enough (as we were) to visit on a lovely sunny day, sitting drinking tea and eating freshly baked scones with cream and jam looking over the peaceful gardens is idyllic.The choice of cakes is amazing and the soup seems to be pretty good too! Make sure you take a walk in the wonderful grounds afterwards.

We used this location as the site of a family wedding, what a fabulous place. The grounds are extensive and beautifully kept. Make sure that you get a sense of the history o the plce and when wandering the grounds make sure that you visit the well and the monk stone.

Absolutely gorgeous elderflower cake - and choc ginger was fab too! V hard to choose from a host of delicious sounding options. Delighted that the master baker was happy to make a special cake for our friend's birthday - lemon drizzle with blackberries from bushes near her back door, I believe! Wonderful! Thank you:)

This cafe has THE most amazing cakes. It's only a v small place and a bit cramped - but it's worth it for the cakes!

An enormous choice of delicious cakes, which we much enjoyed after a long walk. We sat overlooking the gardens in sunshine.

We were not going to bother visiting until the rain come on whilst at kiloran bay, we packed up the car and headed back, stumbling across the house and gardens sign, absolutely thrilled that we stopped! The cafe is quite delightful and charming, freshly made cakes, scones, soup and sandwiches, decking and terraces to sit on and admire the most magnificent trees and gardens, secret paths and bridges that our children took to with a famous five style glee! There is a massive tree with swings and ladders and hammocks to recline upon, a fabulous day for very little money and well worth taking the time to do!

Visiting the Workshop Cafe before or after a trip around the most enjoyable gardens is a worthwhile way to spend a Wednesday or Friday lunch / afternoon. Don't forget to try some of Sarah's delicious cakes afterwards as well.

Pity only open on Wednesdays. We shared homemade soup and rolls plus fantanstic homemade scones and sponge. Delightful sitting in the sun on the terrace for lunch.

Lovely little cafe - well worth the walk - friendly and chatty with some unexpected glamour. We had lentil soup, salad and sandwiches and cake - all freshly prepared. Even the Eccles cakes were homemade. A gluten free option would have been perfection (and GF chocolate brownies really easy and excellent).

Felt like a tiny campground cafeteria. I was disappointed by the ambiance but the food was acceptable and the staff very nice and helpful.

The staff were friendly. There was a wide range of sandwiches to choose from and the soup was delicious. The cakes were scrumptious. I would recommend a visit to this cafe to everyone travelling to the island

The home baking on offer is first class, particularly good scones and cake. Beautiful surroundings and very friendly staff. Sadly the tea is not as hot as it might be.

We popped into the café for a cuppa after walking round the grounds of Colonsay House, and found that the lady who runs it bakes the most incredible cakes. We and another couple who'd also only come in for a cuppa ended up sampling several different delicious cakes, and making lots of "mmmmm mmmmm" noises!

Fantastic little hide away and the icing on the cake is the lovely Sarah full of charm and a great big smile! well done

Unexpectedly varied woodland garden with lots of unusual rhododendrons and other plants.

A deservedly busy little tea-room. Great soup and fantastic home-baking. Made all the difference to a rather damp visit to the Gardens!

We took a day trip to Colonsay, which included an Island Tour. We had an option of spending the majority of the day at several places, but we chose Colonsay House Gardens.You enter the gardens from the car park through a small outhouse which serves as the ticket office, souvenir shop and cafe. The cafe serves wonderful home made food, and the hosts, which I suspect are family, received us with such grace and manners. The sandwiches are individually made to order, and the cakes home made. We include a gluten free dieter, and they were so helpful in making something suitable. There is a lovely verandah where you can also sit in the lovely warm summer sun and enjoy the pleasant time in good company. Accompanied by some excellent classical music recordings played for the enjoyment of all.