Debbie's in Argyll & Bute

I call it Debbie's place - you'll know it when you see it! - said several of the locals on Islay. A large group of us visiting the island had spent the morning dotted across it doing various different activities. I'd asked in the brilliant Islay Natural History Trust where locally we could grab lunch and was directed to the Bruichladdich Mini Market. The place itself is run by Debbie, her mum and her sister. It's the ort of place that is the lifeblood of islands the world over - half grocery shop, half cafe - all welcoming. Debbie's sister was in charge when a group of 15 of us rocked up unannounced. This would normally not have been a problem - plenty of outside seating - but that particular day the ferry had been cancelled, along with much of the stock for the shop and cafe. Undeterred the staff there made us feel welcome and pulled together a lunch which went down very well with all - children and adults alike. Think sandwiches and toasties with great coffee and a good choice of cold drinks. They also serve some amazing cakes - I'm told the rocky road was fab, I know the chocolate cake was! Although initially under pressure when we all turned up, the staff seated us happily and we had all eaten within about 15 minutes of arriving.

Great coffee, cakes and treats from Debbie’s mini market. Nothing not to like: we sat outside in the sunshine next to Bruichladdich and the sea on beautiful Islay: great coffee and cake and a super wee shop

Stopped here for coffee and cake. Completely ignored by staff members. Never even got a ‘hello’ or ‘be with you in a minute’. Served customers who came in after us. After being invisible for 10 minutes we left empty handed.

Vastly overpriced. Goods are not marked with price and store appears to charge as much as it can get away with. Store untidy, disorganised and badly stocked. Staff rude and inattentive. Avoid

Lovely friendly staff with great coffee. Lovely filled rolls and toastier made to order 👍 Great views and if your lucky you’ll see otters playing on the rocks

We kept on returning to this lovely local coffee shop, next to the distillery. Good coffee, good cakes, and a small supermarket. On the coast with a lovely view.

Just an amazing little place. Had some lunch amd coffee, sitting outside in the sun, waiting for the bus. Friendly staff

Too late for lunch at the local pub so they directed us here. Cheese toasty, cup of coffee, sat outside in the sun watching the sparrows pick up the crumbs and looking out across the bay.

So urig und freundlich, ideal für einen typischen unkonventionellen Aufenthalt nach einem Destillerie Besuch. Besonders der Kaffee ist unschlagbar

Brilliant breakfast rolls - so good we came back two days later. Wolfing down a bruichladdich breakfast whilst watching the bay is a lovely experience on its own - made even more special by being interrupted by a curious robin who entertained the kids for a while!

Externally it looks uninspiring and I've been deceived by "great coffee" signs, but this little place is fantastic. Very friendly and helpful and a joy to visit. And yes, the coffee is great.

While on our way to Portnahaven we stopped at Bruichladdich for a coffee and cake and both were first class. Added to this was the lovely blethers we had with the owner and a local customer. Great atmosphere and worth a visit.

Intended touring Kilchoman distillery, but it was closed. Gasping for coffee, drove westwards and saw the wee sign. they do coffee to takeaway, there are more seats outside than there are in, but it was raining. Unusual to get bar room craic in a coffee shop, but it was great fun. The coffee was good too.

We popped in here for a quick bite of lunch before our tour at Bruichladdich on the recommendation of our hosts at Glenegedale B&B. It is a bit of quirky place, but incredible friendly, fab toasties and yes, the coffee is great! When our host found out we were here to celebrate my husband's 60th birthday, we got his drink on the house! I have to say this is typical of everyone we met on Islay, just a lovely place. We didn't want to come home.

Nicht nur ein kleiner, aber feiner Supermarkt, hier trifft sich die community, unberührt von den Touristenströmen bei sensationell gutem Kafee und berühmt leckeren Sandwiches zum täglichen Plausch; ideal auch. um vor oder nach dem Besuch der Distilllery eine Mahlzeit einzunehmen;

You can get a soy latte here. The lady is so kind. She makes the greatest toasties in all of the land. Friendly service with a great view.

This local store was recommended by our tour guide at Bruichladdich Distillery. Not a big place but a good selection of snacks, drinks, whiskies and a coffee/sandwich bar. The ladies make a mean sandwich from a variety of local ingredients. Definitely a place to stop by for a coffee and a sandwich while visiting the area.

My wife and I regularly visit Islay (we used to live there). We always make a point of dropping in for a coffee and a snack/cake. We were there twice last week and as usual thoroughly enjoyed our food and drink (and blethers with locals).Highly recommended.

No airs and graces at Debbie's, just great snacks, cakes and coffee. If you're on Islay and fancy a coffee break or a quick lunch, this is the place to go. If the weather's good and you can sit outside overlooking Loch Indaal, it's just about perfect. This year we had cheese and tomato toasties and coffee and walnut cake with coffee. Everything delicious, and as always, very generous portions!

The best square sausage and egg sandwiches in the world !!!!!!! Yum yum yum. Please don’t go to Islay without tasting these delights. A warm and friendly cafe/shop. A Cyclists dream stop off. Can’t praise the place enough. 😁😁😁😁😁

This business was right next door to where we were staying at Anchorage B&B, & was really handy for supplies we'd forgotten for our trip. We didn't have anything from the cafe but it was always a busy wee place & has option to sit inside or outside. Staff were very friendly & helpful.

The board outside says you can get great coffee. And believe me, it is. Best coffee out we’ve had for ages. Presuming I was served by Debbie, she is wonderful, we went back every day of our visit. You may sometimes have to wait awhile to be served, but it’s worth it. Do support this unassuming coffee shop and mini market.

Start and end point for a very enjoyable cycle. As ‘slaves’ to the coffee chains, this was a refreshing change. Decent flat white coffees, my Sons (15 & 12) said this was the best hot chocolates ever & the toasties were freshly made & delicious. Super friendly place & the view from the tables outside across to the beach was lovely.

It's a small general store and coffee shop that sells snacks. The welcome is lovely and the coffee is truly very good. It was a treat to visit and re-visit during our short stay on Islay. Recommended!

I'd stayed just a couple of doors down from Debbie's. Convenient for those food items you need to prepare a meal. My friend would often head over for his morning coffee. Said the coffee/espresso was great!

Bruichladdich mini market or Debbie’s as it is known here, worth the drive !!! Not a bad flat white and then kilchoman distillery is close by for something stronger :-)

Visited on what will probably be the busiest day of the year Bruichladdich Distillery open day. Very very busy but the staff where fantasic and served everyone very quickly. Grabbed a coffee and a soft drink to takeaway great service thanks.

...but not great. It's the best coffee I'd had in Scotland in 5 days but a lot too much milk for a cappuccino. Lovely people though, and a great dark mint chocolate...

Nice staff, well located off the beach. If you need to recharge for drinks or a small bite, this is the place to go.

We pop in here fairly regularly. It is a general store which sells almost everything but also has a great little bistro attached which does fabulous coffee and cakes. Heartily recommend it.

Its a nice corner store a few doors down from the Bruichladdich Distillery, We were going to take the tour, and we wanted to grab a bite before so they recommended it, we'd grabbed coffee, and the breakfast sandwiches, they were delicious the coffee was great, we will most definitely stop back by when we go back.

We called in at Debbie's for coffee and cake after visiting Port Charlotte, for coffee and cake. And what a gem of a place! The coffee was freshly brewed, the cake moist, delicious, and as always for Islay, served in generous portions! We sat outside overlooking Loch Indaal and enjoyed what we would realise, by the end of the week, had been the best coffee and cake we would eat.

Lovely friendly people, great coffee and fabulous cake. Very helpful and knowledgeable about the area. Nothing was too much trouble.

We saw the sign for great coffee a few times in passing but were a bit dubious and didn't end up stopping in until our last day on the island after being disappointed by coffees in other places (not everyone who advertises a flat white knows how to make one) - and we were sorry we had not stopped in earlier - quite simply the best coffee on the island - and a place of lovely, friendly local flavour.

A lovely little shop packed with goodies and essentials. Did not try the coffee or snacks as we were staying neareby and did not need this facility. Seating outside which was very popular.

Tienda super poco y café a orillas del lago Loch Indaal en la aldea de Bruichladdich.

I think possibly my expectations were too high,the website advertised the best coffee this side of Milan . Being a big coffee lover I thought I best give it a go. Got two flat whites and a latte to go. I wasn't aware that milk...

Visitamos Debbie's unas pocas veces, mientras que en nuestras vacaciones en Islay, para el café y la tarta, almuerzos ligeros y también a preciosa tienda en el mini-mercado. El café es muy agradable en una buena máquina y las tartas recién horneadas y delicioso. Ellos tienden a tener diferentes tipos de pasteles de 3-4, además de brownies y aperitivos tipo caramelo quebradiza en cada día.

Un mini mercado peculiar con unas pocas mesas y un sofá en el interior, unos cuantos bancos en el exterior. Un menú delicioso tocino pero disfrutamos y sí, gran panecillos café! Un poco caro, pero la media para Islay!

Paramos aquí antes de nuestra visita a la destilería cerca. Ambos tuvimos café y pastel - pequeña selección de pasteles. Sentamos a comer fuera. Hay espacio para sentarse en el interior.

Lovely coffee served here. Nice view but goods in shop grossly overpriced. Would use the co-op for a big shop.

Gorgeous day, sitting in the sunshine after a whisky tasting. We were recommended to walk down the road to Debbie's, what a great wee store - bought the best cheese in the world - Colston Bassett Stilton, not what I expected to find in the fridge, but what a treat!

Debbie's advertises the best coffee this side of - wqell it mgith not quitew match that claim - but the coffee was still good, the people arter charming - and the cycling memorabilia impressive - at least for those who are not cyclists.

Needed coffee after our visit to the distillery and advised to stop here ! Well worth it, we were made very welcome, coffee was great ! Home baking good too and some friendly chat kept us entertained !

We visit Islay very regularly and always try to call in to the Mini Market once or twice during our stay. The coffee is always first rate, but this week we both had a bacon bap. They are just perfect. Not greasy, just crispy enough, and very tasty. We will be back for more bacon baps and coffee next time we are on Islay.

The coffee that is service here is great and a bit of homemade cake was what was needed on a winters day. Plus if you have forgotten anything at the shops you a very likely to find it.

Stopped at small but very friendly café attached to minimart. Excellent coffee and cake and cycle friendly. Well worth a stop if cycling on the beautiful island of Islay.

About 100 yards down the road from Bruichladdich, this is a perfect place to grab a freshly made sandwich and a hot tea or coffee to be sure you're under the limit before driving on. Other reviews say it all - really funky place that is also the local grocery store. Sandwiches are made fresh, and the coffee and tea are great (though a bit pricey). Some have criticized the desserts, but the day we visited there were three offerings that looked home-made. Sampled the crunchy chocolate bar, and it was very nice.

We stopped off here for a quick sandwich and coffee before going next door to do the distillery tour. The sandwiches are freshly made and delicious, and the coffee was pretty good too. Quite a quirky place to have lunch, surrounded by interesting cycling memorabilia but worth a visit!

I really like what the proprietors have created here. It's basically a sofa, a couple of tables and chairs in a wee shop, but it has a certain "shabby chic" charm. The girl who served us was friendly and we even chatted to a local for a while, so I get why it's so highly rated. The coffee was pretty decent, but the carrot cake I had with it was a bit "generic" If this cafe was anywhere else it wouldn't work but it's not so it does.I feel a bit mean giving it three stars, but to be fair it's not "very good" but it is good and if like me you despair at what passes for coffee outside of major cities, then you should give it a try.

I'm sorry but I have absolutely no idea what all the fuss is about with this place. It's basically a spar shop with a tiny seating area where they serve mediocre coffee and beige food. Honestly. Nothing more. There were no homemade cakes to be seen - just a few synthetic factory made muffins in sweaty bags and a carrot cake that looked way too uniform to be homemade - the coffee granted was okay but at £2.20 per coffee, believe me, it's cheaper in central London! Ridiculous. You're best off going next door to Bruichladdich for a drink served with a smile.

Says outside the shop great coffee,the are right,trust me I know.Staff nice and friendly,coffee and toasties great,good place for a snack before we went next door to the distillery.

Hier komme ich seit 2008 hin, immer super Kaffee, Kuchen und Sandwich. Ich liebe es hier zu sitzen und meine Zeit zu genießen. Must have on Islay.

Next door to the Bruichladdich distillery, ideal place to stop for a quick drink and bite to eat. Nothing fancy and its inside a food shop, cheep good food and friendly service.

Need a coffee fix after your visit to the distiller?Step by the mini market for the best coffee on Islay, very friendly and helpful ladies behind the counter and the best carrot cake ever! Not to be missed. Marie ( from Aberdeen)

We dropped in for a quick coffee and found the cafe to be a wee corner of the mini-market all decorated with cycling pictures. Very cosy, great coffee and carrot cake and Debbie very friendly as were other customers.

A TARDIS like cafe. It looks like a little shop but has great coffees, a fantastic menu and really friendly staff. Sit outside and look at the sea. Stagger down from the distillery next door after a tasting for a coffee and cake to soak up the booze. Lovely.

Just a pleasure to shop here as service so nice and selection always good. Such a lovely spot to sit outside and drink coffee "

This is a tiny coffee shop with a huge reputation for great coffee and even better cakes. Adjoining the local Mini-Market and post office, it's the size of a small sitting room and you're made to fell almost like you're a guest in Debbie's house. The cafe is very popular with cyclists and is the start and finish point for bike runs every Sunday. It stays open till 6pm most days, very useful as it's easy to lose track of the time on Islay. We found ourselves trying to organise whole days to fit in a visit at some point. In good weather you have the option of sitting outside drooling over the view across the loch, though sadly the otter that used to visit passed away last year.