Glenaden Hotel in Aberdeenshire

decent lal pub, stopped off and had a cheese and ham toastie and a basket of chips with a pint for £10, you can't beat that for the area we where in, food came fairly quicky seeing how busy the pub was, barman who looked like Mac from Emmerdale was very friendly and provided a good service

We came into The Barrel for something to eat when I came to review the place on Google. It is known as the Glenden Hotel, which is slightly confusing as that is not the name that is advertised in the pub. The food was nice slightly on the small side portion size for the price. The staff were pleasant enough

Went for a pint with Buchan hillwalking club! good atmosphere and plenty of seats.

Lovely food. Excellent veggie chilli. Good real ale on tap. Would highly recommend.

Local pub with hotel. A pub as you would imagine. Visit earlier as it gets full quickly. The food selection is varied and good. Parking lot next door. Friendly staff. You can comfortably spend some time here.

We went to dinner at The Barrel restaurant, and it did not disappoint, we missed a typical hamburger and a typical dish from the area. Good quality in the genre, and very good attention from Byron. Very good quality-price ratio.

Food was good, service was good , staff were polite.

Friendly atmosphere,,,, good location in town...

Went in for supper and what value for money Had the haggis bon bons to share and Fish n chips and chicken goujons and chips Absolutely delicious staff were friendly and great service to Nice wee little haven we stumbled across Will definitely be back

Friendly staff and great that’s its dog friendly

Very smart place, friendly staff good food a bit expensive

Very hostile natives because we are visiting the area and staying in a rental property.local person seemed amused that we still had no power following the storm but he had.not a pleasant feel to the place and despite visiting the area many times we will not be visiting this establishment ever again.

Excellent lunch. Great soup and super steak pie.

Great food and have to say the best steak and ale pie I have ever had and I love my pie. So I have had more than my fair share.

Good food, great customer service

Been here a long time still love the bar staff is helpful

From the telephone call to enquire about lunch to the service for lunch, it was all excellent. The food was delicious and all served with a smile. Will definately be back.

Very welcoming, and dog friendly too. Superb staff and excellent food on offer. 5 stars from me

High quality food at a very reasonable price. Great service, nice people and great beer. Highly recommend the sticky toffee pudding.

We passed this place before..... Braemar.... but didn't stop. So this time we stopped to take photos. We didn't go into the Hotel. Its a lovely place to visit.

Great meals, fantastic service, live sport, ace beer garden!

Great service, great food, great company!

Had a really great family lunch here. Everything was perfect, the macaroni was awesome, chips superb. My husband had a burger with haggis and he said it was one of the best burgers he's had. Kids had panini's and they were huge! Good food, good value, good service. Would recommend.

Great staff, good choice of beverages, and great crack from the locals.

Lovley friendy place, staff are lovely & genuinely friendly, nice outside seating area ....Excellent chef Jose 👍👍really good food, especially the Macaroni Cheese & Rib Eye Steak .... highly recommended 😁😁

Popped in for a quick lunch which was lovely. Friendly helpful staff and very Covid aware.

Nice stop for dinner and a drink. Friendly staff and a nice atmosphere

Had a really good lunch here at The Barrel today, my burger was really tasty, and my other half had a good plateful of scampi, it was brilliant value for money. We'd forgotten a bike lock, they were really helpful and let us take our bikes into the function suite, we sat in their beer garden at the back, very well run, felt safe with the measures they have in place. Highly recommend a feed here.

Popped in past for lunch while passing through. Good value home made soup/sandwich for £6.50. Cozy bar but was offered to sit in restaurant. Right on square and free parking near by.

Good meal at lunch time great service.

Went in here on the off chance - so pleased we did - enter into the bar area which was quite busy so put me off a little bit as was wanting to eat. Went round the corner to find a beautiful area with wooden seats decorated with scattered cushions - beautiful. Food absolutely delicious to the point we ate there 3 nights running before going home, only wish we ate there earlier in our weeks holiday. Staff very friendly and polite. Definitely recommend it.

Located overlooking the Ballater village green, this accommodation puts you in the heart of the village with unrestricted free parking all around. A short walk to any of the bars and restaurants in the village and also offering its own extremely friendly bar for drinks and food. Some way off luxury but exceptional value for money. We will definitely make it our first choice for accommodation when we next return to his area.

We didn’t stay here but popped in for a bite to eat. The bar tender was extremely helpful and friend ly and the food was absolutely delicious. I would definitely come again 👌

Had lunch here on a very rainy Tuesday having just finished walking nearby. the menu was on the window To peruse before we went in and it didn’t look crowded unlike the other cafe we could see. We were the only customers but were warmly welcomed and sat by the wood burner. The interior is not fantastic but fine, but the staff were very friendly and the menu had an excellent choice Of main meals, sandwiches, soup and even breakfast rolls and great prices. We had the chicken and soup with a toasted sandwich. The food was really lovely, better than expected, and was half price as it was Wednesday, the food along with 2 drinks was about £8. I can’t vouch for the atmosphere in the evening but it was lovely at lunch. As we were the only customers social distancing wasn’t an issue, if it were busy I wouldn’t have been happy as the tables were quite close together, but I suspect it’s not usually full enough for it to be a problem.

Accueil très sympa, cuisine maison très appréciable, et un des rares endroits en Ecosse où j'ai pu manger du fromage en dessert.... Lovely 😍

Superb service, very accommodating. One of our party had awkward quips and demanded to see the tea choices on offer. Staff were very accommodating and also willing to listen to the lecture from one of our party on tea and blood pressure.Lovely outdoor space and great drinks.

Excellent meal and Andy was very diligent in making sure everything was kept safe which was reassuring. Couldn't recommend enough.

Mine my husband first trip into a restaurant since lockdown. We were also able to take advantage of the government scheme 50% off food and soft drinks. A welcome bonus as we had forgotten all about it being live from August. Andy in the bar couldn’t have done more to reassure me that they were taking the Covid restrictions seriously. I saw him clean tables in between customers , clean menus ( all laminated ) clean toilet door handle Using gel frequently and taking everyone’s details for Track and trace. Food was top notch pub grub. I had amazing chicken goujons and hubby had the steak pie. Both hearty portions and needed a walk afterwards. Shame it’s an hour from home or would be there much more often. Keep doing a fab job !!

Went out for lunch with family, we were made to feel very welcome by Andy on the bar. We ordered four kids meals which were fantastic value, big portions and they had a pudding included in the price! The butchers burger and haddock and chips were fantastic. Ended with chefs homemade cheese cake. Brilliant meal and great service.

Gezellige sfeer. Niet super netjes ofzo. Maar daardoor juis ook wel gezellig. Lekker chips with cheese.

9 of use arrived at about 7pm on a Monday night - travelling home after a funeral. They opened the dining room for us and provided an excellent meal. Made us feel very welcome. Highly recommended fir sure.

A lovely place to visit. There was a great singer on between 6pm and 9.00pm. The locals were all very friendly and welcoming. The Barmaid was lovely and nothing was too much bother! The drinks were great value. Definitely worth a visit if you are ever in Ballater!

Very pleasent nice bar good pint

A great place for local food. A small 6 person bar with a lot of locals that had such thick accents I had no idea what they were saying. Don’t let it’s look fool you. Pea soup was great. Had bangers and mash and burgers. Very very good and very inexpensive.

Good food at fair prices. Clean and tidy. Friendly staff. Dog friendly. Hotel was quiet on the day of our visit.

Nice wee local bar in this hotel with friendly locals if you can understand their accents. Well stocked bar with drinks at reasonable prices. Also ate dinner here but it wasn't great. Fish and chips had overcooked fish. Portions were generous and prices reasonable. Staff friendly but it's what I would call basic.

Nothing to much trouble, friendly service and honest home cooked food. Haddock and chips was great! All with a selection of traditional cask beer (as well as everything else you'd expect from a well stocked bar).

Just came in for drinks nice staff and affordable prices not too busy which was good as it's not a big place

Went in for meal it was horrible .

Mangiato molto bene, locale grazioso come il personale. Piatti ben eseguiti e staff premuroso e sorridente. Grazie per la piacevole cena.

Popped in for something to eat on our way home and what we had was very very good

I visited this establishment earlier this month (May 2019), during an afternoon. The primary purpose of my visit was to purchase a well-earned meal following a few days hiking in the surrounding Cairngorms.I therefore (as one does) evaluated the establishment and its displayed menu on a window for some minutes prior to entering, but on this occasion by chance the bar manager stood next to me and an associate of his within the establishment's doorway, clearly observing me carefully whilst I did so. Thusly, I saw no indications of any standard nor restrictions in hours of service.I in due course proceeded to enter the establishment's bar room (again at the same time the said bar manager did the same, obviously to take my order as no other staff were apparently present within). I then sat at the actual bar, and for a few minutes picked up and studied the establishment's menu, with the said gentleman next to me behind it, no other pressing customers, with him then asking me if I would like anything to drink. He without delay took my drinks order(!) However, although it was clear I was there primarily to order food, I with a slight grin and wry smile was then informed the chef had gone home fifteen minutes previously.I decided not stay, not even to touch my (now paid for) drink.Clearly and happily overall there is a degree of success currently in Ballater for those businesses catering to the tourist market. I hope this experience was not a sign of 'there will always be new punters anyway'.

staff was friendly, beer was good

Visited the Barrel Lounge for a pub lunch. The menu was fairly extensive and reasonably priced. Lots of choice! The service was pleasant and efficient. The meals were generously proportioned and very tasty. I would certainly recommend this venue if in Ballater and looking for a good, reasonably priced, lunch. We will certainly be returning if in the area.

Great beer (Windswept) and great crack.

Room clean, kettle did not work, tv and View top box no signal, no front door key given so you cannot get back in at night

Personnel sympathique et ambiance familiale

Neil, Karen and there staff were amazing. All our guests were so happy with there quick friendly service. Thank you so much for keeping the liquids flowing and your smiles never stopped even when I could see you were sooooo busy!Great day, excellent wine and a very happy group, thank you.

Nice people great staff brilliant entertainment

Had a lovely meal here the other day with my partner. Food was fresh and tasted great. Service also very good.

I wasn’t in the best of moods on arrival because this was the 3rd eating establishment we had tried to get a proper meal as opposed to soup or a sandwich.

Best pub in Ballater by far friendly staff and Neil is a brilliant host (should be on stage) have drank, eaten and stayed there many times and will continue to do so

6 of us travelled up from the north west of England for a weekend having been several times before. Fantastic place, all had beautiful pub food and all the staff and locals are friendly. We ended up chatting with all sorts of characters including a local bee keeper, fireman and other locals. All great fun with a nice big fire, darts board and juke box.

Fab customers and staff and a good selection of ales.

Great local pub with live music

Nur gegessen dort und das war gut! Danke!

While enjoying another visit to Ballater we popped into the Barrel Lounge for a couple of pints, and it is still a really good pub. Friendly service, good beer and a nice atmosphere. Ticks all the boxes for me.

It is a cosy place you get a good welcome friendly welcome.

Great food and drinks and reasonable prices.

we had great food in the bar and service at the glenadon proper steak pie excellent, soup tasty and the sticky toffee pud with ice cream n cream just heaven, really good value and good gin selection well worth a visit and value for money

Good pub, especially if you are lucky enough to be there when there’s entertainment. Friendly staff and customers. Good atmosphere.

My fiancé and I stopped here for food one evening. We both had steak and it was spot on. Fantastic service from the lovely barmaid but also the owner came out and sat with us and made us feel very welcome. Would highly recommend if you are looking for pub grub and a great atmosphere. We will be visiting again.

Very Friendly place. Room very basic but clean and tidy cosy, at a reasonable cost.Free wifi. Always has entertainment on at weekends. local shops resturants and cafes all open even on a weekend . Beautiful area and countryside is amazing... ive been afew times now well worth a visit.

Buen sitio para comer.si se espera algo típico escocés y o inglés. Buena cerveza y todo a precios muy parecido a España

Yes have been in this bar a lot over the years

We were staying in Ballater for a week while we toured Scotland. Wanted a quick lunch one day and tried the Barrel Lounge. Couldn't have been happier. When you walk in there seems to be a dining room on the left but we chose the bar area on the right. Both seemed to have the same menu and the food came from the same kitchen. Very clean, friendly area. We enjoy seeing the people with their dogs along with them. Not something we are used to in the states. I had a rib eye steak and it was perfect. Enjoyed the meal and the hospitality. Highly recommended!

Quality beer, great staff, cosy pub.

Popped in for a late lunch. Made very welcome and fish and chips were excellent. Wine at £3.80 for a good sized glass.

Quick visit for sandwich and a drink which hit the spot.

We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals, was great to have proper chips and they were really good portions. My partner loved his mac and cheese and I thought the broccoli and Stilton soup was the best I’d tasted. The staff were really friendly and attentive, we’ll definitely be back when we’re through that way again.

Visited this pub on a few occasions when staying at the caravan park I can honestly say this bar has the best atmosphere in ballater not a here's your pint and ignore you until you drink it but barman and locals alike very friendly. Also dog friendly a big boost never had any food but it looked good as title great pint of extra cold tennents lager best in the village and best atmosphere you can always tell the good pubs from the bad follow the locals.

Went in for lunch and was greeted by a pleasant barman. Menu was very varied and we chose soup and toasties, 1 ham & cheese 1 haggis & cheese. The soup Scotch Broth was very good and full of veg just like home made. Toasties were excellent and the cost was very reasonable for the meal and soft drinks. Looked as if the Gents Toilet had just been modernised. Would have no hesitation in recommending this place for meals.

Nice pub with a large function room Food is really good

Years ago, this just 'appeared' to be a dump with dodgy looking characters hanging around.....how times change!

Stopped in for lunch and a drink. Friendly staff, food is not overly fancy, venison burger was really tasty. Cheap prices too

We visit the Barrel regularly when staying in the (excellent) caravan site. It is the friendliest pub you could hope to find Food is excellent, staff are chatty and pleasant, ambience is superb. Neil the landlord monitors customers language! Love visiting

Great place for a drink or a coffee, meals are very good and reasonably priced. Large car park right next door and at the moment it is free.

We visited the Glenaden for a family dinner and were pleased that we were provided with a private room. The service was friendly and the food was delicious. I thoroughly recommend the mac and cheese with smoked bacon.

Nice cosy pub. We enjoyed a drink, staff pleasant.

In for a few drinks, very welcoming staff and cosy log fire (-2 outside)

Nice pub, good choices, warm on a cold rainy day.

We booked the room at the back for my mother in laws 80th birthday party.

Effectively, in Ballater you have two main options as far as having a pint is concerned. You can use hotel/restaurant bars (never my preferred option), or go to the pub. And as far as Ballater is concerned, there's only two pubs - the Glenaden, aka the Barrel Lounge, or the Balmoral.

My husband and stopped here for lunch, and ordered haddock with chips and salad. Fantastic! The fish and chips were made perfectly. We asked for it to be well-done, and it was. Tasted great! It was cozy, clean, and friendly bar in every way. Great customer service too. Highly recommended.

We visited for dinner one night and just had a great experience. We sat on the pub side and were well taken care of. The host was friendly and helpful as we didn't know much about the local beers. He recommended a beer my husband wound up enjoying immensely and introduced me a a Scottish gin that I am now trying to track down back home. Our food was very tasty and a good value.

Very small friendly restaurant serving limited menu of home cooked food but all to excellent standard and great value for money. Suitable for all ages, nicely decorated with pictures available to buy (excellent pressie ideas!). Cheerful staff - beats cooking at home after a days work!

We happened in here in the rain and after a drink, tried the menu. Without exception all the food was average. The haggis, neeps and tatties were spoilt by very poor quality haggis which was tasteless and like a paste. The sandwiches, both toasted and plain were poorly filled and presented; the chips were soggy; the baked potato was striaght out of the microwave and the filling bore little resemblance to what was ordered. The staff were friendly but the bar was so rundown. Well worth missing.

Stopped here for dinner when we were passing through. We were shown into a nicely decorated small dining room where we ordered our drinks and studied the menu. We ordered 1 steak, 1 chicken fillets and 2 beef steak pies. Our food arrived about 20 minutes later and to our delight we found our plates full of good wholesome food. All dishes were very acceptable and beautifully cooked. Staff were very pleasant and helpful. We will return if in the area again and would recommend.

Had a wonderful bowl of soup and a sandwich for our lunch, with a good pint of beer to boot. Nice to see locals using this bar..

Not sure why this hotel/restaurant/pub was hard to find on Trip Advisor, I had promised my son to leave a review so I submitted the hotel as a new one for TA. We stopped here for lunch on the way to the slopes and it was great - fish and chips at a reasonable price with soft drinks, excellently cooked and the meal arrived quickly. We didn't try out the pub but will next time.