Heritage Garden Cafe at Iona Heritage Centre in Argyll & Bute

Jan catered for our retreat group last week. The arrival of her dishes was always a delight and one of the highlights of the day. The menu was fresh, interesting, varied and packed full of flavoursome local produce, with gluten free options available. The beetroot, butternut and broccoli lasagne was a personal favourite, but baby langoustines in a Thai broth and Roast Hogget were also memorable. Jan's afternoon cakes proved to be irresistible!

Jan provided the afternoon cakes and evening meals on my retreat to Iona with Kate Emmerson. The cakes were impossible to resist both gluten and gluten free. The meals were so varied from curry with all the accompaniments to freshly caught langoustine in a noodle broth. The flavouring with a variety of herbs and spices elevated them all to a sumptuous feast. Beautiful. Thank you Jan xx

Jann recently did some private catering for my group retreat and all I can say is WOW! I’m used to visiting the heritage cafe and devouring her tasty treats and this week was above and beyond . She was like our food angel that made sure the food supported our soulful retreat week. Everything was delicious, fresh, local eg langoustine tails caught that day, and we ate like queens.

I was on holiday on Iona this week and Jan catered for high tea and evening meals. What can I say other than the food experience was absolutely memorable! The Thai broth with freshly caught langoustine was exceptional as was the Durban pork curry.

Went early ish for a cup of coffee and cake which was fine. We intended to return for a late lunch however when we returned they had run out of bread so the intended soup an£ a sandwich became soup and a scone. Both were clearly home made and delicious. To be fair it was a busy day for them, it had rained all day so we all wanted to be inside and it was nearly the end of the season. A friendly little cafe serving(normally) good home cooked food and cake and worth visiting

The little cafe looked like an inviting break from the cold & rain. We got some cake and coffee - they kindly made me a decaf in a press! The cakes and the coffee were very good, the staff members were friendly and so were the other customers. There were no empty tables so another patron invited us to join her and we all talked about Iona. A pleasant respite on a stormy day!

Well, what an unexpected wee gem, we had some home made soup, quite delicious, i went for a cheese salad, I wasn’t expecting much, but the Kintyre cheese, the roasted potatoes then the home made rhubarb jelly , with salad was honestly so complimentary!. I wanted to buy a jar, but sadly it wasn’t fro sale! The owner was a delight, she offered me the recipe!, a simple salad and it has me salivating now!. Also the rookery lived up to its title, the cawing of these beautiful birds was very memorable, they were f so noisy, it as excellent!. A very British sound!. My daughter went back the next day for the Easter egg hunt and again the owner of the cafe was incredibly helpful, she even gave a free hot chocolate as it was very cold. My daughter explained how patient she was with the tourists , as they were quite demanding, I cant wait to return and sit there, listening to those magnificent birds and eating that delicious rhubarb jelly! Thank you for a very lovely welcome!

I'd heard and read good things and wasn't disappointed. Limited veggie choices done very well. Both dishes were great as were the cakes! Well worth a stop if you can get a table. Cheers.

We ordered the lentil with tomato soup and roll with a slice of Pink Velvet Cake. Soup was good and café was just okay. They were out of several menu items due to crowds. They had some indoor and outdoor seating. They had enough people working there based on the size, but they seemed overwhelmed. It took about 25 minutes to ladle out 2 bowls of soup. I ended up going to the counter and picking up our order instead of waiting for the server to deliver it.

Fabulous little café. Great staff who are really helpful & friendly. Brilliant homemade soup & bread, plus scones. Varied menus choice. Avoid usual lunchtimes etc as only a small cafe.

The rookery is lovely- very friendly with scrumptious home made cakes and kind service. They don’t have a barista but the filter coffee is good and lunches looked very good

Lovely little spot for lunch or a sweet treat. Popped in for lunch earlier today, locally sourced smoked salmon salad with fresh bread was incredible. Soup was 10/10 and best hot chocolate around. Would definitely recommend!

Lovely cafe with limited quality menu. The garden cafe area is gorgeous and so convenient for the islands attractions.

Beautiful café and surrounding garden. Couldn’t get over the amount of bird song. It was truly awesome and reminded me of the bird song I was used to as a child growing up. We had cake: OMG, just beautiful. Peaceful, relaxing-a very special place.

Lovely friendly staff. Beautiful garden. Nice food in a very delightful open space. Highly recommended on any day when you can eat outdoors.

We stopped off here during our visit to Iona. The staff were very friendly and hospitable. We had arrived quite late in the day so there was a limited choice but we expected. Our coffee and cake were excellent and we really enjoyed this little cafe.

Hoping for a nice bit of lunch on Iona but chose the wrong place. Only had soup, scones or cakes available for lunch. Only had 1 type of coffee available too, which wasn’t very nice. The scones weren’t that nice either, so a very underwhelming experience.

We had a lovely meal here, good gluten free options but the soup had slightly too much pepper in for me. Very friendly staff.

Called The Rookery Café it’s a lovely cozy place, has a beautiful garden. The owner is very welcoming. Delicious homemade cakes and coffee and serves light lunches.

On a grey day on Iona we were made very welcome here, for a mid-morning coffee. Would definitely return.

An absolutely brilliant place to sit down and enjoy a break on the way to the abbey. Now called the Rookery café, sitting in the garden was very special - as were the freshly baked scones!

Enjoyed the hot chocolates, cheese toasty and shortbread. Friendly and helpful staff with good knowledge of island. Lovely garden - in Spring it was full of Blackcaps and Willow Warblers :)

We ate indoors, due to the windy conditions, but it was pretty outside. The Elderflower Lemonade was quite delicious. The freshly-made sandwiches were quite tasty.

Good quality home baking, soup and proper toasted sandwiches. If the weather is kind it is lovely to sit in the garden among the fuchsia bushes.Service is friendly.The only issue is with the 'tradition' that seems to have developed on Iona (and much of Mull) where businesses close down completely at the end of "the season". Visitors to Scotland no longer restrict themselves to the traditional season in the same way as a few years ago, so although visitor numbers are obviously higher in the Spring and Summer, they do not disappear come October. Coach loads of tourists still arrive at Ffionnphort every day and the vast majority take the ferry over to Iona.It is a shame that visitors to somewhere as special as Iona are faced with closed businesses from as early as mid-October.If you visit between Easter and October, it's well worth a visit for a hot drink and cake on your way to or from the abbey.

NO SCONES! nice cup of tea though and a biscuit. Would have sat outside if it wasn't full of midges at the time.

Stopped here on walk to the Abbey. Friendly staff and delicious BLTs. Couldn’t get a photo of the cakes as they went too quickly.

We stopped for lunch at the Iona Heritage Center Garden Cafe and were pleasantly surprised by the the menu and quality of food. The service also was excellent.

Stopped off for lunch here not long after arriving on the island for a short visit. It was a lovely day, but we decided to sit in to get out the sun for a while. There were lots of seats outside in the lovely garden area however (which was busy). I had a soup and sandwich combo which was freshly prepared and very tasty. Cafe was clean and the staff were friendly. Lots of nice treats to try for those with a sweet tooth too. Our three year old son enjoyed his lunch too!

The cafe was clean and the staff were polite, we only had a drink here but the cost was very reasonable. I saw some of the food that people were being served and it looked really nice.

Welcoming spot for coffee and run around the garden . Cakes good too. Friendly service dog friendly Thank you

We had a quick stopover in Iona on our way to Staffa, so we grabbed a quick bite here. The food was delicious and fresh and they made our lunch to go so we could get to the abbey. We all had toasties. One member of the group was a vegetarian and felt there was a lot to choose from. The restaurant is small, but there is a lovely garden with picnic tables so as long as the weather cooperates, there is more room. Would definitely eat here again.

Amazing food produced from a small kitchen with a staff of 3-4 people serving a constant flow of people from opening to closing. The food is imaginative and tasty. Picnic tables in the garden or some indoor seating is available. You order at the counter and the food is brought to you. Coffees, teas, cakes, cookies, and lunch specials are superb. Look for it! You’ll be glad you did.

We stayed in Iona 3 days. We alked everywhere and loved the historical buildings and ruins. The cafe is in an old stone building with lovely gardens with tables to sit and enjoy the tea, coffee, and sandwiches. the food and atmosphere was wonderful.

My husband and I ate lunch here after a very long hike. He had a sandwich and I just had tea and a piece of fruit bread. It was a beautiful day so we ate outside. There is not a large inside eating area so you should be aware of that. They served us our food outside and the staff was very nice and did a good job. I wish I could go back!

We had a lovely soup and toastie. Both were delicious, great quality and the sandwich was made to order - not a plastic wrapper to be seen!

Unsurprisingly this place is always busy - be prepared to share a table with other tourists, but this seems to be part of the charm as people swap travel stories and top tips.

Too early for lunch so we just had coffee and cake. Staff was friendly though a bit distant. Good location for a meal and menu looked nice.

Stopped by at the Heritage Tea Garden, well worth a visit staff were friendly we had tea for two and a slice of sponge cake with fresh cream strawberries and chocolate shavings ! Everything was delicious and good value. We really liked that it was dog friendly and there were water bowls for them ! Thankyou we will be back !

Sat in the small garden on a lovely day. Soup and a toastie very tasty. Super staff, really good value for money. Nice heritage centre next door. Well worth a visit

This was a hidden gem of a place on Iona. We had a lovely lunch here before going back on the ferry to Mull

A very nice small cup of coffee and small piece of cake - but the highest price I have ever paid for such!

We had coffee and cake. It was a nice cafe with home-baked cakes and a range of hot drinks on offer. The fruit cake was good and the coffee nice and hot.

We visited Iona out of season (late Feb) and having been told by staff at the Abbey that nowhere would be open for a coffee let alone something to eat we found this gem, very much open.

Wir saßen hier in dem wunderschönen Garten und haben leckeren Kuchen gegessen und die Zeit völlig vergessen... Schmetterlinge flattern, Vögel zwitschern, der Service war superfreundlich und wir haben uns wie in einer Zeitblase gefühlt. Bei schönem Wetter unbedingt herkommen!

Iona is the most spiritual and tranquil island I have ever visited! The staff are friendly and food delicious while relaxing in the most wonderful atmosphere!

Very nice place. Great soup and toasty! Helpful staff. Enjoyed our short stop while discovering Iona.

We sat in the garden to eat our superb sandwiches and listened to all the birds singing. A perfect spot to get light refreshments before you enter the Abbey. The waitress was extremely pleasant and we will be returning another time.

Stopped here a couple of times - once in the morning and once in the afternoon for coffee and cake. Coffee was a good robust blend and the cakes had been freshly made. All very clean.

We stopped in here while visiting the Abbey & had soup & toasties which were lovely. Homemade, thick soup, cheese & pickle toasties with thick slices of homemade bread & lots of filling...all delicious.

We popped into this café while exploring Iona. The staff were very friendly and the freshly prepared food was excellent.

Hearty soups and fresh baked bread topped off with fresh roasted coffee. Cosy cafe with lovely garden.

Served in the lovely garden. Only complaint was that the bread for the sandwiches was too thick and it is a bit pricey

Everything tasted homemade, including the bread which was very tasty. Great sandwiches, and the cake was soooo good. The coffee was the nicest I've had in a long time. Think they sell packs of it, should have got some. Definitely be calling when back on the island.

The cafe is great. Soup and toasted sandwiches 🥪. The heritage centre asked for voluntary contribution to go into to read bits of info which was a bit underwhelming. We did buy a couple of Celtic scarf rings.

It was a lovely place to visit and also loved the shady garden tables outside . Very well maintained and decorated and had the feel of wanting to eat there when you walked in . Good menu and great staff . The owners obviously take pride in what they do and it shows . Nice experience

I bought a sandwich from the cafe and it was absolutely fantastic. Best one I have had. The bread was homemade and really it fed my husband and me. Thank you heaps

Really nice home made food in lovely garden setting, staff friendly and efficient and very welcoming.

Le pire café jamais vu ! Je dis vu car impossible à boire...il n’en a ni la couleur ni le goût. 2,25£ le café c’est hallucinant pour un endroit pareil, oui c’est super mignon, idyllique même mais ça ne justifie pas de s’aligner sur les prix de spots touristiques de Paris ou de Rome !

We had sandwiches and tea here and it was served by a cheerful, friendly Waitress. The whole setting was very tranquil, peace only disturbed by a Cuckoo,crows and other birds. The sandwiches were hunky and very tasty and well presented.

Indoor and outdoor seating (picnic tables). Sandwiches and soups. Thick sliced homemade bread for sandwiches. Crab plate was best choice with 5 crab claws with bread, lettuce and tomato. Crab pate was also good. Tuna salad sandwich and grilled cheese and chutney were our other choices and were very good. Carrot soup could have used additional seasoning. Pretty setting in yard next to heritage center.

This is a simple cafe, done well in a beautiful setting. Food is cake, sandwiches, toasties, soup type stuff. My cake and toastie were excellent. As well as a normal cafe sit in place this also has a beautiful garden with outdoor seating. There are also water bowls for thirsty dogs! Lovely place, well worth a visit

This is the second time I've visited this cafe between 3.15pm and 3.30pm for tea and cake. On both occasions they had no cake left. When politely expressing my disappointment on both occasions I was told that a lot of tourists visit so they don't have anything left by mid-afternoon! I don't think that 3.15pm to 3.30pm is an unreasonable time to expect tea and cake to be available. They must have an accurate idea of how many tourists visit each day so why not cater for them. If they end up with happy customers and a little cake left over then so be it. We had to make do with just a cup of tea.

This cafe is a little gem. We had lunch there one day and coffee and cake another. Reasonably priced with good generous helpings. The weather wasn't good enough to sit out in the lovely garden which was a shame.

Had lunch here twice once in the sun and once in torrential rain! Both times the food - soup and sandwich- were brilliant. On a nice day the garden is lovely but the food is just as good inside. The staff were delightful. If you’re...

We had two lovely lunches here during our visit to Iona. The staff were friendly, welcoming and enthusiastic about their food. The crab sandwiches were delicious, particularly the bread, and the butternut squash soup was particularly fine. The weather didn't let us enjoy the garden...

A pleasant little cafe that can be visited after the Abbey tour. Sandwiches and tea are very refreshing here.

We stopped her for lunch recently at this small café set in a lovely garden. We were lucky and had a glorious day when we visited Iona.

Déjeuner délicieux, simple et sans chi-chi dans un cadre enchanteur. Excellent fish&chips;, moules goûteuses ainsi que le «seafood platter» fumé....

What a totally lovely experience, like stepping back in time, the tea and coffee was lovely and we had a...

Didn't have anything to eat but was tempted by the soups on offer. Thought it was very nice, small and...

Sadly couldn't sample anything they had to offer because despite the sign at the bottom of the path saying they...

We had toasties and soup. Small portions but delicious. Friendly staff and central location. Would recommend.

I recall visiting year after year... even if the setting is ideal... I recall the fab pulled crab sandwiches to...

Extreamly over priced and portions very small. Very disapointed. Ordered tea and coffee with cake for everyone except me. I...

This wee tearoom has evolved over the years yet retains its local character. Soup and a sandwich are hearty and...

Het was even wennen want je kunt gewoon bij anderen aan tafel aanschuiven. Voor rest snelle bediening met zelf gemaakte cakes en andere versnaperingen. Biologisch voor zover we het konden zien.

Stopped here for coffee, hot chocolate and cakes. The homemade cakes were delicious! We had 2 slices of Genoise coffee cake and a slice of Genoise Blueberry and Lemon cake. Lovely!Free wifi too and all at a reasonable price

This was a wonderful stop after a busy day of visiting Iona and walking around town. The food was positively excellent, and the kids liked it, too. Had excellent coffee and capuccino. Wonderful service, lovely atmosphere, beautiful gardens. Great Wifi, too!!!

I ate at this cafe a couple of times while visiting Iona. The atmosphere is rustic and charming, while the garden is inviting on a sunny day. This is a good place to relax and enjoy a cup of tea and a treat or, perhaps, a bit of lunch with a nice soup and sandwich. The food served is seasonal and makes good use of local resources. I had a nice celeriac soup with a cheese and pickle sandwich one day, and a nice apple cake and tea on another.

We ate here twice for lunch during our stay on the island. Soups and toasted sandwiches highlight the menu. It was quite crowded inside due to the rain. It is also handy to the abbey.

We were lucky to get a nice afternoon in Iona. So the garden is especially nice when it is sunny . Coming from California seeing so much green is good for the eyes .

What? No cappuccino? Agh!!! Machine broke. Can of Coke? Nope. Waiting for delivery. But we got edible flowers on the egg mayo sarnies which were good. Potted crab was also spot on. Two cups of filter coffee in cups which looked like they were fromcrossroads motel and some food in lovely location. Not earth shattering, just ok. Latte may have made it more memorable. Just saying! Service good and friendly.

My friend and I had a fabulous lunch at the Heritage Garden Cafe on Iona. We had the soup\sandwich combo, all home made in very lovely surroundings. Sheila and her friend made us very welcome and I would definitely return. After speaking to Sheila, she confirmed everything home made. This cafe is definitely worth a visit

We were shocked by the beautiful variety of plants and blooming flowers... even in February!!! Worth a visit... for sure!

Basic but tasty food, served either inside or when the weather is good you can eat outside in the garden

I took a group of 10 people to this great little cafe nursery. We booked in for a historical guided tour of dalgety , which ended with morning tea at this great little cafe. It was very interestingLoved it

Called in for a coffee,decided to have the soup.Best decision of the day.There were 3 young men working in the cafe and I must say they could not have been more helpfull or pleasant.I cook a lot of soups and stews at home but have never had anything as good as the lamb and veg soup which they gave us.If it was possible to give more than 5 stars they would get it.

On a day trip on Thursday with my Rambling Group we found this great little garden cafe. Staff were excellent. It is small but there are a couple of garden tables. It is a hidden gem. Went for coffee firstly then returned a couple of hours later and more of our Group had also found it. Food was excellent and soup looked delicious all home made. Hope you are lucky to find this like us.

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the Heritage Garden Cafe. The service was excellent. Sheelagh spared time in her busy schedule to share her knowledge of Iona. We felt welcomed and valued. When we return to Iona, we will again have lunch at the Heritage Garden Cafe.

Arrived when the restaurant was fairly quiet.Ordered 2x soups and 1x toastie.The food arrived after quite a long wait although the kitchen staff seemed to by busy.The soups were tasteless and the toastie was uninteresting.In particular, the leek and potato soup had the consistency and flavour of dishwater.Used the bathroom - the door did not lock.Never again.

Fine for home-made Soup and for scone & butter ....and adequate for "doorstep" sandwiches. Expensive. Helpful staff, a bit overwhelmed.

This cafe - in the same building as the Heritage Centre - is worth a walk, as the food is fresh and home-made - usually including a hearty soup & a choice of cakes. You can either eat indoors or in the garden and they serve proper coffee. If you stop here you're en route to the Abbey and various craft shops, but do be prepared to queue or to find that your chosen dish has sold out, should you arrive with a boatload.

Had lunch here. Service was very slow. The sandwiches, though freshy made, felt stale to me. Maybe it was the type of dense bread used. Didn't think it was particularly good value. Bit of a captive audience probably. The girl who served us was very helpful and friendly.

Our visit started well - the staff were very accommodating despite it being very busy but it went downhill after that. I ordered a soup & toastie combo which was £8 but then later realised it would have been cheaper to order them separately.. very weird!When the bacon and brie toastie came it was cheap, tiny bread with (no word of a lie) 3 slivers of a slice of bacon - like someone had cut 3 small stamp sized chunks out of a piece of bacon and put them on the toastie? Not even a third of a slice of bacon. Utterly miserable looking. The sweet potato soup was so thick that it was pretty disgusting. The service was also painfully slow - this place if clearly short staffed and I could hear moaning from other customers all over the café.Iona is beautiful and deserves a much better café but with no real competition you wonder if they will care about improving.

Opted to eat lunch here on our trip to Iona. Staff were friendly and aiming to please, doing well despite having 50% staffing on the day we visited. Small venture with limited menu but we enjoyed our soup and toasties. The soup did need additional seasoning but was good after that!

There aren't many places to eat on the island and that gives the owners of cafes a captive audience and it could be better. Limited menu (which can be good as the focus is on the food rather than quantity) but the service was painfully slow - even for a pot of tea when the wait for sandwiches or toasties was 25 minutes. Sorry to say but the garden did look a bit run down too (perhaps due to wet weather). Staff were working hard but this was a disappointing visit.

What a great place to have lunch. Whether you sit inside the Cafe or on the picnic tables in the garden the ambiance is great and simple. It reflects the character of the town and it's history.We learned later that the cafe is open for locals during much of the offseason. Good for them! We loved the staff and the food.

Finding a dog friendly place to eat on Iona turned out to be harder than I thought. I had enquired at several places before having the garden cafe recommended by the lady in the art gallery. I could take the dog in the garden but not into the cafe, as it had stopped raining this was OK, the grey day did mean we had the garden to ourselves.A large group were in before us so there was a short wait but the food was excellent and the display of home-made cakes caused a major dilemma (Marmalade & Chocolate cake with another cup of tea was the decision). The garden is a lovely place to sit even on a drizzly lunchtime, the planting makes it seem like you are in the middle of nowhere if you look inland or turn round for views down to the sea and across to Mull.

Dans un beau jardin ombragé, un charmant café qui sert de délicieux sandwiches et scones faits maison.

Wir haben es genossen, wirklich im Garten zu essen. Es gab Suppe und Kleinigkeiten, alles lecker und ziemlich schnell serviert.