La Taverna in Highland

Lovely food nice staff , atmosphere effected by god awful weather outside , varied menu ,would go again .

We had the buffet, 2 adults, 1 11yr old. Food was tasty and satisfying. Staff friendly and efficient. Husband even got wee bit of table service from pizza chef when the meaty feast was re stocked 🤣 reasonably priced for family dinner after a long day

We went for the Buffet. It was fantastic as was the service. Staff were lovely, very welcoming and is a great place for families. Pizza was excellent 👌🏻 Would definitely recommend and would go back if it was a little closer to home.

They are absolutely lovely here! The food is fantastic! I could not as more Thank you

Totally loved our All you can Eat buffet experience at La Taverna. Pasta, pizza, salads, desserts and ice creams all included. £22 for adults and our teen aged 15, £11 for our daughter aged 12. Lovely friendly staff and nicely decorated inside. Thank you!

A busy bustling place with a very efficient front of house manager. All you can eat buffet with salad, pasta and pizza seems to be popular with clientele. We had lasagne and gf pasta Bolognese which was good value for a quick supper.

Very poor service. People didn't come to see us often, they brought me the wrong pizza, no excuses, no discounts and undercooked dough.

Nice Italian. Delicious food and great service

Really dissapointed! We went along thinking the buffet would be on as stated on website! We got our meal then they just ignored us after that not one person came to get our plated, kids wanted pudding that wasn't offered! We sat for a good 10mins before getting up and leaving. Really disappointed.... Best of ot was staff where all lingering and chatting around till area when we left..

No buffet on due to "staff shortages" - very limited menu - assume for same reason. It was 5pm on a Monday so fairly quiet but no music so that didn't help lack of atmosphere, we visit regularly & have had far better experiences there - hoping this disappointing visit was a "one off".

Place looks like a ghost town. Restaurant is understaffed, serves buffet with tasteless food. Totally something else than we remembered from about 5 years back. Staff friendly, chef frisndly. Theyre doing what they can but overall bad experiece after spending £50.

Young waitress shouldn't be working with public, ignorant is not to strong a word for her. Food was OK but stretching it to say a taste of Italy if the food was as nice as the description it might have got another star for food. Very disappointed.

Can't recommend the Italian buffet enough - so many delicious options, including plenty to suit two hungry vegetarians. The staff were polite and attentive despite the place being very busy. What a special building as well, with all the hand-painted details - unique!

Buffet was amazing definitely recommended a visit

A very limited menu with not much to choose from, what we did order was nice and edible

I have coeliac disease and the staff at La Taverna could not be more amazing and attentive. They had clear knowledge of what I could have (which was loads of options) and they prepared it freshly with keen awareness of cross contamination. The environment is quirky in decor, which I love, and if we lived nearer we would certainly be regulars. Food tastes wonderful and they will happily box up leftovers to take home. 5* in every way.

So bad. This was once a great Italian place. Shocking pizza and pasta

3 words: exquisite, Elegant, freakingdelicious!!!! Mine and my wife’s second time visiting Scotland and we have chosen to for the second time to come and dine and try their Italian buffet since they could cater for a person with coeliac disease and my goodness. Let me put it this way, if you are coeliac this is a must. The puppy eyes in my wife were like a child in a Lego shop. Unforgettable!!!! I love it and this is the place that we will always visit when in Scotland.

Cosy comfort food, unlimited salad pasta pizza dessert bar.

We booked this restaurant for our wedding anniversary based on reviews and personal recommendation from a friend and I could not have been more disappointed We didn’t mind that they could not offer a la carte due to staff shortages but the buffet was abysmal. We also both had stomach upsets this morning We’ve had better pizza from Asda. Staff were friendly and helpful but were rushed off their feet so mistakes were being made The owners/managers will need to get a grip on things or the restaurant will continue to go downhill and ultimately fail which would be a shame given its previously good reputation

It's not a real Italian restaurant!!!

Lovely place to eat. We didn't book but were quickly seated and ordered drinks. We had the buffet deal,excellent choice of pizza's, pasta and salads. Really enjoyed our meal and the atmosphere.

Fab find, the food was excellent and at a great price. Service was friendly, attentative and helpful. Plenty of parking

Great restaurant, very good Italian food! The food was perfect, we had a buffet, there was something for everyone! Highly recommended!

Good pizzas 🍕 staff lovely, good service

On our road trip through Scotland, we stopped in this little mountain town, the kitchens were closed since it was 4pm in the afternoon but we found this place with an open kitchen. The staff was super friendly to us, we asked to share a plate of pasta and a pizza, the truth is that it was pretty good to get by.

There are not many resturants in the area so reserving a table is difficult. We decided to take out. The woman behind the desk was eager for us to pay but had forgotten about our order after that. I personally had to approach the kitchen staff to get our pizzas. We asked them to include spicy oil. Most pizza places give you small satchels but here they gave me the bottle to help myself. REGULAR PIZZAS WERE OK BUT not exceptional for the price you pay. The kids puzzas were disappointing because they seemed like mini pizzas you would buy in a supermarket. I would avoid this place even though there is not much choice to eat out.

Had a lovely buffet plenty to choose from and lovely flavours

This was our 4th visit over the years and unfortunately the least enjoyable. Back in post Covid 2020 when it was just the al la carte menu (no buffet) we left saying it was one of the nicest Italian meals we’d ever had. This time round though the kids menu pizza and buffet pastas were terrible. Kids pizza was undercooked dough and the large batch made pastas lacked taste and were overcooked. The buffet pizzas were slightly better but still not great. Also this is the first time the service has been poor too, waited ages for drinks and for parmesan for the kid’s pasta, was near cold by the time it arrived. Think they should ditch the buffet format entirely and go back to focusing on cooking high end authentic Italian food like they were doing previously.

A very nice restaurant with a great buffet from 4pm with pizza, pasta, salad and dessert for £22. The staff is very friendly and the food is very tasty.

Was looking forward to a lovely Italian meal. The whole experience was awful and one to be avoided. The noise was deafening. The waitress kindly moved us to another table which was slightly quieter. They were keen to encourage you to all you can eat buffet. Not what we wanted. The al a carte menu was ridiculously limited. E.g. no foccacio on offer!! Glass of red wine was take it or leave it- only one on offer! We decided to leave . No questions asked from the staff! What a huge disappointment from the great Italian food and experience that was always on offer from the previously family owned and run restaurant.

Always a great night here, we return on every visit to Aviemore.

Great place we had the buffet. Kids loved it especially the ice cream we would come here again.

Been visiting here for years and loved every visit, however this time has put me off for Good!! Called book a reservation on route back to Glasgow 1/8/23 was told was no availability, but could get takeaway. So stopped off with the 2 children and noticed place was half empty, I told Her that there was a serious accident on A9 and traffic was all delayed. I asked could I have a table for 30 mins, was told a blank no. Then as I was looking at the takeaway menu, some people walked off the street no booking and was given a table. Then someone on the phone to asked for a table and woman walked away from us and I could here "when would you like a table". Never seen service like it. I take it my face didn't fit there clientel. won't be back, very rude unhelpful service.

Absolutely fantastic service 😍 This is our new favourite when visiting Aviemore!

Looked good if you can get in but staff not very helpful

Fast and friendly service. Food was delicious and very reasonably priced. Family friendly

Food and service completely fine. Restaurant very full and therefore loud. Large restaurant with lots of space. Would have given all you can eat.

Excellent food. Good buffet. Good value for money.

Used to be excellent, but no longer I'm afraid. We've been a number of times over the years and always looked forward to going back. The pizza USED TO BE superb. Went recently and it wasnt the case. Ordered a focaccia starter that just wasn't focaccia by any standard. Like a cross between really bad garlic bread made by a 12 year old at school cooking lesson, smothered in so much garlic it was almost inedible and toasty bread. When i asked the grumpy blonde waitress if it was GarBread or FoccBread she said it was "kinda both" ! Starter took ages to come and longer to get rid of plates afterwards. Pizza sauce tasted as if it came from a tin. Was just so-so, but nowhere near as good as it used to be. Pasta dashes were just OK... Shame really, they're living off an old reputation and an old award from 10 years ago. We won't be back with so much eagerness, if at all.

Appalling service, food was mediocre at best. The salad bar and steak were fine, but the buffet pizza seemed like it had been there all day. The child’s pizza was undercooked. Drinks were incorrect initially, the plates were almost dumped on the table. We did receive a partial refund, but we won’t be back and the staff need to have some training in customer service.

I am updating my review as my previous was for the old owners who wher fabulous. The new owners are just as good and the food is still brilliant especially as i am gluten free. I have written about that seperatly. The staff are always so lovely and smiling. Always feel so welcome and lovelybwarm Atmosphere. If you are visiting Aviemore then you have to go and enjoy the buffet. The alacarte menu is also great. But i always love a wee buffet so i can try new dishes.

I used to love this place years ago. Very disappointing. The buffet food is not much better than school dinners. The salads were a tasteless disgrace and the pizzas not much better. Not much choice and even the kids didn't like the desserts much. Says something! For £20 a head I won't take the family here again. Right shame this place has lost its charm and edibility

Friendly service, good food, very good beer, could be cleaner

Friendly staff, quick and efficient service. Good food that wasn't too expensive.

We went here for our dinner and it was delicious the buffet was amazing definitely worth the money me and the wife never left hungry pizza 🍕 is to die for AA+

On entering the restaurant we found the decor was outdated, in need of a revamp. Obviously was initially designed as a bar and changed into a buffet restaurant with minimal money spent… in regards to the food, a reasonable selection of pastas and pizzas which was always restocked. Also a good variety of desserts and ice cream for the kids. £22 per adult for the food quality and variety of Italian food was value for money. However a refurbishment would be beneficial.

Great Italian-style food buffet. Good range for meat-eaters and vegetarians. Staff were absolutely fantastic with kids.

Only buffet available. Poor menu in my opinion. And expensive at £22.00 pp.. .

Due to the shortage of staff, only 5 ppl at bar area, the choices were very limited for take away (only pizza/ 4 different flavours), they seemed to be busy with something but the restaurant itself was not busy, I felt the atmosphere not so welcoming, pizza came out okay (waitress said appr. 5-6mins, but took 12ish) taste was okay, but for almost £16 pounds for a 12inches a bit pricey. Would not think at all it’s Italian rather a fast food type… not gonna return but I think they don’t really care about customers that much 🤭

I would give no stars if I could. Can't rate the food because it never arrived. Staff completely forgot about us. Worst service I have ever experienced anywhere. Will never go back and will never recommend to anyone. Absolutely dire.

Really nice buffet, pleasant surroundings. Highly recommend if staying or passing through Aviemore.

80s style ski bar, little Italy with a pizza buffet and takeout. A go to stop in Avimore!

Pizza pizza pizza! Best place in Aviemore for Pizza and it's all you can eat.

We tried the buffet after looking to try the restaurant for a while. Was very tasteless. No seasoning or herbs added. It was fairly bland and unpleasant and wouldn't say value for money. The waiting staff was nice and friendly. But the food not great. The orzo salad and beetroot salad were the only edible things in my view.

Very nice restaurant at the entrance it says Italian restaurant but in my opinion there is nothing Italian about it, the pizza looked like a frozen one from a supermarket but the service was very quick and efficient.

Gegeten bij deze pizzeria. Bij binnenkomst kregen we gelijk de mededeling met een goed uur vertrekken. De medewerkers waren jong en niet echt vriendelijk. De lasagne was gelukkig heerlijk. Bieden ook buffet aan maar dat zag er erg eentonig uit. Bij afrekenen werd er ook duidelijk door de medewerkers gezegd dat wij geen fooi gegeven hadden. Eten prima maar ambiance onder peil.

Excellent service and very friendly staff Linda extremely helpful and friendly

Good choice of vegetarian options, friendly staff and great atmosphere!

We have visited here a few times over the years. Pretty average all round but no big complaints. Server was nice enough, pizza buffet can't go to far wrong. Pretty sure dessert from bidvest but that's understandable with the volume of meals they might do here. Is getting a bit tatty would be nice to see refurbished at some point.

Staff very helpful and accommodating. The buffet was faultless with a great choice from salad through to pasta dishes and pizza. Also lovely desserts and ice-cream. Dogs welcome in the bar and outside. Definitely needs a five star rating.

Well we just sat there and had margarita pizza

Went with family n friends today (a group of 10) . It was 2 pm already, n all of us were hungry. The staff who received us was very rude. We left the place within 15 mins and decided to have m&s sandwich instead of having served by this lady. I have been here many times b4. Have not experienced this hostility. I don't think I would go back again.

Used to be a great restaurant, but has severely fallen from grace. Average food; slightly cold in places, likely to have been microwaved. Appalling service. The waitress was rude, ignorant and it seemed she was unaware that I was a customer. Conservatory was cold, dark and unappealing. Unfortunately, La Taverna is not a place I will be returning to.

Food was just okay - presentation was beautiful however taste was just okay. My husband had the chicken parm which he felt was very dry and chewy - very tough to cut. I had the spaghetti carbonara which wasn't bad. Service was okay was checked on maybe once if that.

I think this place has great potential but…. I’m not sure the chef has ever been to Italy. It’s more like a British take on Italian food. The pasta was soft rather than al dente, the carbonara had cream in it (!). The pizza didn’t look authentic. The n’duja pasta was coated in a sauce that resembled a spicy Heinz tomato soup. Even the garlic bread wasn’t Italian. And Bob Marley was playing over the speakers. I’d recommend a couple of authentic pasta and pizza dishes. Maybe some aperol spritz umbrellas out front. And some Italian music over the speakers.

Great choices at the buffet option for lunch. Pasta salad is delicious. Pizza has a crisp thin base and plenty toppings. Good selection to choose from and great to be able to try a little of everything. Dog friendly as long as you sit near the bar. Lovely friendly staff. Would definitely revisit.

Searching for some gluten free places locally and this place came up with some reviews a while ago. We thought we would go in there and ask. Straight away we were greeted by a friendly waitress. She gave us completely confidence when asking about whether they do any food for coeliacs. She knew exactly what it was and how the food needed to be prepared to be coeliacfriendly. We sat down and she explained that they could make virtually everything on the mains, except the lasagna gluten free, even the pizzas. We asked about chips and they said straight away, unfortunately they are fried with other stuff so not okay. We asked about sides and they said they could make a garlic bread pizza on a gluten free base. The food here was amazing, the pasta was great and the pizza even better. The garlic bread pizza was incredibly cheesy. To top it off the prices here were so reasonable! All of this food and drink cost us under £35! You will not find such good food for low cost anywhere nearby. Recommended for any coeliacs travelling around this area.

The food isn't very good or even italian. Pasta is overcooked and tastes all the same, Pizza is average. 22 £ for a below average Buffet isn't a good deal in my eyes.

Very friendly and dog friendly Just got caysht in a massive down pour,they couldn't have been nicer

Nice Italian food with very friendly service and option if a la carte or buffet. Book and go early to avoid disappointment

I was lucky enough to visit La Potiniere in Gullane. It was 1984, the food was excuisite, beautifully presented. In fact, faultless. It cost a hefty £28 per head at the time. Last night I visited La Taverna in Aviemore, and paid slightly more. The similarity ends there, however. As we were a large group, we opted for the eat all you can buffet. Despite unfavourable reviews on this app, we were optimistic that if we chose wisely, an enjoyable culinary experience would be possible. Sadly not. The pizza looked more likely to have originated in Iceland than Italy. The pasta choice was limited to macaroni cheese ( yes, really), a fatigued penne with tomato sauce, conchiglie with some dessicated Ragu adhered to each shape, and a disconsolate looking spinach and ricotta tortellini. Meatballs (of indeterminate meat) in a tomato sauce concluded the selection. There were a few salads available which seemed the best choice, and the garlic bread was fine. On a brighter note, the ice cream was deemed above average. The other desserts looked tired and unpalatable. The service was ok, although hardly interactive, given the self service nature of our meal choice. In short, a triumph of quantity over quality. Should you be considering visiting, I'd suggest Tesco in town first. Or Aldi. The pizzas, pasta and salads there would represent better value. Or try the chippy.

Had an excellent meal. I had pizza, basic margherita to which I was able to add a variety of meats and vegetables depending on my choice. Add ons are charged but at a reasonable cost. My pizza had 5 adds that cost an extra £3.50. The base was an authentic Italian style thin and crispy, the dough was light , puffy and wonderfully crispy. This was the best pizza I've had in the UK due to the base. My husband had a chicken and spaghetti dish which he also enjoyed very much. Also available, on the night that we went, there was an Italian Buffet with various pasta dishes, pizza and a desert incuded at a set price. The staff from the start were friendly and efficient . Drinks arrived quickly, food order arrived within an acceptable time, impressive given such a full house. Drinks reasonably priced given location. Recommend this restaurant as excellent food, excellent service at an excellent price.

Excellent all round, can't fault them on anything.

Poor customer service.. would avoid.

Terrible food. Overpriced. Factory made pizza bases. Tastless processed toppings. Frozen defrosted desserts. There is nothing Italian about this place.

I was utterly shocked to see how far downhill this place has gotten. The food is awful, the ambience is terrible, and the entire experience was a waste of an evening out. Overcooked, tasteless buffet pasta. Eugh! I think it might appeal to those having a birthday party for children aged 8 and under but at £22, it would have been overpriced even if the food was better. Three pizzas, three pastas (awful) to choose from. A complete rip-off, I'm embarrassed if tourists experience this and think it's the standard of Italian restaurants in Scotland. It's not!

We went in for dinner thinking it was the excellent pizzeria we had experienced in past years. We noticed immediately that things had changed. We opted for the £22 per person buffet. The pizzas were tasteless and looked factory made. The pastas overcooked. The desserts looked and tasted awful. The whole buffet, and it was a very small choice, looked like school dinners and was certainly well overpriced. There is nothing italian about this place. Don't waste your money. The fish and chip shop would be better value.

At a roundabout of main roads, that's why we saw the "all you can eat" sign earlier this week, that's why we went there. Pizzeria all you can eat has a buffet with cold starters, hot pasta dishes and 3 different types of pizza plates with varying pizzas. Was continuously replenished by a chef. There are also plenty of desserts and cakes.

Fantastic place . Dropped in and went for the buffet option me the partner and 5 year old daughter had plenty to choose from . Very good value for money . Will definitely be back when we visit again . Staff very friendly

Visited here on many occasions over the years. This was our first visit since new ownership a few years back and how very disappointing it was. We paid £22 each for a buffet where the pasta was dry, overcooked, tasteless and cold. The pizza was also cold and not authentic whatsoever. I buy a better one from Aldi. The salads were okay. Desserts were awful, synthetic and obviously not home baked. The fruit salad was warm. Waitresses were polite enough but the place really lacks the Italian vibe of old. Now the place comes across as no better than motorway service station. Sorry La Taverna we won’t be back,

We didn't book, but as it was early evening so they fitted us in. We had the buffet, it was very nice, a good selection of salid, pasta and pizzas. Followed by desserts. Friendly staff. We will return.

A long established Italian style restaurant Offers an eat all you can buffet option at 22 pounds a head. Good quality food - not exotic- but well cooked and plentiful Recommended

Overpriced poor quality . £70 yesterday for two adults and two kids including 3 soft drinks and a water. Buffet disappointing. Looked and tasted like supermarket food reheated. Definitely would not recommend this restaurant

Fantastic place, very accommodating and providing for different dietry needs. Price was good and staff very friendly and welcoming. Highly recommended!

I went for a buffet with my wife and two children (under 8). Plenty of food, kids enjoyed it. Kid's buffet was £22 for two. My wife and I were £44. The price was steep for the quality of the buffet. Puddings were very tasty. We would have left a tip, but we were £77 altogether, and we couldn't justify spending anymore money.

I went for a buffet with my wife and two children (under 8). Plenty of food, kids enjoyed it. Kid's buffet was £22 for two. My wife and I were £44. The price was steep for the quality of the buffet. Puddings were very tasty. We would have left a tip, but we were £77 altogether, and we couldn't justify spending anymore money.

The buffet lunch was much enjoyed by me and two grand-rascals. It was a good lesson in self restraint but all three of us exercised sufficient restraint to avoid the eye being greedier than the stomach but left very well satisfied.

Very good pizza place. Highly recommend

My family and I visited the restaurant after a long drive from Aberdeen and on entry, the manager says in a rather harsh manner, how can I help? Then they put my family and I in a secluded area where no one else sat and they had to turn on the lights in the area because apparently that area doesn’t get used. To worsen it, the waitress asks my daughter: you surely cannot finish those brownies. All of this perhaps because we are people of COLOUR! If you are just like me, I would stay away or be weary…Food is great…

Amazing place :) friendly staff .. food ING amazing spaghetti carbonara and good idea „open food” you pay £22 I take what u want and dessert oh cheesecake 🥰🥰🥰 definitely come back there

Food was OK, but not great. Service was indifferent.

Buffet wasn’t good. Food was very bland and I wouldn’t go back.

This is always a family favourite when we visit Aviemore. We love the buffet which is really good value. Lots of salads, pasta dishes, pizza and deserts.

Sensational food, it was so good we ended up going twice! We had the carbonara, pizza, bruchetta, muscles and arancini all was amazing!! Thank you for a wonderful experience if we are ever in the area we will be sure to visit! And visitors don't leave with out stepping in!

Excellent menu for all ages, excellent food and drink. Atmosphere was great, the only issue was a slight problem with the service but the problem was rectified promptly. Highly recommend and would visit again.

Reasonable menu though the penne with salmon did not rise up stream very highly for my taste.

Food was average service was okay

Visited early evening, seemed to be quite a few single men dining ( possibly contract workers away from home weekdays) . Atmosphere very quiet, can't speak about late evening.

Some of the nicest people ever (and funny), with also very delicious food. Some of the greatest restaurant atmosphere ever. Couldn't recommend more and definitely is a regular spot.