Okra Artisan Cafe & Bistro in Aberdeenshire

Disappointed with coffee... it came cool and flavour was a little poor. Ordered food and only half arrived. Toilet was also broke and seat had been stuck back together. No toilet roll holder too. This coffee shop is in a beautiful place and just feel it just needs to pay more attention to detail. hope this happens.

Sat down and ordered tea and coffee and asked to share a BMT and requested 2 plates to share from. The waitress informed me that the dish was for one person only and that she couldn’t give me a second plate . I tried to reason with her but she said - You can do what you want with the food but I cannot give you a second . We promptly got up and walked out. Totally unreasonable behaviour. Rude doesn’t even cover it. Hospitality at its worst. Won’t step foot into this place again and will inform all our friends and family too.

Very very friendly staff and food was amazing!! Plus, great directions to St Andrews golf course!!

Very tasty food at excellent prices. Nice atmosphere inside and the servers were very friendly and welcoming. Would highly recommend!

Maybe we got them on a bad day but as new customers we didn't feel welcomed. If the other cafe we normally go to is packed again, we'll give them a second chance. Maybe it was because we'd just got off the hill after a night in a bothy and we looked dishevelled ?

would go to the Bothy or Dee bridge cafe instead, a lot nicer atmosphere and less rude staff.

Service rude - dry cake and refused to serve bread, bagel or toast as it was lunch time.

Premium price for average food, the coffee is nice but the bagel was just swimming in mayo, so much that you couldn’t taste anything else, then on the side was coleslaw which was more mayo! Wasn’t very warm in there either, considering the price point they could turn the heating up a bit.

This is not a review about the food as we never got that far. We had been on an 8 mile walk with our dog and came to this Cafe as it was dog friendly. We were shown to a seat and sat and waited to be served, 5 minutes later another couple came in and were shown a seat. 17 minutes passed, no one came near us, but the couple who came in after us were served. We did note there were at least 3 members of staff that we saw. We felt ignored and had no option to walk out. A Shame as the decor was very nice and the cakes looked very good. We went to another cafe and had our food there. Won't be back.

This is not a review about the food as we never got that far. We had been on an 8 mile walk with our dog and came to this Cafe as it was dog friendly. We were shown to a seat and sat and waited to be served, 5 minutes later another couple came in and were shown a seat. 17 minutes passed, no one came near us, but the couple who came in after us were served, we felt ignored and had no option to walk out. We went to another cafe and had our food there. Won't be back.

Very disappointed to be refused coffee and cakes as they were “only serving lunch”!! I will never step foot in here again and nor will I recommend anyone else to do so!!! Appalling! Must be making plenty money to be able to refuse patrons!! Plenty other lovely cafés in Ballater who will happily take your money. At the very least please make it obvious to people before they step in and sit for 10mins waiting to even be acknowledged that you only serve certain things at certain times. Shameful!!!

Delicious haggis, sweet onion chutney & mozzerella panini & amazing Angus beef burger. Pleasant staff & fun customers.

This is my favourite place to eat in Ballater. The staff are super friendly, adapted their menu for dietary needs and made us feel super welcome (including our dog!)

Great find! Really varied menu - food was cooked fresh and tasted great and scones were the best we've had for a long time. We had heard it served the best coffee in Ballater and weren't disappointed. The staff were friendly and attentive - plus the young waitress was a gem. We will definitely be back!

Delicious food and cake. Staff were friendly and helpful

Delicious food, cosy place and very friendly staff :))

Popped in for coffee and stayed for lunch. We had a tuna melt panning and a chilli chicken bagel with avocado. We both had fries. Neither of us could eat another thing. Coffee is excellent as well. Dog friendly to boot. In fact, very dog friendly.

Had a lovely outdoor meal here. Enjoyed the black pudding. Would not recommend the London Fog as there was some artificial sweetener in it I couldn't quite enjoy the tea. My husband had standard tea. Do that. Fast and kind service.

What a wonderful welcome we received after a long walk with our two Norfolk terriers . Excellent customer service with friendly engaging staff and a wide ranging menu for lunch. Quality coffee and great paninis and salad. Loved the atmosphere and the owners took time to chat and provide us every courtesy and service We will be back!

Friendly, helpful staff. Coffee and cakes 🎂 excellent

Pretty average to be honest, no very welcoming & food average at best. Expensive for what it was

I am an IBS sufferer and have particular trouble when travelling. On the occasion of my visit I was not having a good time, so asked for a Ham Sandwich. I did not expected to be told that was a bland choice. In these days where people tend to be more aware of food intolerances, this was a very disappointing response to what was a reasonable request.

Visited Orca again today with our 2 dogs. Lovely friendly staff. We both had panini’s and salad for lunch which were really good. Im a bit particular about my cappuccino and have to say this was the best Ive had in a long time, hot and strong 😄. Look forward to visiting again.

Great food and coffee. Always a very warm welcome and dog friendly too!

Very average coffee and unfriendly staff. There was either dog urine or a dog bowl of water tipped over. Didn’t feel clean. Wouldn’t recommend as there are much better options.

Stopped here for breakfast and what a nice surprise, my partner had full breakfast and I had scrambled eggs on Balmoral bread toasted, the best scrambled eggs I've had in a long time. Staff and owner very friendly, and on realising we had a dog with us showed how dog friendly they are as well. Homemade cakes , unbelievable on choice and quality. Definitely worth another visit when we return to the area.

Lovely cafe with delicious food and lovely staff! Tuna melt panini was delicious. The lady that served us recommended the sweet shop across the street we took her advice and went over and bought some lovely treats. Thanks again

We visited on 23rd of July. We were strongly disappointed paying £27 for this, full Scottish breakfast” and my avocado bacon egg on toast with brown bits all over and undercooked egg ( I did not take a photo) and 2 coffees. It was the worst brunch experience ever and as a previous coffee shop worker, I would be embarrassed to put this on the table for the customer.

Lovely food and its pet friendly! Defo will be back

Great coffee, we had a good lunch for a pretty reasonable price. However, I found the service quite poor: no water at the table, no cutlery systematically. This is quite understandable to some extent since it is a cafe and not a restaurant.

We popped into Orka for a bite of lunch on our way through Ballater. The cafe serves lunches and lighter bites throughout the day. It isn't very big so I expect it can get busy. We were made very welcome and had a very enjoyable lunch.

Great place to have lunch. Food fresh, staff delightful.

Dog friendly, nice food and a fine piece to take home.

Beautiful food, lovely decor, a gorgeous wee cafe. Great staff. A long leisurely lunch we would certainly recommend. 😁

Was excited to try this cafe because I was starving and it gets great reviews. Maybe we came in on an off day but very disappointing. Food was bland and neither of us finished our meal. Pricey as well for cafe food

This place was recommended by a friend. I had the beefburger which arrived very quickly and now I realise why. It was re-heated. 3 hours after eating it, food poisoning started and 24 hours later, I'm still recovering. Make sure if you go here that your food is fresh!

What a delightful place. Lovely, helpful staff who showed genuine interest in how happy we were with our food. The selection of food options were interesting and variable and not just the same as everywhere else so it was quite difficult to choose. Lots of nice veggie and vegan options too. Food was presented beautifully and promptly. Staff warm and thoughtful with my elderly mum. Already recommended this place to a friend. I’m a real foodie and not always easily pleased so it was fabulous to feel so well looked after and well fed.

Temptations are unbelievably at this little gem. We visited twice during our stay and it was lovely. Coffee excellent and the rhubarb and custard scones were so tasty.

Very tasty fish & chips and great service

Lovely lunch. All homemade. Great selection of cakes. Dog Friendly too

Best flat white in town! Delicious food. Falafel salad with chilli sauce excellent... now trying the Aberdeen Angus cheese burger....

Beautiful cafe with gorgeous custard and rhubarb scones. Rather expensive even in todays climate.

Much better macchiato than Bothy's. Excellent atmosphere and afternoon cake selection.

We are from Belgium, and we found this bistro on Google, super good, very welcoming staff and super good food to recommend!

As a tour guide it’s sometimes hard to get a good coffee or breakfast a co worker found this little cafe by accident and I have just had the best doughnut and latte from here 😍😍

The lady who served us was absolutely lovely! Also, food and beverages were very decent. I highly recommend to try the Bronut ❤️

A few days ago a group of us went in and we were greeted with such a warm welcome. Despite there being quite a few of us, the entire experience was great, service was excellent, and the food was phenomenal, I recommend the bagels. 100% will be back again

Very welcoming. Good bar service. Starters extremely generous and delicious. Superb chips and tasty Aberdeen Angus burger! Best of all, great chat. Coming back for cakes and coffee.

Fantastic food and cakes, my sister in law brought us today to this amazing cafe. I would highly recommend it if you are in the area. We had a mix of lunch and cake and the biscoff cake is a must! Very friendly service too...

Our first visit to the cafe - looked inviting from the outside - fantastic greeting from the folks, who we discovered after chatting that are the owners. Both were really perfect for their chosen career - warm and friendly and very helpful. Food - we...

We went for a weeks holiday to Braemar and tried a few cafes in Braemar and Ballater and the Orka was honestly the best! We turned up as a family of 4 + our dog. We were all welcomed with friendly smile 😃 We sat...

The great breakfast was a bonus after the lovely warm welcome and a good gossip! We hope to come back to try the cakes as they looked amazing.

Great coffee and fantastic food.

Friendly staff, nice atmosphere and I enjoyed the food. Not so sure what more I could have asked for.

Lovely coffee. Not a cosy atmosphere as quite minimalistic.

Enjoyed lunch here after walking locally with good friends who we haven't seen for way too long, this is a dog friendly cafe, which was good for us and there were several dogs there whilst we were and all were well behaved, so it didn't disrupt a good lunch! Coffee was fab and the orka salmon bagel just delicious 😋. All of The orka food was really top quality, two of us enjoyed the orka club sandwich which was also fab, and the soup was enjoyed by our group too...oh and the cake 😍. Fantastic Thankyou!

First class place to meet and eat. Friendly and experienced owner. Good food and coffee. Wife recommends croissant with brie and chilli jam.

Stopped there for breakfast before our hike on a cold rainy summer day. The staff was very nice, and the food, coffee, and hot chocolate were delicious. The pancake and avocado on toast were yummy and the bread was freshly baked.

Another great day in ballater we have been to orka before but it always surprise me the food is always good and the service good plus a feeling of warmth

Myself and my wife were here 1 year ago almost to the day, we had beautiful cake and coffee then. However 1 year on, not sure if it’s changed owners or what, but as soon as I put the fork into my slice of cake...

Entered Orka it having been recommended to us by staff in the Station. Sadly all available tables were full of uncleared dishes but the owner...we guess...rushed in saying I can't serve you...too short staffed...we wondered had we had a dog if we might have been...

Wandered in here after visiting Balmoral with Beryl, Australian mother-in-law to our daughter, Gail. Wonderful, large slices of tasty carrot cake and an excellent scone were enjoyed with coffees and tea. On spotting "for Peedie Bairns" on the menu we reckoned there had to be...

Jumped in here whilst we waited for rain to clear from Lochnagar. Beautiful coffee and nice cakes. Great staff. Wee bit cold as only one heater on above the door.

Great first impression - I arrived just as the premises was about to close for the day (my fault - unfortunately I didn’t notice the closing time on my way in) but despite this the staff were very friendly and still served me a quick snack and drink before I travelled on. I’m sure the majority of other places would’ve turned me away, but, the helpful staff here were certainly a lot more welcoming and friendly. Unfortunately only a brief visit this time but I’ll gladly call in again next time I’m in the area.

This was a spur of the moment call. I had not had breakfast and it was approaching lunch time. We were looking around Ballater and had reached to top of the village. Rather than walk back to one of the bigger hotels we decided to...

We have been staying in morayshire for a few days and decided to visit Ballater. We were very surprised at what a lovely little place it is. We decided to pop into the cafe for something to eat. We were seated immediately and a very...

We stopped here on our way through Ballater and had intended to just get tea/coffee, but the food choices sounded so nice we ended up having a delicious lunch as well. We both went for paninis, which are baguette-style and full to the brim with...

We visited for lunch at the weekend and were disappointed to not have a great experience after having visited in Aberdeen with no problems. We ordered 2 paninis and a side of chips. We ordered a bbq pulled pork panini which when it arrived had...

Lovely cafe with friendly staff and dog friendly. Husband had chicken in a bun which he enjoyed. I ordered a cheese and ham panini. When it came it was actually a baguette but absolutely delicious all the same. Will be back next month when we’re...

Stopped in for a scone and tea. The hostess rude and mouthy. When she came to take order she was not patient and facial expression was awful...because I am hearing impaired my way of talking is odd and she would interrupt and at one point...

This place looks quite cute and inviting so we went in. Quite nice so we stayed and ordered lunch. Then looking around it became obvious the place was quite dirty and neglected. Dusty shelves and filthy floors which hadn’t been cleaned properly in months. Even...

Stopped off here for lunch. Second time of visiting and once again we had excellent service from friendly staff. We both had a panini, which was delicious. Lovely atmosphere and will certainly return on our next visit to Ballater.

We arrived at 10 15 am and ordered a breakfast which the waitress dumped on the table no offer of any sauce i think she was in a hurry to get back to chatting to the other staff . I wouldn't recommend the breakfast no...

Very friendly staff and good service, food was also lovely on all times we visited. Will definitely go back

The staff were extremely welcoming and it had brilliant decor on the inside. I ordered the margarita pizza , not expecting too much, but when I received the pizza I was blown away by the exquisite taste and rich flavour. It was very filling and...

The best paninis we have ever tasted.not flat and googy but plump and delicious..if you like paninis you must visit.

Had a lovely lunch last week at Orka cafe, the food was so tasty especially the quiche! Food came quick, coffee is delicious and was served by a lovely young man who was very attentive and made our visit! If you’re visiting Ballater Cafe Orka...

Small menu but kid friendly. Pizza, burger, and a special..dugout baked potato filled with sour cream, spring onion and chorizo. Served with onion rings. Delicious

We stopped in past here on the way to Braemar and were very impressed with the quality of food and especially the customer service. Our waitress could not have been more polite and made us and our wee dog immediately welcome. She even had a dog treat for her which was so nice. We initially sat outside but we’re offered a table indoors so nice to see another dog friendly place to eat and drink. Our coffees were some of the best we’ve tasted and both our meals were divine. I went for the Brie, bacon and jam baguette and my husband had a falafel burger which was more his taste than mine but he said it was really tasty and in fairness did look amazing. Cafe had a lovely modern feel but we really were impressed with the customer service. It’s rare to find excellent customer service that is genuine and not put on. The menu is not huge but plenty of choice for everyone’s taste. We will definitely be back.

We came across the charming town of Ballater looking for a petrol station and were very fortunate to find this cafe open. A charming, welcoming, well decorated place, where the food warmed our hearts and where the managers gave us a welcome worthy of kings. A must-see in Ballater! Many thanks 🔥

🔥♦️ Fiona Diss ♦️🔥 She lies. They are super nice, and it's even good even if it's English They open until "late" (8 p.m. these mad woo-hoo) while everything closes at 4 p.m., I'm adding a 6th star here ⭐

Friendly and cosy, warm welcome and prompt service

The best food. We had a large party and they were very accommodating. They learned there was a birthday and found a candle and some cake. Good food and great people.

Popped in for an apéro and liked what we saw so much, we came back the next night for dinner. What a treat! I can honestly say, I don’t recall ever having a falafel I’ve enjoyed more than the one served at this little bistro. We - and our dog - were absolutely spoiled by the staff. Highly recommend.

A warm welcome for you and your dogs awaits you. Good food and excellent coffee 🙂

Well, what a find! So good we came here twice! We love to end our holiday eating at our favourite place over the week, this is certainly that! We actually wish we had eaten here everytime instead of trying other places! The drinks are all...

The food tasted great here. I had the brie, bacon and chilli panini with chips. Both were amazing... but the chips were especially mouth-watering; literally the best chips I have ever tasted. Would definitely go back here when I visit Scotland again.

Stopped off today with 6 friends. Varied order. Full breakfast, bacon roll, scrambled egg on toast, tuna melt pannini plus coffees. Prompt friendly service and lovely food in a nice atmosphere.

My friend and I came for afternoon tea on Thursday 2nd June. The hosts could not be any more helpful and friendly. The food was absolutely delicious. All freshly made and nothing was too much trouble. There was an equal amount of savouries and sweets...

Very friendly with good food and decent coffee.

Brilliant takeaway coffee, plenty of flavour in your coffee & oat milk too, thanks. Note: one of very few coffee shops open on Monday in Ballater

You couldn't ask for friendlier service. The gentleman who took our order could give a class on how to make customers feel welcome. The range of cakes/slices was really good and we had a generous breakfast which was nicely done. Thank you.

Popped in for a takeaway gingerbread latte, the cafe has a lovely atmosphere and great staff. I'll definitely go back if I have more time and sit in. The cakes and sweets looked fantastic. Hope I can return soon ☺️

Stopped here for lunch because it was dog-friendly and had a fabulous experience. Staff so friendly and food incredibly good! Highly recommend 😃

We stopped in here for a coffee and have to say we were impressed, very friendly staff and the interior was beautifully tasteful. Although we didn’t have food, the tables beside us looked like they were enjoying their meals. Also dog friendly which is great....

Great coffee and biscoff rocky road. The ambience was relaxed and amiable. And most importantly, the service was excellent.

We had 1 expresso, 1 cappucino, 1 bagel, 1 Orka Sandwich and some sweeties. Everything was good. And the waiter was really friendly.

Lovely little cafe. Nice and bright and clean. Good people watching window! Staff were really friendly with big smiles. The food was great, I had a lovely chipotle chicken panini, and my friend was catered for with a dairy free (vegan) wrap. Cakes looked great...

Excellent Orka club sandwich and cuppa.

Food AMAZING! We had a panini each and they were really light but full of flavour. Dog friendly as well, our 4 month old enjoyed her biscuit. Great service, fast coffee and food. Definitely will go back when down here again, 100% recommend.