Out of The Blue Bistro in Argyll & Bute

Stopped here for some lunch on our way to Inver. What a treat! Lovely clean tea room. Excellent poached eggs. The staff cared and took an interest in customers. Thank you!

A lovely little place to eat, very cute with a nice aesthetic. The food was good, but it took a while to get to us! I would recommend to those not in a rush and wanting a little bite to eat.

What a gem of a place. Hospitable cafe , clean and food homemade. My husband had a strawberry tart and commented that it was the best he had had, my friend had the homemade lemon tart which was equally good. However I came up trumps with the homemade scone how light and fruity with a delicious black current jam. Definitely a place to come back to.

We visited the Bistro during our holiday to a cottage looking out onto this lovely Loch. The food was spot on home cooked, presented well. The wine also and I have to say ups...for the price was very very enjoyable. On the recommendation of the Chef we tried her newly baked lemon pie..great. The staff are all so friendly..... Earlier on in the week we dined at the local Hotel......in our opinion the food and the wine and the service...(.I suppose without the beautiful view)...but we went to eat, was far superior. Thank you for a very enjoyable evening.

We stayed in the village and visited here a few times. The staff are very attentive and friendly, I think they are under new management as of summer 2018. Best Cullen Skink ever my wife tells me. Very reasonably priced but food very good, all home cooked.

At the end of a day touring in Scotland what can be better than a quality cream tea. And we found just that in Strachur at the Bay Cottage. This is a multi purpose establishment with groceries, a Post Office and a restaurant. All was spick and span, light, airy and comfortable. The scones were freshly home baked, the jam home-made and the cream delicious. There was a choice of drinks and tea for six adults came to GBP22. For us that was quality and value for money. Next time you are that way, do give it a try. I am sure you will love it.

We were staying along the road from this establishment for a week, and booked a meal for our last night. They were fully booked but managed to slot us in earlier (6pm). So make sure you book in plenty time. I ordered breaded Brie with Cranberry sauce. My partner passed on having a starter. They were small but tasted lovely along with the side salad. Set me up for the main course - Chicken Goujons and chips. There were 3 massive Goujons on the plate along with skin-on chips. My partner had fish and chips. Both meals were lovely. We will go back again when we are next back in the area.

Being a regular visitor to this beautiful part of Scotland. I cannot resist a visit to this fantastic establishment. Fabulous staff, amazing breakfast and lunch’s with the very best locally sourced produce cooked to perfection. A real hidden gem and a must try.

Great location. Food was lovely. Service was a bit mixed. People were coming in and no one was coming out to greet them. They lost out on a few customers who walked out after standing around for a while. After our food arrived no one came to ask if we needed more drinks etc. Business is maybe just missing a wee trick because it could be a fantastic place. Might have just been the time we came at.

If there had been an email address I would have emailed the restaurant before putting this review on,but there isn't one I could see!! If I could give no stars I would!! My husband and I visited here on sunday 20th may and I am still in shock at the service we got!! When we arrived we were told by a lady who came from the kitchen to sit anywhere and that she wasn't working at that time as she was just visiting...don't know if this was owner,manager or what.When we sat down we were served by a young girl and asked for menus and ordered some tea to start with.There were some cyclists at one table just leaving and a couple at another table who were also leaving .That was all the customers apart from us.We received our tea and when we went to order we were told there was no cullen skink and no crab....both of which we wanted to order.We ordered the soup of the day and egg mayo sandwiches instead.Then another couple came in and ordered fish pie only to be told that was off too!! When the tea came the table was full of tea drips and crumbs from previous customers but waitress never wiped the table...then she proceeded to dump cutlery and napkins down on the crumbs!! We drank our full pot of tea and soup still hadn't arrived,we waited 30 mins and still no soup and place was almost empty.No one came near and every table was dirty and dishes still lying on table the cyclists vacated!!! Enough time to serve a full meal never mind soup and sandwiches .We eventually just paid for the tea and told her to forget the rest.When we complained about the mess we were told they were too busy to clear and wipe tables. I also noticed they didn't seem to have time to serve us our food either!!,but heard a lot of chatting and laughing coming from the kitchen which was also a bit of a shambles!!! We used to come here often when it was just a wee tea room and it was lovely then......so if this is now a ''Bistro'' they can keep it.

We were staying at The Lodge, also owned by the same family, and they arranged a set menu 3 course dinner for our party of 13 during a hen weekend trip. The food was lovely, all three courses very tasty, and the chocolate mousse was huge!! Lovely wine too, great value considering it is so rural, and the service helpful. Given it was a cold Saturday night in March it was cosy and inviting and all in all we had a great night. Thanks!

Ate here twice whilst on our Christmas break, it is part of the village Store/Post Office, very cosy and ideal for food. We ate here at lunchtime and for breakfast, food on both occasions was very good. family run business with very helpful cheerful owners who gave us good advice on the local area. Strachur is very scenic and we enjoyed out stay in the village very much with our accommodation overlooking Loch Fyne. Very scenic part of Scotland

We had a lovely lunch at Out of the Blue - a cosy, warm welcome awaited 8 of us for lunch. The menu was varied and suited all tastes,including those with special dietary requirements. The bacon rolls were delicious as were the soups,in fact all was great. Staff were very friendly and were accommodating for customers arriving in wheelchairs, moving tables around etc to fit everyone in. It is a small intimate Bistro, attached to the wee local shop, very friendly and handy for purchasing forgotten items if on holiday. Would highly recommend - and the coffee was pretty good too (coffee connoisseur!!) The owners also have a beautiful property for renting, a 5 minute drive away....

Wow. Great food the service is outstanding. Staff really helpful and friendly. So good we are going for breakfast tomorrow. Well worth a visit

Well what a change since we last visit when it was a little cafe attached to a sip and post office.Looks very "Bistro" Dark wood bar,candles in bottles with waxdrips.etc. Lunch time menu ok ,sandwiches,burger and chips,fish etc.Did not like the coffee but perhaps just personal taste.Burger wasa bit tough but nice chips.Sandwuches ok. Quite expensive we thought Lovely staff,good service and quite busy. Open done evenings weekends and I have heard good reports. It is wheelchair accessible,although use of the toilets may be difficult. Parking on roadside,layby ,small carpark.

We come here every time we visit the area and their absolute must is their full Scottish Breakfast. The place is small but really well laid out, just within the local post office and store. With the rename they have also re done the decor so it is a very chilled out place to eat. Back to the breakfast, the star of the show by far is the venison square sausage, an absolute revelation (what’s even better is you can pick up some of the venison sausage in the store as well) The last visit my wife had the ploughman’s lunch and it was enough to feed a battalion. The cheese was local and amazing. If you are in the area do not miss it

Interesting and varied menu in an intimate, cosy setting. Excellent choice of wine. Would thoroughly recommend. Price was very reasonable

I'm a bit confused as to why this place has a name-change, depending on the time of day you visit,,,...

This is a lovely little Bistro with amazing food and friendly staff, the cocktails in the evening were lovely and...

Small Bistro part of the village shop, but providing great lunches and service. Fish & chips cooked perfectly and Cullen...

We turned up at the Bistro around 8:15 on a Sat night. No reservation. There were 9 of us and we knew we were pushing it to find a table at such short notice. No problem for the awesome staff at the Bistro. Menu was excellent. 8 of us ordered something different and each meal was a success.

Delighted to have this local place re open.The new Bar is lovely! New menu beautiful.Service attentive but very relaxed.

When travelling down to a holiday rental in Dunoon from a recent visit to Inveraray, we stumbled quite literally into one of the most fantastic eateries We have ever had the pleasure to eat in.The owners have put a lot of thought into the design of the new bar with a great selection of cocktails, malts and gin. We stopped on the off chance of getting a takeout sandwich but ended up having supper. We were surprised to find that they were still serving (and happy to do so)We had a selection of tapas to start and I had the Cullen Skink, quite honestly, the best I have ever had and that is saying something as I live not far from Cullen.Good luck for the future

Stopped by here for the second time after driving from bute. The first visit we ended up walking out because of the waiting time , we didn't even get a hello never mind getting served. The second time a take away tea and a pack of smoked sausage £4.50 the must be having a laugh, no wonder the place is dead . Will be good to see it finished.

Totally unexpected, went into the shop for some firewood for rental cottage in Strachur - decided to give coffee and cakes a go. Very friendly, brilliant homemade shortbread and cake, very good coffee, and made an extra jug of hot chocolate for our little boy - which they refused to take any money for. Decided to go back for breakfast, great pancakes, bacon & maple syrup. Next time will make sure we make an evening meal.

Stopped off here for a cuppa on our way to Arran. It is the local shop and Post Office so very much the centre of the village. Staff very friendly and helpful. We just wanted a scone and a cuppa and it was all very good. Recommend.

Visited this bistro on a Saturday evening after arriving at our nearby rental cottage. We weren't sure what to expect but the food was absolutely fantastic, well presented and delicious. The children's meals were large and the children really enjoyed them. Service was very friendly. It was just a shame that there were so few customers on a Saturday in August. We are planning another visit before the end of our holiday and would wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant.

Stopped in here for quick coffee and cake but ended up enjoying a great lunch!Stornoway black pudding with poached egg to start followed by venison burger, salad, home made chips and a fantastic red onion relish. My wife had Cullen Skink and it was wonderfully creamy and very tasty. We finished with cakes and tea and I was ready for a long nap!Great friendly service, fantastic food and, really, a little gem of a place nestling on The Secret Coast of Argyll and Bute. Next time is an earlier visit for the full Scottish breakfast. Can't wait!

Excellent quality food in tiny restaurant which is attached to the local shop/post office. Very pleasant service on a Saturday evening which deserved a bigger patronage. The wine is from a brief list but very reasonable compared to the usual restaurant mark up. It's only open on Friday and Saturday evenings which is a shame.

Me and a big bunch of friends visited here when we were on holiday and the food was fantastic. Great prompt service with a smile and I will definitely go back.

Fantastic food and a great little place. Staff were all kind, food and drinks were served quickly. Highly recommend for families, friends and couples! Would definitely go again.

Had a lovely lunch at the bistro today. Tasty soup, sandwiches and fish cakes. Excellent service. Busy at lunch time and a great place to relax and warm up after a walk in the rain. Highly recommend.

My partner and I had a fabulous meal here. Cullen skunk to die for very tasty and creamy. Lambs liver with onions and saute potatoes from McQueens butchers on the Isle of Bute, cooked to perfection. Drambuie Chicken delightful. Lovely relaxed atmosphere, so glad this is on our doorstep.

An unplanned stop, but well worth a visit. A relaxed bistro that shares the same premises as the village shop. The staff couldn't have been nicer. They were accommodating and friendly without being overly familiar. The food is good, one of our dishes we served on the cool side, but with no drama it reappeared piping hot and tasty. The tablet is excellent.

We stopped hear for lunch and the food was absolutely great well worth the stop and will go back when in area they are all very friendly and helpful

I visited the Bistro this bank holiday weekend with my friend after it had once more started its Friday and Saturday evening service after the winter. I am very pleased to say that the standard was just as high as it was before the winter. My friend and I had a beautiful meal. There is a good, imaginative choice with locally sourced ingredients with the food presented and cooked perfectly. It is very reasonably priced. We came away having had a very pleasant evening. We shall be back often!

anyone who has travelled to Scotland will confirm that the food and cooking there is one of the greatest delights. We stayed in Strachur for one week, had lunch once at the café, I can safely say their fish cakes are sublime. But my friends, if you love a soft warm fluffy scone with clotted cream and jam as well as a delicious refreshing cup of tea in cosy, unpretentious surroundings.....no stress, cute, satisfying. Wish this place was back home.

Another pleasant night at this small bistro where the chef creates an amazingly varied menu well presented by an attentive staff. There was a good atmosphere as the place was full. Only doing special nights at the moment as off season. The curries were very good with small but good value wine list. Worth a visit.

Pleasantly decorated Bistro, popular at lunchtime, afternoon (best cappachino in Argyll, great scones and cream), and we attended the Valentines Dinner. The place was packed, had a superb atmosphere, with so many locals who chatted after their delicious dinner was over. We had a very interesting Game Terrine, Beetroot Soup, both had Roast Pork, Italian Style, Exotic Fruit salad to finish, then petit fours made by a local expert, dash of Expresso, and a free dram of decent whisky. My comments are valid as we live along the front so use it fairly often at different times. Being transported there and back was a welcome bonus as we then enjoyed a bottle of wine, (or more). Looking forward to summer when the Bistro will be open on a more regular basis. Great to have 2 good eating places in Bonnie Strachur.

Had lunch at the bistro today, and it was wonderful. The smoked fish sandwich was amazing, and came with great fresh chips. The chowder was also fantastic. Service cheerful and efficient. Highly recommended.

Had an amazing Valentines dinner at the Bistro last night. The mussels were to die for. The food was lovely. So well presented, it looked like it just popped out a magazine, and it was all delicious. Great food, great atmosphere, great staff. Would highly recommend you give this wee slice of heaven a try. x x

Very good food, very good menu and very warm and welcoming service. I can recommend a visit here in Strachur, Argyll.

What a wonderful lunch we had here on our way over to Portavadie.Beautiful split pea and smoked haddock soup and smoked fish sandwiches served with proper hand cut chips - yum!! Too bad we had no room left for cake but the coffee was great - next time we'll hit the sweets :)Highly recommended.

We have visited the bistro for many years now , and it has always been good. It was taken over about two years ago by a fantasticly stylish lady who has done great things with it. On arrival you are always made to feel welcome and the standard of food in the bistro is one of the best. Nothing from Dunoon to inverary can give it a run for the money. Keep up the good work , we hope all continues to go well for out of the blue bistro..

Went for dinner. Lovely setting, great friendly staff but more importantly fabulous food - smoked trout pate, venison casserole, cheese(lovely smelly Camembert) and white chocolate cheesecake-delicious. Staff willing to go the extra mile (the st emilion wine!). What more can I say?

A great wee Bistro with fantastic food and very pleasant staff. Food was so good we decided to book a table the day after. Great value for money and a good choice of affordable fine wine. Would definitely book a table on our next visit to Loch Fyne.

Well what can I say,I was staying in the village for the weekend visiting family.we ate here on Friday night,I had the balmoral chicken,this was excellent after this I had citrus tart..I could have done seconds.it was that good we decided to go back for dinner on the Saturday,steak followed by sticky toffee pudding..outstanding,keep up the good work guys.

My husband and I were told about this bistro by friends and booked a table for Saturday evening.I can not praise this little place enough, (Beautiful food) I had a steak which was cooked to perfection, my husband had the Lamb which looked amazing on the plate and tasted fantastic (I stole a piece), our desserts where tasty and beautifully presented, you could tell they had taken time on presentation,we had a bottle of wine which was lovely and very nicely priced, also the lovely waitress made us Irish coffees which we always struggle to find in restaurants and they where perfection. We had a wonderful evening, the service was so friendly and delightful we had a good giggle with the lovely waitress in Blue. Also to top of a brilliant meal the chef actually came to our table to ask how our meal was, THIS to me shows a chef cares about his food and not just getting food out as quickly as you can,he was also a lovely man who was obviously well experienced in cooking. This bistro is a little Gem and i would love it to be down the road from me :( We will defiantly be back to Strachur and back to Out of The Blue Bistro.

Having visited this village on several occasions, passing through to elsewhere, I'd never really considered stopping there to dine. I was encouraged to try this bistro by a friend who had eaten here and was full of praise. He explained about the warm and inviting ambience, the friendly waitresses and genuinely exciting menu (apparently changing each week) . He also mentioned the chef (Noel I believe ) created some of the best looking and tasting meals in Argyll. During my visit, Balmoral Chicken and Mushroom Soufflé were on the menu, along with Rack of Lamb and a Venison Casserole. All extremely reasonable. He is well travelled so I had to take this seriously. He was absolutely honest with his review for me, so hopefully I am doing it justice to say, out of all the bistros, restaurants, Inns and hotels I have visited and frequented in my years on the road, this was, without doubt, the best I have ever experienced. They also do a "not to be missed" Scottish Breakfast. Which I had to try the next morning. Incredible!Bravo to all staff and thank you for a wonderful experience. I'll be back!!

We are Strachur resisdents and made our first evening visit to the Bistro for a meal last Friday. We had heard good things around the village about the quality of the food and we were not disappointed. It was a relaxing evening, with well presented, tasty meals. One of us had a steak that was cooked perfectly. We shall return regularly with this standard of food on our doorstep (and, importantly, with sensible prices to boot).

my husband and i went to out of the blue in strachur as we had seen the reviews and thought we would give it a try ourselves. my husband had the duck and stornaway black pudding starter and i had the special french onion soup. we both then had the fragrant chicken thai curry. both starters and the curry was out of this world. both waitresses were very attentive and couldnt do enough to help. the restaurant has a warm friendly atmosphere and you dont feel like you are being rushed through your meal for the next couple coming in. all in all very reasonably priced, good food and great atmosphere and staff. would recommend to everyone and will defo be going back in the not to distant future

Feel I have to spread the word . . . cant keep this secret any longer. Only open Fridays and Saturdays for dinner in the evening but does really good lunches and superb Capachino coffee every afternoon. So new yet already a regular favourite with locals. Nowadays it is the first stop for locals rather than the well-known hotel just along the road which most of our friends now stay away from. Food a hit and a miss.

Dined here on a Saturday night. All tables were taken so pleased we booked. The menu is well balanced and has some adventurous cooking as well as the staples of quality steaks and fish and chips. The menu changes weekly and and has a choice of five or six starters,mains and sweets with sides on top.The wine list is small but reasonably priced.Open only on a Friday and Saturday nights for dinner but 7 days for lunch.Recommended.

We had lunch here the other day, and had absolutely amazing food.We had their fish chowder, which was historic, followed by the most fabulous fish club sandwich. It was so tasty. Absolutely delicious.The service too was excellent, and really I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough.Try it for yourselves..........

It's a privilege to be the first to review this new bistro. Amazing, friendly service, very relaxed atmosphere. They are very new but already better than the other "competition" in the village.We dined as a 6, service was quick, drinks and food were reasonably priced and very good. The only slight criticism is that portion sizes were good but could be proportioned better (it might be an idea to order veg / chips with the steak for example or for the bistro to offer salad /sauces).Otherwise this was a very enjoyable night out with good food and very friendly service, highly recommended.