The Balavoulin Restaurant in Highland

We spend three nights here during our Scotland hiking holiday. The room was nice and clean. Bed was comfortable and spacious and the shower tidy. The breakfast menu offers a good choice of meals. We couldn't have breakfast on the last morning because we had to catch a train and the were nice enough to make us something to go. Highly recommend. Great beer garden as well.

I had dinner here (no overnight stay). Got a burger with fries and a Belhaven beer. The burger was a bit cold, nothing special. The fries tasted like fish (from the fish and chips), which was not fortunate while eating the burger. The beer was not gassy at all and had a weird retro-taste. Honestly, one of the worst beers I ve had in years. I would not suggest this restaurant.

Lovely meal great service. View from window table a beautiful cherry blossom 🌸🌸

Terrible service. Stayed for dinner for a party of 4 and they switched the football to another match for one guy drinking. Poor service

A great place to spend time with friends. Also to eat tasty food. Although the service itself was very slow. A perfect place for match fans, four large TVs :)

A busy pub/restaurant but food was excellent as was the service.

Cannot fault this place, as usual the food is lovely, and the service was first class. If you haven't been, you're missing out.

Arrived on the May Bank Holiday Sunday, despite being very busy, they took the time to accommodate me, as a sole diner. Service from Charlotte. Iain, and Tamara was fantastic. Food was superb. While watching the Chelsea v Liverpool game, Starter of Prawns came with toast to dip in sauce which set me up for Bal burger with an addition of Highland Fries... a fantastic accompaniment. Very filling and tasty especially with the additional bacon and cheese... paired with 16 yo Lagavulin. Delicious.

A cracking pint in a warm friendly pub.

Stayed here while faring the Speyside Way from Buckie to Newtonmore. I have no real complaints (maybe some constructive criticism) about the room. The room was a bit small (the bed was equally cozy), but clean and with no audible noise from the downstairs pub.

Lovely friendly staff nice clean place with great food

Had a fabulous meal here on Saturday 26th April. Lovely place. Lovely staff. Dog friendly. Highly recommend, will definitely be back soon 👌

Visited with my husband and my dog. Lovely staff and a varied menu. Hubby had haggis pakora as a main and I had gammon steak. Both lovely and lovely coleslaw with the gammon.

Excellent. Nothing too fancy. Just honest pub and grub.

Came for lunch, service and food fantastic. Definitely be back x I had soup of the day, hubby had special sandwich, kids had a toastie and blt, everything was great, chips were forgotten but very quickly arrived. Could not fault anything

Stopped for lunch, great service and great food.

Stopped in here for a meal when passing. Warm , busy day in aviemore so it was busy. Did g friendly, which is always good. Nice selection of food. Big portions, especially the sharing tacos. And a good selection of 0% drinks for us drivers.

Good sized portions of solid pub fayre. Staff were attentive and friendly. Can't go wrong with this one!

come in for food to be seated at a dirty table. then we looked at the menu but told the waitress we wasn’t ready to order. Not even a minute later, was asked again. Our drinks were taken even though they weren’t finished with. The haddock tasted like it had been soaked in oil for 3 days and the burger just fell apart. I was still chewing my food but a waiter wanted to take our plates, making us feel very rushed. The sticky toffee was so dry I nearly choked and the cheesecake had no flavour at all. Was given the bill which was £100 and then waited nearly 20 minutes for someone to come and take payment. Staff weren’t friendly what so ever. Would not recommended

Service was very quick, even though it was busy and food was lovely. Plenty to choose from on the menu and decent sized portions. Puddings were lovely too!! All the staff were really helpful. Great place to eat!

Absolutely fantastic very busy Still sat us down with my puppy dogs allowed in bonus. Very patient couldn't do enough I have colitis chrones disease and they made my order to suit me and wasnt looked st any differently loved the menu. Good prices to wonderful atmosphere always busy I would ring in advance next time it gets heaving Thanks to all the team and chefs.

I've been there with a friend for a Sunday Roast. The plate was fair, but not varied. I would expect more vegetables. It was tasty though!

Fantastic busy bar and restaurant

Advertised as a sports bar, and advertised that they are showing the six nations but they wouldn't turn the music down so we could hear the sport. If you want to watch sport go elsewhere.

Typical pub grub menu. Good value. Nice atmosphere, wasn't too busy when we were there. No complaints from us. Service was prompt. Food was very good (large portions).

Great lunch! Good sized portions and fantastic service. We were really looked after and enjoyed chatting with the staff, who were really friendly and loved dogs. Will revisit again when I’m back in Aviemore.

Good portions, excellent sevice

Amazing atmosphere and food. Friendly welcoming service.

We had a great meal- lovely fresh homemade meals. Plenty of choice on the menu and friendly helpful staff. Great value for money.

Nice food and drinks. Good service. Over all great atmosphere.

Great bar. Lovely food and friendly staff. Six of us just ate here and all really enjoyed what we had. Good choice on the menu. We recommend the burger, soup, toasties, pizzas, fries, nachos, slaw. All great thank you and served promptly by helpful staff.

Good atmosphere, wonderful Fish & Chips & superb environment for families and friends alike!

Stopped in for food and a drink great food and service highly recommended 👌

Not exactly dog friendly. We went in for a table, it was busy but there was free tables, we were told to come back later as we couldn’t sit at the free table due to having the dog with us… yet there was screaming kids throwing food on the floor at said tables in the ‘special area’🙄

Busy when we went in 17.30 but quiet by 21.00 in ki

We were a table of 7. Restaurant was really busy and very noisy with several dogs and TV with football on. Difficult to hear the conversation round the table at some points. We were informed that there was no chicken, no steak pie and no salmon left as they had been really busy. Surely they should take into account that it's a busy time of year and be better prepared. Most of our group ended up with burgers and I had Mushroom Risotto which was really a starter but they said they could do it as a main course. Well I've yet to find a mushroom .... It was basically soggy rice which tasted of gravy granules. I notice that previous reviews have mentioned how scruffy the staff looked and I have to agree. All in all a very disappointing experience and one which we won't be repeating.

Was in here for lunch visiting the area with my uncle and cousin from Australia. We asked if they would be showing the Liverpool game later on and they said yes, so we came back later in the day to watch the game and it was on, not the best angle anywhere to watch it and the bar manager changed it over whilst we were watching it to the celtic game, even though there were already other screens showing the celtic game. My uncle went to ask about it and the manager was very rude and said he won't change it back, so we left. The service we did receive was crap, the guy just slammed stuff on the table.

Best nachos in town! We always visit here when we are in Aviemore for their nachos. It's also dog friendly, has a great atmosphere and friendly staff.

booked a table way back in october to be turned away because we have 2 dogs when it states in a dog friendly restaurant. was told i didn’t let them know I had to dogs when email states two dogs per table. very disappointing

Very good service,very good food friendly staff our first time we will be back

Great place with excellent food! Busy at times so would recommend to book but a favourite we return to every time we're in the area!

After a very cold & rainy visit to meet the reindeer in Aviemore (which I also highly recommend!) my family and myself were in much need of a wee spot of lunch. We were recommended to go here by the lady at reception at the Cairngorm Herd. We had a party of 8, 5 adults & 3 kids, and were delighted they had a table available to fit us all in. The atmosphere was cosy, warm and inviting, staff were really friendly & helpful and the food was INCREDIBLE!!! The restaurant/bar was decorated beautifully for Christmas. Every single one of us left saying that it was the best meal we have had out in years!. The whole hog burger was the best burger I’ve ever eaten! Others in the party had fish & chips, pizza and nachos sharing platter. Fish & chips was delicious, fish was clearly very fresh and batter absolutely perfectly crisp. The nachos were insane, done exactly how nachos should be! Pizza was incredible. Plenty of options for the little ones too. Huge thank you & well done to waiting/bar staff and chefs, you guys really delivered! It’s another excuse to visit Aviemore again that’s for sure! If you’re visiting Aviemore, or need an excuse to visit, this place is an absolute must!! 🙌🏼😋

Food was lovely but service was awful. Had to ask for the bill at least 3 times before we got it. Totally ignored cos we were not with a big party. Also no steak pie. Totally disappointed. Won't be back.

Stopped off here for a quick drink while in Aviemore. It was fine, not to busy, but disappointed with the lack of real ales available. Staff were friendly enough.

Nice spot for a pint and some food, plenty options! Nachos always go down a treat. Atmosphere can be hit or miss sometimes, personally not a fan of allowing dogs in the restaurant area, bar staff could be more attentive and take some more pride in their appearance!

A great place for dinner with good vegetarian options. We went on a Sunday evening and had the roast (husband had chicken and I had the vegan which was really nice!). Good portion sizes for children’s meals also. We’ve been to Aviemore several times and this is one of the best places to eat. Great service. Would definitely recommend.

Was there to watch a rugby game. Cool vibe

Friendly staff fitted us in even though it was busy. The menu is pub grub, and the variety is limited but adequate, if on the pricey side. Our daughter and I went for kids' and adults' fish and chips. The batter was greasy/oily (both in texture and appearance) and the fish and batter needed a lot of seasoning as they were pretty tasteless. Chips were dry, as if they'd been kept warm for a while - certainly not freshly cooked. Not inedible by any means but very disappointing especially given that it cost nearly £18 for the adult main. Highlighted it to the server when the plates were cleared - wasn't looking for a refund or reduction but felt it should be noted. Be aware that 10% is added automatically to the bill as service charge. This is printed at the bottom of the menus.

Lovely staff, great service, lively bar, good beer, very average food

It is what it is - a teenage burger and pizza joint. Nothing to delight discerning grown ups at all. Very disappointed as had high expectations from some of the reviews I had read. Perhaps others had lower expectations. Probably the worst pepperoni pizza I’ve ever had - stodgy and tasteless and obviously frozen and straight out of a box (probably from the bargain section of a cut price local supermarket). Complete waste of money. Save your hard earned cash and spend it in some of the other (very decent) eateries in Aviemore

Quick and friendly service and the special pasta and meatballs was excellent. It is also dog friendly. Update 12th Nov 2024. Friendly and fast service, dog made very welcome, but a pub with 3 real ale pumps and a BIG sign roadside advertising Real Ale, really should have at least one available, even in low season. The Heineken also tasted strange, but the barman didn't seem interested. Didn't stay for good due to lack of the advertised Real Ales

Great food, nice service and a beautiful setting. Definitely one of the best meals we've had in Aviemore. We went as a group of 7 and everyone enjoyed their food.

Great service and atmosphere. Prices good too.

We have stayed here many times and love it. This time we chose a king size room and it was great. Not a massive room but good size with a huge bed Spotlessly clean Restaurant is great as was the breakfast. Looking forward to our next visit We will keep going ba

Food was brilliant and staff friendly such a comfortable place

One of the best places to eat and drink in Aviemore! We come here every time we visit, food and service is always great and they are super dog friendly.

Had dinner here on 30/10/24. All in all a very disappointing and chaotic experience. Although the individual staff seemed very nice none of them seemed to know what was going on. On top of this the food was pretty poor given general standards available around Aviemore. Such a shame as the place could be great. I also felt really bad that the table of visitors from Virginia and Philly who experienced even worse service than we did. I will try again as I like to support local business and hope for better next time!

Lovely food. The pulled pork topped burger was delicious. Fast friendly service. Good value for money. We will be back. Thank you

Booked a table for an evening meal based on a recommendation and it was great. The food and drink choices suited us all, there's a great selection of burgers and pizzas. They also have dietary information available, and have gluten free and vegan options clearly labelled on the menu. The team working here are very friendly and welcoming. It's also dog friendly.

Stayed for 2 nights to celebrate my birthday. Good room and enjoyed the bar lots of dogs and a big log 🔥fire. Food was excellent too.

Service was slow for drinks even though there was plenty of staff.

Popped in for a drink when in Aviemore. Lovely pub, dog friendly, good atmosphere

Centre of town service fantastic, burger was amazing and with great chips busy with great atmosphere would definitely visit again

Still my favorite pub in Aviemore.

Good food, great service and dog friendly 👍🏻

Went in for lunch, 6 adults, 3 kids and a dog. Hadn’t booked but the staff were so welcoming and helpful, putting 2 tables together for us. They even brought treats for the dog! Food was amazing, most of us had the toasties with mugs of soup, we also ordered fish&chips and spicy fries, all of which were very tasty. Friendly staff, lovely vibe, log fire, clean toilets.

Dined as a couple with a 3 year old. Atmosphere in the bar high octane with big screens showing football, and some large tables. Service reasonably attentive, though some youngsters who were really just cleaning tables and not taking orders / in need of further training. Ordered the sharing nachos - big portion though key ingredients (e.g the nduja) was missing! So it was just chicken with usual nacho toppings and a drizzle of sriracha for c. £16.00. Given sizeable starter, we both ordered the Caesar salad for main. One of us got dressing on the side and thank god we did. The other was ABSOLUTELY SWIMMING in the dressing. Just looking at it was off putting, and this was after us discussing how dressed the salad was with waiter for the other one of us who asked for it on the side. Despite it being clear hardly any was eaten and stating to waiter that it was way too dressed, the £12.50 was still on bill. How forceful / direct do you need to be to get it removed? Desserts were OK - sticky toffee pudding and bread and butter pudding. Both had chocolate chunks in them and were a bit dry - should just stick with the original recipe like Cairngorm Hotel Restaurant along the road which offers same desserts, cheaper and tastier. Overall, an underwhelming experience and £80 weeks won’t get back.

Had the bestest ever nachos .for 2 people..more like 4..more 🧀 than I've ever had.. amazing..and friendly staff

Came here after poor experience at nearby Cairngorm Hotel. Met by staff member who couldn't have been nicer. Lunch menu not extensive but fine for a lite bite. Freshly made soup and toastie, houmous roast veg wrap hit spot. With drinks (pint cider and pint coke plus 2 coffees around £33) Food fresh and tasty, portions decent value for money. Didn’t love wooden plates but not end of the world. Relaxed and nice vibe, good coffee too.

Good little hotel in Aviemore. The rooms are small, but have everything you need and are clean. The breakfast was excellent! No buffet but you could choose from the typical Scottish breakfast dishes. The staff was also very friendly and explained everything essential during check-in. The dinner offered was also very tasty. The price is also absolutely right. There were sufficient parking spaces available.

Went in for a pint only to be told it was plastic glasses only..even inside. 2 guys next to me got served pints in glasses so I pointed this out to the bar man who told me ‘they were locals’. Whatever happened to first come first serve. Toilets were absolutely disgusting.

Great lunch. Very friendly staff.

We had a very warm welcome at the Balavoulin. Lunch was tasty with the fish and chips being especially good. Definitely worth a stop when visiting Aviemore.

Very nice pub and B&B. The food is good and the atmosphere relaxed. The staff was friendly and helpful.

Very helpful, pleasant staff, good, reasonably priced food, nice clean and comfortable place either good atmosphere. Very dog friendly.

Nice place with very good pizza. Lots of people so it might be good to book a table in advance.

An ideal pub meal. Busy but well staffed. The food was great as was the service. Good value and offers veggie food. The menu offered a good selection of Scottish comfort food. It was busy and quite noisy but it had a good atmosphere.

Very nice place Seems to be very popular! Good pizzas!!

Readily accessible within Aviemore, walking distance from rail station. Rooms clean with necessary facilities and TV with a healthy number of channels, kettle with a variety of tea, coffee, chocolate instant drinks, and Walkers biscuits. Restaurant appears.very popular and does a number of higher quality pub meals very well, alongside a selection of pizzas, starters, and desserts. Service is prompt and with the right mix of professionalism and friendly welcome. There is a healthy range of breakfasts available for residents. Overall it seems a location that confidently does what it aims to - not a posh hotel but good food and good accommodation.

Very good food here and it was served very quickly. Bala Burger was very good. The beer is a little expensive. Good experience overall & dog friendly.

Had dinner on a Wednesday evening. Food was excellent as was the service. Good cask ale as well. Very welcoming for our dog too. Best of the three restaurants we visited in our short stay in Aviemore

Wowwww the place to enjoy a good whiskey excellent food well done thanks to the whole team

Always popular and busy, outdoor tables for nice days/weather. Dog friendly and family friendly. Lovely location and area, on the Main Road by all the shops. Sport shown on TV . Had fish and chips, and the fish was big! Both of us, and a big fish each.

Vibrant, busy, full of character . Well managed so you don’t feel the staff are under pressure. Good and prices very good.

Excellent food and quick and friendly service

Popped in her for a local pint and spoke to a young lady named Zoe. The pint was lovely. Atmosphere was great and the information zoe gave about the cairngorm national was very helpful. Try this location in the centre of Aviemore.

3rd aug visit - Booked for 6.30pm & allocated 2hr slot, served promptly and food ok. Wine was not chilled and staff wouldn't change it... at 7.45 they told us they needed the table back at 8pm but didn't offer dessert menu which we asked for and just stayed on til we were finished. Table next to us complained of getting moved on after 1.5 hrs too... This place will continue to be busy enough thanks to its location but we won't rush back or recommend.

Had a nice meal but not a lot of selection. Good service but 10% service charge added to bill automatically so look out for that .

1st time here after many disappointing meals in the area.. Friendly good service, very good New York sandwich and amazing chilli fries, will defo be back..

We had an reservation and were early. Couldn't go to an empty table which was empty for the whole night. Dog friendly means that you are dining in between barking dogs. Food was mediocre to average at most.

Friendly staff and delicious food. It was busy but the staff were on the ball with table service. They went out their way to make things easy for us dining with an ASD child. Amazing service.

We had lunch and dinner here, and both times, the food and service were excellent. Can't fault it. Just be sure to book! Dog friendly too.

We would highly recommend. James made the visit most enjoyable with his friendliness and very accommodating. Breakfast was delicious also a thank you to suzy the housekeeper.

Dire customer service - or a complete lack of it, as well as good manners and politeness. The bar staff seemed in no way interested in paying customers, repeatedly declined to serve food to polite and respectful customers. It beggars belief. They repeatedly discriminated against myself and others who came to eat and drink there - limiting the menu options and putting conditions on what we could order - treating us differently to other paying customers. We have come here several times and received the same treatment each time - with no explanation. Would not recommend to anyone if I was starving and dehydrated. Would go out of my way to tell friends and family to avoid this place like the plague.

Terrible customer service, tried to eat here a couple of times and they have either flat out refused, or decreased the number of menu options, despite the kitchen being fully open to other customers. The bar manager has no manners, avoid this place, especially if you're not a local.

Half of tables were empty when we came at 7.30pm, they told us we need to wait till 8pm if we have no reservation. Not possible with 2 small hungry kids. Checking reservations online, the place is booked for days. So nothing for a spontaneuous visit, and I don't like booking a non special place well in advance when on holidays (come on this is a pub with a menu like any other pub....its not a gourmet restaurant!)

Busy bar and restaurant, dogs allowed, usual tasty pub grub, plenty of parking, best to book in ad advance

Visited while I was on a weekend getaway with my wife the place is very nice great food and as a bonus you can even take your dog in as well and he loved it too

Nice place to have a drink or eat. Friendly welcome and friendly place where everyone is welcomed with open arms, dogs and cats included.

Thank you and thank you again to The Balavoulin for saving the day. When most of Aviemore seem to be closed (Tuesday evening) this place was rockin with a great bar and very tasty food. Great portions and excellent service with cheery helpful staff. No more to add other that get a table booked next time you are in town.