The Balmoral Bar in Aberdeenshire

Amazing Food, Large Portions and Great Service. With such a large crowd on the first night your staff coped amazing well with getting everyone's meals out in a good time. It was great also that we were kept informed about the meals coming out, great communication Rachael. The food was delicious, I am only sad that my two grandchildren - normally big eaters - were not on form on the night and left quite a bit on their plates. This was in no way an indication that it was not fantastic food, but the very opposite as normally their sibling or parents would have polished it off but were very full after their own dinners! Thank you so much for making our family night a great success.

Absolutely amazing spot for a drink and food! Delicious homemade shortbread served with our coffee and amazing soup joined with our panini! Regret not asking for the soup recipe! Overall amazing experience with lovely staff and cosy family vibes!! Would definitely return for another visit soon!

Been to the balmoral last 2 nights with family after a weeks stay in Balleter and I must say the staff are friendly and the food has been amazing!! I would definitely recommend a visit and we will be returning in February on our next holiday. Complements to the chef for the outstanding food.👏

Great service and very good food

Lovely pub, great food, great atmosphere friendly and efficient staff. What more could you ask for 😊

Perfectl pub. Great food, great service, great beer!

Went to Balmoral after a day walking. Warm and friendly bar. The staff all work really hard. Making sure everyone is ok. Food is fab. Highly recommend the scampi and curry. Was so good went back following night for live band playing, Was great night too. If your around Ballater, this is the place to visit.

An absolutely outstanding place in Ballater. Me and my family were up for the week and no other place even compared to the Balmoral Bar. First off, the chef Kev personally came out and congratulated us when I proposed to my now fiancé. That's just the start of the experience I had there. Perhaps I'm just remembering it fondly due to the proposal, or perhaps it was, in fact, the best curry I have ever had, courtesy of the chef, Kev. Second, the service was excellent, Kamila was the friendliest person we've ever had the pleasantries of meeting, though we could tell the second we walked in the other girl was also geared up to serve us and had a beaming smile! The locals were the nicest people as well! A gentleman named Ryan (who seems to work there!) was on his time off, and helped me organise the placement of the ring in the wine glass - just like the films! Kamila and the other girl were happy to help get the bar quiet while the proposal happened as well, it may have embarrassed my fiancé a bit, but a yes is a yes! Now onto the food! I myself ordered the lamb curry, and my wife ordered a classic British fish and chips. When the fish came out, I thought perhaps we had ordered 2 given the size of it! My fiancé described it as the freshest fish she's had, and upon having some myself, I am inclined to agree! Again, a massive thank you to Kev the chef for providing an incredible service. My lamb curry was very spicy (as I expected, given the warnings from the staff!), but my, oh my! I have never felt more flavorful spice in my 38 years of life! The lamb was fiery but the fragrant flavour of the jasmine rice complemented it perfectly. I had heard prior to coming here that the curries were a fusion of taste, but this is an experience to feel first hand! What more can I say other than, Kev your reputation precedes you! After the meal and proposal, we stayed for a few drinks and had an incredible time, again, the locals were incredibly friendly. However, be warned travellers, a man called Sandy WILL approach, and he can speak for Britain lol! He was a lovely man, just a bit chatty! Other than a slightly chatty drunkard (lol!), the vibe in the bar was brilliant, not a single thing to say other than we had a brilliant time. We will for sure be back again, as soon as possible, as long as Kev the chef is still there! Don't stop making those curries Kev! 10/10, I would give an 11 if I could!

Our first visit and won't be our last. Great food at reasonable prices. Really busy with both locals and tourists on a late afternoon/early Sunday evening. Highly recommend.

All 6 had a superb dinner with excellent service. The Scampi and chips were delicious, the steak and ale pie was very tasty and I had the gammon from the specials board which was amazing - the staff were very accommodating for us and 2 dogs - thank you

We visited because of the great reviews on Tripadvisor and we’re not disappointed! Great food, great service, cosy pub - absolutely recommend!

Buzzing wee bar on a Thursday night. Staglff and food are great. The portions are very generous, I did not need the side of onion rings with the steak pie despite everything being delicious. Really good pub food.

Absolutely terrific. Friendly warm atmosphere and wonderful food (steak pie and onion rings were excellent).

Visited here last week. My wife had king prawn scampi and I had chicken curry - both were absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection. Staff really friendly as well and a great atmosphere. Very impressed and would definitely recommend and visit again should we ever be in Ballater again!

Great little pub with lovely service and the food was good too

Decided to go here on a whim. Ballater is a cute little town with lots of people out and about. We were able to get seats at the Balmoral Bar right before the rush of people came in. Think everyone had the same idea after the games. A very lively place with lots of locals and tourists alike, lots of kilts were sported. Service was very good and the food was your average pub food and hit the spot perfectly for us. Looks like a fun place for drinks and hanging out in the evening.

Top pub with very good food, great value for money. Super nice staff. Top atmosphere. Always a recommendation.

Lovely atmosphere- food good - be careful if you ask for extra spice in your curry 🥵chef is a delight as are all the staff

Very nice, very English atmosphere 😄

Beautiful pub, the service was also very friendly!

Great bar food at a very reasonable price. £40 one course lunch for two including drinks.

Great place for a meal. Nice atmosphere, nice decor, and friendly attentive staff.

Staff were friendly and attentive and the food was delicious and came out quickly. Vibes were wholesome in the pub, with lots of dogs around and friendly locals.

Ultra friendly staff and other customers. The dog was really fussed over. Food and beer was great as well

August 2024. Visited again today with my son and my daughter. Great jacket potato with tuna, very substantial. Chicken burger was large and good and a nice bowl of chips too. They are so welcoming of dogs, my chocolate labrador always remembers that they give her treats here and a nice bowl of water!!! August 2023. Visited with our son and our dog. Burger was really nice and chips were great too. Service was quick and staff were happy and welcoming. Lovely waitress offered our dog a treat and a bowl of water. The chef even came out and asked if he could give her some chicken. Very sweet.

Typical Scottish pub with cricket and golf on TV.

Excellent service and really good food. The atmosphere at the pub is very cozy and friendly.

Really nice. Friendly staff. We didn't eat here but food looked great.

Great dog friendly place for tasty food and a drink. Lovely decor, relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff who brought water over and biscuits for our dogs. Will definitely be back.

Very good pub with good pub food. We found the food and drink very good and the staff was very friendly. The recommendations for which whiskey depending on your preferences were great and it tasted very tasty!

Couldn't of been more accommodating. Squeezed our family of 4 in even tho the tables were reserved. Even served the kids food right away so we all finished at same time. The venison burger was amazing. All served with a smile. Reasonable price too.

Heel toffe en gezellige zaak, vriendelijk personeel. Snel bediend, en erg lekker gegeten. Typische pub food, maar heel degelijk. Best wel reserveren, de zaak zat helemaal vol met eters.

Ambiance tres chaleureuse , delicieuse cuisine ( curry d’agneau et ribs ) genereuse et d’un prix tres abordable. Service sympa Dommage seulement qu’il n’y ait pas d’Irish coffees

A great place to stop for a drink in beautiful Ballater!

In m6 opinion by far the best pub in Ballater. Great, friendly staff. Excellent atmosphere. Very reasonably priced good food.

Good service nice girl good food I recommend the onion rings 💪🤙

We stopped here for lunch after visiting Balmoral Castle and were greeted with a lovely warm welcome. Attentive table service and delicious food. Highly recommended

Great boozer in a lovely wee town.

First class informative friendly staff. Food stated as all homemade, this being the reason if you have to wait. A bit of an exaggeration, pizza bought in, frozen cold veg with steak pie. Soup, sandwich plus the burger good. Warm and friendly atmosphere

We were able to get a table last minute- great place with loads of locals. Great food!

Very well run pub. Staff, friendly & efficient. Tables always cleaned after every customer. Staff happy to bring over drinks when they bring food. Meals really good. We had the curries several times, both chicken & lamb really tasty. Other meals looked very good. Always busy. A credit to the owners.

I was on a daytrip to Balmoral, and we stopped in Ballater for lunch. This place was recommended by our guide Alex D. He also recommended the Cullen Skink, being a local delicacy. He was right about both. The food was plentiful and amazingly good. Happy to dine here again.

I'm so sorry that the staff were so short on the ground and were getting frustrated when we were paying our food account Remember, customers are what keeps your business operating.

We stopped in here on a recent stay in Ballater. The bar is nice with a mixture of locals and tourists. Staff were friendly and service was quick. There was a good selection of beverages and we even managed to get some scampi fries, bonus. We did not try any food but what was going out looked nice.

Venison burger absolutely delicious, highly recommend.

Friendly staff. Good wine and beer.

Had a couple of pints in this wee gem , was up in Ballater staying before hiking the next morning. Definitely be back 🙏🫶

Could not get served at the bar, no free tables, no seating, very noisy & smelled of fried food. Fine if you are a local, but not welcoming for a tourist, sorry nil points...

Only been in a couple of times for drinks. Good selection of drinks and a really nice atmosphere.

Lunchtime pint and a bite to eat. Guinness was spot on, we had the Steak Pie and the Macaroni Cheese with bacon - both excellent

One of my favourite jaunts up the Highland way. Great staff, great food, great banter.

Genuine Scottish bar with great service and delicious food ☺️☺️☺️

A really nice pub. The chef came to give treats to every dog. Staff was super friendly and welcoming. And the food was absolutely recommendable (venison burger, steak pie) and very, very good.

What a gem of a find food was first class really good value for money and the staff are fantastic

Had a bar lunch and service was really slow from bar staff and kitchen alike. We waited ages between courses which was very poor. Chips were luke warm and dissapointed as they were aldi's skinned skinny chips. A £60 bill 3 courses for 2. A bit pricey and expected better quality for the price paid.

Had a soft drink and a sandwich at lunchtime. Thought it was a bit pricey. Decor did not seem to inspiring but is probably OK for a few pints.

Fantastic food in this bar! Truly delicious. After a long hike we were quite hungry. The steak pie and the beef lasagna went down well. Really enjoying it! A dog friendly pub with some screens to watch sports. Staff is very friendly and even the chef came out of the kitchen to ask if everything was to your liking. The sticky toffee pudding is really, really delicious. Do order with cream instead of ice cream. 100% would come again.

Excellent staff, in a nice and pleasant atmosphere with a good choice of food and drink.

Great pub friendly staff and excellent food all day

a real fun Pub, friendly service, delicious food and good beer. Right in the center of Ballater, perfectly for a stop and rest. I really enjoyed the lovely chat with of of the patrons, when I had a sip this year. Superrefreshing.

Food was beyond lovely! The best restaurant in here! Highly recommend will not disappoint you! Freshly made food I’m in heaven! Taaa xxx

Great pub with great food and beer choices. Pity its not a little bigger as it was so popular but the waitress informed us as soon as a table came free and kept it for us.

Fantastic place to eat and drink . Food prepared by Trevor is excellent and the owner and staff are friendly and welcoming . Can’t wait to see them this weekend .

We stayed in Ballater for a week. Came here 4 times!! Loved the food, the service and the atmosphere!!

Terrific food and great service, only reason atmosphere didn't score so high was it wasn't busy, being a Tuesday lunchtime.

Large selection of drinks, excellent food and the corresponding pub feeling. Despite many visitors, the friendly staff found a table for us. If you like it quiet, this is the wrong place for you. In any case, we were very satisfied here.

Amazing staff, very friendly and helpful great food fantastic atmosphere 10/10 - 100% recommended

Just ideal! Highly recommend if you are looking for good food, friendly atmosphere and attentive, happy service. Happy to accommodate us with younger children and a dog. We'll be back 👍

We ate here as part of weekend away. Really good pub grub and super friendly and welcoming service.

A very 'welcoming' bar with delightful and efficient staff and the food was fantastic. Highly recommended.

In for a spot of lunch, food ok, staff friendly. Only full fat milk for coffee & coffee put back as not hot enough, even second attempt wasn’t that hot

Had no food but drinking there was great

As it was Saturday it was quite busy but we got a table. The staff were very nice and a shout out to Ryan & Ellie. We really enjoyed our lunch and the tea was excellent, a nice big pot and lovely and hot on a cold day. We will definitely return.

Proper Scottish pub with delicious food

Great food and friendly service

Had a lovely meal great portion sizes Made our dog feel very welcomed Would highly recommend

First class service and food with a friendly family vibe. It made our day out will definitely return here 5 stars. Also the Town is beautiful and clean with a friendly warm welcome.

Lovely pub lunch, delicious lunch, friendly staff 🤩

Nice food and reasonably priced. Nice beer too and a decent pool table. We had haggis balls and Cullen skink. Couldn't fault it. Cullen skink was lovely. The staff were great, very friendly.

Visited the Balmoral Bar for lunch on Sun 18 Feb 24. Fast, friendly and efficient service from both Ryan & Angus. The food was excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. This has become our destination of choice when visiting Ballater because we are never disappointed.

Great ambiance good traditional pub with quality food. Clean toilets. Nice staff well organised. Clean. Allow dogs. Shame about owner eating her own food on the bar. Would greatly benefit window update to give more curb appeal.

Great pub food, friendly service and nice atmosphere 👌. Great curries 🍛 😀

Had a nice lunch at the Balmoral Bar today, and service was good from both from Kamila and Rebecca .....Would definitely return.. thank you!!

We’ve visited this place many times. Most recently in Feb 24. Consistently friendly atmosphere with attentive staff. The food is excellent and it’s a nice touch to have Trevor, the chef, appear after you’ve eaten to ask if you’ve enjoyed your meal. We were served by Ryan who couldn’t have been more helpful, our deaf black lab really enjoyed the biscuits ;) Thank you all.

Great pub for locals and visitors. Excellent friendly atmosphere with great food and great beer. Dog friendly as well.

Been in twice now for lunch and the food is brilliant, really good tasty meals, great service from the staff, if your in Ballater looking for a decent meal this is a great place to go.

Had a great meal,l. We were well looked after by Ellie and food from the Chef was delicious. Delicious pub food in a warm, friendly atmosphere. Don't miss it while staying in Ballater.

Our new local when we're in Ballater

Great pub, great food, l9vely atmosphere so good we kept going back

Great early dinner with family who are up for the weekend to visit. The service was amazing, so accommodating and friendly! The food was equally as good! Our family were really impressed with our 'local' !!

very good food staff attentive

Would highly recommend eating at the Balmoral Bar. The food was excellent with the chef taking time to ask if we enjoyed it. The bar staff were friendly and couldn't do more to help. Overall my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our lunches there and will definitely come back.

Best wee pub! Always a friendly atmosphere with amazing food and entertainment. I love the Friday karaoke nights or when there is a live band playing on a Saturday night. The staff are lovely and go the extra mile for you!

Nice wee bar. Food was defo better than expected.

Popped in here for a bite. Great country atmosphere with tartan decor. A nice homely place. The food was excellent. I've never seen a chef serve you the food and check on you through your meal in a long time. A pleasant surprise. Has a fair set of balls and obviously confident in what he does which is refreshing to see. Thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Defo recommend this place.

Super friendly staff. Great food, Cullen Skink AND Haggis good bons

Lovely food, fresh and tasty. Quick service and reasonably priced will definitely return. Free parking across the square in car park

Lovely food good staff enjoyed lunch

I wandered in on a Monday night and couldn’t have had a better time. Ryan was incredibly knowledgeable about whisky and Trevor let me try two of his amazing curries. Everyone at the pub was welcoming and friendly. I’m so glad I ended up here. The people made it a highlight of my holiday.

Fantastic, just what we needed when having a weekend away with our 3-month old. Food was excellent, a broad selection of traditional pub grub. Service was also excellent, and also a broad selection of draft beers and other drinks. We liked it so much we went two nights in a row. Nice and busy despite being out of season. Highly recommended.