The Black Faced Sheep Coffee Shop & Emporium in Aberdeenshire

I have eaten and shopped at the Black Sheep for many years. It has always been a great place to visit. However under the new management of Morag it has improved considerably. It is now an even more inviting and exciting experience.

Absolutely delicious- everything. We were a hungry bunch and all the food was fantastic but a special shout out to the cheese scones - best ever!! Lovely staff and great shop too.

Just had the most amazing lunch here - honestly couldn’t fault it. Had such a lovely welcome, and we all enjoyed a very relaxing lunch in such a friendly place. Had the smoked salmon bagel - the salmon was beautiful, and the side salad so vibrant and fresh. Every element was incredibly tasty. Thank you all so much for such a memorable experience - already looking forward to coming back!

Delicious soups, great cakes and excellent coffee, all served by friendly staff. A repeat visit to a “must do” location for lunch in Aboyne

We only bought some souvenirs for home but the ladies in the shop were really nice. Very welcoming and the cakes all looked fabulous. It is a pity we did not have time for a coffee.

It was difficult to decide what to have as all the cakes looked so good. The scone I had was delicious and the ambience welcoming and relaxed. The gift shop has lots of beautiful things to browse/buy. My favourite coffee shop and place to go for gifts.

Beautiful lunch and very well presented in a lovely setting and warm and friendly atmosphere. It was a real treat to catch up with friends over half a carafe of delicious house red.

The coffee, cakes , atmosphere and service were excellent. We were in Aboyne for a short break and unfortunately found this gem on the last day. Good luck to the new proprietor of this excellent cafe

Had a fantastic lunch today with family. All the food and cakes were delicious. Bread is made fresh on the premises. Lovely coffee and great atmosphere. Highly recommend, worth a visit. 5 ⭐️

What a great find this place was. My wife and I went here for lunch and were not disappointed. My wife had the mushroom soup and homemade bread which was delicious and I had the smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel with salad which was equally as good. Lovely staff and atmosphere. I would definitely say that this is the best cafe in Aboyne and we have been to them all. We will definitely return.

We arrived at the café having just suffered a breakdown of my husband's trike right outside the shop. It needed repairing and we were on our way to our holiday destination, so feeling quite stressed about finding a solution. While we had the most delicious soup (it really was good, despite the stress I was still able to appreciate it!), the staff were so helpful trying to figure out bus times, local garages and in the end even arranged for my husband's trike to be stored in a secure space behind the café. Thankfully we managed to get a lift for my husband via a local Facebook group, but we really felt cared for by the Black Faced Sheep staff - thank you!

Fantastic customer service, great coffee and amazing cake. So good in fact have ordered a coffee and pecan cake for a family gathering at the weekend.

We ordered 2 filled rolls for lunch today as take away. Absolutely horrified at the price for such tiny rolls. My prawn and garlic sauce was at least tasty but was a tiny piece of filled baguette. My husbands roast beef was on an even smaller piece of baguette (the size of bread you would expect as a side with soup not as filled roll), and it was literally just dry roast beef. Nothing else, no sauce or anything. Both came with some crisps and a tiny bit of green salad. As we did not open the boxes until we were away from the shop I was unable to return it but if I had still been in the area I would have been asking for our £15 back.

A very quaint and cute coffee shop. Attentive and friendly wait staff. Great cheese toasties and do yourselves a favor and try the carrot cake. THE best ever.

We stopped in for lunch without a booking on a very busy bank holiday and the staff couldn't have done more to get us seated and served - five adults and two small children. We were served quickly - always a godsend when you have young kids in your party - and the food was very good. The cakes were particularly tasty!

This is one of the most disorganised cafes I've ever been in , the staff seem to be in a world of confusion even the simplest order seems way beyond their way of thinking. All very pleasant I may add but the confusion is frustrating .

First visit for ages superb service great coffee earl grey tea and lemon cake to die for.. busy place for late on a Friday afternoon

An absolute timeless classic. Every visit is consistently fabulous, and the staff are wonderful. The toasted cheese was amazing, as with the brooshetta. SambucaPranws is a big fan!

First time visit since the start of covid. As usual made very welcome coffee and cake was superb as always huge selection of cakes all made in house.

Having driven from Banchory to Ballater with a 2 year old and everywhere being full we decided to head home and stop at the BFS for a take-out lunch. First indication that something wasn't right was the fact that there were only 3 customers. Ordered 2 salmon and cream cheese bagels, 1 bruchetta, 1 Ham sandwich, 1 mushroom soup and 2 ginger beers. Total cost £45, gulp. But that would have been ok, except... They had to change the bruchetta as no chicken. Ok. Invited to browse the shop whilst we waited. The goods on display were filthy and I mean at least a couple of years worth of dust and grime. Took food home after the 25 min wait, unpacked it and we all just sighed. Mushroom soup had a thick covering of oil and was amazingly tasteless. Bruchetta was served on normal sliced bread, bagels were not fresh and fillings were definitely scrimped on. The ham sandwich was the only decent thing however apparently a slice of orange, 1 slice of cucumber and half a cherry tomato constitutes a salad. Oh and the ginger beer was a bog standard can that costs £1 in the local shop but they are charging £2.50 a can for it. Really don't know how this place has got the good reviews but hey, lesson learnt, won't be returning.

Nice wee coffee/gift shop in the centre on Aboyne. Coffee really good, cake was good, staff really nice. Was let down by the Scone being on the small side and a bit dry. Will definitely visit again though.

Called in with our dog - who was welcomed - for a late lunch. Service was excellent and the breakfast (at 2.00 pm!) was superb. We also ordered a hot chocolate, which came with a small dish of freshly whipped cream, another small dish of chocolate dots and a Cadbury's Flake! Such decadence!! Just what we needed on a very cold, bright day. They also have a very good emporium selling quality throws, cushions, lamps and china - and more. A really lovely place to visit with great food and attentive staff.

Tremendous food that’s also a bit different- great for break, lunch or afternoon tea. Friendly and efficient staff and a shop to browse trough as well.

We stopped here for a light lunch and were surprised by the choice available. Food and service were good. Ideal for coffee or a light meal.

Popped in for lunch for 4 plus dog, what a great choice. Service was excellent throughout and food was outstanding. We all enjoyed our main and cake. Coffee was outstanding and after commenting, the owner took time out to come over and explain where he sourced his coffee from, nice touch. We are back in are Easter 2021 and will be making a return trip for sure.

Probably the cosiest coffee shop in Aboyne. The food is lovely and it’s a very pleasant place to unwind for half an hour or so

This is a d.elightful shop and cafe. The staff are friendly and helpful. The food was gorgeous and fresh. Well worth a visit

Unique coffee shop perfect for a drink and cake after a walk in nearby woods. Nice flat white and the special strawberry cake worth a mention.

Stopped her three times - never disappointed. Great Service and choice of food. Warning: Scones go quickly!!!!

Very good coffee shop with suitably trendy and, it has to be said a bit pricy, menu. My americano served half full with wee jug of hot water, never Thad that before. Only had scones so canna comment on the food but looked very interesting and cosmopolitan.part of the shop sells nice enough upmarket house wares and small furnishings. Repro, nae really my thing. Big BUT . Saturday morning in February and it was really quite cold. Aye jackets kept on cold. Hmmmm.

What a selection of cakes and with great staff serving you' this place is a real find. Loved the spiced apple cake.

Really enjoyed our lunch at the Blackfaced Sheep. Delicious bagels and the side salad the dressing on the salad was beautiful and not overpowering! Waitress was lovely and efficient (quite busy shortly after we arrived). The shop also has some quality and beautiful items, could have quite easily walked out with half the shop! Will be returning!

A regular coffee stop over several years. Very good coffee and tasty home bakes or a light lunch. Interesting collection of ornaments and small household items too.

There were four of us - two Brits, two French - looking for somewhere in Aboyne to have lunch. We had been recommended the Black Faced Sheep and given directions but we still nearly missed it even though we were standing outside it. Don't be fooled by the exterior; it really is a restaurant and coffee shop.The food was simple yet delicious and not too pricey. The service was friendly and efficient. The shop (for it IS a shop too) had some high-quality items which we were tempted to buy. Good place for non-tacky presents.

nice beer, seafood, read of paper and picked up a few nice prezzies to take home. worth a visit to shop or eat. staff really great

Been here before and decided to try it again as the last time the cafe latte was very good, made to barista standard. No such luck this time, coffee scalding hot so burned my tongue and mouth. Cake was nice but not worth £4.50

Cosy. Pleasant stop. Good food. Well worth finding this eating place. Enjoyed mother coffee and tea.

Coffee great as always. I was doing Veganuary - and there was nothing vegan on offer to put on my bagel - no non-dairy spread, or vegan jam. Otherwise, attentive service and conscientious kitchen staff who helpfully emerged with a spreadsheet displaying everything on the menu with related allergies/special diets. But still surprising that vegans aren't catered for - come on BFS, keep up with the times!

Hello foks well what can I say about the Black faced sheep nestled in the heart of Aboyne apart from best coffee and best service for miles it truly is.The sheep isn't just a coffee shop it is as it says an emporium selling all kinds of quality items for the home but where they really shine is the coffee and the food its simply fabulous.Whether its a quick coffee and a home bake or your looking for a nice lunch and place to relax the sheep is the place to be.Mark and his crew especially mark are serious foodies and this is reflected in the sumptuous choice of peti pans breads soups and cakes on offer all I will say is you will not be disappointed everything that is served up is top quality with a capital T excuse the pun the menu is varied and theres always something for everyone/The décor is relaxing and theres always mellow music playing in the backround so when you go in you really just want to relax.As I said the staff are tip top always on the ball taking care of your every need they really are great I could go on but ill just say folks if your ever in lovely Aboyne stop by and sample the sheeps delights well worth a visit regards barry

This is a very popular cafe on the main road through the attractive village of Aboyne. As well as being just a cafe however, it also houses a shop that stocks a reasonable selection of gifts, cards, home-furnishings etc, and, although not huge, is worth a browse.

Am a huge fan of this coffee shop and always call in when we're in Aboyne as food and beverages are normally excellent. Disappointed today. Whilst the coffee and pecan cake was fresh and tasty, my latte was barely warm enough to drink. I could see into the kitchen from my seat and watched and heard a waitress removing a hair from a piece of apple cake served to another table - not nice! Think a bit of staff training is needed.

Stumbled on this little coffee shop whilst in Aboyne. Ordered a cappuccino and a mocha, with a cake to share. The drinks were superb. Made with a good Colombian coffee and the mocha was with real 70% chocolate chips. The best mocha I have had in a long time. It is also a gift shop, selling wines too. Came away with a good bottle of fizz!

cheese on home made foccacia bread - fab, really enjoyed it. lovely little homeware shop to browse at the same time.

We just had coffee and scone and it was lovely. All the food on the menu sounded just as tasty. Lots of beautiful things to buy in the shop from olive oil to soft throws.

Excellent coffee and bagel stop. My café latte was just perfect. The service was friendly and efficient.

We were desperate for lunch midway through a very long bike ride and were welcomed in (with muddy clothes and a muddy dog) to the cafe to have some hearty soups, sandwiches and hot chocolates. Very nice food and friendly staff.

Good range of tasty snacks and coffee with friendly staff. Shabby chic house wares for sale as well. No complaints at all, well worth the visit.

There are not many dining locations where you also have the opportunity to browse a lovely selection of decor and gift items - all are mouth watering. There is a substantial choice of delicious natural flavoured dishes for lunch and I believe dinners are occasionally available. Homemade bread of great variety can accompany a delicious bowl of soup, but as an alternative opt for the cheese and ham toastie and do arrive hungry. A great selection of salads and also home baking. Friendly service.

Good coffee and lovely snacks and cakes make this a good place to re-fuel. Service is quick and cheerful. Well worth a visit.

Stylised menu with owner Mark adding wine knowledge enthusiasm.

just to pretentious and expensive quite drab really classical music on always got to say the foods great the owner knows his stuff but to expensive sorry oh great coffee

Been going here for over 20 years and the standards have never slipped. The staff are always very helpful and the service is excellent. food also great been here si often over the tear and never had a cols coffee yet!

Good, but wee bit overpriced food, in vibrant surroundings. The gift section always offers something interesting to look at/purchase.

Had a light bite soup and Sandwich for 2 and caffieter of coffee was very nice, and the service very well mannered and prompt certainly recommend

El negro daba ovejas Cafetería funciona como una tienda que vende productos de buen gusto del hogar. Tuvimos un excelente café rápido pero el bollo de acompañamiento no era nada especial. El servicio era excelente y el entorno relajante. Quizás porque fuimos hacia el final...

Después de oír cosas buenas sobre este lugar a lo largo de los años tal vez mis expectativas eran un poco alta. Nuestra visita de hoy tiene sin duda sin embargo resolvieron. Onu - servicio tranquilo y atrayente, comida de muy mala calidad a precios...

Intentamos almorzar aquí pero acabamos yéndonos antes nos sirvieron.

Very nice café and 'emporium'. Ideal for lunch or Tea/coffee and their home made cakes are always delicious Only criticism is it's a bit pricey. However I always visit when I am in the area!

A quick stop for us on a pre-Easter visit, and it was back to an old favourite here - the smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel, while my daughter had a tomato and mozzarella salad. It was delicious, with a lovely salad, and really lovely mustard and olive oil dressing.But it's the cakes that make this worth the trip. Really delicious, many gluten and some dairy free (although served warm with mascarpone, which surely misses the point...). And the cheesecake. Died and gone to heaven cheesecake. They also do take away - for whole cakes, if you order in advance. Saved my bacon at Christmas this year, and I took full advantage at Easter again :-) "Why yes, this delicious, melt-in-your-mouth-best-you've-ever-had cheesecake WAS home made. I'm so glad you like it!" Yes, I'm probably going to hell, but it will be with a happy smile on my face!lovely little shop too - good place to shop for Christmas presents later in the season!

Good atmosphere, but highly over priced for what it is. Only certain types of scones on certain says??? bizarre!! Friendly enough staff. Wouldn't rush back.

Went with my mother in 70s as a treat and we each ordered the Toast and Cheese. 2 slices each and side salad . Over inflated prices and they have an air they doing you the favour . Won't be ordering food again - perhaps just tea or coffee

Been going to Black sheep for more than 20 years. Nothing has changed great food great staff. Great choice of sandwiches and Paninis

We stopped for a light lunch and chose the broccoli and Stilton soup with warm crusty bread followed by chicken liver pate and oatcakes whilst also sampling the cheese on toast with ham and mustard -all absolutely delicious. This venue offers an excellent selection of freshly prepared dishes accompanied by a comprehensive choice of beverages. The setting is always welcoming and each visitor should also spend some time browsing around the home decor shop whilst there. A must visit destination if you are in the vicinity.

This café appears to be busy all of the time and see a constant stream of people in and out. Mostly locals which is always a good sign. The food menu was basic but well presented when it arrived. It was good value for money although the sitting arrangements are a little cramped.

Thanks for a quality Lunch and taking time and patience with my 95 year old mum in your busy resteraunt.

I have eaten at the black faced sheep before but came today with my family. It was fairly busy but we got a seat and our order taken fairly quickly. However the food took a ridiculously long time to come, especially considering my young children only wanted toasted bagels. We were literally about to walk out, totally fed up when the food eventually came. The food was nice but it didn't make up for the length of the wait and we felt the staff although they apologised, couldn't really care less. Needless to say we won't be back

If you want lunch at this place, turn up early or be prepared to wait. It is very popular!! The kids had cheese sandwiches exactly as youngsters like them. Nice white rolls, nice medium cheddar. The grown ups had an excellent array of sandwiches including bagel with cream cheese and poached salmon and a posh ham and cheese toastie. We all then had truly remarkable cakes. It's not cheap, but it is excellent and has a great and friendly atmosphere.

A quaint wee coffee shop, with friendly staff and a great selection of 'lite bites' and 'melt-in-the-mouth' cakes. Busy but not rushed. A fabulous emporium to gaze upon before walking off your lunch.

Lovely little coffee shop with great staff, fabulous food and a shop I always struggle not to buy something in. Lovely setting x

Popped in to this coffee shop for a morning coffee. Could not resist the idea of ginger bread. It was well up to expectation. Service was quick and efficient, very pleasant staff. Lots of nick knacks on offer in the shop and a wide range of greetings cards. I found a perfect one to buy!

Great coffee and the best cheese scones I have ever tasted! Waitress was so helpful in recommending places to visit and to eat.

Popped in for tea and delicious scones with two friends and my baby grandson. Service happy and friendly and the baby was admired - always a good move!I was stung on the hand by a wasp and the waiting staff produced some antihistamine ointment and even gave me a little extra to take away for later!What service! Thank you.

Regular visitors for morning coffee - good coffee and cakes but slightly expensive.Excellent shop for browsing

Stopped here on the way to a walk in the hills nearby. Coffee and cake - great. Nice setting and great service.

Visited last week whilst in Aboyne at a meeting. Food was nice but very overpriced. Menu not huge so I chose chicken petit pain which I hoped would be hot but it wasn't and with a small salad cost near £8. My colleague had a cheese and ham toastie at a similar price and wasn't anything special. Didn't have time to explore the shop but it looked like there were lovely gifts to buy.

Recently visited with family ( two young children)First impressions: cramped. Intrigued by "emporium " I love shops with unusual items but there was an odd mix of what looked like second hand and really expensive ? Not sure what it's trying to be!Possibly removing this part and adding more tables would be better.No highchairs which is a shame. We would have probably bought more and stayed longer if there had. Not sure why. Possibly children not welcome?Very expensive coffee and cake. Cheese cake one of the best I've had.

A super menu offering a wide variety of local food and cakes. Helpful friendly staff and good value for money - a must visit if in the area.

Regularly order a take out which is the same price as sitting in, we ordered 4 chicken petit pans, which is a soup roll filled with chicken and some salad on the side. Which came to 29 pounds! I usually don't mind paying the hefty price but today noticed the portion sizes had define try been cut. The girls are usually very polite and give you a decent size portion for your money but I've noticed if it's the owner an older man he is very rude and gives you small portions, he always makes you feel like it's an effort to serve you a take away. But it's a service they offer and charge full price for so it shouldn't be.

As a person who lives locally and has visited the BFS several times, i found on this visit that the portion sizes had shrunk. I had the tomato and mozzarella bruschetta, which tasted great but was lacking in size, especially for paying £9. Despite this, the Chocolate Rum and Orange cake was delicious as always!

Was there today and as always staff very friendly and helpful coffee and cakes were superb as always been many times when in area always make a visit

We dropped in here for a coffee but could not resist the homemade cakes as well. We were rather mud spattered having cycled from Ballater but were still made to feel very welcome. The shop was full of tempting goods but we could not carry these on the bikes so perhaps we will return for a longer browse and a lunch.

Tried here for a light lunch after some hillwalking nearby. Easy parking nearby. Soup and bread was excellent followed up by coffee. The specials on the board looked really interesting and will give them a try next time around

After visiting Balmoral we stopped in for lunch. We enjoyed soups and salads. The cakes looked yummy, but we didn't splurge this time.

We stopped here to refuel on a cycling trip. Very pleased we were sent here by a local we asked for a cafe. Friendly, comfortable, clearly popular and great service.I had the baked cheesecake - a real one!

We were recommended this cafe by the woman who ran our B&B and weren't disappointed by the quality at all - it's homemade and fresh produce in a lovely characterful little tea room. It was, however, slightly more expensive than anticipating for rural Scotland and wouldn't go here every day for that reason!

What a lovely coffee shop, very quaint with home baked food, priced reasonable. There are also crafty things to buy, lovely although not cheap.

I live in Aberdeen and occasionally drive out to the Black Faced Sheep with my friends and family. We have been coming out for years and always receive a very warm welcome, a delicious meal and more often than not something rather special for my home. This time it was beautiful shabby chic cushions and the time before a fabulous lamp. I searched high and low for a beautiful lamp and here I was spoilt for choice. The cakes are absolutely scrumptious I don't understand how anyone can fail to be impressed. I am going to visit again very soon because I am going to introduce, yet another friend to this very, very special Deeside treasure.

It was my first visit but I was expecting great things. My friends whom I was with said the cakes were to die for and someone else had advised me to go here The emporium was an eclectic mix of interesting goodies but the goodies I really wanted were in the coffee shop. We ordered two different cakes between the three of us and to say they were dry would have been like saying the Sahara Desert was moist and the only thing that was remotely moist was the icing on the cakeWhen paying the bill, I was asked how had I enjoyed myself. I commented that we found the cakes dry and was told that was unusual and she would 'let them know'

This is a gorgeous homewares shop with cafe. Beautiful rugs, cushions, lamps, gifts etc & tasty coffee, lunch & cakes (including gluten free). Definitely worth visiting if you are passing through Aboyns

Every time we visit Aboyne we go to the Black Faced Sheep for lunches and coffee and cake, their chocolate roulade is to die for! The gift shop is a real treasure trove and worth a wonder round.

Good for a coffee. Comfy, just past mid range for price. Friendly clean, comfy, and relaxed. Fine food.

Friendly service, delicious cakes and excellent coffee and hot chocolate. Reasonable prices for good quality fare. Lovely and very tempting gift emporium which overlaps with coffee shop. Recommend to anyone visiting Aboyne.

Attended the Black Faced Sheep Coffee Shop for a lunchtime treat, as a result of being given gift vouchers. Having been a couple of times before, it always appears to be busy and this can prove a problem if you just decide to pop in on the off chance. Some of the seating is a bit cramped, but no doubt this is to try and accommodate everyone. On the day we attended - mid-week - we found service to be very slow prior to having our order taken. Food was tasty, but we were not re-visited by a member of staff to see if we required anything else. I.e. Another coffee or a cake? As punters were still crowding into the Coffee shop, we decided to collect our bill, pay our dues and leave. It will not figure on our list of regular local places to choose to have a snack or lunch, unless we are lucky enough to be given vouchers again.

Very, very bad, unpleasant attitude from a young female staff member who really needs to learn about good customer service. Truly appalling and, as a result we will never return.

After a walk along the River Dee this Wednesday myself and my husband stopped in for some coffee. We were welcomed by a waitress and told the specials for the day. After perusing the large choice of cakes we decided on a chocolate almond torte and the special for the day, a peach and raspberry cake. Both cakes were served warm with cream, which was absolutely delicious after being out in the cold. After finishing our cakes and coffee we settled up at the till where the waitress who initially greeted us was more than happy to provide suggestions on walks we could go on in Deeside in the future.

Firstly, I want to say that prior to this, The Black Faced Sheep was one of my favourite spots on Deeside for coffee and a fine piece. After the experience I had today, I will never return. Myself and my father went in mid afternoon, it was relatively busy but we got a table through in the back room. The young waitress who initially served us was pleasant, we ordered a coffee, a hot chocolate and cakes.The ‘hot’ drinks arrived promptly but unfortunately were lukewarm. A different waitress had been taking an order from the table opposite, so as she passed us, my father caught her attention and politely explained the problem, asking if the drinks could be heated up a bit.“Two Seconds” was her response, barked in an obviously irritated tone. She left the drinks in situ (despite having 2 free hands) and disappeared.A few minutes later she stormed past our table on the way to a neighbouring one saying “Someone will come and get them in a minute”.At which point I offered, pleasantly, that there was no need to make fresh ones, a quick buzz in the microwave would be fine. WELL….Her response to this was to spin on her heels and glare at me whilst delivering the following, in a tone which had now deteriorated into flat out rude with a heavy dose of contempt:“Yes but I’M serving someone ELSE just now so someone will sort it out in a minute, OK??”Shocked by her attitude, I replied ‘Yes no problem’ in a tone which indicted that I may be losing my patience with her somewhat. After she had finished serving the neighbouring table, she again stormed past us, very purposefully caught my eye and shot me the most filthy look!!? Unbelievable!!!!That was the last straw, we got up and left. We bumped into our initial waitress on the way out, who looked startled and asked what was wrong, I suggested her colleague may want to ‘adjust her attitude’. Which, considering the treatment we’d just received, was an understatement.I actually wish now that I’d made more of a scene and demanded to see management but I was so appalled I just wanted to get the heck out of there.I’ve worked in Hospitality, I dine out and coffee out often and I can honestly say that I’ve never, in all my days, been treated so badly. It was completely disgusting, unnecessary and why someone with no front of house skills is permitted anywhere near customers is beyond me.As someone who has recently moved back to the area, this episode has lost them what would have been regular custom.

Having visited this cafe a few times before, my partner and I visited on a quiet Tuesday lunchtime. We both ordered tea on arrival whilst we looked at the menu.Service was very slow as there was only one waitress attending to three tables whilst at least three other staff were in the kitchen.Anyway, when we were served I promptly ordered the chicken and ham platter (£10.99) and my partner requested a cheese platter but asked if she could have some chicken liver pate as her second filling. Now, my partner loves pate but wished something more substantial than the pate and oatcakes (£5.99).Well, the young dark haired waitress thought for a moment before saying that it wasn't possible to serve pate on the platter as they were different prices. We explained that the pate was to be as a second selection on the platter (you can choose two of meats/cheese/fish from a small selection).Nope, she wasn't for budging, she simply told us it was not possible to have pate on the platter, even though it was as a second selection and we were paying the platter price.So my partner then said she would just have a cheese platter but was told there was no cheese!! Okay, we said, we'll just have the pate and oatcakes (£5.99).A minute or two later another waitress was clearing the table next to us and we quietly asked her why it was not possible to have some pate on a platter. Well, the dark haired waitress (whom I'm now thinking may have been the owner's daughter but only guessing) stormed across and asked us abruptly what was wrong. Well, she knew what was wrong and again explained that 'the kitchen' couldn't include pate on a platter. At this time I asked the pleasant blonde waitress for a glass of water. This waitress was sympathetic but didn't get the chance to say anything because of the other one.Another ten minutes without food and we decided enough was enough and that we would just settle up and leave. The dark haired waitress met us at the till and said 'I'm sorry you didn't enjoy yourselves' and again blamed the 'kitchen'. I asked if I could speak to the chef/owner but she said he wasn't in the building and then admitted she was 'the kitchen' and that she made the decision that it was not possible to have pate on a platter. The whole saga but was quite unbelievable. Anywhere else would just have substituted a filling for the pate rather than make you choose the pate starter, which was actually £5 cheaper! I also told her that I hadn't been served my water at which she snapped 'which waitress was it'. I told her which one and also told her that the reason the poor girl forgot was because she had flown across the room and interrupted our conversation so she in fact was to blame.Anyway, we were charged for only one tea but I said how disappointed we were and that although we were return custom that we would not be back again. We left as she gave a cheeky, sarcastic 'bye'.Well, I hope her Dad (if it is his daughter) or whoever the chef/owner is reads this because if that's the service people get when he's away he needs to have words with this arrogant and nasty staff member.We took our trade to Ballater where the staff at The Bothy were only too pleased to see us and serve us a lovely meal in a welcoming and bright atmosphere.

Trendy, great food and coffee. Excellent gift shop and always busy. Can't be getting it wrong.Have visited a few times and would recommend to any visitor. Sometimes difficult to find good lunch spots in this part of Scotland .Well done !

Homely and well run. It is ery quaint indeed. Interesting menu. Friendly staff, inviting and warm. Worth a visit as the shop has unusual gifts

Great place and very good food. Service was slow though with staff spending time preparing take away coffees which resulted in us not getting our table cleared and giving up on our own coffee. Couple of extra staff and the experience would have been perfect.