The Buchan Hotel Restaurant in Aberdeenshire

Stayed for 2 nights and enjoyed it very much. Room was not huge but comfortable. Staff very helpful. Food and service all good value for the price. Will return.

Had a very nice lunch at this beautiful hotel. Although at the start they appeared to be short staffed, the young lady was very nice and the food was fantastic. Good price too. Happy to recommend.

The hotel room was tired, carpet stained and walls marked. Bathroom dark and shower loose fitting. Please see photos. Wouldn’t stay here again

So disappointed this visit - Sunday lunch carvery -not the food but they charged us full price for a 92 year old half portion and £8 for a 1year old tiny bowl - the small fish and chips £10 was smaller than child portion - I paid it and wrote to them pointing this out - they have not replied so if they treat regular customers like this sadly we will will not be back .. I even sent nesssge on Facebook checking email address was correct - so disappointed

We chose make a 5:00 booking on a Sunday for dinner. The staff was very friendly and we were seated within minutes of our arrival. I mentioned to the waitress that I had an allergy to paprika as well as plant peppers (red/green/yellow), and she returned with a menu that had most options crossed out. I questioned some of the crossed out choices, and she assured me that the chef had told her that they should be eliminated. I had requested the poultry Sunday Roast, but she returned to tell me that there was no more. So, I decided on the small pork Sunday Roast. When it was served, the pork was cold, but the vegetables were hot. The cold pork concerned me as I had no idea how long it had been sitting out since it had been the Sunday Roast Special. I ate very little, but did enjoy the vegetables. This meal was near the end of our 2 week trip to Scotland, and I had not encountered another restaurant with so many limited food options. In fact, in one instance earlier on our trip, the chef went out of his way to make me a special chicken meal with mushrooms to accommodate my allergy. Although I would never expect such treatment, I do have to admit that I was extremely disappointed by the limited options the Buchan Hotel Restaurant in respect to my food allergy. I can only presume that the food is not made fresh for presentation. Paprika can be in broth based foods but generally is an added garnish. Since I cannot guarantee that meals are fresh, I would suggest you keep that in mind should you choose to dine here. Of course, there is always dessert. And, as I mentioned I can't fault the wait staff as they were very friendly.

We had the most amazing meal here-quality-presentation absolutely was anazing - 5 stars and we will defo be back - can’t rate it highly enough -service was great too

We had beautiful cakes and scones all washed down with tea and coffee yesterday at the Bachan Hotel. We were a party of 30 but the service was smooth and courteous and the staff very helpful and friendly - Thank you for making us so welcome, we will see you again x

Over the years we’ve enjoyed so many lovely meals but tonight we came after not being for a year and was so disappointed at how much the menu had changed and the quality of the food which has gone really downhill. The beef steak pie was very bland and had a horrible fragrant taste. My friend found a long hard bit in hers which was very off putting. My other friend received a plate of vegetables which hadn’t been properly prepared and had been left with the pepper seeds in it. They had also run out of a sauce but didn’t try to substitute for something else so was a very dry bland plate. The sticky toffee pudding was actually really nice but the brownie was served without the extras stated on the menu. Such a shame as we used to love a visit here but would not return or recommend anymore.

Best Roast Dinner I have tasted in the North East! I was so surprised to find this place with such a great roast. It used to be a carvery but according to the friendly waitress, they have a new chef (Bob) who is shaking things up in the kitchen. I love a roast dinner and this one I had today was second to none; the beef was pink and soft, potatoes tasted amazing, the parsnip purée was so rich and the best bit (which is the hardest) was the gravy. It was obvious this was no bisto, it was sooooooo rich and flavoursome, it complemented everything. Add the skirlie and spiced red cabbage and the deal was done. It was £15 as well, total bargain. I’ll be back to try the pork next time. Cheers Buchan team.

Very nice hotel in a great location. The food was wonderful as well as the service. I would have loved to stay longer.

Good value bar meals lovely beef steak pie and my niece loved their kids sausage kids meal as there were 3 sausages. An ideal tea when doing a split day

Service was practically non existent, table of 12, 3 courses served and only offered a round of drinks once, starter and dessert cutlery dumped on table, we were never asked if our meal was okay yet - shocking customer service. Carvery meat was hacked instead of sliced and potatoes and vegetables were all overdone. Very disappointed!

Great hotel, staff incredibly friendly & helpful. Centrally situated. Room was very comfortable, very quiet, nice big shower & lots of hot water. Parking & a lift available. Their hidden secret is their chef Gavin. Wow!! What amazing food. Soooo delicious. Everything from the porridge & properly poached eggs for breakfast, to the outstanding food he produced for the wedding we attended.

Came for a meal at the weekend, felt completely safe for covid lots of space between tables. Food amazing, service really good only had a main course as the portions so generous couldn't manage a desert. Will definitely be back.

Perfectly cooked ribeye steak, and haddock and chips. Great table by the window overlooking the Ythan. And the Covid precautions were first rate.

Wanted to give it better marks but Katsu Chicken burger pretty much just looked at the Katsu Curry and chips really “dry”. Though side salad was super with nice addition of pea shoots! (From someone who normally doesn’t eat the side salad!) Lost marks for still using single serve sachets of vinegar/ketchup/mayo etc which isn’t only frustrating when you can’t open them, but far from environmentally friendly.

We decided to try the Buchan as we hadn’t been for a while . Sadly it will be a long time till we return. The food when it arrived was passable. I had a mixed grill my wife tried the Haggis chicken . Tasty enough but nothing to write home about. Then we made a bad choice, we ordered a sweet. I can appreciate waiting a while for the main course ( which we did) but over twenty minutes for basically a couple o ice creams is not on . The restaurant wasn’t particularly busy so I can only assume the kitchen was either understaffed or on a go slow . We were never asked if everything was ok even when paying the bill .

Went for dinner with daughter and grandchildren. Husband had the lamb trio and enjoyed two of the lamb offerings but said the third was not so good. Daughter had the salmon which she said was lovely but couldn't say the same about the gnocchi. Grandson and I had the monkfish scampi. I enjoyed the monkfish and my 10 chips. Grandson not so much. 7 year old grand-daughter had kids macaroni cheese and cleaned her plate. On the whole quite average for the price.

Nice enough but nothing special, were accommodating for dietary requirements. Nothing very special but ok for a dinner.

A nice restaurant where the food is good and the staff are pleasant and helpful. A few vegetarian options, although nothing out of the ordinary. The sticky toffee pudding was nice and light and we particularly liked the plum and cinnamon ice-cream. I would recommend it for a nice meal, if you are in Ellon.

Went here for Sunday lunch carvery. Service was very slow and the carvery was Ok but they served you the meat as usual and the vegetables and there was no going back for more veg! Ordered a sweet but it was so long in coming that we paid and left, will not be going back

A last minute arrangement to eat at the Buchan Hotel proved to be a good one, hitting the right spot for my wife and I after a long day of travelling and business meetings.Good, solid fare, with lots of choice made for a good experience. We shall be back, especially as the staff were so accommodating and attentive.

Excellent food and nice surroundings. The service was fine and very good with the children. Adequate parking

Ate here as part of a family meal. My husband ordered the Scotch Egg starter, not a runny yolk as expected but still ok. Scallop starter was average. My main course was inedible, I sent it back. Lamb duo, the lamb was overcooked and bland, the pork belly was flabby and chewy as the fat hadn't been rendered. The accompaniments were very sweet leading to an unbalanced dish. The risotto that came with someone else's fish was not pleasant at all. Everyone else's mains were 'ok'. The waitress came back from the kitchen to ask if I wanted something else (I didn't given the quality I saw elsewhere) and to tell me that the pork is always served like that so I guess it is consistently cooked incorrectly.I ordered a pudding as at this stage I haven't had anything to eat, other than pickings from other plates. Pudding was nice enough. My mum had a high-tea and only ate 1 out of the 3 cakes served. The scone was dry, and the custard cream was so full of custard powder it was practically luminescent.When it came to paying the waitress said she'd given my pudding for free, how about the inedible main course that I didn't eat?? I know these places need to make money but at the end of the day when you serve sub-standard food you shouldn't expect to charge for it.The waitresses we saw were pleasant and polite and service was quick.Definitely wouldn't be back in a rush, came here for mother's Day last year and we all enjoyed our meal a lot more. Don't know which visit was the blip but won't risk another meal like tonight.

Had a lovely meal here on a Thursday evening, it was quite busy. We all enjoyed our meals (main and pudding) I had the battered haddock and brownie and really enjoyed it. I felt there was a bit of a wait for our meals and the restaurant was really hot which made it slightly uncomfortable but we still all had a nice time. Staff were attentive, food reasonably priced and the environment quite relaxed. We will return here again.

Two course for £15+ was good value for the amount of food served by the chief. The roast beef was well cooked and the turkey just right Plenty of side offerings 5pm was a good time to eat as at 6 pm the restaurant turned busy

I took my partner and our daughter here for a meal (belated birthday meal as I had been away) and we were looking forward to having a fine meal...wrong. My daughter ordered macaroni cheese from kids menu and my partner ordered same from adult menu....let me tell you, if you fancy macaroni cheese then just get a kids portion as that is what my partner got just dressed up a bit to make it look like an adults portion and at £13 for an adults and less than half that for a kids I am surprised they get away with it. Myself I asked for the Buchan burger, no cheese or coleslaw....well, got my burger, plain as it could be, bit of 'special sauce' no side salad at all (which I should have got) and chips that I couldn't even finish (counted about 13 if I was lucky) think my daughter got more and my partner couldn't eat hers. Meal for 3 of us plus drinks which were water, milk and coke, £32. Waste of money and we felt ripped off, could have bought all the food from supermarket for less and fed more with plenty salad and decent chips and probably enough left over for doggy bags. Wake up call Buchan Hotel, either you need a new chef or better management, we won't be back anytime soon and will be telling others to avoid.

Visiting Aberdeenshire and we stopped by on a Thursday afternoon about 3:15pm and we were able to sit for a late lunch. The sandwiches and soup were great and the kids also enjoyed nice ice cream dishes. The wait staff was very polite and friendly. I recommend the Buchan Hotel restaurant and we will be back for sure before we head back to Houston, Texas.

Husband and I had an absolutely fabulous meal here, I had scallops which I have to say were the best ever and my husband chose the prawn cocktail and he was equally delighted. We followed this with chicken strips cooked in a whole grain mustard sauce, it was just amazing. On top of this the service was spot on, even though it was a Saturday tea time and the place was full we never had to wait for drinks and our meal was served promptly. Cannot recommend The Buchan highly enough top class, will be back

A group of us were here recently for a late lunch. The large and airy room was sparsely populated and we were quickly ushered to a table by the very friendly and attentive staff. There's a very varied menu with typical staples such as fish and chips, meats, omelettes, burgers and vegetarian options such as tortes and pasta dishes.

A family meal in the Buchan Hotel turned to be a great occasion, made all the better by an excellent meal, nicely served in a very pleasant atmosphere in town centre restaurant. Prices were reasonable and we shall return.

Our starters of prawn cocktail and deep fried scallops were to die for , so were the mains , Service was excellent . will be back again very soon............

What an amazing place! The Sunday Carvery was amazing, with no shortage of delicious food. The atmosphere was good and place was very busy. Service very good. Huge menu all reasonably priced.

We had a most enjoyable evening at The Buchan for my birthday. The Tikka Kebab was absolutely delicious and so was my strawberry pavlova- I’ll be back again soon

Visited today with my Hubby and just had a random stop for lunch....absolutely outstanding!! The staff were lovely, service was fast and friendly and the food was amazing!! As it was Sunday there was a carvery and on that menu 2 courses for £15 and 3 courses for £17. The rest of the menu was huge with very reasonable prices. Personally I can highly recommend the deep fried mushrooms with garlic mayonnaise then the carvery....roast beef was high quality and melted in my mouth! My husband can highly recommend the chicken and leek soup, then the maple cooked pork belly. Together with drinks our total bill was less than £40! Although we dont live too far away, we are planning to go and spend the weekend there sometime soon!! Well worth a visit folks

I was disappointed the last time I was here for dinner but was invited out to dinner with my daughter and grandchildren and was happy to give it another try. Unfortunately, I am still disappointed! I had the scampi which was very average. No.1 grandson wasn't impressed with his chicken maryland and said the chicken tasted funny. No. 3 grandson enjoyed his burger and ate every crumb. Daughter had the chicken salad and thought the chicken was very dry. Such a shame but won't be going back in a hurry now!t

Three of us visited this after visiting Balmedie beach. As students we appreciate a well priced carvery!

Pleasant hotel on the banks of the Ythan in Ellon. The Sunday carvery was very nice, not too much choice for starters or deserts but those that we chose were very nice. The carvery offers a choice of Scottish beef, turkey or ham - portions were fine, and a nice selection of vegetables completed a nice meal. Quite busy, probably wise to book, but available all afternoon. Pleasant staff too!

After shopping we decided to try this restaurant for lunch. It was spacious with room for a high chair and space between the tables. Staff were friendly and efficient. The food was tasty, presented and plentiful.

Normally go here for a High Tea and never been let down yet. Nice setting and food and service superb. If you are in the area, then do drop in.

Had lunch here meeting an old friend and her granddaughter.

Visited with friends for high tea and the chicken salad option was fantastic! Nice, well presented and friendly staff. The price was very reasonable for what was on offer. Would certainly recommend for high tea.

Excellent food and service. Attractive location, scary car park. But would not put us off returning. Highly recommend.

Fuimos allí para una comida, la atención fue muy buena, el plato era muy agradable y la porción de comida principal era grande y muy sabroso, no pudimos tener un dulce como demasiado lleno, lo cual fue una pena porque parecía tan delicioso. El precio era muy razonable. Sin duda volvería.

Par de docenas de nosotros fuimos nuestra comida anual. Las comidas eran ordenados antes del día. Tuve el haggis pero había más pastelería de haggis. Mi cena carne asada era agradable, pero en el lado frío. Las verduras estaba perfectamente cocinado, con excepción de las que estaban cocidas y roasties suaves. El postre era deliciosa y bien presentada.

Decidimos visitar aquí para la cena para ver cómo estaba la comida. Ha sido un tiempo desde que comimos allí. Me tomó años para un servidor para preguntar qué queríamos comer y beber. Elegí Sopa de patata para empezar, y mi otra mitad decidimos ir para la sopa de verduras sopa de patata era el color marrón oscuro! Sabía horrible. Sin embargo, la sopa de verduras estaba delicioso. La red optamos por fue pescado a la parrilla con verduras y ensaladas y el pastel de carne con cerveza con verduras y patatas fritas. El pescado estaba fresco pero cocidas. El pastel era demasiado

A menudo nos vamos para la cena, y el servicio es de primera, la comida excelente, y los precios competitivos.

Comimos aquí con mi familia y muy decepcionado, el personal era bastante agradable, pero la comida era normal en el mejor. Cocidas, nada de sabor y mal presentado, espero que este era un día para el cocinero, pero dada la competencia en el área de comida goid me sin duda no estar perdiendo mi tiempo o dinero en el Buchan!

Mi hermana y amigos organizaron y realizaron mi bebé Ducha aquí muy recientemente y nos lo pasamos genial. Habían reservado el conservatorio y la teníamos para nosotros solos y nos dejaron entrar y decorar antes empezó.

Visited here for a sat.high tea,pre booked, the restaurant was quite busy however the food was average,chicken lacked flavour, roast tatties some had black bits in centre and had no seasoning,the beef steak pie gravy had strange flavour,portions were good but the food just lacks being freshly cooked.Staff are very competent but it seems to me its the kitchen that needs some fine tuning.A lovely dining room.Its a shame to have to write this but I would hope it is constructive.

Went for a meal last night and was very disappointed. Very slow service although the waitress was apologetic and doing her very best to serve everyone. There was no butter for the toast for the starter. The pasta and meatballs looked and tasted as though they had been microwaved a few times. No sauce with the meatballs, the pasta was dry and hard at the ends. The fish had no flavor and very dry.The carrots hard.

Dit ruim restaurant is net als de naastgelegen Buchann Bar een onderdeel van het Buchan Hotel. In het restaurant is er een gezellige lounge. Er is een grote keuze aan lokale en internationale gerechten. De bediening gebeurt heel vlot door uiterst vriendelijk personeel. Je merkt dat het restaurant goed geleid wordt. Sinds 1996 zijn wij er terugkerende bezoekers. Het complex ligt onmiddellijk bij het binnenrijden van het stadje Ellon, als je komt uit de richting van Aberdeen. Er is een ruime parking en een bushalte vlakbij.

We arrived at the hotel for a meal following a traumatic car breakdown. The staff were absolutely fantastic, the menu was varied and all our food was superb. Our meal was a very relaxing experience, just what we needed.

Visited with family who live local and suggested we tried the High Tea.Plenty of main meal choices, we all chose something different. Toast served for starter, then the main course before finishing with cakes & scones.A strange but enjoyable experience.The restaurant was very busy on a Sunday late afternoon/early evening so advisable to book.

Telkens wij in de buurt van Ellon-Aberdeenshire zijn tijdens onze jaarlijkse Schotse vakantie, gaan we steevast even dineren in het Buchan Hotel. De bediening is er vlot en vriendelijk en er is een ruime keuze uit vlees- en visgerechten (en veggie). Het aanbod in dranken is er prima en de gerechten worden er lekker bereid en de porties zijn er ruim. Dit jaar bestond onze groep uit 6 personen en vorig jaar uit 12 personen. in beide gevallen verliep de bediening even vlot.

Service extremely slow. Roasties burnt and roast pork as tough as old boots. Sent back to kitchen and another dish ordered which took so long to come that we paid the bill and left before it did. Good chipper round the corner! Will stick to the New Inn next time where it's always good.

This was a strange visit. Dinner was all round okay. I had the beef carpaccio for starters and was having a steak for main (yep, I love beef :-) ) was surprised then when the beef carpaccio turned out to be cooked beef strips, whilst tasty, this is not carpaccio. Certainly wouldn't have ordered that as a starter, with steak as a main if I knew it'd be served this way. When I asked the waitress about it, I didn't even get to ask my question, she saw my plate and said, that's not carpaccio. Then returned to say the chef insisted this is how carpaccio is served. To their credit, they kindly removed this from the bill and the rest of our meal was okay. Would recommend their chips and sandwiches in the pub though.

Went out for mothers day, after a hours wait I had scampi and it was pink and just horrible so i put it back and someone else had chicken and it was put back too because it was tough kind round edges and the girl said sorry they cook the chicken every Friday afternoon! So it just gets flash fried..... it used to be very good but I will not go back!

Having booked a table for Mother's Day evening, we were informed on arrival that there was no booking but were offered a choice of tables anyway. Naturally it was busy but we placed our food and drinks orders within a short time and received drinks whilst waiting for starters to arrive. This took quite some time but we did not check how long. However, it was noted that from being seated to having our main course took 1 hour 35 minutes with a further delay for chips and roast potatoes to be served. At no point did the waiting staff apologise for the lengthy wait or return to ask if we would like more drinks. The food was of a reasonable quality but some meals were only lukewarm. When asked if we would like desserts, it was clear that the waiting staff would have preferred that we declined as the menu were flung down in a pile on the table. At this point we decided to leave without placing a further order. We paid our bill and left no tip, something which we have never done. We have chosen this venue on a few occasions within the last few years having had a bad experience some years back. On that occasion, a member of the bar staff complained that they "were being pulled in all directions" between lounge and public bar which prompted us to leave without ordering any food. We will not be giving this establishment any further chances.

Booked a table for Mother's Day and the service left a lot to be desired.The main courses took over an hour to arrive and whilst the food was OK, it was nothing fantastic. There was also a lot of confusion regarding the side orders we had placed to go along with the main dishes.When asking to look at a dessert menu, these were promptly dumped on our table by the waitress. We usually opt to have a dessert course but by this point we'd had enough. The distinct impression we received throughout was that the staff were looking to usher us out as soon as they could. We are always in the habit of leaving tips in exchange for the service we receive but on this occasion, we felt that a tip was not justified. I think I speak for all my family members when I say that we won't be returning back here any time soon until we are confident of receiving a better service.

We booked ahead for this Mother's Day meal as we expected it to be busy. We arrived on time to be told they weren't ready for us and gave us menus to look at while they got our table ready. We were seated 10 minutes late and it was another few minutes before our drinks order was taken.Eventually our food order was taken and we were given melba toast to eat while we waited. It's just as well. The starters were nothing elaborate but were slow to appear, my Cullen skink was reasonable, the prawn cocktail average and the crispy wontons quite good. However with the prices of the starters sitting at around £8 average overpriced for what we got. Then the wait began for the main courses. We waited and waited and still no sign.There was plenty waiting staff but the holdup seemed to be in the kitchen.As we watched it seemed that only one table was getting their food at a time. This led to an extensive delay in our main courses arriving.None of the waiting staff explained of there was a problem or any reason for the delay. Neither were we offered fresh drinks as we were sipping while we waited.When the main courses arrived my Moroccan Lamb shank was cold. It was taken away and hit food replaced it. None of us were overwhelmed by the main courses and the vegetable were also cold. We hadn't been for a meal at The Buchan for some time and it'll be a longer time before we return.If you want good food served promptly at a reasonable price stick to The New Inn just along the road. That's where we'll be returning to.

Lunch at the weekend. Very quiet at 1pm. Only 4 tables of people in the big dining room. Staff are very pleasant and there was a young lady getting g trained up and staffed seemed to be guiding her well. Food was lovely I had a baked potato and my partner had a vegetarian burger to try something new. Both dishes were very nice. Reasonable prices. Just unsure why the hotel isn't busier!

The food here was really excellent. The staff were very friendly and helpful. All the food was freshly made and cooked on the premises, could not fault anything. Well worth a visit anytime.

Eaten both lunch and dinner here as a couple and in a family group. Mostly food is very good - well cooked and well presented. Occasionally, a meal can be not quite up to the mark; usually the Sunday Roast (beef overdone) Portion sizes are good and not too overwhelming. Service is pleasant and accommodating - we sometimes have two or more disabled in our party.

The staff were extremely polite and professional and made us feel welcome. The food was average and we are of the opinion quite a lot is frozen and not freshly prepared. The decor is really nice and inviting. Would we go back probably not as there are better places in surrounding areas.

The food was pretty good - nothing great and chicken probably a tad overcooked. The prices are surprisingly high. I think my dads steak was around £27 by time he had chips added and what not and certainly was not a fine dining experience or taste! Service was also slow - about 40mins for starters. Good beers on tap helped though! Food is not as good as Cornkist though and probably more expensive.

Prawn cocktail followed by smoked fish cake with a mustard sauce. Absolutely fantastic. Outstanding service. Will be back again.

Went for meal. From offset was wrong. Waiter informed us is the wrong soup. We had to ask someone to come and take our drinks order. After starters finished waitress came with some other tables food and rather than finding the correct table put them on a table and cleared our plates so their food was just lying getting cold on a table next to us. Got our main meal and had to remind them I had chips ordered got my steak burger - it was burnt to a crisp. Completely charcoal,hard as a rock. Other food I the group wa not appealing either. Friends roast beef was dull grey and it took her so long to eat because of the chewing time. Completely inflated prices. Menu firstly look great, but you would expect it in a restaurant. The Buchan is not a place that you would fine dine. It is like a large breakfast room with wooden table and hairs and cutlery that has been around since the building has been built.When's he came back for the plates I told her that it was inedible. She said she would tell the chef. We got the bill and guess what.... That had charged me full price. I had to go and find a waiter and ask him to sort it out. They took the price off. This does not equate to a good will gesture as the food was not fit for purpose. Would not recommend it and definitely will not be going back.

We went on a Saturday evening as a group of four. We mostly ordered from the specials menu, but they were far from special! The roast consisted of dry beef, with some gravy, one yorkshire pudding. Then a tray of roast potatos, hard carrots and cauliflower. We also ordered a beef burger which was beyond cooked and was inedible. It was also extremely overpriced! Will not be going back.

We visited the Buchan on a Saturday night. It was quite busy but we were seated quickly and each course only took around 20 mins to serve.I had mussles to start which were great - fresh with bacon, bread and a garlicy base.My main was moroccan lamb and my Wife had scampi.Unfortunately, the scampi and chips seemed frozen and cheap. They came with uninspiring steamed veg on the side.The moroccan lamb was large in quantity but it was also a little tough. Described as "subtle in flavour", it seemed more similar to the sauces you buy from the supermarket.For this lot, three soft drinks and a small wine we were £43...not worth it in our opinion.We went elsewhere for desert as the menu lacked chocolatey options.

best local food great young staff a delight . could not have been better. my only problem was I did not take a goody bag to finishing my meal would have taken my left overs home for next day.

Having enjoyed an excellent dinner at this hotel earlier in the week we were looking forward to lunching there today.What a disappointment! The starter took almost half an hour to arrive and the wait for the second course was almost as bad. When it finally arrived, my husband's mixed grill was so overcooked it was completely tasteless.When we complained about the delay we were told that they had a new lunch chef and he was busy doing meals for their attached wine bar as well as the restaurant. Not good enough I'm afraid - they need to get their act together and get someone who can cope with the number of covers, or employ an extra chef. The waiting staff were charming and efficient but they are being let down by the kitchen. The restaurant wasn't that busy and everyone was kept waiting for about the same time as we were.We won't be going back.

First time eating at this restaurant. The foods were really well cooked and delicious. Well done to the chef. Service was really nice too (well from some of the majority of the staff anyway!!)

My family have been having meals ( lunch or dinner ) at this hotel for the last 25 years. It has always been a favourate and has, until recently , never disappointed.Unfortunately over the last 18months I have progressively been disappointed with the meals I have chosen and the way the chef had interpreted the menu. eg cream with nachos, not sour cream; salad tomatoes when sun-blushed tomatoes promised in menu; char grilled chicken Caesar salad and croutons served with lemon mayonnaise,chicken goujons and slices of French bread which looked deep fried.So disappointed and sad that this is what I can now expect from the new management, they don't appear to care. No one asked how the meal was, not even the 'older woman' who I assume is the owner, as she took our payment. We won't be going back.

Lovely meal there with friends on a Saturday evening, wide choice of dishes both standard and imaginative, great Scottish cuisine.

We have visited this restaurant many times in the past with no complaints but todays visit was very disappointing. Having placed our orders,5 minutes later we were told that there were no steak pies left dispute being only 12:30 hrs.Our meals arrived in an acceptable time but we found the chips very overdone, also pie crusts overcooked. Having tried to open these small sachets and spilling sauce I gave up and asked the waitress who obliged and came back with mustard in a small plate.( fine but why supply these that nobody can open). When asked by the waiter if our meals were OK we said no which took her by surprise but no explanation was given. We informed her that we would pay for one meal only as my wife's was so overcooked but the waitress said she would have to consult the chef first. We were then given the bill for one meal which we paid and left. Given the circumstances this will be our last visit to The Buchan especially now that they have discontinued the Seniors menu.

Liked the river view and short pleasant walk by riverside.Fantastic value, great food and even greater sweet menu. The service was excellent

Very friendly welcoming staff, food was delicious. We were well attended to and would absolutely be back. Can't recommend highly enough.

Had a lovely family carvery here last sunday, was a bit on the pricier side but it's the same all over Ellon. The food was lovely and the kids loved it, would defo come back here again. Server was a bit grumpy but that didn't taint the visit

Well after the write up in the local paper decided to give the new The Pend eatery at the Buchan Hotel a try - honestly wish we had not done this - pre cooked reheated food terrible and at extortionate prices - sorry we wish we had stayed true to our last visit to the Buchan Hotel and not returned but everyone deserves a 2nd 3rd even a 4th chance but no more - no doubt this place will be reasonably popular with the young and those who dont have a clue about how food should be cooked

Attended a family gathering at the buchan hotel for high tea ,lots to pick on menu ,to much in fact ,it was a job ,what to have ,,plenty toast, cakes ,I it was good cheers to all !!

I was going out with some friends, and afterwards we were having a meal on our way home. My favourite place was fully booked. When they told me they had made a reservation for the Buchan Hotel I was a little bit disappointed and apprehensive for the change. On arrival we were straight away brought to our table. Only down fall was the waitress had informed us the specials of the evening before I even had reached the table. My friends had still their coat on and even weren't seated. During our meal I did noticed the waitresses were too quick with mentioning the specials to all customers. The menu list had plenty choices. We went for a main meal and a sweet. The main meals were excellent, cooked to perfection. We all had different choices, The sweets were nice presented. Yes I would go back and would recommend this establishment to others.

Wow. 4 of us went to have our New Years eve meal at the Buchan Hotel and thought the quality and service to be first class. 2 of us had the Ocean Bake for starter and 2 had Duck Pate. We all thought the flavours in each of our dishes was out of this world. We followed this by having Pork Jamaica x 3 and 1 had chicken. The pork was so tender and juicy and melted in your mouth. My wife said her chicken was cooked to perfection. Service was excellent.

Went to the Buchan Hotel restaurant where 4 of us all had different meals but each was delicious the staff were efficient smart and polite.A good meal reasonably priced.So I would certainly recommend

Just had a very tasty meal out with friends , one of the best pre Christmas dinners we have had. Decorations in resturant are lovely, staff very pleasant. Thank you

Popped in midweek for a light lunch. Menu reasonable with an option for senior citizens portions. Food was good without being really special. Service was reasonable. Just one small gripe. My wife ordered apple crumble and custard. It arrived beautifully presented but hard to eat as the crumble was in a ramekin filled to the brim and the pouring custard was in a small jug. You have to eat some of the dry crumble to make room to pour in the custard. A nice idea but a bit impractical. The hotel still gets a pass mark as prices are reasonable for the area.

Went for lunch with my parents. Out of three meals ordered only one was edible. I returned my macaroni which resembled overcooked pasta floating in milk - disgusting. My mother had sausage and egg but sausages very poor quality. My father's roast ok but not of a restaurant Standard. Although not charged for the actual macaroni, still charged for the accompanying chips. In short, poor customer service and dreadful food. Avoid

After many years avoiding this restaurant due to a few poor experiences we were tempted back after hearing there was a new chef and 2nd chefs, not before time. Our Xmas meal 2013 was outstanding (as I said in a previous post) and I have since gone back several times for Business Lunches and Evening family meals. Most times I made a reservation and the service was prompt/excellent, but even on a walk in we were found a space with no fuss.The atmosphere is very friendly and the "Bon Hommie" from the owner Ron Beedie has certainly improved (maybe he is mellowing with age :-) We are eagerly looking forward to his new Wine Bar on Bridge Street opening and sincerely hope he can make it sufficiently upmarket and offer something different in our Town. In anticipation of posting the first Tripadvisor review on it .....

We booked for high tea at the Buchan Hotel for a group of 14. We were seated fairly promptly and our orders were taken. Some people in our group wanted starters along with the set high tea menu and this caused a bit of what seemed like annoyance with waitresses but eventually we all ordered. We all had quite a wait for the food to be served and when it came it was quite disappointing.... many people chose the roast tatties as the potato option and we were shocked to recieve very, very dark roasties... tasted and smelt burnt and like they had been cooked in very old oil! We informed the waitress who didn't apologise at all but did come back fairly promptly with roasties that were very nice! The rest of the meal (especially fried food - Maryland chicken, banana and pineapple fritters, wontons) were similar tasting to the first roasties!The high tea cakes were ok - nothing special but it took a long while for the milk to come to the table after the coffee and tea was served with the cakes. The warm mini scones were lovely though!The waitresses were a bit unfriendly and didn't apologise for the tatties or the lack of milk or the bones in the chicken breast. We also didn't get any kind of discount which considering our bill came to not far off £400 was a bit disappointing, Although there were a few satisfied customers in our group, the majority were not and I don't think many of us will be visiting again!

Arrived without having pre booked on Sunday. Friendly Staff. Instantly got our carvery. Chef sliced up our beef and helped yourself to potatoes,veg etc. everything steaming hot and plenty variety. It was delicious, then we forced down a pudding as well. 2 course for under £14. Now thats excellent value. Will be back soon

Situated with views of the old Ythan bridge, the Buchan is a very comfortable, welcoming place. A good and varied menu, priced to appeal. Staff are attentive and service quick. Caters for both small and larger parties but never feels overcrowded.

Recently dined here for the first time in many years having been kindly given a voucher to spend on food there by friends. Should have been an omen when we arrived and found we were the only diners although another couple who were actually staying there arrived later. There were a couple of slices of hard Melba toast on table when we sat down. Confusion amongst staff regarding "Soup of the day" Initially told that they had run out and then eventually an alternative was offered. Soup was not very warm and only a small portion . No bread roll offered with soup. apparently the stale Melba toast was our ration. I ordered Chicken Tikka kebabs for starter and what arrived was some cold shrivelled bits of chicken on a tiny bit of limp salad . the kebabs looked like they had been bought in from Farmfoods , Costco or similar. I ordered a steak for main and asked for it to be done Medium to well done but what arrived was a piece of Charcoal with very sad looking veggies which were either overcooked and rubbery or barely Al Dente.My wife asked for the roast of the day and again staff were not sure what it was that day and had to go off for discussion with kitchen again . Meat was ok but the pigs in blanket bacon and sausage were beige in colour and tasteless. Again underwhelming veggies . Even a bit of butter and parsley sprinkled on them might have improved the appearance . Had we been paying for this meal our selves we would have sent it all back or probably not bothered as it was seriously overpriced anyway . Whilst I am all in favour of supporting local businesses we will not be attempting to Dine at The Buchan again unless we hear in the future of major improvements in the quality of the food and value .

i had dinner here with my partner as we were staying at þe hotel. The restaurant was very busy and we did not have a reservation however, they found us a very nice table. The atmosphere was nice, the staff could not be faulted and the food was lovely.

only had a couple of drinks in the Buchan last night but what a lovely friendly place. the barmaid actually made this place for us, she was friendly, witty and had a lovely personality. locals were a friendly bunch.

Lunch was very enjoyable, reasonable prices and lovely surroundings only down side was it was too warm in conservatory

Myself and a very old friend went to this estavlishemnt last night for Dinner, this is my third visit I have to say the first time was ok, the second time I ordered the same starter as I did the first time I was there to my suprise it came out cold totally differnet to the first time, it stated on the menu it was served with Chirrizo not a bit of chirizo in site no dressing like the first time it was awful, I sent it back to be told, oh sorry its not the same chef head chef is off!!!!!! it came back for the second time again not right the lady serving us knew I was not happy it had parma ham just thrown on the top of it no chirozzzo I didnt eat it my friends starter went back three time she persifically said she does not want mayo, low and behold it came out drizzled in mayo just a joke, then last night before I had even placed my order I asked was it the Head Chef that was in the very rude waiter said yes why!!!!! so I told him the story which he was not a bit interested in however I ordered the same starter the scallops and mussels and yes you guessed it cold no chirrozzo and it was awful my friends was the same cold we complained only to be totally ignored, and to top it all the owners grandson was sitting in the restaurant eating a McDonalds speaks volumes I will never go back there again very very bad and I would definately not recommend this place to anyone so annoyed Im a single women who works ahrd and for me its meant to be a treat to go out for my T not a nightmare like yesterday so annoyed.

My husband and I thought we would treat ourselves on a Saturday night to an evening out. We had dined at Buchan Hotel before a few years ago and were extremely impressed, so was looking forward to some tasty food. We booked a table due to it being a Saturdat night, it was fairly busy, the waiter and waitresses seemed extremely uninterested in their role, the only person we felt was nice was the gentleman who brought over our drinks. My meal looked like it had been put under the heat for ages as it looked and tasted very dry and had a skin over it. It was meant to be a stew, I have no idea where any of the sauce was. My husband enjoyed most of his meal apart the chewy fat on his meat. It was extremely disappointing to say the least and grudged paying the extremely over-priced bill. I know I should have said something but my husband would have hated me making a fuss so I kept quiet. We will not be back again.

First visit to the buchan hotel restaurant brilliant value got seated quickly all the staff friendly and very helpful . great menu and plenty to choose from and reasonably priced .once order was taken food arrived quickly good sized portions and it was the best meal out we have had in a long time will certainly be going back.

We were a large party of 20 for Sunday lunch they were very well organised the food was very good the service again was of a high standard cannot praise them high enough

Not far from where we stay, have eaten here a few times over past few years. Staff allways been friendly, very helpful. Food has always been freshly cooked, served up hot with good presentation . So far no problems at all