The Celtic House Coffee Shop in Argyll & Bute

We found this to be a very interesting book shop with lots of crafts and other interesting items to browse and look at. Clothes and good coffee and cakes upstairs. All good quality stuff - no ‘tat’ but interesting as well. Worth a visit.

An Aladdin’s den of a place - all sorts of everything! The cafe upstairs is great - reasonably priced and, when we visited, a wonderful orange drizzle cake. And you get a good sized slice, too.

Superb gift shop, bookshop and cafe. Well worth the visit and the staff are really lovely. My son reliably informs me that their milkshake is the best ever and he’s something of a milkshake connoisseur. Really glad we went in. Had a blether in the cafe upstairs and bought gifts for the family back home.

Great place right by the bowmore distillery. Serves coffees and delicious cake upstairs,gifts and books downstairs. A tale of two attitudes to customers. Upstairs,fantastic lady serving....I had coffee and cake in a fantastic old chair ! Downstairs...I saw a hefty book on the islands of Scotland, 25 pound,so not cheap...but I bought it. The attitude at the till floored me....not a word was uttered, not a thank you given! Stunned ! I spent 38 pound in there.....to be treated like a nobody ! I recommend it,it's a cracking place.....I put 2 stars....because of downstairs service ! Maybe brush up on customer service?

Vriendelijk personeel maar matige menu. De souvenirs zijn ook wat aan de dure kant en worden wat muf getoond. Men doet hun best voor fijne koffie's maar er zijn zeker betere zaken in de buurt.

Very friendly atmosphere and excellent coffee Well positioned . Good variety of gifts that one can see whilst drinking one's coffee

Stopped for a coffee and a shop - good coffee and a great range of local crafts/art. Staff also very welcoming too.

I bought small mug for my grandson unfortunately left it it shop Phoned shop and staff really helpful and posted it out to me within a few days

Today we had a lovely cup of coffee and some traybakes all at very reasonable prices. The atmosphere is calm and laid back. I would thoroughly recommend a visit if you are just looking for a light bite and drinks.

Un florilège de choix simples et très bons !!! Un environnement super sympa au milieu de la boutique qui foisonne de belles choses.

Lovely coffee and a delicious Islay hot chocolate, great choice of cakes. Staff very friendly.Situated top floor of very nice gift shop

Excellent coffee and service. Maha very attentive and helpful. Nothing too much trouble. Many thanks.

Nice coffee and cake. Sells a lot of knitwear, pottery and gift stuff. No toilets. Public toilets are 10 yards away. Easy car parking.

We came in to this shop for coffee and cake and both were outstanding. In addition the shop has a high quality and great variety of books, clothes and many other goods.

Came across this lovely little coffee shop while wandering around Bowmore on a rather damp afternoon. Spent time enjoying hot chocolate and cake before braving the damp weather once again.

The Celtic House book and gift shop is a wonder and shouldn’t be missed on an Islay trip. The upstairs cafe could easily be overlooked but it should be sought out. Mainly coffees, cakes, smoothies, milkshakes and so on. Fairly small area but they make the most of the space. Also do takeaway. Very good value. Very friendly, helpful service. Highly recommended.

The Celtic House creates a cosy heart to Bowmore with its warm, friendly cafe and excellent selection of books and clothing. On my last two visits to Islay, my family has several times sheltered there from rain with their tasty homemade cakes and fancy coffees, and usually ended up buying books, too. The helpful owner, Colin, was a big supporter of the annual Islay Book Festival, which provided lots of interesting events around the island. I'd go back there in a heartbeat.

Great find in this coffee shop in the upstairs of the gift shop. Friendly and helpful service from the staff. Great coffee and served very quickly. COVID-19 controls are all in place although there are no toilets in the cafe.

Beautiful shop with good quality range of gifts, including lots of Islay souvenirs and Scottish themed items. Very good range of books and maps and cards with a Scottish theme. Also a large selection of quality children’s books. We didn’t have coffee but saw the space upstairs looked very nice.

Coffee and cakes were nice. No atmosphere and felt like we were an inconvenience as the two employees spent their time slagging off another employee. Made for an awkward visit.

Thrilled to find a great cafe on Islay during times of many Covid restrictions and places being shut. The Celtic House is a well-stocked and charming shop for all things Scottish (the high quality of the merchandise was noticeable) and the range of books was wide and thoughtfully curated. The upstairs cafe had a lovely ambience, all Covid safety measures were covered without any diminution of the experience. We really enjoyed our coffees and cake, home-baking for my husband and a bought-in (and very much appreciated) vegan chocolate orange tart for me. The girls who served us were efficient and charming. Thank you.

Had coffee and fruit cake yesterday. Staff were friendly and the leather chairs were great. The old cash register and shop surroundings were a nice touch. Got a couple of nice things in the shop afterwards.

Maybe it was the whole Covid thing but there was a fairly limited selection of goodies when I'd expected more.We actually visited the cafe 3 times during our stay as there was nothing else similar open in Bowmore. We enjoyed it reasonably overall - the cakes were genuinely home made but the butter for my scone was not the freshest (the weather had been very hot).I should have asked for another portion.Although they open at 10am the cakes don't get delivered till 10.30am so we had a wait.Then 10 mins to put them out before you could order.Prices were very reasonable.Serving staff weren't the friendliest perhaps , few smiles, despite it never being that busy when we were there.Found that in the cafe and the shop.I do wish they'd invest in more comfy chairs - there is only one table with soft chairs, the rest are hard plastic, a bit of a pet hate of mine.The shop is lovely, some great stuff albeit woollens ain't cheap.

Celtic House coffee shop in Bowmore, Islay serves tasty coffee and delicious cakes. The friendly staff even put an 'Islay' chocolate dusting on top of the cappuchino. Highly recommended.

I go here at least once a week and always find the staff friendly and helpful. Good coffee and hot chocolate, also varied teas, juices, smoothies and milk shakes. Home baking on offer is always fresh and tasty. Sometimes it's difficult to choose the cake you want as the selection can be so good. Would recommend to anyone visiting Bowmore, whether local or tourist.

Islay probably doesn’t have too many cafe / coffee shop options. And this one is almost hidden away, upstairs from the (excellent) Celtic House book and gift shop. But it is well worth finding, in centre of Bowmore. Limited to coffee, shakes, smoothies, cakes but excellent at what they do. Great service. Highly recommended.

I go to Roys shop/cafe EVERY day its my home from home ie. warm and friendly the coffee is the best on Islay !Today they ran out of sweeteners for my coffee [shock/horrer] and immediatly they went out and purchased a new one and its that service which makes it a very special place to go and enjoy all in all a delight EVERY DAY

It's really nice, but it is just coffee, tea and homebaking that's on offer. The gift shop itself has a lot of unique things in it. I'm not sure it's the best place for hyper children though, too much temptation to touch things even next to the tables. Thankfully ours were knackered and only needed told once. lol.

Upstairs in the Celtic House - a gift, book, and clothing shop - is an inviting little cafe with excellent coffee and delicious cakes. Some yoghurt would have been a good enhancement for the cakes.The shop itself has a wide range of Scottish gifts, a good selection of books including local topics, and high quality clothing including beautiful knitwear.It was the perfect stop after our visit to Bowmore Distillery further along the street.

Very friendly coffee shop inside a local craft centre. Cyclist friendly with securing racks across the road. The Earl Grey Tea Cake was excellent and I would recommend this to anyone. Put it on your list.

Stopped by for excellent cake and coffee upstairs here. Very handy for visitors centre and other shops. Downstairs there is an excellent book store and a lovely selection of gifts. Worth a visit.

Delightful little cafe above the main shop. Staff were very pleasant and friendly and the coffee and cakes were brill, as well as great value. The shop is full of interesting gift ideas

Had a lovely relaxing coffee and cake here today, what delightful and very helpful staff behind the counter, helped make us feel so welcome. A definite when on Islay.

We felt that it was very pricey, and not much character or friendliness.Coffee was mediocre, but pancake was lovely and fresh.

Na celém ostově snad jediná kavarna...zmátly nás fotky,mysleli jsme si,že si konečně dáme kvalitní kávu. Chyba! Flatwhite byla bílá káva přepálené chuti. Vůbec to nechápu, copak nikdo se tu nenaučí slušně vyšlehat mĺéko? Je to prostě ostrov kvalitní whisky,více se nemůže asi chtít. Jídlo a káva naprostý průměr max.

Apart from the excellent coffee they do great cakes as well. A great place to chill out. Free Wifi available. Lots of trinkets to look at if you are in a shopping mood.

If you are a foreign tourist with LOTS of money then this place is fine. But for most people- this place is a gigantic rip-off! I object to being expected to pay £15 for one souvenir TEA TOWEL! (I didnt)Got a perfectly nice one in the Old Islay Gift Shop a few doors away. I would avoid this place

We only had coffee here which was excellent but the food looked good. The atmosphere here was lovely and you could wander the shop for lots of gifts to buy. Well worth a visit.

I love the Celtic House. It's pretty much the perfect combination: It's on Islay, my favourite place in the world; it's a bookshop, BIG tick; and it serves great coffee and cakes. Really, what more do you need to know? If you're lucky enough to find yourself in Bowmore, you really need to make time to spend a happy hour or so at the Celtic House. Browse the books, browse the gifts, have a coffee, and be happy :)

Good coffee at a reasonable price can be found in this cafe on the first floor above the main shop in Bowmore.

Great place to stop and grab a coffee, perfect flat whites and lots of tasty cakes iincluding gluten free and vegan options when we visited.

This is an attractive addition to an already unmissable attraction. On the top floor of the Celtic Shop which is always on the list of places to visit in Bowmore because of its unparalleled range of top-end goods you now find an excellent coffeeshop which enhances the reputation of the establishment. The attentive and friendly staff ensure that the experience is pleasureable. Not to be missed.

During a busy week on islay we popped in and got some coffee to takeaway. Very friendly staff and good Coffee

Had a lovely relaxing coffee and cupcake here, what a delightful and very helpful young girl behind the counter, helped make us feel so welcome.

Excellent polenta cake and a warming cup of tea, surrounded by interesting gifts and clothes in a surprisingly large shop

Limited options so just had cappuccino and very strong - needed to ask for some hot water wish did not gO down too well

This is a lovely addition to the Celtic shop within which it sits. Tables and chairs are arranged around the shop top floor, which gives it a more relaxed and welcoming feel to it. Coffee was excellent.

Perfect stop after a walk along the battery on a blustery day in Bowmore. Strong smooth coffee just as it should be & fresh moist cake, what more can you ask for? Well there is also good background music, views of Bowmore & some retail therapy!

Have visited this shop over many years as have our extended family. Always first rate service, delightful homebaking and gluten free available every time we were there.

Went in twice during our week on Islay. Service was very slow on both occasions. No gluten free options available at the time of our visits. At the first visit the coffee was only warm and the second time very strong. On both occasions they were replaced - but it all took time.

The cafe is on the first floor of this centrally situated book and craftshop. The cafe had a good selection of cakes and the coffee was delicious. It seemed to be popular with locals and visitors alike and we were especially glad of being able to shelter from a heavy rain shower in our time there

This is a delightful shop / cafe in the centre of Bowmore on Islay. It carries a huge range of stock of all types, from books to gifts to clothes. Upstairs is a great coffee shop, serving excellent coffee and cakes and having good wifi. What’s not to like, especially if there’s horizontal rain outside?

This first floor cafe in the shop is initially a surprise. It is good quality drinks and cake type food. It is laid out to encourage you to hang around and is relaxed and welcoming.

Die Geschäftsräume des Celtic House ziehen sich über zwei Stockwerke.

Good for a quiet coffee and cake, with lots of interesting things to buy. Hidden away upstairs among the clothing in family owned shop.

This shop is crammed full of books and crafts. Absolute must for anyone looking for souvenirs, upstairs there's more gifts,...

Went back here several times. Lovely choice of cakes (esp toffee apple and orange and lemon drizzle cake) and great...

Fantástico lugar para tomar una taza de té o café, y/o disfrute de un pastel delicioso leyendo un buen libro de abajo! El wifi también viene en muy práctico si uno tiene que trabajar en el ordenador. Me encanta el personal amable y el ambiente...

We had 2 coffees and a hot chocolate and they were really nice and the staff are very friendly. Cakes were delicious!

Excellent cafe with home baking. Beautiful cakes and a lovely friendly welcome. Great gifts and clothes too. Great value.

Beau magasin offrant un large choix et des produits sympas. Un peu cher par rapport à la concurrence et sur les mêmes produits.

The second floor coffee shop is charming and the coffee, tea and cakes are great, but as a gift shop it's outstanding. It's crammed with novel items, many locally made, with a price range to suit every budget - from lapel pins to expensive hand made pottery and woolens. I was impressed by the quality of everything in the shop - no "ticky-tackies". And darn, but every time I go in there I find something else that catches my eye!

A very welcome addition to the gift and book shop. The coffee is quite superb and is, in my opinion, the best you'll find in Islay (and further afield too!). Staff are always attentive and it's "service with a smile".

A very pleasant young lady served us, she certainly seemed to enjoy her job and nothing was too much trouble. The drinks were the best we had during our week on Islay.

Popped in here to browse the shop and have coffee and cake upstairs. Really good shop with a variety of gifts etc. The coffee and cakes were great. Easy to find on the corner of the square.

The best coffee and cake in Bowmore up on the first floor its my little haven I go almost everyday and so its very special to me it makes a little oasis to enjoy.The young ladies who serve are charming and helpful.

Lovely coffee. Cafe is upstairs from gift and book shop making it a lovely relax place to enjoy a break. Coffee was made with great care and tasted equally as good. Being upstairs it was nice to look out on the street below.

Lovely wee place situated upstairs in a shop selling a variety of Scottish items including jewellery. Some unusual items and lots of books for sale. Lovely coffee and very reasonable price for coffee and cake £3.50. Would be even better if they sold some sandwiches or soup.

It is a quaint coffee and cake shop. Very good atmosphere and the staff are very chatty and friendly :) Would definitely recommend to travellers to make a stop here!

A lovely place - very good range of books - buy your postcards and head upstairs for super coffee and cake. Interesting range of goods for sale including fabulous Eribe knitwear. And love the mix of tourists and locals- we were having tea (Teapigs! Peppermint and Liquorice!) when gaggle of local school students arrived for after school social - which was lovely - a venue at the heart of its community

I discovered the Celtic House coffee shop by accident and was glad i did. A few steps upstairs from the main shop takes you to a few tables nestled between the sales items. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and home baking are available and just the ticket after a walk around Bowmore to take in the sights. Very reasonable prices and great service from the staff. Its quiet save for the Skippinish tunes playing quietly over the sound system and ideal for mid morning coffees or afternoon tea break.

I visited The Celtic House Coffee Shop last week when the weather outside was not particularly good. However, the warmth of the welcome I received more than made up for the inclement weather outside. I enjoyed good coffee and excellent home made cakes in a comfortable setting. The cafe also had free wifi which enabled me to catch up on events back home.

stayed on islay for a week and the celtic house was a great stopping off point for coffee and cake. used several times. first class latte and some great home bakes. bookshop downstairs always great for a browse and acquisition - often a bargain in the shop ! service and staff consistently good, polite and prompt

Delicious frappachino with a flake A yummy large mocha! And superb service with a smile! and all at a reasonable price!

Girls struggled a to make a flat white, but they were very friendly. Chocolate chip Crumble with cream was delicious and a surprise as it was labelled bramble and apple!

... Leider waren wir zu spät dran. Das Café war kurz vor den Schließen, sonst hätten wir noch Kuchen gegessen. Aber der Kaffee ist klasse!!!

Easily the best coffee so far on the island . Cakes were nice . Staff all really friendly as well. Lots of nice clothes for sale if you happen to have the ability to justify spending that much. Worth a visit

Piccolo caffè situato al secondo piano di un negozio che vende un po' di tutto, del l'arte celtica. Buono l'espresso, abbondante il cappuccino, per fare una piccola sosta va benissimo.

Popped in for a quick coffee and slice of cake to which we all enjoyed. The girls serving were very nice and helpful. Will pop back in the next time we're on the island

If you want a good cappuccino pop upstairs its very good. Great cakes too. Also there are gifts, clothes to browse too

カフェのエリア内にも多くのお土産(特に衣類)が並んでいるので、コーヒーを飲みながらお気に入りの一品を見つけるのもいいかもしれません(大半は女性向けなので私は楽しめず)。

When we visited we were offered friendly service and especially the lemon drizzle cake was the best I've ever tasted!Defiantly recommend here and surely come back!

I seem to gravitate to the Celtic House coffee shop on the top floor why you may well ask----simply the coffee is top notch always and a very nice selection of cakes are on offer but I have to admit I don't indulge as I am big enough as it is.The young ladies who serve you do an outstanding job and it can get very busy in the 'tourist season'This is one habit that I very much enjoy.

Centrally located with friendly staff. Good coffee and delicious home baking. Very interesting surroundings for the serial browser.

The Celtic House Coffee shop was my saviour whilst staying in Bowmore. I need my coffee to function in the morning and I'm so fussy, it needs to be extra hot, with an extra shot. Hot it was and nice and strong and very reasonably priced for a take away coffee. Lisa is fabulous at making coffee.The downside was it wasn't open on Sunday.

Nice shop and we thought we would have a coffee and cake. The coffee machine was broken so had filter coffee which was nice and a cake which was fine, but it was very expensive, perhaps we were charged incorrectly? We didn't query this at the time, so not sure.

Fascinating cafe and shop in Bowmore. Wide selection of interesting items from gifts to books, lovely coffee and cake.

Auf der Suche nach einem Café in Bowmore wurden wir von unseren B&B-Gastgebern auf das Celtic House aufmerksam gemacht, das in der oberen Etage sehr guten Kaffee bzw. Kaffee-Spezialitäten oder auch Tee anbietet. Die verschiedenen Kuchen, die wir bei unseren zwei Besuchen probiert haben, waren beide sehr lecker.Das Café ist Teil vom Geschäft "The Celtic House", das uns ein bisschen an einen Krämerladen erinnert hat. Hier kann man neben Büchern, Postkarten, Wanderkarten und Kleidung natürlich auch Souvenirs kaufen. Das Angebot lädt auf jeden Fall zum stöbern ein. Ein schöner Ort, um z.B. etwas Zeit bis zur nächsten Destillerie-Tour zu überbrücken! ;-)

Upstairs coffee shop is very nice and cakes, etc. home made and delicious. This shop has a very good bookstore, clothing, gifts and anything you could possible want while visiting Islay.

We had dinner here one evening during our stay in Bowmore. The restaurant itself is lovely with great views of the harbour area. Decor is lovely and staff attentive. The food we ordered (4 of us) was of a good standard. However, portion size of lobster was small and our sirloin steaks were tough and did not look or taste like sirloin. This is not a cheap restaurant and we expected better.

We were delighted to find some charming and unusual presents and mementos from here. We were sorry that the cafe closed so early (4.30 ) as we were keen to have teas/coffee.

An oasis in the retail environment! Excellent coffee served by friendly staff and you get a voucher for your drink if you puchase something from the shop. Obviously the central meeting place for locals to chat and sometimes do a bit of work.

This café was just over the road from our guest house, so perfect positioning! The coffee was expertly made and with some locally made cake too. The book shop is worth a browse too.

A nice wee coffee place. A small selection of tasty cakes and cookies. Nice coffee, friendly staff. The place is accessed by going up some stepswhich isn't suitable for wheelchair users.

Cafe is situated above the main part of the Celtic House shopping experience.Coffee was good and served nicely. Selection of items to eat was a bit limited though.

This corner shop in Bowmore on the isle of Islay has recently transformed part of the upstairs area into a very friendly and welcoming cafe. The coffee is excellent and brilliantly I was offered a double shot in my latte. My wife and I shared a slice of chocolate and pear cake with a hint of chilli, which was epic.

This small coffee shop upstairs in the gift shop gives a friendly welcome and serves good tea and coffee.

Small café on first floor of shop selling local crafts and clothes. Went in at the end of a day in the rain and the hot chocolate with marshmallows was superb! Friends had coffee which was equally good.

Wir sind gerne auf einen schnellen Kaffee dort. Besonders zu empfehlen ist natürlich die heiße Schokolade mit Marshmellows.. Sollte man mal probiert haben. Es gibt auch sehr guten selbst gebackenen Kuchen den man sich nicht entgehen lassen darf.

This is a great wee coffee shop on the first floor of the delightful Celtic House - which sells all manner of local Islay and Scottish goods. The cakes are calorific, fresh, home-made and delicious.