The Creel Inn in Aberdeenshire

The Creel never fails to deliver excellent food served in a great atmosphere. The food and service is beyond reproach. Last night a large party of rowers appeared expecting to be served drinks. The staff were excellent and ensured the regulars were looked after.

First time at the Creel Inn, absolutely amazing. One of the best meals I have had for a long time! Fish dishes...simply amazing. Lovely setting.... lovely staff....can't wait to go back!...

Absolutely delicious lunch at the Creel Inn. Cooked to perfection and bursting with flavour. I chose the special of the day which was halibut, served with a hot smoked salmon fishcake, tenderstem broccoli, green beans and the most wonderful creamy garlic sauce. You could tell that the hot smoked salmon in the fishcake had been authentically smoked. The taste was incomparable with anything that can be sourced in a supermarket. The halibut was fresh, nothing fishy about that fish! I can hardly wait to return. I can still taste those wonderful flavours dancing on my tongue. Absolutely superb in every way.

Excellent meal which was praised by all. Have visited the Creel Inn a few times in the past but havent been for some time. The waitress did a great job of looking after us and was very efficient and friendly. The quality of the food excellent and we will definitely be returning soon. Highly recommended!

We visited this special place twice during our stay in Aboyne. Yes it really is worth the travel time. Both our meals could only be described as excellent. If you enjoy seafood, and you can make the time to visit the Creel Inn you will be missing a treat if you don't make the effort. In my opinion there is only one word to describe this seafood restaurant, that is perfect.

Our dinner was just ok not what we would expect for the price. The coffee was really bad and when I said to the waitress about it she snapped that there had been no other complaints all day

Nice spot on the cliffs. Good food and service. Specially enjoyed the sole wrapped in ham with spinach inside. Not busy on a Saturday lunch. Worth going to - bit of a narrow road but easy to find.

I had visited The Creel many years ago and as I was staying nearby I decided to return. I was not disappointed. The Cullen Skink and Moules Frites were truly excellent. The restaurant is a bit out of the way but certainly desrves a visit if you are anywhere near Stonehaven. MM

Haven't been here for a while but it retains its consistently good seafood. There are non-seafood options but we go for the seafood and there always seems to be something a little different from the time before. Had crab claws as a starter - meaty and with a very nice salad accompaniment. Hake and scallops in a lobster bisque with green veg and hasselback potatoes was an excellent choice for the main. Well cooked and presented and very tasty. It was busy on a Sunday lunchtime and the staff still had time to ask how we were enjoying our food and be generally pleasant. Very enjoyable.

What a beautiful place in such a lovely setting on a sunny Saturday . We all had different meals but everything we ate was excellent . My lemon sole melted in my mouth . Creme brûlée and a coffee finished off an 5 star meal . Compliments to the chef . We will most definitely be back

Lovely wander down to the harbour, followed by a first class lunch. Food excellent! Well worth a wee trip down the coast.

Went for a Family meal on Saturday evening.We all had different dishes and we all were delighted with the quality of the food. Portion sizes were more than ample. Service was excellent. Compliments to the Chef. Will definitely return.

Had a lovely lunch here today.quite busy only 1 waitress but she managed really well.have her a good tip Mushroom soup and blue cheese lovely and warming.halibut lovely .no bones.quite a meaty fish.hubby hadseafood platter.it looked lovely.I really wanted a pudding but stuffed.not used to eating so much at a lunchtime.even got home. In time for rugby.

Stopped here on our way to Aberdeen for lunch. It was just lovely - cosy with fires lit, friendly attentive service and the food was simply excellent. My fish was cooked beautifully and the plate had a lovely balance of tasty sauce and veg. We will definitely be back - well done to all the team.

It’s sublime food on a par with the best. Just partially located up the road from ‘gods own country’ and my goodness cannot be happier long may it continue and that others support to keep such a village asset.

Yet again another great meal at the Creel, great location with stunning views over the North Sea. The food was excellent, good portion size and very good value for money. Staff were very friendly and very knowledgeable on the food. We had the seafood platter each followed by Chocolate pudding with Baileys for me and Chocolate Terrine with fudge ice cream for my wife. We will certainly be back again 👍

Went one evening with friends as we heard good reports of this Restaurant, we went and sat in the lounge area as their were only two small tables taken, the fire was on it was very cosy, the waitress past our table several times without taking us on, then the next time she passed i said excuse me can we have some menu's, she bit back with "have you booked" we replied no, she then passed out the menu's. we ordered our meals their was no smile or thank you, when the food arrived again their was no chat the plates were put down and she left, the meal was average, on leaving I said thanks we were completly ignored by her. Sorry we will not be back, was this the reason only two tables were taken ?

We have eaten here on numerous occasions over the past 6 months and having usually opted for the seafood would say that the portion sizes are more than generous and the quality of the seafood is consistently fresh, local and of great quality. Prices range from around £15 for lemon sole to £32 for a seafood platter with a few vegetarian options also being available - strudel or Wellington being a couple of them. On our last visit we both opted for the lemon sole which was served with mashed potatoes, veg and a cream sauce. We both asked if we could have fries instead and were politely offered chunky or skinny.....I also asked if I could have mine without the garlic sauce and again was offered an alternative sauce which was great.....I wasn't told what the sauce was when the dish arrived and I believed it to be roast red pepper ....I think however this was the soup that was on the "specials menu" but luckily for me it went well with the sole so no complaints there. If the Scottish weather gods are playing nice and the sun is shining ( or at least its even dry) then there are a 2 or 3 tables outside, and although the view is nothing to write home about it (no views of the sea) it certainly beats sitting in the lounge bar which is very dark and dreary.....the owner certainly seems to favour dark brown leatherette as a go too ! There is a wood burning stove in the lounge bar and always enough sticks next to it to see you through a cold winter week in rural Aberdeenshire.......however, on our last visit we kindly asked the waitress ( who I now believe to be the owner) if the fire could be lit to make the place seem a little more inviting and to warm the place up. Having explained that we had just been for a swim down at the local harbour we got a curt "no...it smokes too much". Surely it would be worth getting it fixed so it doesn't "smoke" as we can't be the only clients that feel this way ? The lounge bar is dog friendly which is great and plenty of room between the tables so you don't feel like your squeezed in. No water was offered to the dog which seems a bit odd considering that most people go to Catterline for a walk on the pebble beach or along the cliff tops. A small gesture to make but that means a lot for dog owners.....Perhaps a little jar of treats too:) The main reason for this review however, is to say that we will never eat in this establishment again (which is a real shame and there are lots of friends and family who we have spoken to and had intended to invite to come with us in future)........ The one and ONLY reason for this is due to the waitress (Owner). Always there, always dreary, always sarcastic, always feels like you are doing them a favour by eating here. I have heard the way she speaks to the staff and to be honest Im surprised she has any staff left....the chef must either have shares in the place or be married or related to her.....as any chef in their right mind would have walked out by now ! Only yesterday, on paying the bill we tried to have some friendly chat with the waitress/owner and politely mentioned that it was quiet ( it was 4pm on a sunny sat afternoon and we were the only people there) and we were shot down in flames with the most sarcastic tone of voice I have EVER heard in the hospitality business to be told that "well its 4pm...what do you expect...it was busy at lunchtime and its booked out for dinnertime.... I mean ...excuse us for wanting to part with hard earned cash for a meal that was out with standard Scottish meal times.....Jesus...its 2023.....why open and serve food ALL DAY if you don't think to want people to eat after 2pm and before 5pm ! God help any European tourists find themselves here. If you do find yourself in Catterline don't expect the " friendly team and welcoming ambience" and the cosy lounge which has open fires........ mentioned on their website......because you will be sorely disappointed. Haste ye back....I THINK NOT !

On our arrival the greeting by the waitress (who actually turned out to be the owner) was cold and unwelcoming. We were tempted to turn on our heels and leave but we had heard that the food was delicious so decided to stay. Both the bar and restaurant are quite dark so, being a lovely sunny day, we opted to sit at one of the outside tables. The menu is varied and we both opted for fish dishes. The food was served in a reasonable time frame and all dishes were well presented and the food was cooked to perfection with reasonable portion sizes. After we left the restaurant we had a daunder around the area and spoke to a couple of the locals. We mentioned that we had just eaten in the Creel Inn and described our experience of the unpleasant greeting on arrival. Apparently the owner is renowned for her off-hand manner and this is a common occurrence.

The actual restaurant is quite pleasant and the staff are helpful and attentive. the bar area is poorly lit and has no great appeal. The menu was alright though pricey. The food was quite reasonable though my meat course was fairly tough and the vegetables slightly undercooked. Those that took the fish course with chips found the helpings small.

Wow, this little place is amazing, the food was outstanding, service was great, lovely little place, would highly recommend going if you’ve never been before.

I have lived here in Scotland for 25 years & have finally found out about this hidden gem through a friend. Had a wonderful lunch, lovely setting & great Service. I look forward to going back very soon and taking family & friends for a delicious experience.

Stunning setting great food and fabulous service everything you would want . Friendly bar and lovely restaurant . We try to go once a week also good beer at the right temperature.

The food was delicious with a variety to choose from. Great value for money with generous sized portions. Well done to all the staff, from front of house to the kitchen. I would love to come back sometime in the future.

Terrific food well with seeking out with beautiful views over the sea. Amazing seafood beautifully presented. The halibut was to die for.

On two occasions we have had a wonderful lunch here. We would not hesitate to recommend The Creel Inn to lovers of well cooked, well presented food. If you are looking for a restaurant that cares about their food, try The Creel Inn, you won't...

A sunny day at The Creel Inn does not disappoint. We had dinner here on a warm June evening, sitting outside looking over the bay with a pint and some beautifully cooked Scallops, Halibut, Hake and Mussels, all of which were delicious and worth every...

At a holiday cottage in Catterline and this restaurant was only 300 yards away. We went as a family and the seafood selections were amazing. We had some nice tasty food and the boys had some nice children's menu food. The staff were good and...

Great lunch last Saturday the food and service were excellent it was good value for money we will be back as soon as possible.

We had an absolutely delicious supper. We both had mussels to start which were fresh and beautifully flavoured in a creamy wine sauce. We then shared a lobster which was sublime. Again really fresh and melt in the mouth. But I’m afraid what really ruined...

Food was first class as was the service. No wonder there wasn’t a table to be had on a Sunday evening.

Well cooked seafood in a charming setting, the inn is lovely. Had mussels, rock turbot and lobster dishes, all very nice indeed - lots of tempting things on the menu. Village and harbour also worth a quick wander.

What a gem of a place. Peat fire / log burner. Cozy pub and a large dining area. Great hosts. Food was delicious, huge choice and we left very happy. Well worth going to.

Warm and welcoming from a top class waitress, her name we found later to be fiona nothing to much trouble with a sense of humour we had 2 Cullen Skink [ small and large ] and a Sunday roast delicious partner had the mussels and...

We’ve eaten here on 4 occasions over the last few months- for both lunch and dinner. It can be quite busy in the evening but lunchtime through the week is very relaxed and quite quiet. An opportunity to snuggle up to the wood burner in...

Great lunch from a super menu. Food was tasty and well presented. Staff were friendly and helpful with a good knowledge of menu and wines

This has to be our 5th or 6th visit for lunch at the Creel Inn and yet again another excellent meal. My wife and I both had the Seafood Platter followed by Apple / Raspberry crumble. The food, Service and surroundings were spot on, very...

Having been to the Creel a few times in the past and enjoyed it, we went for a meal on a Saturday night. We were instantly disappointed when the waiter just sort of pointed at a table through a door with not so much as...

Lovely inn, in a wee village you’d never know about unless you’d heard of it! Luckily we had been recommended this place, and it was a good recommendation. Enjoyed the haggis bon bons v much, lovely veggie wellington main and shared the crumble pud, the...

My friend and I have lunched at The Creel Inn many times over the years and regarded both food and service as extremely high quality. 16/11/22 was our first visit since August 2020 so it was made with keen anticipation. Unfortunately it turned out to...

What a wonderful place! Our hosts at the B&B were kind enough to recommend The Creel Inn to us one night - and due to the bad weather (rainy, stormy) and a normal weekday, the pub/restaurant wasn't crowded at all. Still, we had the loveliest...

What a treat. A lovely meal at the Creel Inn. We had Brushetta and cray fish for starters, steak and the seafood trio for main, chocolate terrine and creme brulee for desert. Wow absolutely delicious, staff were all lovely 10 out of 10 from us....

Came across this pub by accident. Specialises in sea food. Good selection of dishes. Delicious food and excellent service in this lovely little coastal village. Would highly recommend.

We have been enjoying the great food at the Creel Inn for many years, and it was very reassuring to note on our recent visit that standards had not dropped. This is easily the best seafood restaurant in NE Scotland, but non-pescatorians are also well...

Went here for a weekday lunch and were warmly welcomed We booked a table in advance but it wasn't necessary as they were fairly quiet. The restaurant was spotlessly clean, our table had a beautiful sea view, very thoughtfully binoculars are placed on the windowsill...

We visited on a busy Saturday night and the staff were, perhaps a little hassled, but the quality of the food more than compensated.

Lovely food, shame about the waiter. Been here many times and the food is excellent, as it was this time. The problem was the attitude of the waiter. I do not mind serving staff to have a laissez-faire attitude; in fact I prefer it this...

We stopped off for lunch at The Creel after a walk aroind the charming village of Catterline. We received a lovely warm welcome on our arrival. Our drinks order was promptly taken and served. By that time we had decided on our menu choices. This...

Three of us had lunch here choosing from the "a la carte" menu and focussing on fish (except for sweet!). Starters were scallops, squid and smoked haddock risotto and mains were Turbot, Hake and their seafood trio. All were excellent with delicious sauces, good green...

Had dinner here in a nice warm sunny evening. Was offered indoor seating but it looked dark so sat outside. Food was excellent and the Neck Oil beer was delicious. Great atmosphere and nice staff.

We went for lunch on Sunday ( 7 people) and found the food was lovely but we were smoked out with the log burning stove. We had to open the window next to us and the staff opened the door which meant we had to...

I remember the Creel Inn as being a real treat. Wonderful food, great atmosphere and equally great service. A classy place. The last visit, gosh, what a contrast! Cleary new owners and what a huge disappointment. Food, very basic. The decor, very cheap and nasty....

Throughout the year have been dining or having take-always from the Creel. The food is excellent and have never been disappointed. The service is great and the atmosphere is very friendly. The level of hygiene is very high, tables and chairs throughly cleaned in between...

What a great night. From our reception to the payment of the bill - everything ran on rails. The food was simply first rate. This is professionally cooked by clearly, someone who knows what they are doing. Staff were friendly, covid aware and courteous. What...

I would highly recommend this lovely old Inn / restaurant . Sitting in a small coastal village beside the spectacular Catterline Bay, there is a spacious yet cosy Bar area with a large log burner, and a separate restaurant where local sea-food is a speciality. It has it's own car park. In the bar area, an original painting by the Artist Joan Eardley, ( who worked in one of the cottages in Catterline in the 1960's), hangs on the wall. Everyone is friendly and helpful and it feels safe and welcoming. Food was delicious ! Would highly recommend.

We pushed the boat out and ordered two bowls of local mussels, followed by two different seafood platters and a trio of game. We didn’t need the dessert, but went ahead with another sharing plate of different puddingsHonestly, we could not fault one thing with anything we ate.The mussels, the fish, the chips, the desserts, the wine and the coffees - all top notch.What was most impressive was the fact that no short-cuts were taken by the kitchen - two types of sauce for the mussels, two ways of presenting the chips, three ways of cooking the game…not easy, and all full of flavour.Wonderful meal, good service, nice staff and as always, a lovely setting for a fine seafood experience; nestled on the Aberdeenshire coast.Very highly recommended.

Having had the worst service ever at the place, loosely, with caution mentioned the restaurant it to friends staying in the area on holiday. Unfortunately they too had terrible service and no one seamed to care. Keep driving folks, don't waste your time waiting on poor service

We were on holiday nearby in Johnshaven and booked a lunch at The Creel Inn as part of a trip to Catterline. We both thoroughly enjoyed our starters of monkfish and scallops. We both had the halibut special for our main course. This was cooked to perfection. There was only one person serving and she did a grand job. Very friendly and efficient. We hope to return in future. Thanks.

We ordered the seafood platter which was really delicious, with a nice selection of seafood including scallops & seabass. We were lucky with the weather so sat at one of the two tables looking out at the sea & harbour below. A perfect location. The service was friendly and efficient. It all came at a reasonable price.

The restaurant serves some great tasty food and with decent portion sizes. The tables were fairly spaced out but the all important requirement these days of opening windows to provide as much internal ventilation as possible was not in place when we visited. The weather was warm so, there was no reason not to have done this and although I enjoyed the foodI felt a little uncomfortable that there was an increased risk to all the persons inside.

Visited twice, both times pleasantly surprisedThe charming owner takes orders, she deserves a compliment for her work of many yearsFish and meat well prepared, vegetables a delightI miss oysters (my favourites come from Barra), more fish variety, cooked meat (lamb shanks will do), and more attractive puddings on the menuThis is the standard all restaurants should have at least

Went there for our wedding anniversary full of enthusiasm as it's supposed to be a special wee place with a good reputation.The starters were decent although my monkfish was over cooked. A long wait between the starter and mains. Too long, nearly 3/4 of an hour. The restaurant was busy but not overly so. Seemed that the bar suppers were taking priority over the restaurant.When the mains eventually arrived they were cold and my wife's had to be returned. Mine should have been put back as well but I didn't bother. It appeared to me that the dishes had been partially prepared, left to go cold while the remainder was cooked and added (ie my chips were hot but the rest not).I got the impression that the kitchen was struggling for some reason and I felt so sorry for the waiting staff. The young lad Jamie, who was mainly seeing to us was run ragged and had to continually apologise for issues that were clearly not of his making. Poor lad, he was so attentive, polite and professional under the pressure. He was a credit and a shining light in what was a let down of an evening. Well done Jamie, take a bow.Overall, we were disappointed. The food was ok albeit cold but not exceptional. The 5 stars I've given for service below is purely for the efforts of Jamie (and we've have never met him before so no bias). The waiting time between courses and the cold food are the responsibility of the kitchen not the floor staff.

Ok, we had a table booked for 7:30pm 28/08/21,after travelling 40 miles from Glamis to get there, we turned up and got seated, after a short wait, all of the staff seemed to be run off their feet, previously when we had been there before (4-5 times over 6 years or so) the restaurant had a car park to its front,this was closed,and had been turned over to an extra 8-10 tables. We took our seats,after 5 mins a drinks order was taken, then after another 5 mins our food order was taken - so far so good- (the drinks order was only one pint of coke for the driver,a glass of white wine for my wife) this arrived after a further 20 mins! 25 mins after that our starters arrived,(again,way too long in my opinion),after the starters were cleared away, the main arrived after a further 25 mins.My order was a 12 oz steak,(I am aware that this is the weight pre cooking) but what I received was under size. One of the waitresses approached us and asked us if everything was ok,we advised her that the food was great quality wise ,but the service was extremely slow,and some of the portion was too small.This was done in a lowered voice,as not to embarrass her,with no hostility or anger in a measured tone ,and it was specifically said to her the poor lass that it was NOTHING to do with any of the serving staff,or how any of them had conducted themselves,and she burst into tears. I think that the serving staff are overstressed, that they are running way too many tables for the amount of available staff, I understand COVID had caused pressures on the trade,but this struck me as staff being spread way too way to thin,servicing way too many tables,there also seemed to be no visible oversight from any management.We finished what we had,tipped the unfortunate lass,paid and left. We will not be back

Having arrived for our early evening booking, our empty starter plates then sat for 45 minutes. Our main dishes eventually arrived but once finished, we were then asked to leave the table for the next seating. 3 other parties arrived after us but were all served first. We also had an 85 year old relative dining with us who was confused due to the fact our meal hadn't finished. No response as yet to the email sent to the restaurant the next day to advise of our experience.Very, very slow service to particular tables and needless to say, we won't be back.

Needed a good meal for our last night in the area and the Creel Inn recommended by good old Tripadvisor did not let us down. Great welcome, great staff who were super efficient and wonderful fish, all four of us had different, Mussels, Halibut, Rock Turbot and Haddock, all beautifully fresh, well cooked by a chef who knew their fish and very well priced!Would definitely return,

Had a great meal here. The shellfish platter was delish and my other half enjoyed his steak. The service was excellent.

Great little place, tucked away, off the beaten track. For seafood lovers. Must try local crab! Nice selection of drinks and friendly service. We had cullen skink, seafood selection and hake.

While the food was good, unfortunately, the experience was ruined by the poor customer service. All but one of the staff was rude and unhelpful when taking orders and giving us the bill.For example, when I went up to the bar there were several staff who seemed to purposely ignore me as I asked to pay the bill. It was very strange, it seemed they didn't care at all.Also, my accent was ridiculed by a staff member as I tried to make an order. She rudely turned to my friend and asked what I was ordering without addressing me at all. Shame they couldn't hire better workers as the food was nice as was the area.

Waited time for starter to be served 1hour and 4 uncooked mussels served in my opinion would benefit from older or more experienced waitering staff

We ordered the seafood platter to share , a breaded haddock and the hake , everything was very good and the location was excellent. Catherine is a small village with a wonderful bay.

Lovely location.Gluten free options to most of the menu, which always makes her pleased.Got to say though it got a it chilly outside, so maybe some heaters.Anyway back to the food.My wife had the baked camber gluten free and it looked nice, I had the scallops with black pudding, it was nice to see the coral left on.The sea food was excellent I really enjoyed my halibut, it was cooked to perfection.Wife and my son had the hake, looked lovely.Only complaint was the coffee could have been hotter.Staff were good.Will be back

Just had a very good meal at the Creel Inn, food was outstanding and very good service.I had the Seafood Platter and at £22, this was well worth the money, wife and mother in law had the Baked fillet of Hake and were very impressed. This was followed up by dessert.Great meal, great service and a great price.

Despite coming high on the TripAdvisor recommendations it was not as good as expected.The decor was nice, the staff nice too; without being over-attentive.My wife ordered the seafood platter at £20 which included scallops, prawns, salmon, seabass, salad and "skinny fries".I ordered the haddock and chunky chips, with peas and tartare sauce at £14.Took a while for drinks to arrive. The combination on the platter was well cooked but to only have 3 prawns, 1 medium, and 1 very small scallop seemed a bit sparse. It was however lovely.The haddock and chunky chips was not as good. I would have expected better even from a chipshop!Chips were not freshly cut, they were of the texture and colour you associate with frozen chips.

We had a fabulous dinner tonight. I was delighted with several gluten free options on the menu including toffee apple pudding which I’d definitely recommend l it was delicious. Staff were very friendly & helpful & super efficient. All our courses were lovely. Would definitely visit again.

Me and my girlfriend visited for her birthday and it was one of the best meals we’ve had. From the scallops and crab spring rolls to the seafood platters for the main, everything was cooked to perfection! Amazing ingredients cooked so well and full of flavour. Will definitely be back, can’t fault the food or service, both top drawer!

The food was excellent. Highly recommend the seafood platter, it was delicious. Good atmosphere, staff friendly & helpful, great views of sea & we will definitely be back & highly recommend if in the area.

Had lunch with friends after a visit to the nearby RSPB Fowlsheugh nature reserve. Great value for money and excellent service from the friendly waitress. They have closed the car park to add extra outdoor seating. The restaurant was busy but we didn't have to wait too long for our orders. The battered fish was large and extremely well prepared, as was the home made steak burger with fresh salad and fries; all at a reasonable price.

A thoroughly 'meh' experience that was vastly improved by good company. First off I found the staff very rude and unwelcoming. When I arrived I said I had a reservation and the person just stared at me in a very awkward exchange. Every time we wanted to order drinks we had to chase someone down. The vegan options we definitely 'meh' especially when it's so much easy to create tasty and simple meals a bland bean burger isn't cutting it. The listed some vegan options on ther menu that looked amazing, one of these weren't listen on the menu on the day and the food very much looked like it's bought it, frozen and reheated. When I compared what my non-vegan friend was eating compared to me. I'm also pretty sure I've had the exact same cheesecake somewhere else!I think a good judge of a place is how they cook all their food, not just the ones they want to make. A fine option if you're a mix of vegan/vegetarians and meat eaters. It's got lovely views if you're sat on the right side of the restaurant.

I was on holiday for a few days and was looking for places to go for dinner, I had looked at restaurants in the area, The Creel Inn was within walking distance for us which which was our main reason for picking it. I was happily surprised at how great the food was, we definitely found a wee gem and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone.

We booked The Creel Inn after a recommendation by a friend for a birthday celebration on a Sunday afternoon. We were seated pretty rapidly and drinks ordered by a server with a very somber face, which we could see through her clear mask/visor. Our started arrived very prompt and was absolutely amazing but we sat with our starter plates for 45 minutes and no drinks with no one coming near us and unable to get someone’s attention. Finally we got partially cleared by a young member of staff but again took forever to come back and when he did he had our main courses when we still had our starter plates on the table and no drinks. It was an awkward exchange of plates over as no other waitress/waiter came to help the boy. Main courses finished with absolutely delight and hats off to the chef! Brilliant food! We immediately asked for our bill to which it was left on the table with no question if we enjoyed our meal or anything as we would have simply told the server the service wasn’t up to scratch and definitely impacted our celebratory meal. Next time we will get a take away and sit outside on the benches as then no service will be needed inside. I also attempted to call and give feedback to the manager on the Monday to be told that they were too busy.

The seafood at this coastal inn is exceptional. We all had either the seafood or shellfish platters and all tasted fantastic.Recent reviews have criticised the service but it was excellent tonight - our waitress said it was her first night but she was clearly very experienced. We were seated immediately, orders taken promptly and the wait for food exactly as to be expected - no criticism from us.

We were greeted at the door, temperatures taken and seated straight away. The service was mostly great, and the food was excellent, it really was outstanding. The black pudding scotch egg and the shellfish platter were excellent. For views it would be hard to beat this restaurant.

OK, we'll give it the benefit of the doubt. We visited on the Creel Inn's first day since re-opening and ate inside as the weather was unkind - and, besides, the trestle tables set up in the car park weren't tempting.The food was excellent with, as you'd expect from a restaurant with this pedigree and coastal location, the seafood the stand-out. A couple of the fish dishes weren't available but one of the substitutes, a mini morsel of monkfish, made one wish for a larger portion of it. Dining without alcohol was a novelty but the food was good enough to forget about how nice a bottle of crisp white wine would have gone with the seafood.But the service, oh the service!Because of pandemic restrictions restaurants have to close at 8 pm. Having arrived on time at 6 (and receiving a chaotic welcome which heralded the situation about to unfold) we were served our main courses at 7.45 and only then after several prompts. The staff all looked like school or college students and there was no sign of a maitre d' or any management. Our credit card was machine-fed by a young chap with another young 'supervisor' at his side giving him instructions. Clearly there had been no pre-opening training.A restaurant as potentially excellent as this desperately needs someone experienced in front of house who understands customer service and ensures staff know what they're doing.

My son and I ordered the fish platter but I have had larger starters.For £20.95 each we received a piece of hake, 3 prawns, 3 pieces (rings) of calamari and 2 small scallops with chips. In my opinion this does not equate to a platter.On top of that my sons calamari was inedible far too salty. The chef was informed about the calamari and he/shes feedback was that they hadn't salted it. In other words they couldn't care less.The reason I gave an average rating instead of poor, my husband enjoyed his monk fish curry.

Have visited a number of times before and was excited to visit a restaurant after lockdown. We were left waiting at the entrance for 40 minutes with no explanation, communication or even a welcome. Eventually got table and had to ask for someone to take our food order - the owner eventually did this, but not a 'sorry for your wait' was uttered. Unexciting starters; poor veg/vegan options but tried vegan strudel as didn't want burger - very greasy and unenjoyable; hake with chorizo & paprika crumb looked good and fish was nicely cooked but crumb was flavourless so meal was bland; monkfish curry was again well cooked but sauce was just average; the only meal which was enjoyed was a fillet steak... but this is supposed to be a fish restaurant. We were all hungry after the long wait so ate most of our meals. Waiting staff were pleasant but inexperienced. Fully understand some delays due to Covid guidelines but no excuses for bad manners and lack of communication not to mention the lackluster food. We'll not be back!

Lovely service and varied menu with particular attention to the varied fish dishes. Starter of venison was excellent and the main course Hallibut came with a superb lobster bisque sauce. Fish platter as the other main was very nicely presented and taste to match. Always find the food here to be of a high standard but tonights was exceptional. Fish lovers paradise.

Really enjoyed our lunch today - lovely fresh seafood! Would recommend the Seafood platters. Will be back.

We had a lovely dinner tonight the starters and the main courses were pretty good but the desserts were a bit of a let down, the chocolate parfait wasn't set at all(but tasted lovely), my father in law had the meringue which were a bit overdone.

we visited the Creel Inn on the last day of a short break and we were really glad we made the effort to find it.. despite being the only customers in on the night, the welcome was warm (temperatures taken!) amd the food was excellent.. between the 4 of us we had the hake with arbroath smokie croquettes (biggest piece of Hake ever and cooked to perfection), a wonderful seafood platter, linguine with scallops and a veggie Strudel.. all finished off with wonderful puds!.. we will have to go back in the day time as i am sure the views over the sea would be fab but we went for dinner although could hear the waves at night :-)

Friendly staff, lovely surroundings and excellent food. Nothing rushed all cooked fresh and worth the wait. This is one place if you are in the area you need to book and enjoy.

This restaurant was recommended by another restaurant locally which was high praise. However the restaurant was very old fashioned and hasn't been updated for some time. My partner and I ordered fish dishes. Mine was fine but my partner's was not cooked. We were promised a 'new' one but the original was returned to us with half the portion missing. This was disappointing. The waitress who served us was not friendly and quite rude especially when I asked about the specials of which there were non. However the rest of the meal was fine but we could have had a far better experience...

I've reviewed the Creel Inn in the past at 5 stars, but it's always nice to revisit because you hope standards have been maintained and it is such a special little corner of the North Sea coast just south of Stonehaven. Its picturesque cottages sit perched on the clifftops above the small harbour sandwiched between the cliffs. The simple answer is yes, standards have been maintained and Co-vid procedures are in place. I only had two starters for lunch - a very tasty and expert Cullen Skink and some delicate Arancini balls stuffed with cheeses, tomato and basil. My wife had scallops and mussels, all done to perfection. The building and interior are understated but with food quality like this that is unimportant. Long my the standards be kept up!

Came here on a Sunday evening, last orders just before closing time at 8pm - I had a job choosing from the great menu, but the Halibut did not disappoint.The best fish I’ve have, without a doubt. Just a shame it’s not open for us to come back Monday and Tuesday. (Opens Wed - Sun at present).

Inside is more akin to a 80's attempt at Disneyland. The photos look like its well decorated in a marine style... its not. I had lobster and it was fantastic though. Service was quite slow too.

My partner, son, daughter-in-law, five month old baby and I enjoyed a delicious meal at the Creel Inn. The staff were friendly and efficient and we felt safe in that we were temperature checked on entry, asked to use the hand sanitiser provided and were seated at tables which complied with the social distancing rules; each having their own bottle of sanitiser. Push chair access was facilitated via a side door and there was plenty of room to accommodate these and high chairs.We had a range of main courses: halibut, sea bass, lamb and monkfish all of which were well prepared and tasty. We finished with a combination of sticky toffee pudding and Brûlée; both yummy.We will certainly return next time we are in the area.

In the midst of COVID great lengths were made to make you feel safe and relaxed. Service was friendly and a good selection of drinks were on offer. For those who enjoy seafood don’t miss it.

We heard good reports for the Creel Inn, and were not disappointed. The small village of Catterline was only 15 minutes by car from Stonehaven, on arrival due to Covid we had our temperature checked, then were shown to our table. The restaurant was quiet when we arrived and we were served quite promptly. The menu choice was very good with prices being reasonable. I chose Cullen Skink followed by lobster, both of which were excellent, the lobster was freshly caught that day .My wife had Fillet steak which she thoroughly enjoyed. The portions were a good size and well presented. The staff were pleasant and friendly, several locals were having a quiet drink in the restaurant area which did not impact on our enjoyment. We really enjoyed our meal and certainly recommend the Creel.There was one downside when a diner from a party of three left his table, entered our table space to look at a painting on the wall behind my wife with absolutely no thought or concern towards our social distance during this pandemic. Totally idiotic!

Visited as a table of 4 during the August Eat Out to Help Out scheme. Excellent value for money after receiving a £40 discount off our meal. All dishes were well presented and tasty although I wasn't keen on my starter of risotto and mushroom. Nice atmosphere and attentive service. I would certainly return again.

Food was nice, but really disappointed by terrible service. No excuse for it, asked for ketchup twice with same waiter and twice failed to come back, no one waiting table for over an hour, gave up on pudding and trying to pay the next joke, not an enjoyable experience won't be near the place again. Had been there for 2 hours, kids and adults had enough.

I called to find out if they had a table this evening. The girl/lady on the phone asked how many for. I said just for one. She responded with ‘for one? No.’ As she had asked how many for I’m assuming if I had been with other people there would have been a table. Very judgemental, very disappointing.