The Garden Restaurant in Larne

Loved it. We went midweek and it was a peaceful, tranquil break! Overlooks the coast and the staff were so helpful. Food was good too though breakfasts might have been a bit hotter or a microwave to heat it up. But a great selection of everything. Enjoyed it and will be back.

We were here for afternoon tea , had a lovely table by the window looking out to sea , food was great and the staff were very helpful especially Chloe who went out of her way to rearrange a table at the window for us .

We had a lovely time at the Garden Restaurant. We got in touch in advance to inquire about vegan options for our party and the chef was able to make adjustments to the vegan/vegetarian options on the menu. It was beautiful and full of flavour. The serving staff were all very friendly and accommodating. We stayed overnight and for breakfast the next morning we had a similar experience. The serving staff advised what options we had from the buffet, provided alternative milks for cereal and hot drinks, then the chef prepared hot food for us in the kitchen. A truly wonderful experience that I would recommend.

Food was disappointing. Dishes lacked flavour - I had the slowed cooked beef. Apart from the parsnip puree everything was tasteless; the colcannon contained bitter cabbage. Salting the dish didn’t help. Service was extremely slow and the serving staff seemed bored/disinterested. A girl setting tables dropped piece of cutlery which she picked up and placed on table. I ordered an appetiser which was flat with an aftertaste. This was quickly replaced when mentioned. Hubby asked for vinegar and is still waiting. No butter for wheaten bread accompanying prawn cocktail. Most disappointed.

If you want a relaxing and peaceful stay away I highly recommend this place was so nice

Good well presented tasty food.

Lovely afternoon spent with family. Great food and attentive service .

Helpful and pleasant staff Good food

Stunning location. Top notch rooms. Meals are good quality but slightly overpriced esp breakfast.

Very nice carvery, and really tasty ingredients. This is my sixth time going all lovely as usual my only slight fault was not as much choice for starters as on previous visits. Everything else fantastic from food to friendly and helpful staff to piano playing in the background. Best carvery in Northern Ireland for sure.😊

Relaxed environment and very friendly staff

Great food , very relaxed and beautiful setting .

Thankyou for a lovely experience at the buffet lunch on Sunday we have been at ballygallycastle hotel quite a few times. We have found the customer service second to none we are very impressed with the delicious food on offer at all times Thankyou Angela...

Food was amazing, and service was excellent!!

Beautiful afternoon tea just how we remember it. We haven’t been to the Ballygally in a few years and it was always our favourite afternoon tea spot pre covid. Since my daughter was diagnosed coeliac, afternoon tea could be a challenge to cater to for gluten free. Ballygally went above and beyond and gave my daughter the same experience as the rest of our party celebrating the end of a week long celebration for my mums 60th birthday. Our server was extremely polite and very helpful and nothing was a bother to him. All staff that attended to us were very helpful and polite so we will be returning more frequently now we know you offer such a great gluten free afternoon tea! Thank you Ballygally 5⭐️

Love the relaxed atmosphere of this hotel. Restaurant was fully booked but the service was excellent. Great selection on the menu and the food we ordered was beautiful.

It was a lovely setting, with attentive staff and plenty of delicious treats as part of the afternoon tea package. Thank you!!

Great hotel, very quiet and love the old part which is were we stayed. Especially the ghost room. Staff were very welcoming and couldn't do enough for you. Food in the restaurant was great, the bar staff were attentive and stocked up the fire for us which was amazing as it was a horrible cold night, great pint of Guinness as well. Also asked for late check out and they were very accommodating. Overall 4/5 and I would go back as it was a great price to stay. Only gripe I would have is the breakfast was a 3/5, no vegetarian option for a cooked breakfast and it was a buffet service, the cooked food was lying in grease. Prefer a cooked to order breakfast as it's not as greasy. Other than that I recommend this hotel.

Our 2nd time staying in this Hotel, very good service & food, very relaxing atmosphere.

Lovely meal and setting, very attentive staff.

Loved our stay here we have stayed in a few of the hastings hotels but this was just so chilled will definitely be back

We had the loveliest lunch at Ballygally Castle, my parents and I. There is always a lovely ambience and great views at this venue. The sandwiches were really fresh, the soup was delicious and they had lovely fresh gluten free bread for my mum. We got a side of chips between us and they were so crisp but also fluffy on the inside. The whole experience was really enjoyable. We will be back

Unfortunately, we were very disappointed with our main meal in the evening. We ordered chicken in a wild mushroom jou. When it arrived, there was 1 small carrot, no bigger than my small finger, 1 piece of sprouting broccoli, 4 tiny potatoes supposedly pan seared and 1 piece of chicken on the bone. The chicken looked like it had been boiled as there was no colour to the outside at all. Absolutely no flavour whatsoever. As for the jou, there was no more than a small spoonful. I was very upset as my daughter had paid for a gift card totalling £80 for my birthday, and the food was so awful which has made it a complete waste of money. Thank goodness our room etc was really nice. It did not, however, make up for the meal which was the one thing we were looking forward to. Very disappointing

I was expecting the choice of food to be better from a Hastings hotel.

Beautiful place, really enjoyed our stay. View amazing and very friendly staff. We will come back soon 💕

Really enjoyed the food and the show, staff were excellent

A beautiful hotel in a lovely location, but what really makes a hotel is the staff and here Ballygally Castle excels, the staff were a credit to their profession. Each and every member of staff were so friendly and give excellent service.

❤️ love the place!!! Trying to recover from the loss of my glorious mother! E eron🥹✊✊✊🥹🥹🥹✊

Lovely helpful staff and delicious starters and deserts. We enjoyed the carvery but thought it would have been perfect if it had been just a tad hotter! Thank you

We had a wonderful weekend break at Ballygally Castle Hotel. The food in the Garden Restaurant was amazing. We would definitely recommend you visit.

Good food and lovely atmosphere. The only comment I would make for further improvement on what is already a lovely dining experience would be for a chocolate fountain as part of the desserts option. Kids loved this before and were a little disappointed that it wasn’t there this time round. Also would be good for all desserts to be named on the slates. Dessert in a cup, not sure what it was, a heated plate with what I think was white chocolate and ice cream with no lid to show flavour, strawberry maybe, not sure. Pianist was amazing!!!!

A very welcoming place to stay.

We had afternoon tea for my mum's birthday. The quality and quantity of the food was excellent. The staff are very helpful and accommodating on our visit. There's no pressure to leave after a certain time which is lovely because it makes the day so relaxing and enjoyable. I would highly recommend your establishment to family and friends.

Returning yet again for a carvery meal on Sunday we were not disappointed. The food and service were outstanding as always. Our go to for a perfect Sunday roast!

This is our second visit. Simple food done well. Fresh, tasty, good variety. Everyone enjoyed the grub. Attentive service too. Thanks.

Arrived before check-in and had the Sunday buffet. Delicious and excellent service. Loved the room and just sat by the fire most of the evening relaxing with a glass of wine or two. Room was spotless and modern with everything we needed.

Lovely restaurant...food was very good, we had the duck which we would've liked a bit rarer but that's just a matter of preference. Starter and dessert were first class.

This is one of the best Hotels we have ever stayed in. Everything from beginning to end was superb. So relaxing with a nice pleasant atmosphere. If you want a wee break this is the place you won’t be disappointed.

Everything was perfect, our room was very suited for two people. The food was amazing. The service was great. The only thing I would say is the atmosphere was not the best due to not getting seated in the area where the singer was playing, the lights were dimmed a lot and looked like people wanted to go to bed but it was very chilled. The drinks was amazing but a bit pricey and the heat in the room was very warm! Other than this I would definitely stay again. The coast on the outside was the perfect little touch to our stay.

Things that were good – prior to our afternoon tea I had emailed to request some plain ham sandwiches for my picky daughter. The email was answered promptly and when we arrived and looking at the menu it was clear that my request had been met which was brilliant. The customer service from beginning to end was 2nd to none. All of the staff were polite, attentive and friendly. We enjoyed where we were sitting at the window. The atmosphere was really nice with the festive decorations. The scones were lovely and warm, but they were somewhat dry. But we got extra butter and cream so they were lovely. There was a nice variety offered of both Savoury and sweet. There was a real Wow factor when the food was brought out on the stands. Things that could be improved – the sandwiches appeared to have been sitting around for quite some time and the bread was dry. Some of my family’s sandwiches seemed to be nicer than others! For example, for the festive sandwiches, my husband’s didn’t have any cranberry sauce. The festive trifle did not have much flavour and could’ve done with some sponge to make it more like a trifle. To be honest, for the price, the food was a wee bit disappointing. It looked good, but wasn’t particularly flavourful/special. Would I recommend it? Probably, but I would advise friends to go earlier in the day so the sandwiches would be fresher. Overall - thanks for a lovely afternoon. My daughters had never had afternoon tea before and they really enjoyed it 😊

Fantastic range of very appetising food and 5 star service from the very polite attentive staff

We had dinner while staying at the Ballygally Castle Hotel. The place surely has a very medieval vibe to it. Great selection of food on the menu. Tried the slow cooked beef and was blown away. Everything was perfect and very good and friendly service.

Stunning setting, fabulous food, attentive and friendly staff - we enjoyed a great afternoon tea in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. Loved it, will be back!!!

We have been to Ballygalley Castle Hotel on a number of times for carvery & or coffee. This was our first a la cart dinner, breakfast and overnight stay. Firstly, on arrival the welcome was genuinely warm & friendly, check in was prompt, then we got to our room which was huge & pleasantly decorated. It had all the amenities one could want. Then to the bar/lounge; warm decor and with 60 mph winds blowing outside the lounge was near silent apart from the quiet chat of the many customers. Real log fires added to the atmosphere. Drinks prices were slightly cheaper than other 4* hotels. They certainly know how to make proper Irish coffees too (10/10). The meal in the Garden restaurant was quiet: due to the pre-Christmas rush but the menu was comprehensive. The food was expertly cooked and presented. The waiting staff & matre’d (waiter/manager) pleasantly efficient. A good choice of average priced wines available too. Breakfast next morning was cooked the way the famous Ulster Fry should be cooked, and with all ingredients locally sourced there was absolute no stodginess. In fact it was just perfect, only the Grand Central 5* hotel in Belfast Ulster Fry is comparable quality. Our entire visit was very pleasant with nothing of note to complain about. Other aspects such as parking, are all catered for. All in all - Excellent!

Food was lovely, though portion sizes were not as big as other restaurants we have eaten in. Staff were very friendly. And the place looked beautiful, especially with the christmas trees etc.

Delicious food excellent service highly recommended

Birthday treat for wife, booked bed and breakfast and afternoon tea, great relaxing time, afternoon tea was fantastic with a festive touch. 🎄☃️ great breakfast too.

The afternoon tea was lovely. All the food was delicious - and lots of it. We had a seat by the window which we enjoyed on a stormy Saturday afternoon. and the staff were great too.

Our first visit to Ballygally Castle. We had a beautiful meal in the Garden Restaurant, service was excellent. Well worth a visit.

we booked the Garden Room restaurant a couple of months in advance for a special occasion. we received a phone call two hours before the reservation time to advise the restaurant was booked and we would have to eat in the bar. luckily a proper height table was provided but it was a disappointing experience.

Fantastic variety of hot and cold scrumptious food. Attentive staff and cozy Christmas atmosphere ... perfect way to start the festive season. See you again soon.

Great experience here! The food was good, and the room was very peaceful. I also have a gluten allergy, and the staff was prepared to tell me everything I could safely eat, which I really appreciated. Would absolutely return again.

Excellent stay and the receptionist who booked us in and out is an assett to your company! I think her name is Katherine?

Great friendly service and staff

We spent a very relaxing evening at the hotel. Nice surroundings, nice room and nice staff.

Is there anywhere else in the world you could eat a delectable, lovingly prepared Sunday dinner, in a Castle whilst a pod of dolphins played in the bay? Only at Ballygally Castle Hotel. We love the Sunday Carvery, the choice and quality of food is second to none. I particularly love the linen tablecloths and napkins, the polished cutlery, the glassware and attention to detail. All staff are so warm and welcoming, local, polite and 5 star at their job. The pianist just adds that touch of luxury to a relaxing ambience.

Staff were brilliant, accomodating a very fussy 3 year old! Food was lovely and the children enjoyed exploring the Ghost Room whilst waiting for dinner. The only reason atmosphere is 4* was due to our early sitting etc. it felt a bit lacking in atmosphere in a large room, but that is probably more our fault than the hotel!

Yet another wonderful lunch with my mum. Many thanks to Jess, Chloe and Grace for their exceptional customer service and for always making us feel like VIP's.

We ate here as we were staying in hotel. Restaurant is very pretty and service was friendly and efficient. The menu is small and limited if staying a few nights. It lacks the zing of a hotel promoting province. The food is fine. But it didn’t entice us back for a second night. It’s pricey for what it is.

Fantastic place to visit for a meal and a bit of scenery. The gardens are a great place for some pictures and if you are lucky enough for a sunny day a beer in the gardens. The staff were great but confused us over some of the starters that had been taken off the menu. Overall a lovely place to visit, eat and drink.

Room and view was lovely, comfortable massive bed, two red velvet buns, and bottled water, also tea and coffee. Let down for me was the food, I had the pate which was lovely but did not really like it on soda bread. We have stayed there a few times and I decided to order the Steak for the second time and for the second time it was over cooked, I asked for medium but it was well done no sign of pink at all. Not really surprised because you never seem to get a steak cooked properly anywhere. The Breakfast staff were brilliant, but I wish they would cook the bacon a bit more, no fried eggs in the buffet but the waitress got me two, the potato bread was a disappointment, there was lots of choice, orange juice hit the mark, as did the fresh grapefruit.

Staff rather young but friendly, atmosphere quite nice but the food is thoroughly overpriced and below what you can expect from a place like this. Was served a £9 "couscous salad" that was basically dry couscous, seeds, broccoli and rocket salad thrown into a bowl without any dressing at all. Got olive oil and balsamic dressing after I asked for it, but it's really not worth it. Disappointing, as this restaurant has the potential to be a really pleasant spot.

Having grown up in Co Antrim in the 1980s / 90s, it’s sad to see that most of the independent, family run hotels and restaurants have mostly been taken over by hospitality companies. Each time I return home from England, I find that more and more traditional establishments have gone and as such the menus and drinks selection have become standardised and more akin to English pub grub than traditional Irish food. My parents often spoke warmly about the cellar bar in Ballygalley Castle, however that has long gone - likely a victim of health and safety or fire regulations. So the main restaurant is now the garden restaurant. While the restaurant is pleasant, I was disappointed at the limited choice available. Half of the starters were also available as main courses, and there were 2 salad options. There also seems to be a lot of pork options available, pork belly for both mains and starters, and sausage and mash for mains. There’s nothing wrong with pork, however, on a very limited menu, it seems a lot. For starters we had soup and the pate dish. The soup was fine, however the pate was served with soda bread, which wasn’t really toasted enough to be crispy. The big disappointment was the selection of main courses. Being on the coast, I was hoping for a decent fish selection. However this was limited to battered fish and chips (pub grub), or sea trout - a fiddly dish if ever there was one. Where was the mackerel, sea bass or salmon that are caught locally? There was also no lamb option. In the end we had a chicken and slow cooked pulled beef dish, a beef dish and sausages and mash - which was called something fancy. While the food was tasty and nicely prepared, it’s obvious to see the menu is based on cost cutting rather than variety. Particularly noticeable as the chicken / beef combination used exactly the same slow cooked beef as the single beef dish. As someone who eats out regularly, there is nothing wrong with this. However at approximately £20 per main course, I would expect individuality and not a mix n match approach. I did fancy the 10oz sirloin steak, however this was priced at £32, and I had eaten exactly the same steak in another restaurant the previous evening for a mere £20. The dessert menu was even more limited, and in all honesty, reminiscent of a supermarket frozen aisle, so I opted for coffee instead. When it finally came the coffee was lukewarm and extremely bitter. At £4.20 for a small cup, this was disappointing. The staff were pleasant, and for this reason I decided on 3 stars. However, until the menu is significantly overhauled, I don’t think I shall return.

The menu is the star , great food ,great table ,great service good atmosphere

There isn't a huge choice of restaurants along this part of the coast so we drove back down the lovely coast road to have dinner here--an interesting place with some Game of Thrones connections. The food was very good and reasonably priced and the service was spot on.

Excellent food and amazing service. The surroundings were also beautiful.

We had our evening meal here during our stay in the hotel. We were sat right next to the fire, which was lovely. The service and food were excellent and very reasonably priced. The two of us had 3 courses, with drinks, came to £80. After the main, we needed a break and the waitress kindly let us go out into the garden for a little stroll between courses! The Apple Crumble for dessert worth the Salted Caramel Anglaise was particularly good!

Our recent stay in the hotel included a 3 course evening meal. Great selection on the menu and the food was fantastic. A good wine selection also!

Great place for a meal, the food is localy sourced and cooked perfectly. The staff in the restaurant when we were there are excellent especially ANN, CHLOE & JESS, 3 absolute STARS.

used this restaurant while staying at the hotel food was delicious and staff were excellent superb value would whole heartedly recommend and will definitely use again when next in the area

Hotel was excellent rooms very clean and comfortable food was delicious CHOLE who served us was very pleasant and professionally we will be back

Tres bon accueil, plats corrects et bon service ! Nous séjournions dans l’hotel, c’était tres pratique car il n’y a rien d’autre aux alentours…

Dinner was excellent. Had the beef/chicken combo with spring onion mash the sticky toffee pudding was excellent. Friend had Irish beef she enjoyed hers as well. Only confusion no check had to pay at podium on way out

Reservation at 7. Asked server what “Gammon” was. Server said “ham” with no other explanation. I asked if she could elaborate on the dish, she said no. We had butter on the table but no bread. I asked for bread, the server said no. The place was unseasonably warm, we asked if the door could be open for air, the server said no. The front desk wasn’t much better. We asked for water. The front desk says rudely “you’ll need to pay for it.” 45 mins later we finally got starters. 30 mins after that, we got a main dish. 25 mins later we got dessert. Customer service was atrocious. The servers literally looked as if they were high school students just hired for the evening. A place this expensive and allegedly this “high class” needs to understand customer service is a MUST in the class of hotel they are trying to portray. They should be in the business of saying “yes” more than “no”.

We had a lovely night at the garden restaurant , the food was delicious and the atmosphere was very pleasant. The staff were also great particularly Matthew who was an extremely polite and attentive host . We will definitely be back

Friendly staff high quality of food and service

The food was excellent the service in the restaurant was very good staff were very attentive to us both evening meal and breakfast plenty of choice and good home products on display really enjoyed our experience at ballygally hotel

We had a lovely 3 course meal here. The beef was very tender and the chowder had lots of seafood in it. Couldn’t fault the meal. Service was also very good.

Great food and staff very friendly.

Dinner was good but not a huge selection. Breakfast was very tasty, lots to choose from, very fresh and quick service

The dinner was delicious but not fabulous. Service was satisfactory. There was a big fireplace and a number of radiators around the walls. Sadly my table was next to French windows where the curtains neither met not reached the floor. It was too cold for comfort. Breakfast the following morning was ok but unremarkable. The bedroom suite was stunning however and reception staff very welcoming indeed.

Food in this restaurant is beautifully presented & delicious. The staff & service are second to none! Could not fault this place!

Excellent food. Wonderful service friendly staff. Highly recommend if in the area.

Excellent food good prices wonderful service. Recommend

Steak cooked to perfection My partner got the coley and loved it. The crushed potato and chorizo that came with it was his favourite

Excellent dining while staying at hotel

Food was delicious. Staff super helpful. Highly recommend this restaurant.

The Garden Restaurant is situated within the Ballygally Hotel. This is a lovely hotel situated right on the shore line with a beautiful beach to the front. The hotel itself has a lot of character and charm which can be explored with a trip to the tower and ghosts room. The entrance to the restaurant is already impressive with a large custom carved wooden door to celebrate the Game of Thrones which was filmed in local spots around Northern Ireland. The carved wood was from fallen trees in Dark Hedges another film location. The Garden Restaurant has nice views to the gardens of the castle which are also worth a stroll around to enjoy. Upon entering we were warmly welcomed and placed at a central table. The restaurant is bright and airy with a vaulted ceiling. Perhaps it loses a little of the intimate dining experience which most enjoy. The menu choice was nice with a good selection to cover most tastes. The food itself was lovely without fault and enjoyed by the whole party. The table service was also as expected. Overall, a lovely choice of good quality food in a nice setting and worth the travel.

Lovely setting with beautiful gardens.

Highly recommend. Excellent food, great menu. Never disappoints. Very friendly and welcoming staff

Beautiful food. Staff were friendly and helpful.

We stopped at the Ballygally Castle hotel for 5 nights as a special occasion to celebrate my retirement and ate in the restaurant 4 nights and had an afternoon tea. The first night we were sat down at our table for 25 minutes before someone came and took our order , nobody came and asked if we wanted a drink whilst we looked at the menu . The food when it came was nicely cooked but I had steak and chips and it came with no garnish , no mushrooms and when I asked for mustard , they came back and said they had none. The next night we had a table booked for 7.45 . We went to the restaurant and despite having booked the table three weeks earlier were told to go and sit outside the restaurant and they would call us in when ready . Eventually about an hour later they came out and told us we could not have a table in the restaurant. By then there were about six groups of people in the same boat , the worst having waited from 7.15. Eventually at approximately 9pm we gave them an order for a beef daub and they came out with sirloin steak ! When challenged the waiter didnt know the difference but we were told they had no beef daub left on the menu. But surely when the chef had seen the order he would have known the difference. And so it went on , very little supervision from their management on what were new young waiters that needed support that was sadly lacking

Had Christmas Eve dinner and it was excellent. the roast beef fell apart and tasted very nice. All current guidelines were excellent.

The restaurant has a very good and varied menu and caters for those with special dietary requirements. The staff are helpful and professional and the food is excellent. Highly recommended whether staying at the hotel or for a meal out.

Seems to us that the Ballygally hotel is taking advantage of the government eat out scheme by offering an extremely poor set menu with cheap ingredients rather than the usual Lounge menu. The starter offers leek and potato soup, 3 breaded mushrooms, chicken wings or Caesar salad. Mains offers were fish pie which was 3/4 mashed potato Not one single chunk of fish with even more cubes of potato in the under mash. Seemed to me this was some left over chowder as it had small pieces of over cooked leek and celery in i looking like they had been a soup previously. Chicken curry was a pre cooked chicken breast heated by adding to a curry sauce. Chicken was dry and hard and sauce lacked flavour.Very few staff with long waits between service.Also and more worrying social distancing and hygiene precautions were Non existent. Hotel was teeming with a very large funeral party +70 eating from a buffet in main restaurant, and a wedding party in lounge/function room. Staff no masks or gloves.The Only precautions were a hand sanitiser on entry. Plates and cutlery all handled by staff, salt and pepper placed on tables not in sachets. Tables not wiped down.Unfortunately we will not be back despite the friendly and courteous staff who were run off their feet.

We were greeted by a very pleasant receptionists and showed to our room The room was very nice and comfortable food was excellent and staff very attentive

We stopped by, without planning to, as we were passing through Ballygally en route for Belfast on a bitterly cold February evening.I asked at the front desk about the food and was immediately attended to by a very friendly manager called Norma. We went to the Garden Restaurant, and settled on the two courses with a glass of wine( but since we didnt want wine, we were offered a choice of soft drink instead), a kind of early bird special , served until 7pm and costing £22..We sat by the lovely open fire.There were only a few other diners and the atmosphere was very relaxed.We were served by a warm, friendly waitress called Jess, who was excellent at her job.The food was beautifully cooked and presented-very tasty, we both had ribs as a starter followed by the chicken.It was really good.We then ordered a dessert of sticky toffee pudding, which was possibly the nicest I have ever tasted. All in all, this was a great experience, super service from Jess and Norma and excellent food,It is now definately on my llst of places to eat when up exploring the Antrim Coast

Went here for Sunday dinner and food was lovely. Starters & Main were delicious and it was buffet/carvery style so help yourself to as much as you want. Only thing I feel is desserts let it down as I found them basic and seemed to be bought in. Desserts were you trifles, cheesecake and fresh fruit but they had little flavour so was disappointed. Setting of the restaurants views are out of this world over looking the water. Definitely a stunning view. Meal was £27 each so for what you get I suppose its an average - high price for a sunday dinner.

Lovely hotel/surroundings...pity the food didn,t match...very poor, was like something from icelandand they even managed to burn it in the microwave...

Ate here for two successive evenings this week. Food was excellent and staff were professional and friendly. A very enjoyable experience and would highly recommend a visit.