The Glasshouse Restaurant in East Ayrshire

While I generally try to be constructive in my feedback, I'm afraid I have to say that my Sunday lunch at Rowallan Castle was a bit of a letdown. The food was, relatively speaking, uninspiring. For an item such as a Sunday Roast dinner to be highlighted on the menu in such a way and then be a bit of a let down was disappointing. Our recent disappointment regarding our experience at The Glasshouse Restaurant at Rowallan Castle. It's disheartening to find out that a place with such a promising reputation failed to meet our expectations. A Sunday Roast Beef dinner should have been a delightful and memorable occasion, but it seems that Rowallan Castle fell short in several crucial aspects. We have given two stars on this particular occasion in respect of the failings encountered. The actual roast beef lunch : Although the vegetables were quite tasty, portion size in the meat area were not impressive. We have visited various restaurants in and around the area over time and there have been highs and lows where a Sunday Roast is concerned. There are many places that offer a ‘great plate’ where others have not. The Glass House falls into the later. Lackadaisical, lacklustre service is another significant issue that can significantly dampen a dining experience. Slow and inattentive waitstaff can make guests feel neglected and unvalued, contributing to an overall sense of dissatisfaction. However the young waitress that served us on the day outshone the other male members of staff with her attentiveness, and friendly manner. As for the atmosphere: unfortunately we cannot comment on this, as there wasn’t any. The absence of atmosphere is equally detrimental to the dining experience. A warm and inviting ambiance is essential for creating a pleasant and memorable dining. Our other concern was with the cold draft that was felt during lunch. In spring / summer the Glasshouse is a nice place to enjoy, not so however once the weather has changed We actually found ourselves eating at a pace so as to leave and make our way to somewhere warmer. My feet and lower legs were particularly cold towards the end of our meal. The overall impression of a cold venue further reinforces the sense of detachment and lack of warmth. A restaurant should be a place where guests feel cozy and comfortable, not chilly and uninviting. This is a constructive criticism of the restaurant. I have read a lot of 5 star reviews about the restaurant and can I say this was not our first visit, ( nor will it be the last ) we have taken friends and family to the Glasshouse over the years and barring a few hiccups it was generally a pleasant experience. I can only assume that this was an “off day” and our visit on that particular date was unfortunate. With a few additions and a little updating the Glasshouse could be a great place for guests for years to come, however, as it stands we won’t be returning in the near future. Cold, uninspired, uninviting, overpriced, lacking, …. I could go on …. in fact I already have !!!

Just a quick beer in a great place.

Burger was ace 👌👌 very very very nice

Had a lovely meal from the seasonal menu. The quality of food was excellent, made with great Scottish produce. The service was also excellent. The Glasshouse is definitely on our shortlist of great Ayrshire restaurants.

Only been for a couple of times so far for breakfast rolls. But both times have been really nice and having tried the haggis and black pudding you can tell it's better than the usual quality stuff. Looking forward to trying a dinner. Very nice setting as well with it being right in the country and fair prices as well.

Lovely old glass summer house between 2 Rowallan castles with a golf course, the food was lovely and well presented, we will definitely be back.

Food was ok but prices ridiculous. Ordered chicken. 2 small bits. One carrot,one potato and a dressing.£20!! Was still hungry after it. Will not be back. Not value for money

First time here and pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the surroundings are. The dining room was a little cold but a lovely atmosphere. Service was on point and the food was great. The 2 course is definitely value for money. Will be back.

Had a delicious meal on the set menu. Good quality food at a good price. Will definitely return.

Everything great and will return. We had lunch but will also try dinner and a breakfast at some point to.

Really enjoyed my meal. Seated promptly, food cooked perfectly,good views of the golf course.

Faultless afternoon tea and service in beautiful surrounds

Lovely 80th birthday meal with my mother there. Staff are fabulous and the meal was delicious. We will definitely return.

Extremely disappointed with our meal tonight. Firstly the restaurant was freezing.. couldn't take off coats. Secondly food ..3 out of 4 meals very poor. Burgers were incredibly chewy as was one steak. Been once before and thought it would be as good but sadly don't think we will be back

Birthday lunch and it was delicious 😋

A lovely place to eat. Enjoyed the food Mrs H and Louise had the High Tea which looked and tasted great, I had tge Fish and chips which were amazing. Nice atmosphere, Staff and company 👌.

Good but not remarkable. Setting was great, service was great, food was very nice but not exceptional. I have been here many times and will go back. Needs some lighting in the car park.

Excellent on every level, I'd highly recommend.

I just love this restaurant. My husband and I visit as often as we can. The surrounding castle and grounds are gorgeous. The food is always perfect and the staff are always friendly. On this visit we both had the Sunday Roast, which is a first for us. Absolutely perfect. We also sat in the garden, which is another first for us, with a cocktail each. Infact, the mint for my husband's mojito was freshly picked from the garden. The sun was shining and the whole afternoon was so enjoyable and relaxing. I highly recommend this restaurant and cannot wait to return!!

First visit to the Glasshouse Restaurant, food, service & facilities are 1st class, Food prices very reasonable. I will be back.

Staff lovely, setting nice, I asked for medium well done steak and it came dry and burnt, the plum crumble had no fruit, a dry crust with plum jam inside, if I was not with friends celebrating a friend’s special birthday I would have complained but I didn’t want to make a fuss, paid £44 for a good starter

Great place, good food and wonderful service.

Sorry, didnt like it, food was OK but not fantastic which you would expect

Meal was terrible sent it back and still blood running out of meat that much couldn’t cut the lamb they gave us stake knife to eat lamb never heard the likes of stake knife for lamb was as sick as dog when left after eating one wee bit witch couldn’t swallow and still had to pay £27 for what being ill for 2days and no bloody meal rest assured a not be back in this place

Nice place en a good food. Highly recommended

Lovely food, good service. Afternoon tea has a good selection, and the service is great.

Beautiful surroundings, Amazing presentation, went for Morher and Father inlaws Wedding Anniversary with my husband. The Food was presented beautifully, taste was amazing and the waiter and waitress couldn't do enough. Was also lovely and quiet. Highly recommended.

Had a beautiful day excellent food lovely staff. Well worth a visit. Fab. Thank you.

A large group of us had afternoon tea. Superb selection of sandwiches and cakes, all expertly served by very pleasant and efficient staff. Will definitely be back.

Brilliant service, delicious afternoon tea, delicious sandwiches. Will be back very soon 👍

High tea was nice, choice of sandwiches were a bit plain. Quality was good though

Very good, just a bit understaffed!

Enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea today. Great food & friendly staff. Would recommend.

Very nice afternoon tea with excellent baking. Only downside was the lack of staff to top up coffees which were served by the cup. Would have preferred a pot of coffee.

We cheated! We went to The Glasshouse twice in the space of two days. We were staying in the area and saw their high tea advertised. Which was delicious. Strawberry tart, lemon mousse, sandwiches... particularly delicious. And then we went back for the Valentine's Day set menu. Wow. Well thought out, beautiful ingredients, well presented. We shared so we could try everything. What I will say is particularly amazing are the pastries - on the quiche, the tarts, the bread with the terrine. I would say I'd go back - but I did already. Highly recommended ❤️

Absolutely loved my meal ...Friday steak night was delicious and good value for money... staff were amazing

Great afternoon tea , lovely staff in beautiful surroundings

We had afternoon tea here, But I must be fussy, don't like quiche or chutney on sandwiches

Food was good.Socially distance.Staff working hard as obviously understaffed.Will certainly go again in the future .2 courses for £22.Bill for 6 came to £157 including a bottle of wine& 3 soft drinks.

Very little festive about afternoon tea here. Poor presentation with unimaginative sandwiches. Mini quiches lukewarm served on bed of lettuce in contact with scones. Good scones spoilt for me by pre prep with little jam and cream. No speciality teas on offer, just Tetley tea bags and would anticipate at this level bottomless supply. With tea going cold , provided with another pot, very weak 1 tea bag, final shock at check out when charged £4 extra. Having had excellent lunches here, have to take business elsewhere.

Nice relaxed atmosphere. Sunday lunch good value. Service attentive. The afternoon tea on some other tables looked brilliant. Must go back to try...

Location beautiful. Food was nice too

Absolutely superb. Can't wait to go back. And service great 👍 food amazing

Had an absolutely delicious afternoon tea at the Glasshouse. Cannot fault the food or the service. Highly recommended.

Delicious lunch today at The Glasshouse. First class service too. Thank you. We'll be back very soon!

I booked a lunch for the first family get together in over a year. When I made the booking, I asked for seating outside, due to covid, and was assured this was OK. Unfortunately the only outside seating was rough picnic tables which hadnt been prepared for us; we had to haul two together to create enough space. One of the serving team - who were friendly and helpful - noticed that one of my party had mobility issues and offered to bring a more comfortable seat from indoors. However, and this is where it get surreal, a scruffy old man claiming to be the owner, verbally attacked my party and berated us for taking his chairs outside. On being told that his staff brought them to us he became aggressive and started to argue with us. When paying and leaving his staff did apologise for his behaviour and gave us a free voucher for high tea. So, in summary, the location is great, the venue is getting a bit scruffy, the food is of good bar meal standard, the service is good but the owners rude and aggressive behaviour is astonishing. I wouldnt go back, obviously.

My daughter bought us vouchers for here but due to Covid unable to use until recently. Staff very good and meal was excellent. Will be returning.

Very poor, ordered the same as the last time we were there just a month ago, the main was completely different and not at all nice. I think the food is a bit of a lottery.

Great meal in a fantastic surroundings

Lovely location but only one boring vegan option. Just stock meat alternative we can swap for the meat on the other menu items please.

Excellent food great service 1st time there .Will be back highly recommend

Family run, sourcing food and drink locally. This is top class dining, on the edge of an exclusive golf course. Menu's change throughout the year. We had afternoon tea, and it was excellent, and there was plenty to share.

Fantastic high tea. Plenty to eat. All fresh and amazing tasting. Service was great and very attentive. Any request brought to table quickly. I will definitely come again.

Went for Afternoon Tea one of the best booked again as it was so good staff are amazing

Has always been great food and service. Amazing location, too. Overall, definitely one of the best places to eat in my opinion in Ayrshire.

This was my 3rd visit to The Glasshouse restaurant and the food and the service has been consistently good. Today I was meeting a friend with a disability, i was very disappointed to see that the disabled parking spaces, although near the door, was very poorly marked and also seemed to be where they kept the rubbish. I think it's time they were repainted and that there was a sign at the end of the walled garden to indicate where they were.

Absolutely delicious meal last night food and service was fantastic they accommodated to our every need especially Nicola who saw to our every need

I had high hopes from the reviews and their Facebook page. Perhaps it was the timing that was wrong. Visited for a coffee on a Monday morning. We were the only customers and the place looked drab. The only scones on offer had been baked on Friday. Decided to stick to coffee only. The three stars are for the staff!

Lovely food in excellent setting. Service was excellent with a lovely relaxing atmosphere.

Excellent restaurant well worth a visit out in countryside with lovely views

Was here today for my 70th birthday with another 9 members of my family, a fantastic time was had by all, food was delicious, staff are so friendly and prices are very reasonable, have been a few times and will definitely be back.

Good place to visit and have something to eat

Beautiful setting in the grounds of Rowallan Castle near Kilmaurs, great service and terrific food at very reasonable prices. Would highly recommend.

When driving in we took a wrong turn and ended up at the houses on the estate, which are very beautiful. We were followed by who I can only imagine was the gardner from the coach house at the entrance to be rudely informed in a very pretentious manner that we were on private property and to leave. He followed us up to the car park at the glasshouse and sat looking at us. We decided that our custom was not welcome and we went elsewhere for our lunch. Will absolutely not be back and would not recommend a visit if this is how guests are treated on the way in.

Always lovely here just wish they could heat the place properly...Always chilly 😑

Excellent meal staff were fab we will b back

Food was good. Not a lot of choice. However the whole thing was let down by lack of heat, our whole party were freezing.

Just had afternoon tea it was absolutely lovely . The staff could not do enough for you would highly recommend it will certainly be going back.

We had our wedding meal in the glasshouse 18.08.18 meal was for 60 people food was fantastic service was brilliant can't thank George and his team enough 11 out of 10 x

Not much of a menu to choose from could have gone for bar lunch and got a better choice very disappointing for it to be such a lovely place to dinne

By far one of the best, if not thee best eating experiences I've had the pleasure to encounter on this side of Scotland!, I'd highly recommend afternoon tea or burgers.