the Kettledrum in Argyll & Bute

1st Visit to Bute, looking for relaxed,budget friendly place for Sat evening dinner, arrived 6.45pm perfect time for last orders at 7pm... Really efficient, friendly service. Looking at food other diners were having was fun as all cooked fresh to order, piping hot & tasty. Bring your own bottle for £3 corkage charge , a few tables brought their own wine along. Great menu variety 😋, highly recommend as a lovely relaxed dining experience which won't break the bank.

Casual, friendly and convenient with lovely food, Popped in on the off chance of an early evening meal and were not disappointed. Thanks

You canny come to Rothsay and not visit The Kettledrum Cafe. Atmosphere and music on point. I had the Chook Burger 🍔 😋 ✔️ Linda had House made Steak Pie 🥧 😋 ✔️ Davie had the Fish n Chips 🍟 🐟😋✔️

We had dinner here on our recent visit to the island, the cafe is spotlessly clean with nice views of the harbour. The food was excellent with a good choice of homebaking. You can also bring your own wine. A lovely cafe with nice friendly staff & good atmosphere

I was looking for a good cafe/restaurant for lunch in Rothesay. The Kettledrum was almost full which I took as a good sign. The menu had a wide choice and I found one of my favourite dishes. Service was speedy and the food was outstanding I liked the fact that there was a power point beside my table so I could charge my phone.

Very good food and attentive service. Steak melt was excellent. Also good views of the harbour from the window seats. Worth a visit.

Had a wonderful lunch here yesterday during a day trip to Rothesay. Very friendly service and food was delicious. We had the fish and chips and a tuna ciabatta. Varied menu and prices reasonable. Good selection of cakes, can highly recommend the apple pie! One of the best cups of coffee we have had too. Clean toilets which is always a plus.

Our first visit to Bute in ages. A great find in this restaurant. Food tasty and efficiently prepared. Will be pleased to return. We had the vegan panini. Delicious.

On Bute for a couple of nights and we were so lucky to come across The Kettledrum. We so enjoyed our meal and the friendliness of the staff that we delayed our ferry trip back so that we could have lunch before leaving. Food was delicious and oh, their coffee…haven’t tasted coffee like that in years! Forget your high street coffee shops. If you are visiting Bute, please don’t miss out on a visit here, you won’t be disappointed.

A little gem 💎 serving excellent food at reasonable prices, the venue is good if eating alone or for large groups ( I had group 13 people) the management and staff will always look after you. The menu is varied and the weekly specials are always a delight to try, I have been visiting on average twice a week for three months. One of the very few places to get good tasty food at reasonable prices. Kate and her team ensure everyone is welcome and looked after.

On the promenade sits small and cosy bistro Kettledrum. 'That looks nice,' I thought, and entered. Good move, as it turns out. Friendly welcome, cosy environs, clean, efficient and busy. I ordered a chicken, avacodo, and cheese ciabatta - despite only knowing what two of those ingredients were - and, wow, what a tasty treat arrived a few minutes later. It was perfect. Taste, texture, temperature, and tempting. The only possible way it could be better was if it was free. Best. Sandwich. Ever. Thanks & best wishes all!

We popped in for a brunch on a visit to the island last week. The french toast was lovely and the panini with chips was spot on with reasonable prices. I recommend this cafe and would go back if I visit the island again.

Not my first great review for this lovely eatery but important for everyone to know that Kate and her crew are still offering the same delicious freshly cooked food with wonderful service and great tunes too. The specials sounded fantastic, Lentil Soup then chilli chicken wraps buy i just love the Fish and Chips so I stuck to that. The Steak Pie was served in an individual dish and was tasty. Great seasoning with plenty of gravy. We had a great night. This places encourages you to bring your own wine. Lots of happy diners. Smashing atmosphere. Wee tip..... Please book. They were booked out again.

We had an hour to spare in Rothesay so looked for a decent looking cafe for lunch. We hit the jackpot with The Kettledrum. On arrival many of the tables were reserved (always a good sign). We were greeted warmly and shown to a table. Our order was taken and then served quickly. I had ordered the vegan ciabatta, I am not a vegan but it offered something different, containing cashew nuts and chickpeas. It was delicious. My husband had a pulled chicken ciabatta, again delicious as was the bucket of chips. Coffee and a tea were both very good. Thought the pricing was very reasonable and if we ever come back to Bute we will definitely return here.

Visited for lunch and managed to ‘score’ the last table available (at the time). Efficient and friendly staff directed us to the table and gave us the menu. Chose the Home Made Lentil soup for a starter which was served quickly along with 4 slices of fresh Sourdough bread with butter. Easily the tastiest lentil soup I have had in a very long time! Main course was the chefs own Steak Pie with chips and mushy peas. The top crust/pastry by far the lightest I have ever had the pleasure of attempting to ‘fork’ (without success 😂) perfectly cooked steak ‘melt in the mouth’. Again a very tasty dish. The peas, served in a ramekin, perfect as was the basket of chips ( more in quantity than first looks ). 10/10 overall for service, speed of service, quality and quantity of portions. The Kettledrum has been the ‘kettledrum’ for as long as I can remember with a brief stint of a name change in the 90’s. Has always been a quality stop off for food but the latest owners have ‘upped the game’. A pleasant quiet (noise wise) cafe, a lot busier than I first expected - one taste of the food will tell you why it is busy. Clean and well maintained premises, Will certainly be paying further visits on future trips to the Isle of Bute. Only 1 tiny thing - the gravy could be just a little bit thicker in the pie 😉 (personal tastes and all that)

Stopped in for a lite lunch while on Bute. Excellent food, wonderful friendly service. A good choice menu, excellent home made dishes. Wonderful view over the harbour. Highly recommend.

We came across this place by chance. I had a beautiful omelet and salad and my husband had homemade soup and bread followed by a very large slice of Victoria sponge cake. By far the best cafe in the location. The staff are very lovely and friendly

Had a light dinner here after a day of exploring the town. Wow. Decor in the Kettledrum is very tasteful and the background music was well chosen and relaxing. Staff are soo friendly and helpful. Service is good. The food was just what we needed. A decent light meal. This was a good recommendation from our host Gus at the Highlander House

Came across the Kettledrum Cafe by accident today and are so pleased we did. The staff were friendly and efficient. We had fish and chips and ciabatta with brie and bacon which were delicious. The chips were y the best ever. Will visit again.

We booked a table for a Friday evening and we’re able to have a highchair too for our 11 month old. A fabulous atmosphere with lovely staff who were chatty and attentive. Food was delicious! All fresh and tasty. Would definitely visit again.

If you want quality 5* food and service, only one place to go in Rothsay that is Kettledrum Cafe. Excellent homely food at reasonable price the staff are very helpful and look after you, what I will say call in advance as the venue is always busy. During my stay in Rothsay I look forward to my visits to Kettledrum. Amazing Food Amazing Staff

We decided to go to the Kettledrum for dinner, having been there lots of times for afternoon coffees and scones or cakes. We were met by smiling staff who after showing us to our table, gave us our menus and took our drinks order. Two of us decided on fish and chips and two on cheese burgers and chips. When the food came it was piping hot having just been freshly made to order and it was delicious. The staff were very attentive. We had an absolutely lovely meal in a friendly environment.

Great atmosphere, friendly and efficient service, and most importantly, very good food. The fish was perfectly cooked.

Lovely clean little café. The staff were pleasant, and service prompt. Good tea and coffee and the scones were excellent. Highly recommended

We love this cosy cafe on the seafront in Rothesay. The food is always tasty and fresh and the choice of cakes it great. It isn’t licensed but for a small corkage charge you can BYOB!

We were in Rothesay Scotland visiting from the States when we visited the Kettledrum. Doreen remembers from growing up in Rothesay. Each day we would visit for our tea and found the menu outstanding. Staff very friendly and service was great. This made our visit...

Great place for lunch or dinner. Tables outside too if you'd like to eat outside. The Vegetarian lasagne was absolutely delicious. Homemade. The steak and chicken and ham pies, also homemade I'm told were gorgeous. We finished with coffees and home made desserts. Faultless. Disabled...

We had a lovely lunch at the Kettledrum. Food was excellent, service was prompt and staff were very friendly. We’ll definitely visit again the next time we are on Bute.

Absolutely fantastic staff. Very high standard of hygiene shown throughout. Food was to a very high quality with a varied menu. Very reasonably priced. Service excellent will definitely be back.

Just had the steak pie and it was lovely tender meaty chunks with gravy. The service is very warm and welcoming make you feel at home good value looking forward to returning

Take away. Nice take away from the Kettledrum. Very tasty. Friendly knowledgeable staff. Good choice on take away menu.

We found this café in Rothesay and had excellent omelettes for lunch. they came with a large salad. They also gave me gluten free bread and a nice cup of tea. Service was friendly and helpful. Next time I am in Rothesay I will be...

Had lunch in this spotless wee restaurant. Good menu and very accommodating for those who wanted items not on menu. Food was good and reasonably priced, service was friendly and very efficient.

Service and food were excellent. Very welcoming… would definitely recommend trying the breakfasts…. My partner had the scone which looked delicious and so did the cakes… if only we hadn’t already booked to go out for dinner, I would have had more….

We popped in for a coffee but the deserts looked good so we had one of these each too, they were excellent, in fact we enjoyed the visit so much we went back for a meal. Staff really friendly and helpful, restaurant got quite busy...

Had a wonderful evening meal tonight at The Kettledrum situated on the seafront in Rothesay. It's first day under new management with a cracking new chef who make the lightest crispy batter on the fish. Absolutely delicious . The menu choices were fantastic. Service was...

We recently visited Rothesay and went to The Kettledrum for brunch. We had a very large party and the staff was very helpful in meeting our needs. We were greeted warmly when we arrived and were seated promptly. Our server was very informative and attentive....

Staff was friendly and helpful. Food was lovely. Home made tartar sauce was to die for. 10/10 Staff very knowledgeable.

The food was delicious and flavoursome. Best garlic mushrooms ever tasted. Friendly service. Would definitely recommend.

We tried four places in Rothesay on our break, and this was the one we returned to on our fifth night. Best lentil soup I've ever had (and I've made quite a few). On the first visit my wife then had an excellent Mediterranean tart,...

Heerlijk gegeten bij Kettledrum met vrienden. Prima bediening, goede verhouding prijs/kwaliteit. Aanrader.

Friendly and welcoming staff epic fresh prepared food amazing cakes freshly made Wish I could have all on the menu

Never been before. Had fish and chips/ veggie ciabatta. Fantastic food and coffee/tea. The cakes too are wonderful. Service was fast and friendly. Best eats on the island, thanks for a wonderful meal.

Absolutely amazing wee place. Possibly the best chicken burger (with handmade coleslaw and sweet chilli sauce ) that I have wee tasted. Def worth a visit 😊

Lovely atmosphere, nice and cosy. We had eggs Benedict, lentil soup and lattes. Tasty food and superb coffee 😋 Staff are so friendly and welcoming. Thanks for a lovely visit today 🤗

Amazing food, steak pie so tasty, “Tommy” chicken burger was delicious . Best Apple Pie ever 👌. Staff lovely, restaurant spotless clean and lovely atmosphere. We just popped by with the off chance of getting a table and so glad we did. Will definitely be...

We had two burgers and an omelette. It was really nice. Worth the price we paid. Would definitely return.

We've just returned from a weekend at Rothesay. We found the Kettle Drum cafe on our first day and we're so impressed by the food, we ate there every day. The food is excellent, every item on our plate was devoured and the cafe had...

First evening I called in for take away fish and chips: battered haddock (2 pieces), triple cooked chips and mushy peas. They were the best ever and only criticism was we wanted more mushy peas to complement the volume of the fish and chips. Absolutely...

we had a meal there on sunday excellent food great service and it was the best fish i have ever had in all of my 74 years fantastic

What a lovely find, the food was very good, friendly staff and very good value, would certainly go back

My wife has a very specific diet ( gluten free & fish intolerant amongst other things). The staff listened patiently and were very knowledgable about what she could and could not eat from ingrediants and oils used in the dishes on their menu. They were...

Very good food in a busy (good sign) lunchtime. Varied menu, freshly cooked and well-presented. Nice decor. Fair price.

We were on Bute last week and visited the Kettledrum 3 times. Twice for meals and once for coffee. The food was very tasty and good value for money. Good coffee too! The service was very friendly and entertaining. We will definitely pay a return...

A lovely looking interior, possibly one of her nicest cafes on the Island. Service was truly awful, and it wasn’t busy. 15 minutes after being seated I had to physically go and find a menu 30 minutes after being seated someone took our order 20...

Perfect place to eat after arriving on ferry. Beautifully decorated & very safe….masks must be worn, hands sanitised on entry. Great selection of food, all freshly prepared & well priced. Very busy so you should book in advance to ensure a table.

Came off the ferry and popped in for a coffee outdoors. Fantastic and friendly welcome. Went back for dinner next night. Totally relaxed ambience. Food was brilliant and staff so attentive! BYOB too😁

Friendly staff who chatted to our children and made us feel welcome. The fish and chips were delicious and the cheesecake is to die for. Thank you for your hospitality.

Friendly staff and very clean environment, the food was amazing - generous portions and everything was tasty. Would definitely recommend stopping here for lunch

It looks small on the outside but the food is tongue tingling and exotic would go there again amazing Ben age 11

Not visited this cafe in the 18 years we have visited relatives and popped on for lunch, very busy but were open to say service may be a bit slow, but still got 6 meals and drinks within 20 minutes. Good standard friendly service amazing...

Came off the ferry and my wife and I popped in for a coffee and a fruit scone which was home made and very tasty. The service was excellent so we decided to book our tea there for later and again we were not disappointed...

My partner and I visited here one evening in Rothesay and the staff were very helpful in walking through what on the menu was vegan or could be made so. We had a vegetable tart made of crispy basil which was delicious - really creamy...

We fancied a takeaway coffee, and the Latte here tasted great! I'm quite fussy about my coffee! Usually latte's can taste too weak, or UHT milk is used which I do not like - but this place is definitely the ticket! I was recommended to...

We stopped off here for a coffee and cake while on a day trip to Rothesay. It was quite busy but luckily we managed to get a table for the two of us. Coffee was good, cake equally as good, the surroundings were very pleasant...

WOW! What an amazing place! Inside is very quirky and super inviting. Me and my partner decided to pop in for lunch and they did not disappoint! The food was gorgeous- we're both veggie and had veggie ciabatta with salad and coleslaw- I am allergic...

Be aware that a Roll and sausage - contains 1 link sausage chopped up (to make it look like it fills the roll). Really shocking for 4 pounds. 2 links is standard everywhere else! It was also a Cumberland herb sausage which wasn’t specified, so...

Favourite spot whenever I’m on the island. Scones and cakes are amazing I would definitely recommend!

Husband & I thoroughly enjoyed our visit today. Staff , food , cleanliness & following of COVID restrictions all outstanding.

Walked in with my family, we'd bearly got through the door before we was ushered out saying they didn't have room. No apology, no come back in 15 mins for a reserved table, just rude!

Lovely wee place to eat which was recommended to us by one of the ladies at the tourist office. Food was incredible and the waiting staff were only to happy to accommodate our tight schedule to ensure we caught our ferry back to Wymess Bay....

Stopped for dinner on a Wednesday evening, family of 5. Friendly staff made table available for us, and we had good service throughout. The food was really good - especially the special salmon which was delicious! We’d go there again!

Love the food here, especially the breakfasts. Vegetarian brekkie, poached eggs on toast are my favourites…and THE BEST French toast I’ve ever had. Husband loves the omelettes. Eddie is so much fun, service great and nice chilled music. Always a classy breakfast 😊 ( also...

The best fish and chips I’ve eaten in a very very long time and the staff are lovely and really helpful. Would highly recommend.

We had lunch which was superb. Home made soup was delicious. Staff so friendly. We decided to have our early evening meal here too and wasnt disappointed. It's a lovely clean friendly place.

Had an excellent meal on Friday night first class service couldn't do enough for you went back Saturday night again the service was excellent. Thank you

Made a point to visit Kettledrum after reading such good reviews and were not disappointed. Food was fresh and hot, and served really quickly. Staff were friendly and the cafe really does a good turn, every table was full when we were leaving and plenty...

Excellent place. Beautiful coffee and Sticky Toffee Pudding. Friendly helpful staff. Tables spotless and cleaned after every customer.

A lovely little restaurant on the seafront at Rothesay. Excellent food ( especially the fish and chips) and friendly service. Well worth a visit.

Visited for coffee and a cake, service excellent,seated by the owner,who was brilliant,lovely customer service,we wished we hadn't eaten lunch already as the food looked delish!!!! Big shout out for their attention to detail with regards to covid,very very on the ball and a credit...

I will admit the food in the kettledrum is very nice and tasty but the owners are very rude not friendly at all . Swearing and shouting for no reason at all , made the atmosphere in the cafe very uncomfortable , wont be going...

Perfectly prepared meals made with top quality ingredients. Great service and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

We enjoyed our breakfast there, it only opens from Wednesday onwards. Good service and lovely Omelettes.

Wandered of the ferry looking for breakfast, 3 guys on Motorcyles and can hand on heart say this was probably one of the best breakfast have had for a long time, highly recommended, great ambience also and friendly efficient staff, drop in you won't be...

This place does the best BLT ciabatta in the world. Friendly takeaway service too. Highly recommend.

Great food,friendly staff,good range,epic cake's,great value for money,all fresh ingredients,good view,not far from the boat

Great cafe. Staff attentive, nice atmosphere and clean. Food was great, the lentil soup was delicious and the steak ciabatta also. Plenty of variety on the menu and reasonably priced. Will eat here again when on the island. Keep up the great work 👍🏻

Magnificent breakfast, great jazz ambient music and the most caring service in town. This lovely small cafe is definitely the best memory we take from Rothesay.

Gluten free available, really good quality food and lovely staff. Steak pie was fab!! Do not miss this place it’s great

We went for a early lunch, we had one smashed avocado and one bacon cranberry and Brie chabata, both where lovely. They took our track and trace detailed and hand sanitizer was available. Friendly staff all round great stop off.

Both the food and the service were first class - exceptional in fact. We were touring the Argyll area for a week and this was by far the best meal we had.

we visited this café twice during our stay on the island. on the first day we were only after drinks, we were shown to a table and completed the track n trace and sanitised our hands, which was nice to see, as we were only having drinks it was a quick service , we paid by card and left and staff were friendly.we decided to visit again during our stay, this time for food, we went into the cafe and the waiter pointed to a table for us, we sat 25 minutes before he came for our order and at this point we had to ask him for a menu as none had been brought to us. yet other tables were getting menus.once we got the menu we were left sitting another 10 minutes to which we had to ask the waitress if we could place an order.we placed the order , i had the sausage sandwich/roll, it consisted of one sausage cut up into circles on a white roll, sadly not worth £4.Had i been writing the review for our first visit we would give 5 stars, but the second visit let this café down, which was a shame.

The owner was kind enough to make room for us even though the cafe was fully booked and very busy. A reviving coffee after our journey was just what we needed and the friendliness it was served with was a lovely bonus!

I phoned ahead and asked about low carb and they were so helpful. I had the 3 egg omelette and my companion had a burger

Very friendly service and able to provide some gluten free and vegetarian brunch options. Gluten free veg sausages and hash browns would be a fab addition

A very friendly and unassuming place with great steak pies. Food generally was very good. You can bring your own drink and you don’t pay corkage. Pleasant views over the bay too.

Lovely breakfast of eggs Benedict. Very welcoming host and quick service. Highly recommend going there.

Had several take-away meals, and all were first class. Friendly and prompt service. Would highly recommend 🙂

I've been meaning to write a review of The Kettledrum for a while but I've finally got round to it because yesterday I ate possibly the nicest fish n chips I have ever had! It was a carry out, fish delicious and v fresh, batter light and chips cooked to perfection. Staff are lovely and handling current situation with care, patience and humour. Great home baking too!

We were two hungry boaters looking for somewhere in Rothesay that was open for business in the early evening. The homemade soup was excellent and the chicken and leek pie went down a treat. The Kettledrum would be first on the list for eating out in future.