The Mains of Drum in Aberdeenshire

Disappointed with the cappuccino which was weak milky coffee which I did not finish. Lovely lady who served and made my cappuccino but she was no barista. Been here many times before but this is definitely my last cappuccino.

Stopped off at Mains of Drum for lunch unfortunately the specials were all finished yet staff had not updated the blackboard signs I then ordered the homemade lasagne and was hugely disappointed The lasagne was greasy tasteless blob hidden under melted cheese I would not recommend this to anyone

The food (especially the soup) and service are excellent. Lovely restaurant area for a cup of tea, an indulgent bake and a blether. It is situated in DRUMOAK, not Banchory. Ten miles from Aberdeen on the A93.

Mainly going to let this picture of my brie bacon cranberry panini speak for itself. Cheese wasn't melted, bacon absolutely minimal and the whole thing was just a bit luke warm

Went for a breakfast , at 9.15 , they opened at 9am , and the breakfast arrived cold , so I had to return it , and get another one which was not much better , felt it was over priced for what it was , I won’t be having a breakfast here again , it is just fine for a plate of soup , or a coffee and cake . Staff was lovely .

We went to Mains of Drum to buy some garden stuff and decided to have lunch at the some time. Mains of Drum Hausa large restaurant with very decent food. It is self service, but the food is delivered to your table. We had a couple of soups and a sandwich. Decent quality in a pleasant environment.

Perfect afternoon tea! Not the first time I’ve had afternoon tea here and delighted to say it never disappoints from the pretty china to the well filled sandwiches, the delicious scones with cream , jam and strawberries and a delicious array of miniature tarts and tray bakes and if that’s not all an assortment of cakes ! Good to get a choice of teas too and no need to ask for a refill this was offered. Despite the restaurant being busy today as it was midterm the service was first class ! Excellent value afternoon tea !

The best Christmas turkey meal I’ve had in a restaurant! Went today with 2 friends we all had the turkey which was succulent and came with roast potatoes ,and all the trimmings along with 4 different vegetables all cooked perfectly and roast potatoes it was served on a warm plate and was excellent value in comparison to some other local venues -well done to the all the restaurant and kitchen staff who looked very festive too ! 🎄

First visit here for some time and had expectation of a nice meal. Stovies were sloppy, Cullen skink was not the quality of previous visits and my husband’s ham sandwich was the blandest he has had.

We usually come here with my parents as the food is always tasty and hot and the staff are so pleasant and helpful and this visit was once again a good experience. The Cullen Skink and tasty bread is so good and a meal in itself. The only small criticism is that we were all disappointed the meal deal of soup and a dessert is no longer available.

Fancied a quick lunch and thought we would try drum garden Center. We ended up opting for fish and chips. OMG we were not disappointed. The fish was very light and crispy and a good potion size too. My daughter couldn’t finish hers so got a box to take the rest home.

Fantastic service from Ann today in the restaurant. Will definitely be back.. All staff seam to take an interest in making sure your looked after.

Why can't we do mass food in the UK Mains Of drum Garden Centre bit is fine but the food is terrible

Weverymuchenjoyedourafternoonteaearliertoday.Highlyrecommendyouvisitthisgardencentre,youareinforatreat.

Visited for afternoon tea. Staff all very nice and friendly, nothing was too much trouble. Although we enjoyed what was served, we did think it was quite boring for the price tag of £28 for 2 people. No savouries included such as sausage roll, quiche etc, only a sandwich. Scones were light but nothing special, just plain or fruit. Sweet treats were quite bland, both in presentation and taste. Overall we were quite disappointed and probably wouldn't recommend to anyone.

Very disappointed with how we were treated going round the shop….it was obvious a member of staff or security followed us about it an experience we were not happy with so will not be back. Food and staff in restaurant are always very nice.

First time visit since covid. Busy place ordered coffee and pancakes. Coffee came but they forgot about the pancakes after waiting over 20 minutes. They replaced the coffee as the origionals was getting cold.all well in the end. Nice place.

Been here many a time but went out for an afternoon tea for a change. They will take bookings for this and it was changed last minute from 4 people to 5 and the table was all set up for us on arrival. Choose your sandwich and your drink and they came with them after a few minutes (obviously freshly made) and with the scones and cakes and bakes. The food was fantastic and the bakery stuff was amazing and tasty. Selection was great and quantity for only £12.50 per head was brilliant value. Service was excellent and all in all a great experience so congrats to all involved.

I came here Thursday morning. We had breakfast rolls and they were very tasty. Also had a latte/cappacino which were delicious. Service was very good. Prices are reasonable. The shop is also good for local produce. Would highly recommend.

Visited with my Dad for coffee and scones. Very enjoyable. When Dad got back home he realised he had lost £20 from his trouser pocket. Phoned Mains of Drum and delighted to say it had been found and they kept it safely until I could collect it for him. Very grateful.

We enjoy a Sunday run to Mains of Drum for a “fly cup and fine piece” in this clean, relaxing, environment with pleasant, helpful, staff. One of our group was disappointed with her fine piece yesterday though. Such a small, thin, slice of carrot loaf for the price of £2.50. Saving on calories but not on price. I think it will be scones all round next time.

A lovely afternoon tea with friends. The food was lovely and plentifuland the staff could not have been any more helpful. Thank you!

We booked a table very easily online, although I did notice that walk-ins are being accepted too now which is good. You can now order and pay at the counter too instead of having to get table service. The staff who served us were friendly and helpful. We all ordered soup and a dessert as well as hot drinks. The soups we had were Cullen Skink, carrot & coriander and Scotch broth and all of us were very happy with our choices. If they have their sticky toffee pudding on the menu when you go I'd definitely order it as it was delicious. Not too sweet and lovely melt in the mouth, accompanied by either custard, cream or ice cream. The atmosphere here is very pleasant and relaxing and the whole place is really clean. I will look forward to my next visit.

Lovely food, very helpful and friendly restaurant staff and beautiful shop to browse around. An absolute favourite of ours .

We are long standing customers at Mains of Drum. Throughout the Covid crisis the management and staff have done a remarkably good job of keeping the environment as safe as possible while ensuring that customers are made welcome. The welcome staff are pleasant and reassuringly...

We went to the Mains of Drum cafe with our young children for a cake and drink as a treat. When reaching the till, my wife and I both realised we had no means to pay! Fortunately the staff were very understanding and made it...

Hubby and I had a lovely afternoon tea here. Friendly greeter who showed us quickly to our table, we had preordered so everything arrived quickly. The waitress was lovely and offered more tea and coffee. The food was great, beautiful bread with good fillings, tasty...

Table was prebooked, young man greeting us very pleasant and the food was tasty and hot. However, the greeter woman was very rude and abrupt when it was time to give up our table, even though there was nobody waiting. I understand the rules, but...

Went for lunch and we were treated very badly by the woman whose role was some kind of greeter. Huge angry fuss about not being booked when it was practically empty. The snappy aggressive attitude continued throughout and made it altogether unpleasant. The average fare...

Booked table online where it tells you about their covid regs and the time we could stay at table. When we arrived we were met by a lovely lady that brought us to our table. She explained again about the covid procedures and ensured that...

Table was precooked. No mention of 1.5 hour slot at time of booking. Queued for an awfully long time to get food and hen pay. Food was cold by the time we returned to our table. Glad did not ask for hot drink at time...

I am unsure if this store has air vents etc but no windows open in shop or in restaurant......the health of the public during covid requires business premises to have as much ventilation as possible Please keep your staff and customers healthy

We were very disappointed yesterday with the visit to Mains of Drum. As a party of 7 including a wheelchair user and a 12 week old baby; we travelled from three separate destinations across Scotland to meet for lunch. One person in our party is...

We have booked for coffee and cakes here a few times since COVID lockdown and have felt very safe and confident in their procedures. Not always as full a selection as usual but cakes and tray bakes still very good as is the coffee. No...

Enjoyed an excellent lunch - good food choice and of a very good standard. Very pleasant atmosphere in the restaurant and friendly, helpful staff. The shopping area had a good selection of quality items. Garden centre was well laid out. Plenty of easily accessible parking...

Great restaurant serving a wide menu selection with excellent Covid measures in place. You're able to book a table in advance here and as standing for my parents who are both in their 80's is no longer an option (this happens at Raemoir Garden Centre...

This gem of a place suited perfectly a couple in need of breakfast, some shopping and a lovely location. Staff were so friendly and helpful, and the quality of food and venue were both terrific. Many thanks - hope to visit again soon!

Good food and pleasant, helpful staff. Only downside was table time restricted to 2 hrs which was a bit limited for our first family get together since Jan 2020! We asked if the table was required or if we could have more coffees, waitress said...

This is a lovely garden centre but the prices are way over the top. Had lunch where was loads of choice at quite reasonable prices.However, I had Croque Monsieur which I guess was a daily special. A really substantial portion but in no way akin...

My husband and I visited today for lunch with my Mum and had an excellent experience. The staff were extremely welcoming and friendly throughout, explaining clearly their COVID safety measures. Our food was delicious and served to us very quickly. We enjoyed it so much...

We enjoyed a very pleasant, relaxing, visit here for afternoon coffees. The online booking service was very straightforward. On arrival we were met by a lovely, helpful, lady who took us to our table and explained the procedures. All staff were exceptionally nice and our...

Writing on behalf of my elderly mother as she felt so safe and relaxed in the Mains of Drum when she visited earlier this week (19/10/2020). My mother who has yet to settle back into the reality of coronavirus wasn’t overly keen on going out...

Good to go to to enjoy a coffee but the 1 hour time limit is to restrictive especially when it takes up to 15 mins to order/ receive coffee leaving a shorter time to chat and catch up with friends you haven't seen in while...

Can’t fault the food at this restaurant, but restricting all customers to one hour doesn’t work when the the start time is from the time of arrival and then you have to wait in a queue to place an order for food and drinks. Whether...

We've been coming here since this place opened but following todays lunch we will not be back.Usually the staff are very friendly and helpful but today we got one who had got out of bed on the wrong side. First of all the meal was...

Just had tea and cake . I must say how well organised this visit was. Table was ready for us all cleaned. Very helpfull staff and chese scone was the biz!!!😀😀😀😀😀

The staff were polite as usual, the Macaroni and cheese was delicious as were the chicken fillets. All Covid-19 precautions were taken and we were well informed, will come back

We are frequent visitors and it is great to see that standards are as high as ever, if not higher.. The staff in both in the garden centre and restaurant are very friendly and helpful. The restaurant menu is a smaller than it once was...

We always come here to have lunch while visiting my parents and had been missing it as we haven't been able to visit since the end of February. We booked a table as this is required now and ordered our favourite Cullen Skink, which was...

We thought it was table service from yesterday for food establishments which when we went in it was not, so queuing it had to be, Also you have an hour this is from when you get your seat to ordering then eating food came in...

Met a friend today for a socially distant lunch and was somewhat surprised to discover that they were breaking the law by not having table service, which became mandatory today the 25th September! Seemed to take ages too to be shown to our table (my...

On arrival, we were told by what time we had to be out before we had even sat down .This is never appreciated by us ! There's not much time for a relaxed lunch when you have to wait 10 mins in the queue on...

Our first venture out to here since lockdown and we will happily return. It's obvious a lot of thought has gone into reopening. A one way system is in place, and the coffee shop staff now seat you, but what's lovely is you get a...

Although restaurant has closed to protect everybody they are still doing takeaway food. We chose to have the afternoon tea and it was excellent, really fresh sandwiches, scones, cakes etc. Thanks to all the staff.

Visited yesterday for breakfast with my husband and daughter.My husband had the large breakfast and said he didn’t want the blackhaggis but could he have an extra rasher of bacon , no problem , I had the mini breakfast but said I didn’t want the beans could I replace with an extra slice of toast and I was told “ NO “..... which I found strange as my hubby was able to do it with his , I ordered an extra slice of toast anyways and I was charged for the extra toast ...The breakfast was nice enough and the restaurant is nice with plenty seating .The shop is very nice but pricey.

We went here for lunch and had delicious Cullen Skink soup and toasties followed by our favourite scones with home made jam. The cost is reasonable for the quality of food served here. The restaurant is very clean and all the staff are polite and helpful which makes us feel very welcome. They were having an update to their decor while we were there, so I'll look forward to seeing it when finished next time. There's lots of good products to look at in the shop downstairs once you've eaten too. We'll definitely return here.

We hoped to go for a Sunday breakfast via an Itison voucher and emailed in my preferred date. Response came back a day or two later to say that the date I wanted was fully booked for breakfast but the following weekend was available. That was ok. But no-one confirmed my booking for the following Sunday so I called them to inquire. The nice lady who answered the phone had no note of either booking so I made one at the time. For four, for the following Sunday. All good. We turned up at the appointed time, our voucher was taken and breakfast ordered but as it was self-service we picked up our full rays and enquired about our table. Sorry said the member of staff, we don't book tables here, just pick one and take a seat. Really? Good job there were empty tables then. So who doesn't have the right information? The chap on the email/the lady on the phone/serving staff? Couldn't fault the food nor the service but it would've been nice to get consistent information from everyone. So yes, go for food, it's great. Just don't bother to book a table.

Been quite a few times with different members of my family .Not been disappointed,same standard of food each time . Friendly staff. Excellent service. Food was nicely presented and good. Will need to go back soon

This is a great place! A bit of everything - garden centre, huge range of things for kitchen, lots of vases, cushions, cards and sweets. Good wheelchair access and dogs allowed downstairs. Upstairs the restaurant has a large menu and the scones look great! Soup was very good and very hot!

Went in for a wander round the shop and garden centre before going for a coffee and scone. Nice and friendly staff.

Took a friend for lunch yesterday we pre booked a Christmas lunch and had a lovely table with crackers etc.We opted for the turkey and trimmings just delicious and a large portion with 3 different vegetables we managed just to have dessert peach bellini with a spun sugar topping again delicious.Service was excellent and as we had 2 courses coffee and mini mince pies were complimentary all in all an excellent lunch and good value too !

Well worth a stop the Mains of Drum combines a Cafe, Garden Centre and shopping area. Well worth a stop but seem to be heading more upmarket with their clothing with the inevitable hike in prices. Used to have some good value items on site.

Had afternoon tea cost is £10 each had a really good selection of choice of sandwiches, scones & cakes really was value for money & very nice with the offer of another pot of tea

We love visiting Mains of Drum Garden Centre either for morning coffee or lunch, and the food is always consistently good. They have the best scones ever! Just such a lovely relaxed place to spend a few hours catching up with friends.

I was shocked today after buying a £30 glass bowl I had to ask for the item to be wrapped with some tissue paper! Even after I asked,the girl seemed unfamiliar with the said task ..... perhaps a little training wouldn’t do a miss!!

Visited here for a Sunday coffee/lunch - poor service. After ordering coffees and a couple of cakes, we had to wait over 30 minutes for a panini to come. The waitress asked if we were all done with our coffees, despite there being an order number still on the table. After informing the waitress of our wait, she returned minutes later with a half toasted, half stodgy excuse for a panini.

We stopped here for some plants and had a light lunch in the restaurant. The food and the service was very good. The place was very busy and there was hardly a seat left in the restaurant which is always a good sign.

We just popped in for a cup of tea; Some of us went plant shopping-others went for a treat. Between us we had scones, strawberry tarts and banoffee pie Service was amazing -I never tell a lie

Met 2 delightful ladies trying to park in the car park this morning ( with some interesting angles). So pleased to see visitors from overseas coming to Mains of Drum. Its my local and I love it but I also love seeing new people discovering it. I hope they enjoyed their visit.

First time visit to Mains of Drum and probably the last.

Visited this garden centre in early July as my neglected garden was in need of an overhaul.

The centre is well organised and has something for everyone - clothes, books, kitchenware, delicatessen and everything you need for your garden. Choice is huge and they even have stuff for our dog friends.

I'm not impressed at the aggressive reaction by an employee in the outside garden centre to an enquiry made by a person with obvious learning difficulties.

An excellent restaurant, gluten free options, in a lovely garden centre. The shop has good quality products.

You walk into this place and its a WOW factor both the Restaurant and the Garden Centre. A Happy and friendly staff. The Scones are huge and the option of a Gluten Free Scone could not be turned down. It does get busy but there is plenty of space. Two till channels helps to move any queue. The Garden Centre covers a large section of Plants and Bushes as wells as Gifts to suit all. One passes through a small food /supermarket section on the way out. Plenty of car parking space and pleasant grounds. It seems to be a popular meeting place.

Visited this centre for Lunch great choice service very good Lovely garden centre well stocked and has a lot of lovely gift

Visit for lunch was fine for the food.. but took 25 min for a baked tattie.. it was a busy time of the day. Tasted lovely but will try and avoid 12 o’clock time zone !!!

Fantastic homebakes and drinks, great server, Mellisa I think? Beautiful setting with plenty of plants to choose from

Busy place at lunch. Queue was reasonable. Price fair. could park but any busier might be a problem. Immaculate and very pleasant place to sit. well stocked garden centre with plants well looked after.

We're here again recently for brunch on our twice weekly travels. Really good filled roll. I prefer getting my coffee and food at the same time which doesn't happen in so many cafes. But hey I'm just an old fuss pot. After coffee and food we had a stroll around the grounds of Drum Castle. May have been mid winter but it was lovely (cos I was with my girl). National Trust membership ace.

The Mains of Drum never disappoints.

First visit to cafe although have been in attached garden centre a few times. It was very busy at lunchtime but staff managed very well. Really great for a light lunch or snack plus looked like homemade soups which after seeing them we wished we had ordered. They will be a definite for next time we visit. Good choice of food and covered all palates

Visiting friends in Aberdeen, this was my first time in Scotland. At my friend's suggestion, I ordered the cullen skink. It was marvelous! The salted haddock pieces int he creamy broth gave an unforgettable flavor that lingers on my tongue still. My husband chose a vegetable soup with a sandwich. based on my raves, we switched ours half way through lunch. While his soup was tasty, it wa indistinguishable from soup you won have anywhere else. The sandwich, which both he and our friend had, were actually skimpy. The bread was unremarkable, the filling a bit meager. The surroundings are busy and pleasant. I would go again if it were convenient to my day.

Viisited on Saturday 20th October late morning, service at till / teas and coffee was terrible must have waited 20 - 25 minutes to be served, young girl on till, plenty staff around but no one helping. I had to clear my table . Cappuccino is just boiled milk, probably the worst cappuccino in the world.

We have never been disappointed with the food at the Mains of Drum. Lovely place for home made soup, well filled sandwiches and baking, and good for all ages. Nice, relaxed atmosphere.

Visiting Banchory and was looking forward to having scrambled eggs at Mains of Drum. However on arrival there was a new breakfast menu and no scrambled eggs to be seen. We ordered instead the two breakfasts, one meat and one vegetarian. We were not disappointed with the quantity and quality of both breakfasts (still missed the scrambled eggs though. The staff were so friendly and welcoming and the view from the window of the restaurant is spectacular. We will definitely be back on our next visit (will the scrambled eggs be re-instated I wonder???)

Today was a stunning, sunny day with blue skies and wispy clouds. On our way back into Aberdeen we stopped off to have a look around. The huge car park area is stunningly set with the addition of plants, trees enhancing the business. Inside the castle like main building is a beautiful gift area: greetings cards, faux flowers, glassware, kitchenware, leading into Christmas decorations (gorgeous and a decent price, go get them now!) and food area. Further back is the plant, trees and flowers area. Not their busiest time now but still enough to look through and make spring choices. There is an animal goods area and garden goods, all under cover. All decently priced and my previous floral choices have lasted well. Today we bought 2 sets of slate coasters for us. Nicely marked, unusual and well priced.

This is a wonderful Garden Centre which offers a wide selection of garden plants and gardening supplies as well as a fine gift shop, quality outdoor clothing and shoes, and an excellent restaurant. I shop here regularly and can always find just the right item or be inspired by the extensive selection of goods offered for sale. The restaurant serves up snacks, hot meals and afternoon tea - something for whatever time of day you are visiting. It is invariably my first port of call when looking for a gift, greeting cards, and of course supplies for the garden birds, my dog and the garden. It is such an advantage to have handy car parking. The staff are most friendly and welcoming and best of all should you need gardening advice, Jimmy is the best person to give it!

Each time we have been at drum we always have had something very tasty to eat. There is so much choice, there are gf options and a childrens menu. Sundays are always busy and getting a seat by the window to watch the birds is perfect. Great service

We always come here for plants garden centre staff very friendly helpful and knowledgeable. Especially Jimmy his happy smiling face is on the point of sale dotted around the plant area. Not much he doesn't know.

This is one of the best meeting places A variety of seating abounds. Great choice of snacks and meals. Ideal shop and garden centre too....if just a little pricey...But...very handy....and...they even sell quails eggs in the Food section...A treasure of a shop

After visiting the castle the restaurant here was able to sate our thirst's - great shortbread and tea.

Had lunch with my wife here on 24/08/2018. First class food, really fresh and top quality! The macaroni cheese was the best! Not too keen on garlic bread so asked for boiled potatoes instead which was not a problem for them to change. Very clean and tidy surroundings, lovely garden centre too! Well worth another visit.

Lovely restaurant. Lovely setting. Lovely food. Reasonable prices. Service seriously slowed up by having the coffee served at the same place as the till. Tea drinkers rule😆

My parents are frequent visitors to this lovely garden centre and they love the food in the cafe, so on my recent visit we went here for tea and scones after a walk round Drum Castle grounds.

I think this is the third time we have stopped here for lunch so they must be doing something right.

We often go here as it’s just on our doorstep, my favourite visits are for Breakfast ...... it’s so fine, today I had the scrambled eggs they were excellent. We also had a look round the plant area which is lovely too

Love this place - fantastic food with a super choice , lovely atmosphere and such friendly helpful staff. Garden centre offers a huge range of plants and flowers plus there are lots of other things to buy e.g. clothes , garden furniture etc.

An exceptional garden centre with a large and diverse stock of gifts, plants, garden items, foods, etc. The buildings are eye catching and the car parking areas are of a high standard. The range of high quality and unusual items in the garden area was impressive. A very popular restaurant. Spacious and a relaxed atmosphere. A pleasure to see the house martins nesting in the tower and feeding in the locale.

You can get a great lunch here, excellent menu, lovely service , well worth a day out, we come every year ,mostly twice when we’re up on holiday,