The Waterfront Bistro in Argyll & Bute

We had a brilliant time with the best food and an excellent host. We'll definitely be back.

Fantastic place. High standard of food. Always a laugh and smile. If your looking for a place for a delight. This is it !!! I will be going back without a doubt.

Lovely place, great polish food, excellent hosts, very friendly and welcoming.

Popped in on Saturday just after midday and had a delicious breakfast panini and a great tasting strong decaf coffee. Also had a lush chocolate and cherry cake. Everything I had was of an excellent standard, definitely great quality, excellent preparation and presentation. Come for the delicious food and stay for the great service, smiles and laughter with the genial host.

Excellent food and service. Thoroughly recommend.

Superb hosting by Gabriel. A lovely and fun experience this evening. You'll not be disappointed visiting.

Great food and atmosphere. Wonderful host as well :) Highly recommend!

Delicious Polish cuisine cooked all from fresh by chef Pav in a charmingly decorated restaurant with views onto the harbour and distant hills. Gabriel, witty and welcoming front of house who behind the banter is a very thoughtful, interesting chap. Thanks for a lovely evening; we'll be back !

Absolutely loved this restaurant! The food was delicious- we thoroughly enjoyed the Borsch, Goulash and Pierogi. And the service was just exceptional too- we spent most of the evening eating and talking to Gabriel and Pawel who were outstanding hosts! They are both so welcoming and so friendly and really enjoy Rothesey and their restaurant. We will 100% be going back and would completely recommend The Waterfront!

What a find. Great decor and spotlessly clean made an excellent first impression. Very friendly but professional staff only added to the experience. The food was great….the bean starter was magnificent. The wine was also very good and great value. The cake portion was on the large side and my Jack Daniels a bit generous but you can’t have everything. Not open every day ( sadly ) so check it out and book early. You won’t regret it.

Deliciously different…. We called in this evening having passed earlier and viewed the menu, The initial greeting from Gabriel was refreshing “we don’t serve fish and chips” was his opening line which was good to hear as we didn’t fancy fried food again. We were made to feel very welcome and the friendly approach of the staff makes a nice change from run of the mill fast food chains. You can tell these guys are fully invested in the business and they see the customer as king. Gabriel was very engaging and the banter with ourselves and a couple of Swiss visitors was very entertaining. On to the food……where to start…..The Chief “Pav” knows how to make goulash, honestly if you like it or have never tried it you won’t be disappointed, it was tasty and filling, we also had the polish dumplings, these were incredible….oh I forgot to mention the starter….butter beans and polish sausage in a sauce that is making my mouth water just thinking about it. If you don’t try it your missing out on a treat, if you do try it you’ll be booking a table in advance of your next visit. 5 Stars from us, we will be back on our next visit to the island. Thanks guys, all the best Steve, Nicky & Kieron.

A very enjoyable evening spent at the Waterfront whilst on a weekend’s break in Bute. Very welcoming atmosphere & great food too. Thanks Gabriel & Pav.

Absolutely beautiful and authentic Polish food by the Polish chef, Pav. Front of house service is brilliant. Gabriel could not be more helpful and is entertaining too. Literally service with a smile. Great value, tasty food, excellent hosts, what's not to like. Situated near the ferry (near The Golf bar) so convenient too. An absolute must for a visit ❤️

We had fantastic Polish vegetarian food and attentive, fabulous service. We will definitely visit again the next time we are on Bute.

We went to The Waterfront for their second seating at 7.30pm on Saturday night. Before we booked, we were clearly instructed that the restaurant would not be serving fish and chips, and to please check the menu! We had and did check the menu - very intriguingly filled with delicious sounding Polish food. This is not a cuisine with which we are overly familiar, but previous reviews led us to think that it would be worth a try. Well! We were warmly greeted to our table by Gabriel, who was absolutely a host extraordinaire - he just makes the small restaurant feel like a special place and he’s taking orders and serving drinks for all of us by himself! The wine was lovely - a to-the-point wine list but absolutely perfectly chosen wines that we both enjoyed. Then the food came out - Pav brought us first an amazing platter of meats, cheeses, olives and bread that was gorgeous and one of the best platters we’ve ever had. Next came the pierogis - I’m literally drooling/mouth-watering as I write this - they were amazing, so soft but with bite and sprinkled with just the best chunks of bacon! Spectacular, I literally would love to transport back this instant for more! Finally, we had the naan pizza - fabulous idea and such clever combinations - again a winner! We were so full by then, but Gabriel helpfully chose for us (very large) slabs of cake to take away. We had the cakes the next day with tea/coffee and they were again a delight - amazing combinations of flavours and so tender. Gabriel and Pav performed this magic-trick of a meal with just the two of them running the place, and we were astounded at the quality of the meal! Worth the ferry ride over to Bute for The Waterfront alone!

This is not open, as advertised. We tried to call as well as visit. The Facebook page information is also incorrect.

Fantastic, cosy, intimate venue, with fine selection of delicious food, flavours and amazing customer service. Great selection for any diet. Without doubt the best place to eat a nice meal in Rothesay. Can't wait to come back. The owners really care about their produce and service, and it shows through in every way..

The Waterfront is the best place we went to on Bute. The food is lovely and Gabriel and Pawel are the best, so welcoming, funny and genuine. The restaurant is bright and well decorated in a modern way, especially compared to the dated feel of other places on Bute! Thanks for such a lovely evening guys!

Note that old reviews here are for the 'old' restaurant, before it was taken over by Gabriel and Pawel (so don't be fooled by any rubbish reviews from before then!). The highlight of our stay on the island. Gabriel went above and beyond to fit us in last minute and service was second to none, very personal - Gabriel clearly made every table feel welcomed and valued, having a laugh with everyone while notably busy. Food was delicious, Polish dumplings particularly (made fresh at home), all very hearty. Thanks both!

Had an absolutely wonderful meal and evening here with my partner - we were lucky enough to get a table after a cancelled booking and enjoyed delicious wine and food! Gabriel was so charming funny and working hard to provide a great atmosphere so everyone dining had a relaxed and friendly evening chatting away with each other. Will definitely return next time we are on Bute !

The best restaurant on the isle. I absolutely recommend eating at this beautiful restaurant. First, the ambience is delightful. It's light-filled, tastefully decorated, and lovely to spend time in. Between the wonderful music (played at a soothing level) and the decorative touches around the restaurant, it's a great place to spend time. Second, the food is delicious. I enjoyed the healthy and interesting options. It offers a menu that I have not come across before, and there are options for all dietary preferences/requirements. Finally, the owner and the chef have such a gracious, welcoming energy. I noticed how playful the owner was with some guests who had their children with them, and I noticed how he made sure everyone in the restaurant had a special time. I suggest booking to ensure you can get a table, but they do take walk-ins as well.

I definitely recommend this lovely place 🤗 The food is delicious & the owners are really lovely people. If you’re lucky enough to visit the Beautiful Isle of Bute, then The Waterfront is a must. 😍

Food fabulous. Great atmosphere. I would suggest that you book so you are not disappointed.

Amazing food and great service. Just what rothesay was needing. Keep up the great work guys will be back over for a visit soon.

The menu is interesting and just a little different. Prices very reasonable and service excellent. Can highly recommend.

Unfortunately many of TripAdvisor’s reviews and some of the photos of this lovely Waterfront Bistro are not up to date and belong to previous owners. The restaurant has new owners, it has been revamped, looks stunning and serves good tasty well selected and prepared Mediterranean and Polish food at a good price as is the good quality wine. The new owners have created a welcoming ambience, having attention to detail and a chilled out atmosphere at the same time! We have been to the Waterfront Bistro several times now and always find it to be a unique friendly enjoyable experience. It just gets better and better!

Very friendly staff. Food good.

Sorry to see this listed as closed was planning a trip over: This is, in my opinion, a place worth taking the ferry over for. The food is always expertly prepared, high quality, and as a result - excellent value.

Was the best reatruant on Bute but unfortunately it has closed now

We were hoping to go here after reading the rave reviews, but it's closed. A sign in the window said it had closed down due to the owner's ill health. Hope things go well and you get to reopen again.

Lovely cosy bistro on the front opposite the harbour, great food prepared to order by a charming husband and wife team, none of this, out of the freezer into the microwave here. Delicious food prepared by a chef who takes pride in his work.

Este bistro ofrece muy buena comida a precios razonables, así como un ambiente muy agradable. Tuve fritos eglefino (que es probablemente la menos interesante plato en el menú!) y fue excelente, fue un gran trozo de pescado v, y la calidad era excelente - preparado to prefection. Muchas gracias!

This restaurant was such a find. The meal was imaginative, well-cooked, and came with vegetables (instead of as an extra). Prosecco by the glass, too, and a good wine list!

There are not many eateries in Rothesay so this was a good find. No nonsense cooking and generous portions. As its name suggests it overlooks the harbour. The proprietors are friendly folk and we enjoyed our evening.

Excellent food but service is very slow. Maybe it was busy ? 😕😕😕 Nice location. Extensive menu. Great homemade desserts. Just get it out quicker...... If you are patient it is well worth the wait. Enjoy....

Great food and great service. We went about 5 minutes before closing as we'd arrived on a later ferry. The woman was lovely and welcomed us despite the late hour

Fantastic place to eat good food, varied menu, good wine, great service, friendly warm and inviting. Been three times now, it would be a pleasure to go again.

Fuimos a cenar en una noche de sábado caliente y lo primero que la señora que creo es el propietario hizo fue traer un gran jarra de agua bonita. toque ambos tuvimos entrantes que eran buenas y entonces los dos teníamos salmón. Era cocinado a la perfección y el mejor que he probado en cualquier restaurante. no tienen un dulce, ya que no podía comer otra cosa, pero no un aspecto precioso.

Cenamos en la orilla y lo disfruté. Sin embargo, las raciones eran enormes, y no pudo acabar la comida,el restaurante tiene vistas al mar y está cerca de la terminal de ferry. El servicio era rápido y el menú sencillo pero atractivo.Mi esposa tenía una buena lasaña de verduras y tenía un pedazo de queso de cerdo con gigantescas y champiñones. Fue excelente, pero tuve que dejar la mitad de ella como cubierta de la placa.Por desgracia, los actuales propietarios están teniendo que vender por razones de salud... así que cambia de manos.

Lovely dinner here on a Friday night. Friendly, helpful and every one (party of seven) enjoyed their meal. Reasonably priced and the desserts are worth making some room for.

La comida es excepcional, sin frivolidades servicio si tienes hambre ve aquí para combustible en café y tan fresco pastelerías principal orden y soñar en el desierto.

Very reasonable prices, plenty of wines. Exceptional value. We have been going regularly for years. Overlooks the harbour which is full of yachts.

A homely restaurant with a great food,very friendly staff and ambience which overall was an excellent dining experience. Certainly value for money as the food is competvely priced .

Called in for dinner on the first night of a 2 day break in Rothesay after reading trip advisor reviews and managed to get a table, enjoyed it so much we booked for the 2nd night. The lady was so welcoming and helpful and immediately brought iced water to the table, the food was large portions and delicious. The atmosphere was pleasant and busy with dinner enjoying their evening. Would go again anytime

We called in for lunch while we were on a short break to Bute and were so impressed by the food that we booked for our evening meal. My partner had the sirloin steak and I had salmon. Both meals were delicious and were accompanied by generous portions of potatoes and veg. We both had desserts which again were excellent. The couple who run the bistro were both very friendly and took time to chat to us throughout our visit. I would definitely recommend a visit while you have the chance as the Bistro is for sale. Would certainly go again if we ever return to Bute and Robbie and his wife are still there. Excellent value for money too.

My wife and I nipped across to Rothesay from Gourock on this new ferry route whilst work is being carried out to the Wemyss Bay pier. What a great day out it was. It was only the 2nd day of this new route on 2nd October this year and after a meander about the town came across The Waterfront (As you get off the ferry it is to the left)We were only looking for a light bite but ended up eating for Scotland and paying very little for the privilege of doing so.I had the tuna mayo baguette with side salad, my wife had the baguette with brie cheese and bacon. We also ordered an extra portion of chips and portion of coleslaw (very reasonable at £1.25 for each portion) .The freshly home made coleslaw was superb, I mean really really good as was all of the food. The owners took the time of day to have a casual chat which added to the pleasant visitThe freshly made scones had just come out of the oven and it would not have been polite to not partake in having one each with jam and clotted cream , again superb .We have not been in Rothesay for some years but this little eatery is a good reason for returning

We were back to visit Bute again last weekend for one of our twice a year visits to the island and had another excellent experience at the Waterfront. The quality and service is still as good as ever. The menu is slightly reduced from previous visits but we were not disappointed. Could never imagine visiting Bute and not having at least one meal here. Well worth a visit every time

This is the second time we had visited this Bistro whilst on a sailing holiday. As expected, the food and service was excellent. We had not booked a table in advance but were lucky to find that they had one table left which they held for us while we nipped in the pub for a couple of pints.I opted for a starter, deep fried Canabert before embarking on the main course, pork escalope with a cheese and mushroom topping. Fresh hot vegetables on the side as there was certainly no room on the plate! The portions were generous. My wife ordered the Catfish. This was a huge plateful of grilled meaty white fish which she enjoyed accompanied by a glass of decent wine. To finish off we had the pleasure of an informal chat with Robert - the proprietor and chef as he took a seat in his restaurant to wind down with a large mug of tea. A worldly man with much experience of running restaurants in the UK and not afraid to offer his views on many subjects. Apparently, he has run the Bistro on Rothesay for some 11 years and reckons he must be doing something right!! Well worth a visit to this friendly establishment. The food is quite rich and you could easily be over whelmed so choose wisely bearing in mind generous portions.

Plain good food in ok surroundings. Choice was good and prices reasonable. Appeared to be a Mr & Mrs establishment.Very handy for town centre and ferry terminal.

Such a pity this lovely looking Bistro does not allow children under 5 on their premises.We were in Rothesay for a day trip yesterday and were struggling to find somewhere to eat when we came across the Waterfront Bistro, menu looked pleasing and price wise suited our needs, only to be turned away as we had a child who is 2yrs 8 mths oldYou lost yourselves 5 hungry customers.

Amazing food and friendly staff - we would go again in an instant. They have generous portions and do take away sandwiches too.

Attended for a meal with a group of friends. Had a nice meal of chicken and haggis. The service time was good and the portion size was excellent. The prices were perfectly reasonable for the size of meal I was given so I can't complain about that. All in all it was a pleasant evening with a lovely atmosphere

stopped here for lunch, freshly cooked , local produce, great service with a warm and friendly welcome , highly recommend this establishment , we will visit again very soon

Very busy bistro, with a friendly welcome and a good range of food on the menu, lots of different styles. Wait-staff was the owner, who was friendly, welcoming and happy to discuss the menu options. Food was all cooked fresh, portions large, and was very tasty. Would return.

Excellent size portions and great flavours. Good service and reasonable prices. Friendly staff - nice chatting to the chef (from Essex like me, a long way from home). Sadly, Rothesay is a run down town and this is one of the few bright spots.

Food was amazing. Big portions for a little cafe. And the owners are just lovely. Gave us a lot of info about the island. A must for a little stop off on a trip!.

We were lucky enough to get the last table in here all the others were reserved ( a good sign) My friend had salmon fillet ,I had haddock goujons.Both were excellent. I'd recommend booking though as each night we passed it was packed !

Nicely decorated inside, with a nice view. Ordered chilli and was presented with a bowl of mince and bread. Last time I checked chilli came with rice! Seems to be a hotspot for the locals to come and gossip. Became grating on the ears after 30mins

On a day trip with my son from Largs we decided some lunch before going on the open top bus tour of Rothesay, we see what we could only discribed as a loverly little Bistro named Waterfront and decided to give the place our Custom but need to say the Quality of the Food served was that of a truckers cafe (apologies but the truth) the Scampi and chips were very poor and over done in the deep fat fryer,the chips which were a real plateful were over done and not pleasant ,the cheeseburger was very poor and not that expected from a bistro, I also truly expected a side salad or veg with my scampi not to mention No tartar sauce and need to say I was very disappointed and would have complained if it hadn't been for my young son being with me.To the owner I apologise for the comments as I don't like leaving a poor review but honestly the food was very poor.

Ate here on last night of short break. There were only two tables not previously booked which is sensible as not a very big place. This may be the reason they do not allow under fives which is only thing I would quibble about. My husband had pate with lovely fresh salad to start, we both had salmon which was soooo nice, the accompanying vegetables were cooked to perfection. I had crème brulee which had one of the best toppings ever tasted. We had asked for extra spoon to share but I had to take my husband from him to stop him eating it all! All food is freshly made as result I think they only keep limited stock as appeared to run out of few items. Will certainly return on our next visit but would pre order our choice.

We went here ready for a feast after a long day's cycling on Bute. Pork chops were overcooked and served with a mountain of undercooked chips and boatload of gravy. Most disappointing were the Haddock Goujons, fried a soggy batter, again with piles of chips. Slow (though friendly) service topped it off. Might have topped tripadvisor in 2011, but it seems unlikely to do so today.

I was here recently with my mum on a day trip. The staff were lovely - very friendly and chatty. Our lunch was delicious and their Prosecco was chilled beautifully.

very friendly place, with lovely staff. The food was truly amazing - beautifully cooked and extremely generous portions, at very reasonable prices. Without a doubt the best place on the island as far as we were concerned

My husband and I had lunch here two weeks ago. My husband had a savoury pancake ( huge ) and I had soup. Both dishes were of high quality and coffee was very good too.

Came here on a Saturday night for birthday dinner for my dad.There was 6 of us and every one of us enjoyed our starters,mains and desserts.Staff were very friendly and attentive.We eat out a lot in Glasgow and Edinburgh and food here was great quality and superb value.Highly recommend if you're visiting Bute!

Made to feel very welcome on a miserable summer solstice! Great ambience. Wonderful, top quality, home made food. Superb value for money. Plus excellent coffee at reasonable price. If you're in the area, try not to miss out on this little gem.

My husband and I have ate in this restaurant many a time but had not visited this year and we were more than satisfied with the portions and value for money. Sheila always makes sure that your every need is taken care of and with a smile. Great Value for what you receive.

We were only on Bute for two days but visited this place three times, which is testament to its quality. The coffee is as good as I've had anywhere (and that's praise indeed as I am a real coffee snob.) We loved the delicious home-made scones and were impressed by the very varied lunch menu. There's also a tempting wine list. The couple who run The Waterfront are friendly, knowledgeable, attentive to detail and willing to cater for various dietary needs. No wonder it's so popular. We will be back!

Great variety of local food. Staff are friendly but a little slow. Food is well cooked. Try the salmon and the pudding. Prices are good for the food that is presented.

We went here on the first night of our weekend stay in Bute and with 4 of us with very different dietry needs (medical and otherwise) we were immediately struck with the friendliness and willingness of owners and staff to cater for our needs. Good variety of food and pentiful. Only open 2 nights a week, otherwise we would have been back for our evening neals most nights. However, we made a point of going during the day for lunch. Highly recommended.

We have just returned from a long weekend in Rothesay and this Restaurant came recommended by the proprietors of the B+B. We were not disappointed ! It is a very unassuming Restaurant, with fabulous food at reasonable prices. To match the quality of this Restaurant on the mainland, you would pay twice the price !!

Had dinner with friends last weekend and really enjoyed the wholesome food.I tried catfish for the first time and it was lovely. Loads of veggies on the side so you need to be really hungry to have a starter too. Good value and friendly staff, would recommend a visit if you're not in a huge hurry and want to spend some time relaxing over dinner. Good value wine list too!

We ordered our food and wine quickly on arrival. Starters came but no wine. We had to ask for it when the starters were cleared. Not a great advert for good service. Mains. I had the worst lamb I have every been served in a restaurant. Fatty and swimming in the thinnest of

We visited this little Bistro on the first May bank holiday Monday. To be honest we weren't 100% sure that we wanted to go in but there wasn't an awful lot of choice in Rothesay that day - nothing much open and what was didn't appeal.First impressions were not good, the gentleman sitting at the table (I presume he is the owner/chef) was a bit abrupt in his comment about us only coming in because there was nowhere else to go - he had apparently seen us looking in the window and moving on. Yes, we did not choose to go in at first but as an owner of a business I would think that you should welcome people with a smile rather than a comment like that. Having said that the woman working with him was quick to brush aside his comment and was very welcoming.This Bistro is very eclectic in its style and rather on the small side so it does feel a bit cramped but that is really only a minor point. The menu has plenty to choose from and you would be hard pushed not like something on it. The woman who served us was very attentive and really couldn't have been nicer. We were only stopping in for afternoon tea/coffee but what we had was delicious. Homemade scones with jam and cream were wonderful and I would highly recommend.In conclusion a rather nice afternoon tea and I would have liked to have tried something more substantial but unfortunately we probably wont be back. This is no reflection on this Bistro but more to do with the fact that Rothesay really has nothing to offer us.

Took a day to look around as most of my family have been at one time or another. Found the waterfront Bistro and decided to go in. My wife and I were greeted right away, placed our order and waited. Food was served reasonably fast. We both enjoyed or respective lunches. It is a small place but very cosy. If you visit it will be worthwhile going

an unassuming front but the service and the meals provided are excellent. Price and quality/quantity of the portions were unrelated. This is a must visit place for something to eat when your visiting Rothesay.

This is genuinely a fabulous Bistro and the best small one we have used anywhere inScotland. Very friendly with a great menu which is so reasonably priced and the portions border on huge. Don't think they have a card machine but so what. The place is absolutely comfortable and it is only a few hundred yards to the left as you leave the pier.

I have dined in this restaurant many times in the evening.I am very pleased to see that they are now open for coffees and lunches.Same fantastic food. Same fantastic staff. Good luck in your new venture !

The food was out of this world. Incredibly cheap. If this had been edinburgh it would have more than double (I would still have thought it a bargain). The girls who served us were so friendly. If in Bute, it's a must.

This is a great place to eat if you're staying over in Rothesay. Good selection of food at reasonable prices. Service is excellent and staff welcoming. Ideal for families or couples.

We stumbled up on this wee restaurant on a Friday night whilst looking for a place to eat. We were greeted by warm and welcoming staff. Food tasted very genuine and fresh and was reasonable priced. It tasted delightfully home-made and would recommend it to anyone else.

The Waterfront is a small bistro so it is worth booking in advance during off season to ensure they are open. The service was attentive and the menu very extensive offering a good choice of vegetarian and meat/fish options. Children are welcome up till 8pm and have the option to split a main course. Even when shared the portions were very generous indeed and the food and setting was wonderful.Make the time to visit this establishment while you are visiting beautiful Bute.

We have eaten here a few times, on trips to Bute, and it is a family favourite.The menu is fresh and varied, and there is something for everyone.The only downside is that others also enjoy it as much, and has always been full with a great friendly atmosphere each time we have been, so expect a wait for a table unless you get there very early. That said, if there isn't availability when you arrive,the staff do take your mobile number and call you when a table is free.It is worth the wait

This little bistro is close to the ferry terminal. The food menu is displayed on one wall of the bistro and the bar menu on the opposite wall. If a table is not available they'll take your mobile number and call you when one is free - several people did this whilst we were there. The décor is simple, the staff numbers small, but the service was good and the food piping hot, tasty and inexpensive. The couple at a neighbouring table said it was their favourite place to eat - you'll never leave hungry!

We had a stay over at Rothesay and chose to eat at this lovely place. Friday night it was closed for explained reasons, but we made sure we got a table on Saturday and was first through the door. We both enjoy our meals here and can only manage to eat the main meals and love the choice available. We love the banter and the pleasantness from all who work here and made to feel part of the place, whether your a sole diner or a group. Another fab meal enjoyed by us both. Many thanks

A phenomenally large menu for such a modestly-sized place, and everything cooked beautifully. A quirky touch having the menu hung on boards on one wall, and attentive service even at busy times. Everything was sensational in our 3 visits (we had to keep going back to try other dishes) - catfish, pulled pork and the kids loved the huge fish & chips (and that was the children's size portion!!). There's no children's menu so make sure your kids are not looking for chicken nuggets or pizza if you take them. There's also no booking in the summer months, but you can leave a mobile phone number and pop off for a drink if it's full and you'll get a call when there's a table free. An absolute find!!

Liked the food, it was tasty, decent portion, good choice and the atmosphere was friendly and relaxed. Good service and as a lone diner, who likes to read, the staff just hit it right. The Bistro was busy but not raucous. Glad I decided to have a sit down meal and a good glass of wine!

We turned up and taken immediately which I read is unusual. The wine and beer selection is good. Menu is on the wall so make sure you bring your glasses. We had a king prawn stir fry and Italian sausage in a tomato sauce accompanied with salad and potatoes. The meal lacked seasoning and the 'king prawns' were very small. A nice evening was had however it lacked a Certain joie de vivre. Appreciate it is all home cooked and a small kitchen, however we just didn't think it met the mark!

Had a fantastic meal here in May and on our return visit to the island this was a definite on our list of places to go and we were not disappointed. The food and service are excellent. The popularity of this place speaks for itself when they do not take bookings and are always full. The value for money is second to none. Please don't change a thing!!

great food great service - do not have a starter, the helpings are enormous and I can eat a lot. You cannot book so turn up before 7pm to ensure a table.

I enjoyed a lovely meal ,great service and a friendly chat with staff. However portion was too big .

Friendly staff, great food, jolly atmosphere and very good value --what more could you ask ? ( Well okay --I'd have liked to be able to book a table as there are very few places to eat on Bute and I was a bit anxious in case they were full but it turned out okay in the end !). And they were very helpful when my husband left his sweater there -- we thoroughly recommend The Waterfront.

The restaurant is very small , but the food was great , the portions were huge ! The two ladies working are very charming .

First of all, this is the first time I've reviewed anything, but due to having prob the worst dining experience ever, felt I'd share it,, recently visited Rothesay for a friends wedding and before we made our way to the reception we decided on advice of our taxi driver (cheers m8)!! To try the waterfront bistro,, seemed a nice enough place, quite small and quirky,, ordered our drinks and meals so far so good, waitress really friendly and helpful our, group had deep fried Brie, garlic mushrooms and soup all which were very tasty no complaints on starters!! Then out came main meals, 3 of us had ordered the monkfish wrapped in bacon...... Big mistake!!!We could actually smell that something wasn't quite right with it, the white wine sauce looked like dirty water!! plus it was a dark grey colour last time I had monkfish it was white!! we not really the complaining type so tried a small forkful... Was Disgusting to say the least everyone agreed that the fish was definitely off!! So we told waitress who was really great about it, she the fetched who I took to be the manageress I asked her to smell the dish just to prove we weren't just complainers.. She told me she didn't have to smell it as she knew it was absolutely fine?? Very short with us, no apology ( customer always right) not in this place your not!!! She took the fish away and asked if we'd like another dish from menu,,, no thanks!! We were made to feel like we had done something wrong for choosing not to eat food that was clearly OFF!!! Fair to say won't be back there again,, loved everything else about Rothesay was a great wee place,, just thankful we never ate the fish as it would have prob made us I'll!! A wee course in customer service wouldn't go amiss for the manageress!! Could have learned a thing or two from her waitress who could not be anymore apologetic ,, I've read really good reviews on here abt the place so we must have been unlucky on the nite,, if manageress handled our complaint a bit more professionally maybe a free drink or at least a word of apology wouldn't be writing this!!

To ensure we actually got a table we arrived early - about 6pm! It was already busy but we did get a table. The Bistro does not take bookings - if it's full they will take your mobile and phone you when a table becomes available - some people accept this but most will simply find somewhere else to eat - so they miss out on a great wee restaurant. The menu changes and there is a great choice of starters, mains and puddings - you will find choosing difficult! Staff are helpful - they had run out of English mustard so popped next door to the co-op to get me some! We will definitely eat here again but it will be an early dinner!

We had a lovely meal here. Shared fried brie to start (just as well we shared and didn't go for one each!) then I had delicious Seafront (or was it Waterfront?) Chicken in a creamy spicy sauce and husband had breaded haddock. Both served with super fresh veg - all far too much for us but superbly tasty!They don't take bookings here but we left our mobile number and went to the pub for a drink. They rang at exactly the right moment for us to nip back for our table. A very friendly place with all cooking done to order. We had dinner in three quite nice places in Rothesay and this was definitely the best by a country mile. Can't recommend it enough.

good food, nice wine selection and friendly staff. The menu is on boards on the wall with many nice choices, you should try it

We have eaten at the Waterfront Bistro before, and visited again when we were on holiday on Bute.We arrived early to make sure we were able to get a table, and had no problems. We were able to choose from a large selection of dishes. I had seabass in a citrus butter and my hubby had salmon salad with new potatoes. We both enjoyed our meals and decided to finish off with an Eton Mess each which was lovely.Well worth a visit when in Rothesay

Food excellent. Only problem, too big main course and didn't manage to fit in one of the delicious sounding sweets.

We really thought the food was amazing with good portion sizes and low cost. Would def recommend and will be going back there again. Do visit if u like good food