Tullybannocher Cafe in Perth & Kinross

We enjoyed two excellent dinners at the Terrace Restaurant. A special mention for our young server Harry who provided excellent and friendly service he was open he was a recent start but his desire to be the best he could be shone through and he had a very positive personality which made the whole experience very enjoyable. Management take note he is a keeper!

Last time I was here the fish and chips was really good. Afraid to say this time my wife had the fish and chips and it was cafe standard at best. I had the mac and cheese and I have to say this was the worst mac and cheese I have ever had in my life. Microwaved with what little sauce there was at the bottom of the bowl. The parmesan was probably fresh about a week ago and been sitting out since then. We won’t be bac. Pity as we are local. Staff (waiter, bar staff and receptionist) were pleasant enough though and can’t fault them at all.

Quality has really dropped here. We used to love the place and it was a real destination. However went today and coffee, from an automatic machine, was terrible, cakes didn't taste fresh. Staff were really disinterested, unhelpful and rude at times. Mid service, two staff stopped serving us, started talking about their weekend plans and then after a few minutes returned to serve us. They served us dairy milk when we asked for non dairy milk. The actual shop had no music or atmosphere. It feels that since 2023 the company has really went downhill. No dogs allowed, but food left on the tables which attracts wild animals in the cafe.

I would give two stars for the food and one star for table etiquette. We were unimpressed when we sat down to a table setting of basic low-quality, stamped-out flatware with sharp edges. Three of us ordered meat (duck, pork and beef), the other fish. No alternative, appropriate knives were brought to suit the food, nor was the cutlery replaced after the starter. There were splotches of dried food debris on the underside of all the placemats, which apparently never gets wiped off when they are stacked. The food itself was okay, but portions were on the small side and overpriced for what it was, e.g. two slices of duck breast, 1" slice of sea bass, very little vegetable to accompany. The chicken liver parfait starter was good but came with only three small slices of toasted baguette and bread was £6 extra. There was an abundance of wait staff operating on high-speed settings. We had trouble understanding what kept so many staff on the run (literally) given the restaurant was not full and could have been disruptive were it a romantic dinner for two. We just watched the show. Overall, a four-star restaurant should pay more attention to detail, quality and cleanliness, if it wants to have a four-star reputation.

We had an enjoyable lunch at the Bein Inn. My partner said his burger was good, his purple coleslaw looked appealing and I have to say his chips (something neither of us is fond of) were probably the best we've had. I ordered a chicken fajita, which was the most unusual I've ever had: *everything*, including the rice (either pilau or basmati, not long grain as I'd expect), wrapped up in one big dod with three sauces on the side. It tasted fine and was filling, but looked tragi-comical. The young waitress warned us they had no avocados, but on questioning thought they may have guacamole; however it was substituted with some kind of chutney, which was ok if unconventional. On the plus side, it all seemed to have actually been cooked rather than banged into a microwave, which we appreciated. The service was good and friendly, and our food arrived in a timely manner, noting that we arrived at the beginning of Friday lunchtime when it was quiet. We're not in a hurry to go back, as the menu was limited and a bit overpriced, at least for my weird offering at £17. There seemed to be some renovation work going on in the entrance area, all good, but didn't add to the ambience. We'd originally looked into this for a Sunday lunch, which seems popular with others, would possibly try it for that in future.