The Deeside Inn - Aberdeenshire

Despite its five-star premise and beautifully designed interior, our dining experience at this restaurant quickly turned sour. Upon arrival, we were disappointed to be ignored by three staff members, a sure sign of poor service. Despite booking ahead and being drawn in by the enticing menu we had seen online, featuring haggis, a grill selection, and the omelette Arnold Bennett we were excited to try, the menu we were presented with was significantly smaller than what was advertised. We were informed that the menu had been changed at the start of the year, with other patrons having complained about the limited options. To make matters worse, one dish was unavailable, a pie had to be served without its pastry, broccoli was substituted with mange tout, and our drink order was incorrect. The final disappointment came when the bill was presented with a 10% service charge already included, despite our previous concerns. After requesting to speak to the manager, a small deduction was made from the bill, saving this review from being given one star. It is worth noting that the website still has not been updated at the time of this review, and we would recommend trying other dining options in Ballater.

Despite its appearance as a wonderful venue, this establishment turned out to be horrible. The front of house had a beautiful decor, but the rooms were lackluster. The bathroom window was rotted, requiring the handyman to close it, and the draught had to be stopped with a towel. The handle to the shower control fell off, creating another task for the handyman. Expecting a nice meal in the restaurant, we were disappointed to learn that dinner would be served in the bar with a limited menu. The overcooked and dry salmon, along with my partner's misrepresented chicken supreme, left much to be desired. The following day, breakfast had undercooked poached eggs, served in the dining room at least. When we brought these issues up, all we received was a casual apology. The waitstaff and bar manager did their best to manage the 20 or so customers, while the manager was nowhere to be found until after the rush. The bedroom window was also rotting and moldy. Despite being advertised as a 5-star AA venue, I would rate it as a 3-star. I have had better experiences at Travel Lodges. This establishment falls short of other Crear Hotels and Johanssen Group's high standards. I would not recommend this place to family or friends. A new management team is desperately needed.

My friends and I had a great dining experience here. The Venison pie was outstanding, with tender, lean meat and delicious gravy. The restaurant had a pleasant ambiance, although a noisy table of guests and slow service were minor drawbacks. We would still consider returning in the future.

We stopped off at The Balmoral Arms for a quick lunch today. We are a husband and Wife with a 7 year old and a 4 year old. Very friendly and fantastic service from the Waiter Sean, I think his name was. He was great with the kids and explained the food options. Nothing seemed a bother at all. My Wofe and I had open sandwiches. I went for the Roast Beef and Horseradish and she had the Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese. Both sandwiches were exceptional and came with some lovely crisps and a side salad. The Kids had burgers (had to be plain for our fussy little ones) and they came exactly as requested. The Food was fantastic and along with the exceptional service, I can’t rate the Balmoral Arms for a lunch highly enough.

Ballater is a beautiful gem of a town tucked in the Cairngorms and well worth a visit. We stayed at the Balmoral Inn which is styled like a hunting fishing lodge with beautiful decor and comfy furniture. The rooms are sumptuous and the bathrooms spacious. Parking is free on the street outside. Reception staff were welcoming and friendly and as soon as we arrived we wished we booked for 2 nights not just 1. The tea coffee making facilities in the rooms included 2 Tunnocks tea cakes and 2 Tunnocks wafers very generous and authentically Scottish. We dined in the restaurant and the meal was delicious, however the young staff could benefit from a bit more training. One of us ordered a starter but the waitress didn’t note this so our mains arrived after 45mins but they offered to bring it as a salad alongside mains which wasn’t ideal. When we ordered a bottle of red wine the waiter brought it and just plonked it on the table leaving the screw cap on, and we requested the bill be split across the 2 rooms but this never happened. Fantastic live music played through dinner and breakfasts were delicious and staff at breakfast were excellent and very efficient and helpful (one of which was waitress from night before so excellent improvement). We played twilight golf at Ballater GC just a few minutes walk up the same road and the course was stunning with incredible views.