Balmoral Arms - Ballater

This was the first time I have mixed views about a place. It is not a 5 star rating as advised on the front door. A small run down from when we arrived for dinner, menu card text was so small, in the light (no light) a small candle, ok ambience. We picked 3 items on the menu all 3 were not available. Settled for an Aberdeen angus burger. Apart from the menu and light the place was great everybody there had their dog with them and it is really dog friendly. £25 pounds for the dog and the room rate it did seem over valued. We have had a few reviews I found this one the most difficult as the breakfast was ace.

We had a meal at this hotel. Despite being the second group seated in the dining room a lot of others were being served their meals before us We waited over an hour before having to ask if our dinner was in its way. One of the meals was inedible and the other was cold. Despite the staff being very apologetic and taking the drinks off of the price of the bill I could not recommend this hotel as a place to eat. We mentioned our experience to our B B manager and he told us that this hotel is renown for poor service. Hit and miss unfortunately

Had a lunch here. Meal was very average. No vegan options apart from sandwiches available and it was a very low effort vegan option. They even added cheese and onion crisps which definitely aren't vegan. My partner is not a strict vegan so it wasn't an issue but they should've known better. I had the game pie which was pretty nice but the venison was quite dry. It was cosy and the waitress with the American accent was really lovely. People on reception were not so welcoming and didn't help us.

Amazing bar lunch. One of the best fish and chips I have experienced in a pub. Chef takes the time to come out and deliver the food. Nice friendly chap. Would defo recommend this for pub food. Great taste large portions. Looking forward to our next visit in a weeks time. Thanks again. Service: 4 Location: 4

The staff at Balmoral Arms went above and beyond our highest expectations. My now husband and I are from Canada and were supposed to get married on October 20th at an outdoor location nearby. Since storm Babet had interrupted these plans, our nuptials were almost halted until our officient and Balmoral Arms saved the day. The manager Joanna and assistant Chris helped plan the ceremony and celebration afterwards. They decorated the fireplace room and turned it into a beautiful space for our ceremony, and the dining room afterwards for a celebratory meal. The location is beautiful and the staff/service is impeccable. They have truly touched our hearts and we will make it a tradition to come back whenever we can. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for making our day the best day. We would not change a thing. Cameron Stephanie McCulloch