Clachan Grill

Delicious food, cozy atmosphere, and hospitable staff! Higher end, classy Scottish experience with a decent selection of alcoholic drinks and scotch. Highly recommend the Cullen Skink! Must have! We had a burger and the Sunday chicken roast as well. All items were delicious. About £20-30 per person with alcohol (depending on what drinks you get)

+4

The food was very tasty - exactly what we needed after a day of hiking in the woods. We turned up dressed quite inappropriately for fine dining, wearing our hiking boots and rucksacks, but we got a table outside in the sun and the staff made sure we were well looked after.

Looking for a restaurant with excellent reviews in Ballater. First option was Fish Shop, but unfortunately it was closed out that evening..second in the list was Clachan Grill. Luckily, they were open, so I booked a table for 5 using Opentable app. My experience was excellent with the food and the service. I have chosen a 2 course menu with a Cullen skink and sirloin steak with red wine sauce ( extra price for this option). What impressed me more was the nice plating, taste and fresh ingredients. Sirloin steak was perfectly cooked as medium well. The rest of my family enjoyed their food. Highly recommended if you are looking for a grill food option in Ballater

Exceptional food! Some of the best chips (French Fries) I've ever had! The Haggis Bon Bons were outstanding! Pea & mint risotto was excellent!

Such a pretty restaurant, both inside and out, with a really cosy vibe - especially with the fire on! Our meals were amazing. The steak was perfectly cooked and flavourful, and the risotto was delicious. Great, friendly service too. Really nice place overall, definitely recommend!

Very good food and nice people working there. They squeezed us in without a reservation which was very nice of them. We were visiting from USA and would highly recommend, but get a reservation, it's well worth it. The lamb was great!

Gorgeous wee restaurant - cosy and comfortable with delicious fare. Friendly service too. Definitely be back!

Fabulous customer service and food was luscious. Best fillet steak! Welcomed warmly too. Celebrating our Ruby anniversary ❤️ Managed to sit outside for an aperitif of bubbles. Salmon starter was beautifully presented and tasted perfect. No room for desert, just a liquer. Thanks for your hospitality, such a superb place.

+1

The Clachan Grill came highly recommended. Dinner is by reservation only. We decided to check it out on a Sunday night, which they have a special Sunday Menu. The restaurant is very pretty, nicely decorated, bright and airy. Our server greeted us at the door (and he was wearing a kilt, a nice touch). He wuickly brought us water and took our drink order. My wife had sparkling water and I ordered an Ola Dubh beer. This was the first time I had tried this beer, but hopefully it won't be my last. It was brewed with whisky, vanilla, spices, and aged in sherry casks. While I don't generally like darker beers or beers with higher alcohol content (this one was 8%), this one was delicious. Apparently Sunday night is "roast night" so Stacy ordered the roast beef, which was accompanied by carrots, broccoli, and what she called fabulous roasted potatoes. Stacy was a little disappointed in the roast beef, primarily because she is used to a thicker cut of prime rib served rare while this was a thinner cut and served more medium/well. It was still tasty, but it just wasn't what she was expecting. I had the cajun chicken sandwich, accompanied by fries. The sandwich had a large chicken breast, covered with aged cheddar, jalapenos, and a cajun sauce (as well as lettuce and tomato). It was delicious. We couldn't agree on a dessert to share, so Stacy had the sticky toffee pudding served with vanilla ice cream and I had the brownie sundae. Both desserts were fabulous. Unfortunately we forgot to yake pictures of dessert, so we'll have to go back.

Fantastic restaurant! Delicious food, friendly, welcoming and attentive staff. We had smoked salmon and white wine pear. For mains we had file and cod. And iced raspberry parfait to follow. FABULOUS! Old fashioned was phenomenal.

Went here on Saturday night for my husband’s birthday, I cannot rave about the food more, it was sensational, we had the haggis bonbons and the ox cheek and it was “just wow”. The gentlemen who served us were great and the place was warm and welcoming, if you’re near by this is a must.

We went there after a recomendation and were not dissapointed. Delicious dinner in a cozy place, but for me the best thing was the service. My favourite dish was the ox cheek, fully recommended. My partner enjoyed a lot the chocolate mousse. 10/10

+3

Visited for a lunch. The service was very welcoming and accommodating. Our wee dog was allowed outside or inside. We chose inside due to some black clouds. Family friendly too. My nephew was in a high chair and we were able to order his food as a rush order. All the dishes were lovely. The Cullen skink was a highlight. We have visited many times over many years and never been disappointed. We will be back I’m sure.

Decent Sunday roast. We snuck in just before the kitchen closed on a quiet winter evening so can't comment on the atmosphere but interior was cosy and pleasant enough.

From the moment we walked in we were treated with nothing but good, quick and kindly service. Everything was brought to us promptly and the staff were very friendly. The food was excellent too, the only issue I had was that the side salad I ordered was mainly sliced bell peppers and I am not a fan especially raw so I had to pick them all out which left me with very little by way of salad. But that was more than made up for with the sticky toffee pudding. So indulgent without being heavy.

We had an amazing meal at the restaurant. I had the cod and it was beautifully cooked, my man had the ox cheek and thoroughly enjoyed it. For dessert, we both had the chocolate dessert and it was outstanding. Wine was spot on! Lovely atmosphere and perfect service, thank you!

Absolutely delicious food. We sat outside because it was a lovely warm night and the view of the pine trees in the distance was wonderful. I had the market fish with tenderstem broccoli & lobster sauce my partner had the t bone steak. The fish was wonderful, the lobster sauce really made it and the t bone steak was cooked perfectly and had so much flavour!! The steak definitely won us both over. It is on the more expensive side (approximately £32 for 3 courses and £29 for 2 course) but we are on holiday and felt it was worth it for something a bit special!

I really enjoyed my solo dining experience this evening. The locally sourced food was well cooked and well presented by kilted, attentive staff. A wee gem

The food was just delicious, the price is matching the quality! When you go for a full menu (starter, main, dessert), the portions are just right and you dont feel overfilled! The gin collection is also very good, dont miss this!

A cozy, intimate setting with excellent food and friendly staff. A reservation is recommend but we were able to get a table for three around 8PM.

Outstanding meal! One of our best in Scotland so far! I had the lamb steak, and it was sublime! Cooked perfectly, with a delightfully mild yet extremely tasty salt and pepper rub, accompanied by a wonderful salty Parmesan salad and thrice-baked chips. The peppercorn sauce was strong but a great accompaniment - I rather enjoyed dipping my chips in it and chasing the lamb steak down! With a pint of Magnars cider to wash it down, I was in Heaven! The only thing that could improve it was the sticky toffee pudding, which was equally heavenly! A delightful meal on all accounts! We will definitely be back!

Great atmosphere and service terrific. The only place we went back again and they remembered our drinks!

Had an amazing bar supper. The food was fresh and delicious. The staff were very attentive and professional. Definitely going to go back and try the restaurant. If you like your food and a cozy atmosphere. Definitely try here.

The best sirloin in Scotland and I love the Cullen skink so good. I went home so happy.

Really nice staff and very attentive service! The menu price was completely worth it! The starter was very tasty and a surprise! We treated ourselves to a dry aged angus filet steak for the main course. It was the best steak of my life!!! It was complimented by very good handcut fries and a delicious sauce, grilled on point like I ordered. It was like butter on the tongue! The dessert was really good but could not quite keep up with the standard set by the other courses.

We arrived late, but they were very kind and let ask for some food when the kitchen was very very close to finish, thanks!

Fantastic meal, steak is perfect, great service, cosy atmosphere with the fireplace. Highly recommend.

Our last dinner in Scotland and Clachan Grill did not disappoint. Wonderful food! I would recommend the Sticky Pudding to finish. Make sure you have a reservation.

Visited on a Sunday where the menu is slightly different from the weekdays. The Cajun chicken burger was perfect imho. Overall a great place to dine. Thank you to the staff for making us feel welcome and performing their duties flawlessly.

Sunday 17/08/25 What is not to like! The staff most pleasant helpful and generally cannot do enough for you. But it does not stop there the food is actually unbelievably delicious. First off the dog got a lovely cool bowl of water which was great. Then we moved to the menu plenty of choice for a Sunday menu the English in us poured out! 3 roast beefs wow! If you want an experience as well as the food as well as the welcome this is the place to go we struck lucky today. We managed to bump into the King Queen at Balmoral and then followed it up with this meal. Big Thank You To Patrick who went above and beyond and made our wedding anniversary special. Some how I think this restaurant go out there way to make everybody feel special that's how special it felt! Thank You Lee Ali William (Son)Marley (the Dog)!

Literally amazing. What a special little place! Had the cod which was the best I’ve had in a very long time. Superb culinary pairings by chef - clearly very skilled in their palate and pairings. Can’t wait to go back in the future!

Without a doubt the best roast dinner I've ever had. Staff were welcoming and friendly. Dog-friendly. Perfect place for a nice lunch.

Beautiful and warm place with a roaring fire in the room. Food was super delicious! Scottish fare and good quality. Service was good but could be more welcoming when greeting people into the restaurant. Simply say hello and welcome with a smile. Have a bit of simple chat to welcome folks in especially if you're charging a service charge. People expect more.

+1

Visited on a sunny summer Sunday. It was quite quiet. We sat outside under the big umbrella. Ordered the Sunday roast (requested extra skirlie and all the greens to be removed) it was very nice. Partner ordered the cod, said it was nice but that the brocoli was too al dente for her taste. Desserts were nice too. It lost a star for the service charge being added automatically to the bill which I don't like. The young waitress was pretty miserable, no smile or hello, thank you etc. The other waiters, I assume the owners, were very nice. Would eat here again if in the area.

Very popular and busy place, so book ahead! We came towards the end of the lunch service, but weren't disappointed. Nice selection of drinks and meal options. I had the chicken supreme that was very tender and tasty. Ox cheek and burgers were also well received by my dining partners. Staff were still able to serve with a smile and hop skip and jump to their steps while meeting the needs of the diners.

Service was kind of gruff, we were encouraged to order on the app despite the person being at the table to tell us that. It also wasnt busy at the time 🤷🏼‍♀️ Food was enjoyable but very limited vegetarian options. Nice outdoor area and loved the kilts.

Fabulous Sunday lunch. Gorgeous -( and very different) pear and blue cheese/ haggis bonbon starters . Main course outstanding- so many tasty veg cooked perfectly, lots of meat and tasty crispy Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes. No hesitation when I asked for extra gravy and sauces. The best Sunday lunch I've had for a long time. Service was prompt and efficient as was delivery of food. Female waitresses very smiley and helpful. Male waiter could have done with a smile as an accessory to his kilt- maybe he was having a bad day?

Cute restaurant on edge of town. Grill items were well presented but average quality and small portion. Disappointing.

It's always hard leaving a bad review. On this occasion the vibe and reception were far from palatable. I did not eat here so I cannot comment on the food. What I do know is that the chef/owner should not be in a FOH position. There are other good places to eat in town Like the Balmoral Arms. A polar opposite to here.

I think the majority of the reviews here are influenced by the good attention that is provided at the restaurant otherwise it would be hard for me to understand how they give more than 2 stars to the food. I visited this restaurant today with my family and friends and we were super disappointed, starting with some white loaf bread straight out from the bag and some foiled wrapped butter, followed by a super basic salad with 5 extra thin soggy battered calamari’s on top and a super ordinary dressing. The main was not bad but nothing special taking in consideration that you’d pay £35 for the two courses meal or £43 for the three courses. We feel that we were ripped off, terrible experience.