RestaurantsAberdeenshireBraemarAB35

Harden's says

Named for the river running past the hotel, The Clunie serves seasonal Scottish produce (much of it seafood and game) sourced from local suppliers, gamekeepers and farmers, and cooked over a wood fire. There's also a public bar, The Flying Stag, with bar meals and a vast range of whiskys.

survey result

Summary

£96
 ££££
3
Good
3
Good
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

Limited feedback this year on this grand hotel near Balmoral (opened by HRH Charles III back in 2019) – one of the first properties in Hauser + Wirth’s ArtFarm portfolio. Such reports as we have say it can be “outstanding”, and The Scotsman’s Rosalind Erskine branded it “bonkers but beautiful” in an August 2023 review. It’s by no means a cheap experience, though, with the simple, if high-quality main dishes typically in the £35-£40 price range… and that’s before the chips (only £5, but mash or veg are closer to a tenner).

Summary

£94
 ££££
3
Good
3
Good
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

This “lovely hotel” a few minutes’ drive from Balmoral was opened in 2019 by King Charles III (back then merely the Duke of Rothesay when in Scotland), and was one of the first properties in Swiss art dealership Hauser + Wirth’s fast-growing hospitality wing, Artfarm. Its restaurant, named after the river that flows past, specialises in “smoky food”, with prime Scottish produce cooked over wood fire, but also serves “weird old-fashioned puddings like baked Alaska”. The dining room walls are decorated by an abstract mural created in situ by Argentinian artist-in-residence Guillermo Kuitca. Other notable art is scattered through the property – but “a lot which was there originally has moved on, gone and not replaced. The Louise Bourgeois spider from the yard. Gone!”

Summary

£80
 ££££
3
Good
2
Average
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“Lots of interesting art including a Picasso and taxidermy featuring the local wildlife” provide the eye candy at this revamped coaching inn (named for the river running past it) specialising in local Scottish produce cooked over a wood fire. But while everyone agrees on the attractions of the “fine” decor (including the rooms), reports on the food were more ‘highs and lows’.

Summary

£63
  £££
3
Good
2
Average
5
Exceptional
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

Named for the river running past this newly refurbished old coaching inn and hotel, The Clunie serves seasonal Scottish produce (much of it seafood and game) sourced from local suppliers, gamekeepers and farmers, and cooked over a wood fire. “The décor is wonderful” by all accounts, and early feedback (though limited) applauds the cuisine too. There's also a public bar, The Flying Stag, with bar meals and a vast range of whiskies.

For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).

Have you eaten at The Clunie Dining Room, The Fife Arms?

Mar Road, Braemar, AB35 5YN

Restaurant details

Highchair,Menu
No dress code

Prices

Traditional European menu

Starter Main Veggies Pudding
£21.50 £35.50 £6.00 £7.50
Drinks  
Wine per bottle £30.00
Filter Coffee £3.00
Extras  
Bread £0.00
Service 10.00%
Mar Road, Braemar, AB35 5YN
Opening hours
Monday6 pm‑9:30 pm
Tuesday6 pm‑9:30 pm
Wednesday6 pm‑9:30 pm
Thursday6 pm‑9:30 pm
Friday6 pm‑9:30 pm
Saturday6 pm‑9:30 pm
Sunday1 pm‑3 pm

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