Kilmarnock Arms - Aberdeenshire

Although we did not stay at this establishment, we did enjoy two meals at the restaurant. Our reservation was for a Friday night and the meal was exceptional. In fact, we were so impressed that we decided to return for a second night. Special thanks to the chef for the delicious food!

Ten years ago, this review would have been quite different, but unfortunately, The Kilmarnock Arms bar food/restaurant was extremely disappointing. I can only assume that Covid, lack of staff, and inexperienced kitchen workers have had a significant impact on the quality of the food. During our first attempt to dine in the restaurant, we were puzzled to find it empty despite being told they were fully booked. Despite making reservations, we were seated in the bar area, which was also empty. It seemed clear that the lack of staff was the reason for this. We ordered pea and ham soup, followed by a seafood platter for my husband and a chicken schnitzel for myself. The soup was delicious, but the mains were disappointing. The seafood on the platter was all deep-fried and unrecognizable, with the crab cake lacking any crab. My husband only ate half of his meal. My chicken schnitzel was more of a breaded piece of chicken smothered in cheese sauce, served with spiced chips and boiled vegetables. Even the tasty soup couldn't salvage our dining experience. I would not recommend The Kilmarnock Arms for food, but they do serve a delicious pint of beer.

On Sunday, the 14th, we went to this restaurant for lunch. The service was okay, but the food was disappointing. I ordered the steak pie, which was cold in the middle. After sending it back and receiving it reheated, it came back burnt. The two portions of fish we ordered were also disappointing, with tasteless fish and burnt batter. It was a disappointing experience overall, and we left quickly. The restaurant was empty, which we now understand why. If you ever visit Cruden Bay, I would not recommend dining at this place.

The service from the waitresses was lovely, but the food was disappointing. Our starter took 35 minutes to arrive and the batter on the fish platter had no seasoning. We also had to wait another 30 minutes for our steaks, which were both cooked well done instead of medium and had no seasoning. The waitress offered to have the steaks replaced, but we didn't want to wait another 30 minutes. Overall, we were disappointed with the food.

We booked this restaurant based on its good reviews and we were not disappointed. Our room, number 17, was very spacious. The only downside was that the underfloor heating was on, making it a little too warm. However, we cannot complain about the size of the room. The bed was very comfortable, there was a big TV, and the walk-in shower was fabulous. The food was stunning - our dinner in the evening was delicious and breakfast was perfect. Overall, a brilliant experience.