Keiller Brasserie - Aberdeenshire

We had heard about steak night when we checked in, and were looking forward to it being the dining highlight of our time in Scotland. While it was good, there were a few misses. Since we were there for steak night, we were expecting the steaks to be near perfect, but unfortunately, they were not cut or cooked properly. As a trained meat-cutter, I was very surprised that one of our party that had ordered a filet got the butt-cut, which is on the fat end of the tenderloin. She insisted that it wasn't filet, but I assured her that it was filet, just poorly cut and trimmed. Normally, the round part is cut off so that the steak has two flat sides for even cooking. My husband and I shared the chateaubriand, and both our steak and the tenderloin, which were ordered rare, came rare in the middle, but the fully cooked portion penetrated a half inch in, so most of the steak was overcooked. The peppercorn sauce that I ordered was the favorite at the table, and it was quite good. The au jus and blue cheese sauces were also tasty, but the Drambuie and mustard sauce was bland. The fourth member of our party ordered medium sirloin, and he was happy with his steak. Also, I thought the veggies were a much better choice than the salad with honey mustard dressing, and the new potatoes were pretty plain too. The churros dessert was very nice. I should mention that Lucie, our server, was absolutely delightful! She was a hoot, and had us cracking up at her quick wit.

Staff and service was very good , the food was very nice although perhaps a bit overpriced . would probably return.

Just home from our yearly visit to Craigendarroch. We were delighted to find out the Brasserie had reopened the few days prior.We always enjoy a few drinks in the lounge throughout our stay and we’d like to especially thank Martin for his attentiveness,professionalism and friendly manner,he is an asset to the hotel. We had dinner in the Brasserie on the Sunday night and as before the high standard of food and service were second to none.The ambiance is lovely there,a different atmosphere from the bar and so lovely to see it open and busy again after so long. One of the best places to eat in Ballater,can’t wait to return.

My wife and I stopped in here for afternoon drinks and returned for dinner later the same evening. The staff were friendly, attentive, and pleasant. The dining area was rather agreeable, with leather plush seating and generous space between tables. The fish and chips we ate were decent. Although the fish batter was slightly overdone, the fish itself was flaky and moist. The chips were well-cooked and tasty with thick-cut potatoes and the included peas were equally enjoyable. Although we opted to skip either a starter or dessert, the menu was adequately varied with plenty to choose. The wine and drinks list was quite extensive, but about half the wine varieties were only available by the bottle which was disappointing. I like dry wine and my wife prefers something a little sweeter, but buying a full bottle of both options wasn’t realistic at about £40 or more per bottle. In all, we had a nice dinner with the restaurant itself, the staff, and sufficient food quality each adding to the experience.

This is a nice place to have a meal with great views and a good vibe when it’s busy. The ribeye steak was cooked to perfection and the service is super friendly and helpful. It’s a shame that such a beautiful room doesn’t have a log burner or open fire for that full on cosy winter feeling the lit up electric fires don’t really cut it, but on a summer evening this place would be 5 stars for location, food and service