Falls Of Feugh Restaurant

I have visited The Falls of Feugh river many times over the years. Often watching the salmon as they jump out of the water, spending time marvelling at the speed of the water passing by and listening to the soothing noise as it hits the rocks below.

They say that it’s the simple things that bring the most pleasure and I think it’s true, there is a real sense of calm in this area.

But as much as I had spent time appreciating the Falls of Feugh themselves, I had never had the opportunity to visit The Falls of Feugh Restaurant which is only a stone’s throw away.

The restaurant has long been considered a hidden gem of Royal Deeside but the first time I visited, was actually for a takeaway. Although, bear in mind, this was not a takeaway in the sense that we often consider because the Falls of Feugh Restaurant is a level far above, serving the best of modern Scottish cuisine with fresh and local produce.

The care and attention to detail that I experienced with my takeaway, in both taste and presentation would be hard to compare to the average and were to the same standard as eating in the restaurant itself.

I ordered a sausage and mash dish that came with root veg and gravy. Sausage and mash remains one of my favourite comfort meals and one that I can rarely resist. Peter ordered soup and a sandwich. We ate our food, sitting in the car after having spent some time by the water. It wasn’t glamourous by any means but the year 2020 called for some alternative eating arrangements, and often sitting in car parks and eating in the car were favoured.

We didn’t know what to expect upon ordering as we had never visited before, but we were so delighted when our lunch was ready and I definitely feel as though Peter had a hint of food envy once it arrived and we got to see how wonderful it looked.

My food was so full of flavour and had just the right amount of everything, the veg still had some crunch, there was a sweetness to the gravy but there was a creamy mash and the sausages were notably high quality.

Peter really enjoyed his soup and sandwich and of course, tasted some of mine. I’m not sure if my food was a special as I think the lunch menu is generally a selection of soup and sandwiches, with some optional sides available.

I had such a wonderful meal that it really stood out in my mind and when the restaurants finally reopened, it was high on my list of places to visit. I don’t want to say ‘properly’ because we had a fantastic takeaway but I definitely wanted to visit the premises and enjoy a sit-down meal.

We were welcomed into the restaurant by a cheerful member of staff on our visit to the restaurant and were taken aback to find that it has beautiful views, it even has an outdoor seating area overlooking the water.

Sadly, it was threatening to rain on the day that we visited so we did sit indoors, otherwise, I think that this would be such a beautiful spot to enjoy a meal or drinks. And people did choose to sit outside for drinks and starters, which to me, looked so romantic with the light rain but ultimately, it’s not ideal for enjoying your meal. Especially with the Scotland cold.

Sitting indoors, there was a large open space around us. It was warm despite being surrounded by windows and there was a lot of natural light flooding in which was lovely.

The menu isn’t extensive but it’s also not a big place, so I can forgive the lack of choices for a higher standard of quality. For the mains, there was perhaps just one option for chicken, beef, fish and vegetarian/vegan. In that sense, I would perhaps advise looking at the menu beforehand to ensure that you like the food available but I think that the meals as a whole, sound delicious.

As we hadn’t been to a restaurant for quite some time, we did order a three-course meal.

We ordered the Blaggis ‘Black Pudding & Haggis Croquette, Bashed Neeps, Whisky Broth’ along with the Salmon and Prawns ‘Gin Cured Salmon, Cocktail Prawns, Lemon Curd, Rye Bread’ as sharing starters.

Personally, I am not such a fan of smoked salmon, I can appreciate that it was nice but it wouldn’t be my first choice. If you are a fan, the dish was lovely but for me, the Blaggis stole the crown.

The Blaggis was so, so tasty and I begrudgingly shared it! I could have eaten double! As in, two portions, not just the one I got.

For mains, we ordered the Braised Beef ‘Roast Daube of Beef, Creamy Mash, Red Cabbage, Honey Roots, Jus Lie’ and the North Sea Hake ‘Herb Crust, Crushed Potato, Spiced Dutch Cabbage, Mussels, Bisque’.

Admittedly, I did have a hint of regret after ordering because I saw a nearby table order the Sunday lunch and it looked brilliant. This wasn’t on the menu and we didn’t see a specials board, so I missed out a little but I’ll just have to bear it in mind for next time!

When they arrived, both mains were beautifully presented and just the right portion size. Very different meals which was nice, as we enjoyed the mussels and fish with bisque but had the sweetness of root veg and beef, so it’s great to share and have the best of both.

We also (totally unnecessarily) ordered a side of stealth fries because we were intrigued. We didn’t know what stealth fries were but I think they are coated in a light batter so they have a little more crisp than the average chip. They were also really tasty, they definitely weren’t needed as both mains came with potatoes but equally, it wasn’t a negative.

Out of pure greed, we also decided to have a dessert to share. Another one of my favourites, and another that I can rarely resist, is sticky toffee pudding.

I love sticky toffee pudding but as someone who orders it a lot, I know it can also be so disappointing. I’m happy to say that this lived up to my expectations and it was delicious. Again, it was pure greed and certainly not needed so I did struggle to eat it somewhat but I think that’s my issue and nothing to do with the dessert itself! It was warm and soft and sweet and the ice cream was lovely and creamy. Exactly what you would hope for.

Having read many reviews of the Falls of Feugh restaurant, it is clear to see the many reasons as to its popularity. The staff were chatty and friendly, the location is absolutely beautiful, as is the building itself and the food was of great quality.

I think it is a little pricier than your average restaurant for mains, we were looking at around £16 but this is more than justified for the standard of food that you receive. Both starters and dessert were of average cost.

If you are in search of places to eat in Aberdeenshire or restaurants in Banchory, whether that’s for a special occasion or just a nice bite to eat, consider adding the Falls of Feugh restaurant to the list!

Where to find the Falls of Feugh Restaurant

The Falls of Feugh Restaurant
Bridge of Feugh
Banchory
Aberdeenshire
Scotland
AB31 6NL