Clockhouse Restaurant

The Clockhouse Restaurant in Tomintoul is an absolute standout. From the moment we walked in, the service was faultless, warm, welcoming, and perfectly balanced between friendly conversation and professional attentiveness. The food itself is nothing short of spectacular. Each dish arrives looking like a piece of fine art, beautifully plated with obvious care and creativity. But this isn’t just food that looks good; it tastes even better. Every bite was bursting with flavour and balance, showcasing top-quality ingredients prepared with real skill and passion. It’s fair to say this is some of the finest dining we’ve experienced anywhere in Scotland. It was so good that after our first meal, we immediately booked again for the following night, something we very rarely do when travelling. The second visit was just as impressive, with the same high standards across the board. The atmosphere is relaxed yet refined, and the attention to detail in both food and service makes the whole experience feel special without being pretentious. When we return to Scotland in 2026, The Clockhouse will be one of our first stops. It’s a must-visit for anyone who appreciates exceptional food, great service, and genuine hospitality. Highly, highly recommended.

If you're ever in Tomintoul, I highly recommend dining at the Clockhouse Restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious & sourced locally. We teamed our meal with some local beers & gins. We were waited on by Eileen & Jessie . They were both incredibly friendly, efficient & more than happy to answer any questions about the area & what it has to offer. The walls were hung with beautiful works of art from a local artist & we couldn't help but purchase a gorgeous piece. If we're ever in the area again, we will definitely stop in for a great meal & some good company.

My husband and I stumbled upon the Clockhouse Restaurant in June after a day of driving and sight seeing. We were tired, cold, and very hungry. We received the warmest welcome from Irene and Violet. They made sure we had everything we needed and they were very punctual with getting us anything we needed. The food was delicious, fresh, and filling! This was also our first time eating sticky toffee pudding. We tried it several times throughout the rest of our trip and none compares to this one! If we’re ever back in Scotland we hope we can stop here again. Thank you from two first time American visitors!

I was on a tour group that stopped for an hour in Tomintoul, was very happy that we decided to sit down at Clockhouse rather than pop into another takeaway sandwich shop. Everyone in my group ordered either the fish and chips or the burger and we all left very pleased. The server was fabulous, even though she was running the whole front - bar, host, and server. We made sure that they were OK to get us through in the short time we had available to us and she made sure that we were taken care of. Got one of the interesting flower teas on offer and was absolutely delighted! It was super cool.

Fabulous restaurant. Food is fresh, beautifully cooked, seasoned well and tasty. Great service from friendly staff. Wine was good, and resonably priced. Will definitely be back.

Nice little cozy restaurant with good, honest food. The bright lights throughout the restaurant are a odd choice. Sticky toffee pudding is a must.

We had walked past The Clockhouse on Monday & Tuesday, hoping it would be open, but due to the time of season, it was opening from Wednesday onwards. To say it was worth the wait, is an understatement! You are greeted warmly by two incredible front of house members of staff, in to what can be described as a warm and inviting space. There is local art work on the walls and the decor is tasteful and cosy. The menu is all local fare, cooked in a hearty, yet fine dining style. As a family of four, we enjoyed, the chowder, mussels, scotch egg as starters, before having the venison, steak and lamb for main. None of it disappointed, exquisitely cooked, accompanied by local wild produce, which was bursting with flavour. It was one of those meals, that you never wanted to end. The boys, then wolfed down chocolate brownie and locally made ice cream. After a long days walking, this couldn’t have been a better meal or experience. We can not sing high enjoyable praises to the owners, chefs and front of house staff, who have created something special. We will be back and recommend that anyone within driving distance looking for a wonderfully sourced local restaurant come here. We are heading back again this evening!!

Really lovely place in this small village of Tomintoul. Lovely food balanced by perfectly cosy atmosphere. Definitely recommend it.

Found this place almost by accident. I am so happy we did. Stopped for a light lunch and had the most wonderful mushroom soup with fantastic fresh bread accompaniments. I would love to come back and try their dinner menu. Very small and quaint with very friendly staff and near several distillaries.

Had a fabulous lunch. I hear dinner is great here too. Seafood chowder was amazing!! Had small portion but it was large enough and filling. The club sandwich came with fresh perfectly baked bread, crusty outside soft inside. The meats and cheese selection was lovely too! Very friendly staff. Our waitress Deborah was very kind and cheerful.

ate here two nights in a row, excellent service and food, drinks in a comfortable Scotland highlands meets country bistro vibe. Country food meets Parisian chic. from the starters thru dessert, everything was perfect. Venison loin ribs special on night two was even better than the lamb roast for first. haggis quenelle starter, game terrine and sticky toffee pudding to finish. so good.

The best dining experience we had in Scotland. The food and service was truly amazing. We highly recommend the lamb, wild mushroom strudel, haddock and the mussels with leak whiskey sauce. We felt like we were at home and actually dined here two nights in a row! Don't miss this amazing place!

My boyfriend raved about his seafood chowder. It even had a whole squid in it! I ordered the steak at £22.95 with the whiskey and green peppercorn sauce at an additional £2.50. The steak had great flavor, great marbling, and the sauce was superb. It came with onion rings, chips, mushrooms, and roasted tomato. The only complaint is that the chef was really really heavy handed with the salt. I get that the steak is dry aged and wasn't surprised that it was salty, however there was a clear crust of salt on my tomato, and the rest tasted extremely salty. Even my boyfriend said his was a bit too salty. The steak itself was also a bit thin and tough. The staff was busy with the Highland games and the many pipers that rolled through, so the service wasn't great either but when they did come to our table, they were very friendly.

The bread is fresh baked and amazing! The mushroom tartlet and drunken fungus were absolutely delicious! Very glad we stopped for dinner. :)

Very nice restaurant with great Scottish cooking. The seafood chowder was spectacular! Not much chowder, but loaded with seafood. Mussels were the freshest I have had. Recommended.