Whytewold Emporium — Restaurant in Dunnottar

I'm not entirely sure what the big deal is with this place. After reading glowing reviews and many articles that hyped this place up, all I can say is what a huge disappointment! Went for my Mom's birthday last weekend expecting a greenhouse, restaurant, fudgery, wood-fired pizza and an antique store but left scratching my head and wanting to write a review about how I feel duped. Upon our visit at 12pm on a Sunday (June 23rd), there was almost no one around- staff included and what staff we dealt with had very poor customer service. I wouldn't be advertising wood-fired pizza if there is none and I definitely wouldn't be advertising an antique store since it's only a wall and a half of poorly displayed knick-knacks (honestly, just could have been decoration). Lastly, I would barely call it a greenhouse and most definitely not a fudgery since I saw only two pieces thrown in a basket at the till. Not to mention how awkward it was going into the building since no one was around for us to decipher if we were going through the correct doors- no patrons, no wood-fired pizza going, and no "amazing" crepes (crepe section was closed). Some lights were off in the main parts of the building so we thought we had gone through a back-door and weren't even greeted or directed on where to go. We had absolutely no idea what was going on! We decided to eat else where and avoid further disappointment so, I can't even comment on the food. Please stop calling it an emporium..there are no leather goods or silver jewelry so you're signage is incorrect or out-of-date. The only positive thing I can say was the quality of the plants were great and displayed nicely, the gardener is...

My boyfriend and I took my siblings out for the day and came to Whytewold because we enjoyed it the year prior, but today it was very disappointing. The kids enjoyed their grilled cheese and pizza well enough, the pepperoni+bacon pizza was good for the price, but my burger was incredibly disappointing. I ordered the chicken burger, and not only was I not told that there were no jalapeños until after it arrived at the table (I would have ordered something else if I had been told), but there was also hardly any chicken in it. We tried flagging the waiter over a number of times to no avail, and ended up sitting and waiting over 20 minutes after we finished eating before he came to a couple at the table behind us and I had to call him over. I explained my issues with the meal and asked for it to be taken off the bill, he seemed understanding and we asked to pay. We had to wait an additional ~15 minutes, already annoyed at how long we had to wait before this, while he took orders from other tables. I do try to be understanding but this was just an incredibly disappointing experience. The taste was fine but the service was unsatisfactory and ruined the experience for us. Additionally, we were there for over an hour but spent more than half that time waiting for service and the bill, so the rest of our plans for the day got pushed back. I hate writing negative reviews but I am just very saddened that this is how it went. It is a beautiful place overall and I wish it had been...

A pretty good experience. We come here about once a year for a fancy crepe (the Decadent crepe!). On the weekend there is BBQ ribs and chicken (call ahead, it sells out) And of course, the normal things on a menu like the burgers and fries and wood fired pizza are pretty good too. The pizza is really nice. But the crepes and BBQ are specifically impressive crowd pleasers. A nice place if you're going to take your family out, most kids will find something on this menu that's okay and the adults can enjoy a nicer meal too.

The menu is a single page. There are vegetarian salads but probably not the best option if you want more than a salad and fries and are vegan or vegetarian. A gluten free eater might get a baked potato and ribs. Options without pork too, such as chicken.

Decent wine menu. Modest patio, raised and covered. Interior has a small shop with jewellery, moccasins and fudge. And succulents.

There are a couple of steps to get into the patio directly, though I believe there's also a ramp to get in from the antique store side. There are a few outside picnic benches by the BBQ if someone couldn't get into the restaurant with their wheelchair too. The patio is basically what you'd get if you were in a cabin, so you know, it's not really private but it's a nice place to spend an hour with a drink and some food and enjoy the evening without being eaten by mosquitos.

Staff are nice and accommodating with questions...