Harden's says
Named for the river running past the hotel, The Clunie serves seasonal Scottish produce (much of it seafood and game) sourced from local suppliers, gamekeepers and farmers, and cooked over a wood fire. There's also a public bar, The Flying Stag, with bar meals and a vast range of whiskys.
Harden's survey result
Summary
Owned by ArtFarm (from Hauser + Wirth) and opened by nearby Balmoral resident, King Charles (when he was still Prince Charles in 2019), this “large dining room in the Fife Arms Hotel in Braemar” is an eclectic mix of Scottish Baronial styling mixed with natty wallpaper, swirly muralled ceilings and ‘with it’ artworks (the “most memorable thing about dinner is the large stuffed stag that dominates the restaurant and the sound of the waterfall outside”). But reports were very mixed this year. A local says that it’s “head and shoulders above anything else in this sparsely populated neighbourhood, but you’re paying Mayfair prices for food aimed at the starving hill walkers market!”. Diners who’ve made more of a journey are much less forgiving. One noted a “very poor afternoon tea experience, not at all up to scratch for a five star establishment”. Another felt “this place gets worse and worse – they just don’t seem to be able to get the staff”. Top Tip – “The secret for those who go frequently is to make a booking at the pop up restaurant by the courtyard. Smaller, more modern and with a limited menu of fresh product beyond the haunch of venison signature”.
Summary
Not everywhere is opened by the future King, but Prince Charles – as he then was – helped open the doors on this ArtFarm (from Hauser + Wirth) venture down the road from Balmoral in 2019. The art is more outré than the contemporary and relatively conventional ingredient-led modern Scottish dishes, but the environs make for an interesting meal in these parts (although as one keen-eyed repeat visitor notes: “a lot of the great art which was there at the opening seems to have moved on and some furniture which was in the bedrooms when the place launched has gone too. They are art dealers after all…”)
Summary
Limited feedback this year on this grand hotel near Balmoral (opened by HRH Charles III back in 2019) – one of the first properties in Hauser + Wirth’s ArtFarm portfolio. Such reports as we have say it can be “outstanding”, and The Scotsman’s Rosalind Erskine branded it “bonkers but beautiful” in an August 2023 review. It’s by no means a cheap experience, though, with the simple, if high-quality main dishes typically in the £35-£40 price range… and that’s before the chips (only £5, but mash or veg are closer to a tenner).
Summary
This “lovely hotel” a few minutes’ drive from Balmoral was opened in 2019 by King Charles III (back then merely the Duke of Rothesay when in Scotland), and was one of the first properties in Swiss art dealership Hauser + Wirth’s fast-growing hospitality wing, Artfarm. Its restaurant, named after the river that flows past, specialises in “smoky food”, with prime Scottish produce cooked over wood fire, but also serves “weird old-fashioned puddings like baked Alaska”. The dining room walls are decorated by an abstract mural created in situ by Argentinian artist-in-residence Guillermo Kuitca. Other notable art is scattered through the property – but “a lot which was there originally has moved on, gone and not replaced. The Louise Bourgeois spider from the yard. Gone!”
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Have you eaten at The Clunie Dining Room, The Fife Arms?
Mar Road, Braemar, AB35 5YN
Restaurant details
The Clunie Dining Room, The Fife Arms Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Absolutely beautiful dining room, with friendly and efficient service. Food was generally good, with some dishes very good (the artichoke snack and the venison being the highlights)."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £28.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £4.00 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 10.00% |
Mar Road, Braemar, AB35 5YN
Opening hours
| Monday | 7:30 am‑10:30 am, 6 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 7:30 am‑10:30 am, 6 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 7:30 am‑10:30 am, 6 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Thursday | 7:30 am‑10:30 am, 6 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Friday | 7:30 am‑10:30 am, 6 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Saturday | 7:30 am‑10:30 am, 6 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Sunday | 7:30 am‑3 pm, 6 pm‑9:30 pm |
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