Nice restaurant,a tad overpriced at £152 for lunch for 4. 2 shared a starter and no desserts, 1 wine, a non alcohol beer, diet coke and water for drinks. Still, if its a treat, it's a nice wee place.
amber
Want to preface this review by saying the food was beautiful.When we came in my partner told the waitress our name and time of booking. She went away and another member of staff came up to us and asked again if we had a booking. We got placed at a separate table next to the bar and were sitting there for almost 30 minutes before someone took our drinks and food order. I asked for olives for the table the waitress didn’t note any of our order down. Fifteen minutes after we ordered the waitress came back to double check what drink I ordered. We eventually got our drinks and starters came out but no olives. When someone asked how are starters are they asked ‘do you still want those olives’ I said no and they laughed and apologised.It was very hard to get any waitresses attention as they were up at the bar chatting with the chefs or cleaning tables. At one point I looked up at the bar and one of the waitresses was stroking a chefs arms through the serving hatch. Our dessert order was forgotten about so the desserts kindly got taken off the bill. I had a drink sitting at the bar for 15 minutes before someone got me it. I was close to going up and getting it myself.The waitresses were nice and friendly but I’m afraid it’s the worst service I’ve had in a long time no matter how amazing the food was.
Erika Gajdosova
Delicious food, great wee restaurant, good location. Would definitely go back.
Jillian Arquette
Lovely atmosphere, extensive menu, and great service! We enjoyed a chicken chorizo appetizer, my mom raves about the traditional skink, and I couldn’t resist dessert; glad I didn’t! The server may have been all of our favorite part of the experience. She had a quick, dry wit about her and wasn’t apprehensive about steering us in the right direction when we had questions or sought recommendations on the menu. Thank you Charlene and the team at Brea, it may have been our most favorite meal in all of Scotland ???????
L Ellix
If you're looking for an example of what good Scottish food and drink is all about then you'll not be disappointed.The taste and presentation of the food is tremendous and definitely worth the few pounds extra (compared to other local eateries)I'm gluten free and was delighted to see so many good options, and especially so many Scottish GF beer options, I think they have 5 plus another GF alcohol free option on the drinks menu.For me, finding a nice restaurant with GF food AND proper GF beer (not just that imported nonsense) is still quite rare, and why I'm giving Brea the full 5 stars.
Simon Hurst
Excellent food and great service. Good portions that left just enough room for dessert. Great choice of Scottish beers and whiskies.
INMA SANCHEZ PEREZ
The food is very expensive for the portions they provide, it takes an average of an hour to serve you the food...the staff is very nice. The quality is good, but you are left hungry.
Christina Soares
Had a lovely meal here! Our server Jill made the experience even more special by being incredibly friendly, attentive, and even helped us plan a few hidden gems during our stay in Stirling. Can’t wait to be back!
Joanna Bradshaw
Great spot for local scottish food, yummy local beers, wine and cocktails.
Marshal M
First time in Scotland, first time eating haggis and it was absolutely delicious! Customer service was a 10! The food is so good I myself had two main courses.
We had high hopes based on reviews, but the experience was very hit and miss. The venison mains were almost devoid of any sauce, meaning the mash, deep fried haggis etc along with the venison was a very dry affair. The pigs cheek starter on the other hand was excellent and came with a jus. The haddock main was not awfully flavoursome, and the Cullen Skink starter primarily Potatoes with little fish. The sticky toffee pudding, also lacked sauce. Overall a mixed bag sadly, and nothing worth returning for at all. The service was also underwhelming. The girls did their best, but seemed thoroughly out of their depth and inexperienced. It just summed up the meal sadly. And it was not cheap for an overall very average experience.
Sarah W
We were a large party and everyone had a great time. Good food and service, thank you to everyone at Brea!
hayleyfleming
Firstly, I would like to start by saying that our food throughout the meal was absolutely delicious. Both started with the scallops, then had a steak burger and haggis, neeps and tatties for our mains and finally the sticky toffee pudding and the brownie for dessert, which were fantastic. However, what detracted from the evening unfortunately was the service. The 3 girls who were serving, although really lovely and pleasant, seemed completely rudderless and lost as there was a total lack of management or leadership. The service was really slow throughout, waiting for a considerable duration between courses and for the bill at the end. After deserts, we waited for around 20 minutes with empty plates to be cleared away, whilst one of the servers was clearing the plates at the adjacent, empty tables, which had been vacant for around an hour. I could sense we were not the only ones feeling slightly frustrated and the other diners were in the same boat. The table next to us having had their deserts served only to wait 10 minutes for their spoons… Upon receiving the bill there were a few final surprises, including discovering we had been charged £3 for a dash of lemonade (for a white wine spritzer) and £3 for a half full glass of soda water and lime. £8 for two bits of bread a small bowl of olives also seemed a bit excessive considering the bill without these was still over £100. Overall, we did really enjoy the food and genuinely do hope that this was just an off night as reading other reviews the poor service seems to be a rarity. We would definitely return in the future as the food was faultless.
Laetitia vdS
Absolutely stunning food and very friendly service.I highly recommend the balmoral turkey.Should I ever be back to Stirling, I’d be happy to eat there again.
Christina
Poor Service & Average “Gourmet”After having seen the menu and positive reviews, my partner and I decided to dine at Brea. We wanted somewhere for a special occasion meal as it was my birthday and they were advertising “gourmet” food. Upon first impression, we were greeted by staff who were welcoming and offered us a choice of table. We were asked if we would like water for the table, then disappeared for a while before taking our drinks order.After our drinks order was taken and brought to the table, our food order was taken; the serving staff was again friendly. They reassured me that my venison could be refired should it be too rare for my liking.The starters took approx 20 mins to arrive (partner had scallops and I had the smoked duck). My partner’s scallop dish was salty partnered with bacon which is also salty. My duck was thinly sliced smoked duck which was cold - it tasted nice but I suppose I would have appreciated a better menu description. The starters were collected and believed to be asked if they were okay although I just heard a mumble as the plates were picked up.The mains arrived in good time (partner had haggis neeps & tatties and I had the venison), my partner rated his meal as average and my venison dish was described to have a red wine and thyme jus. Upon looking at the dish, there didn’t appear to be any jus of this description on the plate but rather a very small amount of clear-light brown specked watery liquid.This is where things really started to go downhill for us - I waited for approx 5-10 minutes for someone to check on how our food was, bearing in mind I’d had the reassurance beforehand about me needing anything changed. I could see 2 staff members walking up and down the bar, one occasionally looking into the kitchen or polishing glasses. Then, when I thought I’d got someone’s attention and waved over at someone looking in my vague direction, turns out they had come over to sit another customer, and then returned back to the bar area. They continued not to look in our direction and so, I then had to walk to the bar and explain.The staff member asked if I had any jus at all and if I had the berries on my plate, I explained that I had berries, however, there wasn’t any jus on the plate. They said that the jus had probably been absorbed by the food, and that they’d send me some more.I was provided with some jus, and I’ll fail to believe that it’s the same that was on the plate - this time around it smelt like red wine and had a thicker consistency. For £29, I don’t appreciate not being served an appropriate sauce (or a sauce at all for that matter) and then having to chase someone for it. I would have really understood if they were busy doing something.So, as we are waiting for our plates to be cleared, the couple next to us (who were seated after us and eating their starters and mains after us) had their plates cleared first and asked if they would like anything else.We waited at least 20 minutes to receive the bill - staff were again difficult to obtain attention from.I couldn’t keep track of the whole restaurant, although it did seem that it was very much pick and choose as to who was getting what.So to summarise, I’m so disappointed. The food has a fancy presentation, tastes alright, that’s probably why people like it. But alright/average tasting food accompanied with extremely poor service? No thanks
Nice restaurant,a tad overpriced at £152 for lunch for 4. 2 shared a starter and no desserts, 1 wine, a non alcohol beer, diet coke and water for drinks. Still, if its a treat, it's a nice wee place.
Want to preface this review by saying the food was beautiful.When we came in my partner told the waitress our name and time of booking. She went away and another member of staff came up to us and asked again if we had a booking. We got placed at a separate table next to the bar and were sitting there for almost 30 minutes before someone took our drinks and food order. I asked for olives for the table the waitress didn’t note any of our order down. Fifteen minutes after we ordered the waitress came back to double check what drink I ordered. We eventually got our drinks and starters came out but no olives. When someone asked how are starters are they asked ‘do you still want those olives’ I said no and they laughed and apologised.It was very hard to get any waitresses attention as they were up at the bar chatting with the chefs or cleaning tables. At one point I looked up at the bar and one of the waitresses was stroking a chefs arms through the serving hatch. Our dessert order was forgotten about so the desserts kindly got taken off the bill. I had a drink sitting at the bar for 15 minutes before someone got me it. I was close to going up and getting it myself.The waitresses were nice and friendly but I’m afraid it’s the worst service I’ve had in a long time no matter how amazing the food was.
Delicious food, great wee restaurant, good location. Would definitely go back.
Lovely atmosphere, extensive menu, and great service! We enjoyed a chicken chorizo appetizer, my mom raves about the traditional skink, and I couldn’t resist dessert; glad I didn’t! The server may have been all of our favorite part of the experience. She had a quick, dry wit about her and wasn’t apprehensive about steering us in the right direction when we had questions or sought recommendations on the menu. Thank you Charlene and the team at Brea, it may have been our most favorite meal in all of Scotland ???????
If you're looking for an example of what good Scottish food and drink is all about then you'll not be disappointed.The taste and presentation of the food is tremendous and definitely worth the few pounds extra (compared to other local eateries)I'm gluten free and was delighted to see so many good options, and especially so many Scottish GF beer options, I think they have 5 plus another GF alcohol free option on the drinks menu.For me, finding a nice restaurant with GF food AND proper GF beer (not just that imported nonsense) is still quite rare, and why I'm giving Brea the full 5 stars.
Excellent food and great service. Good portions that left just enough room for dessert. Great choice of Scottish beers and whiskies.
The food is very expensive for the portions they provide, it takes an average of an hour to serve you the food...the staff is very nice. The quality is good, but you are left hungry.
Had a lovely meal here! Our server Jill made the experience even more special by being incredibly friendly, attentive, and even helped us plan a few hidden gems during our stay in Stirling. Can’t wait to be back!
Great spot for local scottish food, yummy local beers, wine and cocktails.
First time in Scotland, first time eating haggis and it was absolutely delicious! Customer service was a 10! The food is so good I myself had two main courses.
Restaurantji Recommends
We had high hopes based on reviews, but the experience was very hit and miss. The venison mains were almost devoid of any sauce, meaning the mash, deep fried haggis etc along with the venison was a very dry affair. The pigs cheek starter on the other hand was excellent and came with a jus. The haddock main was not awfully flavoursome, and the Cullen Skink starter primarily Potatoes with little fish. The sticky toffee pudding, also lacked sauce. Overall a mixed bag sadly, and nothing worth returning for at all. The service was also underwhelming. The girls did their best, but seemed thoroughly out of their depth and inexperienced. It just summed up the meal sadly. And it was not cheap for an overall very average experience.
We were a large party and everyone had a great time. Good food and service, thank you to everyone at Brea!
Firstly, I would like to start by saying that our food throughout the meal was absolutely delicious. Both started with the scallops, then had a steak burger and haggis, neeps and tatties for our mains and finally the sticky toffee pudding and the brownie for dessert, which were fantastic. However, what detracted from the evening unfortunately was the service. The 3 girls who were serving, although really lovely and pleasant, seemed completely rudderless and lost as there was a total lack of management or leadership. The service was really slow throughout, waiting for a considerable duration between courses and for the bill at the end. After deserts, we waited for around 20 minutes with empty plates to be cleared away, whilst one of the servers was clearing the plates at the adjacent, empty tables, which had been vacant for around an hour. I could sense we were not the only ones feeling slightly frustrated and the other diners were in the same boat. The table next to us having had their deserts served only to wait 10 minutes for their spoons… Upon receiving the bill there were a few final surprises, including discovering we had been charged £3 for a dash of lemonade (for a white wine spritzer) and £3 for a half full glass of soda water and lime. £8 for two bits of bread a small bowl of olives also seemed a bit excessive considering the bill without these was still over £100. Overall, we did really enjoy the food and genuinely do hope that this was just an off night as reading other reviews the poor service seems to be a rarity. We would definitely return in the future as the food was faultless.
Absolutely stunning food and very friendly service.I highly recommend the balmoral turkey.Should I ever be back to Stirling, I’d be happy to eat there again.
Poor Service & Average “Gourmet”After having seen the menu and positive reviews, my partner and I decided to dine at Brea. We wanted somewhere for a special occasion meal as it was my birthday and they were advertising “gourmet” food. Upon first impression, we were greeted by staff who were welcoming and offered us a choice of table. We were asked if we would like water for the table, then disappeared for a while before taking our drinks order.After our drinks order was taken and brought to the table, our food order was taken; the serving staff was again friendly. They reassured me that my venison could be refired should it be too rare for my liking.The starters took approx 20 mins to arrive (partner had scallops and I had the smoked duck). My partner’s scallop dish was salty partnered with bacon which is also salty. My duck was thinly sliced smoked duck which was cold - it tasted nice but I suppose I would have appreciated a better menu description. The starters were collected and believed to be asked if they were okay although I just heard a mumble as the plates were picked up.The mains arrived in good time (partner had haggis neeps & tatties and I had the venison), my partner rated his meal as average and my venison dish was described to have a red wine and thyme jus. Upon looking at the dish, there didn’t appear to be any jus of this description on the plate but rather a very small amount of clear-light brown specked watery liquid.This is where things really started to go downhill for us - I waited for approx 5-10 minutes for someone to check on how our food was, bearing in mind I’d had the reassurance beforehand about me needing anything changed. I could see 2 staff members walking up and down the bar, one occasionally looking into the kitchen or polishing glasses. Then, when I thought I’d got someone’s attention and waved over at someone looking in my vague direction, turns out they had come over to sit another customer, and then returned back to the bar area. They continued not to look in our direction and so, I then had to walk to the bar and explain.The staff member asked if I had any jus at all and if I had the berries on my plate, I explained that I had berries, however, there wasn’t any jus on the plate. They said that the jus had probably been absorbed by the food, and that they’d send me some more.I was provided with some jus, and I’ll fail to believe that it’s the same that was on the plate - this time around it smelt like red wine and had a thicker consistency. For £29, I don’t appreciate not being served an appropriate sauce (or a sauce at all for that matter) and then having to chase someone for it. I would have really understood if they were busy doing something.So, as we are waiting for our plates to be cleared, the couple next to us (who were seated after us and eating their starters and mains after us) had their plates cleared first and asked if they would like anything else.We waited at least 20 minutes to receive the bill - staff were again difficult to obtain attention from.I couldn’t keep track of the whole restaurant, although it did seem that it was very much pick and choose as to who was getting what.So to summarise, I’m so disappointed. The food has a fancy presentation, tastes alright, that’s probably why people like it. But alright/average tasting food accompanied with extremely poor service? No thanks