Reviews of Bell Buoy Restaurant (Gardener)

Fjodor Yauschew

(Translated) Here you are ripped off as a tourist ice cold, tip is added to the tax to get more coal. If you ask to deduct the tax, you will be turned on and then ignored. Service is very unfriendly. Never again. (Original) Hier wird man als Tourist eiskalt abgezockt, Tipp wird auf die Steuer aufgerechnet um mehr Kohle abzugreifen. Wenn man bittet die Steuer abzuziehen, wird man blöd angemacht und dann ignoriert. Service is very unfriendly. Never again.

jan r

This unpretentious restaurant provides great seafood served with delicious sides. Reasonable prices and friendly services.

Mary Dobranic

Arrived at the restaurant, the servers were rude and did not want to seat us. Finally got seated, the server brought some water and did not come back to take our orders (for over 15 mins). We simply got up, and left the restaurant. Horrible service all around, very unpleasant.

Audrey Davison

Great food and great service! Even with short staff during tough times with Covid the owner and the kitchen staff were awesome!!

Clifton Cope

Seated immediately, drinks came up quickly, food was ordered and served within 15 min or so. Fresh, flavorful and filling. We shared a maple sundae with oatcakes for dessert. Very good.

Jeff H

fresh seafood + nice view

Donna Gray

Homemade quality food. Good staffs all day brunch and soup+sandwich was very good. Quality coffee but they dont have dinner manu so we had to get another lunch for dinner. Reason we had dinner here (lunch menu) because other restaurants were not so good and/or pricy. (The Pizza shop nearby was okay but didnt wow us)

Calvin Lee

Great service, good food, good prices

Laughlan Roche

Thought the food was average But priced a little high

Ridhi 1904

Amazing place with great staff and fantastic food. We go eat here whenever we're around.

Martin Blais

Was greeted by very nice hostess who sat us on the deck and brought us ice water...that was it...watched table next to us have four visits from waitress same two tables away...got up and left after being ignored 15-20 minutes ...only the hostess saw and apologized..the two waitresses on deck would only wait on what they wanted...too bad because menu looked good but with attitude like that no thanks...read on and its not the first screw up by this place.

Kevin Widmer

Average at best. Nice harbour view, but expensive for the modest portion size.

Michelle Radaszewski

Pretty good food here. Stopped in for a quick lunch and wasn't disappointed. Pretty good chowder as well.

Ross Whiteford

Terrible customer service. Our experience: Saturday evening, tables half full, no greeting at the door. Completely ignored, so we left. Many other places in Baddeck were happy to accept our business that night (Yacht Club, Freight Shed, Legion). A recommendation: go anywhere else!!!

yvon audette

My brother, sister-in-law and myself took my mother out for dinner for her birthday. I was so upset as my mother got very sick when we left the restaurant. I suspect it was the seafood chowder. She said it tasted a bit off but did not want to complain as we were paying quite a bit for her dinner (lobster sandwich and seafood chowder). I am hoping she feels better tomorrow. It was the worst birthday she ever had. We had to stop 3 times for her on the way home as she was so sick she thought she would never make it home. We feel so bad we feel like her birthday was ruined. I messaged the Bell Buoy Restaurant and told them this story. They were not very sympathetic. I told them the seafood chowder was more like salmon soup. The only thing in her chowder was salmon with the skin on and a couple of potatoes as big as the tip of your finger. The chowder was definitely off. They said it was made fresh everyday (noway). The service was good but unfortunately the food was bad. I ordered the brushesta and I could not eat it there was some kind of herb I did not like and the toast was soggy. I ended up ordering a ceaser salad that was bland. My brother ordered the wings and a ceaser the wings were rubbery. For the prices they charge I would expect the food to be at a much higher standard.

Larry Lxw

Food was mediocre, and service was slow

Les R

(Translated) tasty food There is live music (Original) אוכל טעים יש מוזיקה חיה

James D White

Highly overpriced, food just ok. Service was good.

סמדר שיפמן

(Translated) Choice of local beer and good meal, the terrace could be on the lake side. (Original) Choix de bière local et bon repas, la terrasse pourrait être du côté du lac.

Chris McLellan

I believe this may be the only place in town with a view of the harbor. Delicious food to boot

Jecca Currie

Waited for service, two other tables came in after us, and their orders we taken, we were ignored, so we left. That was awful.

Diana Lauren Mars

Love the deck, great atmosphere. Had the fish and chips, $19 for 1 piece, way too expensive! It was very tasty lightly do fried, good size but for the price it should have been 2 pieces, the tarter sauce was really good. Don't think I would return, to pricey.

Paul Soucy

Grate place,amazing homade food,quality wise you get more than you pay for.Great friendly staff.

Werner Hass

Food was decent quality, although found the service to be somewhat slow and a few items were not sent out correctly.

GLENN RUBINOFF

Nice food and view of the harbor

Pat Higgins

Food was lacking originality and flavour. Not a place I would ago again

Jessica MacDonald

It was a busy night and they were understaffed. I was a bit confused at where to wait at first (though I'm a bit more cautious of the whole process due to covid). We were sqt on the patio which was lovely. The food did take a bit to arrive but was very tasty and hot when it did. I got the fish tacos and beet salad and I will be dreaming of that salad for a while. Our sever was lovely though overwhelmed, which was not her fault at all. A little tweeking or having a designated host to control the flow of people would fix any problems. I would go back for sure and had an overall nice time and a tasty meal

Dave Thomas

Super friendly staff, good quality family fair food, including an upgraded kids menu.

Honey Bee

This place will forever be "our spot", but not for the food. I proposed to my now wife on the dock, just outside of the Bell Buoy, where we had a wonderful lunch afterward. This place has one of the better locations in Baddeck, but I may be a tad biased... To be completely honest, my then fiancé's food was not anything special. However mine was very good, and they realized by our smiles that something magical had just happened, and brought us blueberry pie and vanilla ice cream on the house. I had stuffed lobster mushrooms, and she had a burger (I know, I found a good one, she gobbled down a burger just hours after I popped the question! she knew I wasn't going anywhere now... lol). Her tea came in a neat mason jar, which I'm sure would have probably BEEN the most exciting thing for her all day, but you know the story. We are no doubt biased for the Bell Buoy, but it's worth checking out for sure while in Baddeck.

W.T. Sam Hell

So amazing. Great service and food. Loved how welcoming they were to the entire family. Including the dog. Will be back.

Dana Williams

Service was good. Food was overpriced but it wasn't bad.

Christiane Bilodeau

Great food. Great service

Barbara Cullen

sad... bell buoy used to be a very good restaurant. A/C wasn't working very well, and the food was sub-par. First time I've ever had do it your self Bruschetta with over cooked microwaved bread at a restaurant. Definitely not what it used to be.

James Gauthier

Had a great Saturday night here, with live music and good, pub-style food. Friendly local crowd and staff; easy walk from most of the Baddeck hotels and Inns.

jason robbins

Food was delicious, but portions were pretty small for the price.

Edward C. Domaingue II

The food and service was great. Their menu is well-rounded, and what you would expect in Cape Breton. Only gripe was the live entertainment on the night we went. He was way too loud for the size of the place. If he was unplugged, it would have made the whole experience quite enjoyable. Make reservations, if you plan on going. Baddeck is pretty small, and the restaurants get rammed quick.

Dexter St. Jacques

Nice view, but nothing spectacular. Prices are on the high side, and the food isn't terribly distinguished, though I found the seafood chowder, loaded with seafood, to be quite good. The restaurant was well-advertised, but not particularly busy at dinner time. I think, for the price, you can do better, probably much better. I rate this over-hypped and under achieving.

April Baird

Wonderful hot gingerbread Sunday yum!

Tim Dingman

Nice spot to stop for a bite to eat. As to be expected in Cape Breton the seafood and service did not disappoint. Good selection of local brews!

Nichole Snow

The food was really good the service was nice I would highly recommend that you try this place, Price's was also Reasonable ????

Susanna

Good lobster on molasses bread.

Manny Khaira

Tried this place and the view was so nice here at the restaurant. Ordered the fish tacos and oh my god it was delicious!!! Definitely have to go back here again!!!

Jürgen Novak

(Translated) Resto +/- well ... pay the full price and almost nothing on the plate (Original) Resto +/- bien... paye le plein prix et presque rien dans l'assiette

Connie Lavallée

Overpriced.

J. P. (thejaplace)

Service was good, but the food was very average.

Edward Kelly

This was the best cup of seafood chowder we had anywhere in Nova Scotia. Apparently the chowder built the restaurant, I can see why. Yum!

Mal Gormley

Good food, Good service and friendly family running the restaurant! Been there many times over many years, consistently good. Excellent homemade deserts and ice cream!

Michael Begallie

Service was a bit slow, but food was good.

Charlie & Lindsay

Extremely expensive. Cajun chicken was bland, no Cajun flavour at all. Vegetables over cooked & cold. Rice pilaf as bland as cardboard. Seafood chowder very thin & left us wondering where the seafood went! Unfriendly service. Server acted as if we were an inconvenience to her. Terrible dining experience all around. A big mistake going there that will never happen again.

NANCY LORENZO

Great service and music. Loved that they had local beer one tap. The chowder and cran cakes were delicious!

Gareth James

Very poor service October 2018

deb macinnis

Had desert and chowder. Lots of fish in the chowder. And the house made ice cream is delicious.

Suzanne Taylor

4 stars for the food! Staff were not very energetic but the meal definitely made up for it. Definitely going to return on our next trip to the area.

Harminder Kharay

Had a great lunch here in August 2007. Especially nice staff and the seafood chowder's the best I've EVER had. It was loaded with scallops, haddock, shrimp, etc. The bowl is a meal in itself.

NB Girl0

Service was really slow. Rude staff. Small portions. Really expensive. Terrible food. The crab cakes were mush. The pasta was bland. The chicken was dry. The seafood "bake" was more like a clam chowder mixed with wallpaper paste. At least they didn't screw up the Caesar salad. Overall not recommended.

R Dog

Great food. Excellent service. What I found concerning was a dog in the dining room with a "emotional support" vest on. This dog did not appear to heel to any particular person and was roaming about aimlessly. The breed seemed to be a Boston Terrier type. However its lack of attachment to any particular customer or staff made me think that it was not offering any emotional support as advertised.

T. Horn

Service was fine. Food was terrible. Way overpriced given portion size and appeal. Only the salmon looked appetizing. Don't eat here! Try across the street! We wish we had.

Cynthia Bond

Loved the calamari and bruschetta.

W John Snelgrove

Don't know what's the matter with the staff at the Bell Buoy Restaurant but many long faces and lack of smiles. We visited this restaurant twice and had the same experience each time although with different servers. The 3 stars are given for the food which was very good although side vegetables and rice were lukewarm. When told, the server said she could get us some warm ones......well, why weren't these ones warm?

René Cusson

Made a reservation and they had no record of it. It took them 15 minutes to seat us. The food took an hour and twenty minutes to arrive and the portions were so small a few people in our party were asking if it was a joke. Baddeck is a beautiful little town but this restaurant was a major disappointment. Definitely not going back.

James Brunette

This was a great place. Went here for food cause pretty much everything in Cape Breton closes at 7PM. (Very bad time to close as stuff at, that's prime time for eating out). The staff were very nice, the food was ok. Not great, but it was good.

Candice Grizzle

Food was not that awesome, we ordered Haddock fish pan fried, where the oil smell.Look like using oil on which frying was done again and again....and start smelling. We also ordered Alfredo chicken pasta, which we returned as chicken taste was not good. However, customer service is good and they take the chicken Alfredo back and did not bill us.

Jean-Marie Boissonneault

(Translated) Very child friendly, good live music, attentive service and delicious food. (Original) Sehr kinderfreundlich, gute live Musik, aufmerksame Bediehung und leckeres Essen.

Jennifer Jolliffe

Very good food views and friendly staff

Ajit Thakkar

Overpriced. Food average at best. Waiting staff quite snippy for no reason. Strictly average. I won't be back.

Chris

The best chowder I have had and it's gluten-free.

Kelly MacDonald-Mason

Had mussels there on summer vacation with the hot fudge brownie for desert. The food was great, with the hot fudge brownie the best thing there. Great service as well.

Rebecca Pikor

Food was very good. Our waitress was was great, very friendly. We had a great time.

Darren Johnston

Service and food are both good. I can't address the old reviews directly, but it seems that the service has changed significantly since then. The food is quite expensive (thus 4 stars instead of 5) but it is fresh and well-made.

Chris Jastram

Waited over 45 minutes for food. Not extremely crowded, service could be better. Owner very understanding. Hope this is not the norm. Wil review food if it arrives.

Wayne Hall

Excellent Service and The Lobster Stuffed Mushroom Caps were Amazing!!!

Piovest Piovest

Expected more from fish and chips in Nova Scotia; have had much better in Ontario. The fish was fresh but was barely crispy, and for 20$ I thought I'd get more than a single piece of fish. The fries were soggy also

Jacquelyn Domaingue

(Translated) Excellent gratin haddock. (Original) Excellent haddock au gratin.

mslaurafb

After having good chowder and salads for lunch at this restaurant, we returned for dinner. I ordered grilled salmon and my husband ordered a whole lobster. Both our entrees were over cooked: I could barely cut my salmon with a knife and fork while my husband, who has eaten lobster many times, struggled to extract the over cooked lobster meat from its shell. When we spoke to the owner after lying for our meal, he was totally unapologetic. We would neither return to this restaurant nor would we ever recommend it to others despite a pleasant setting on the waterfront and good service. Definitely a disappointment.

Frank Billington

Average food and atmosphere.

Debbie Marchand

We were very disappointed in the meal small portion over priced wasnt even local mussels that was brought to us the waitress didn't even smile or even appear friendly will never return worst meal of our 2 week vacation

carl fise

(Translated) We eat there like in the Woolworth of the year 70 nothing is good, the lobster is overcooked, the fish is breaded everything is served with salad of potato infecte and coslaw banal (Original) On y mange comme dans les Woolworth des année 70 rien n'y est bon, le homard est trop cuit, le poisson est pané tout est servi avec salade de patate infecte et une coslaw des plus banale

penny ridley

Food was very good, but the wait was excessive even though the restaurant wasn't that busy. Five stars for the kitchen, three stars for logistics. The seafood coquille was outstanding. Definitely go if you're not in a hurry.

Heather Cameron

Good food

Ashley Manzer

Great place for food and friendly people great for tourists

Sandra Kaz

The food was great, the waterfront view, lovely. Service was very good. There are always great, local seafood items on the menu. Local wines and craft best are available. The process are surprisingly reasonable for such quality. We've eaten at most places in Baddeck; this is one of the best.

Christine Riordon

Great food and very friendly.

William MacIntosh

Worst service I ever had 1hour for chicken wings & nachos 25 minutes for a drink

George MacLean

Good food

haris bashir

Awesome Reuben sandwich and side salad. Took a risk at a Seafood restaurant and got the Reuben for lunch and was pleasantly surprised at how dang good it was. Service was great and friendly.

Debbie Doulaghsingh

Delicious

LMD Designs

The pan fried haddock was very good and the Big Spruce beer on tap was greatly appreciated after a hot day.

Linda Lysne

We needed some good food after a long day of travel and a place where we could bring our dog. We were happy to see a sign saying dogs were welcome on the patio. We took our seats and had a wonderful waitress who even brought water for the dog. She put our daughter's order in right away so her food could come ASAP. A lovely touch! We ordered and my husband even asked for some alteration to his meal which was no problem. The food was pretty good. We were happy to see real Mac and Cheese for my daughter, not Kraft Dinner! It was a little expensive, but that is eating seafood in a tourist town!

Georgia :P

Desert was really good, food was fair. There is room for improvement in Alfredo pasta. Atmosphere and location is great.

Kendall Patterson

Food was very good! SERVICE was excellent! Maybe all the former reviewers who said service wasn't to their satisfaction should remember that if you want good service it starts with you.l

Eradin Graham

Sadly disappointed - we were barely welcomed by the hosts as we arrived. Once seated, we waited for 15mins just to order drinks. There was no apology and a lack of any communication for the delay. Looking around us, the wait times of other guests seemed similar. Perhaps they were understaffed; however, friendlier service could have gone a long way. Once our food was ordered, it was vastly overpriced for the quality and quantity. In other words, not ideal value at all. We went to another restaurant after this and enjoyed the experience much more. (Of note - the other restaurant’s kitchen was also backed up; however, their staff were friendly and let us know of the wait times right away. A much better atmosphere.)

Paula Allen

Absolutely the best meal by far since we arived in NS! Molly, our server was outstanding! Thank you for great food and awsome service

Victor Fraser

Been there a few times. The lobster stuffed mushrooms are addictive. Two had the Thanksgiving turkey dinner. Excellent. Had the mushrooms and the Bert goat cheese salad. Awesome. Finishing off with the Ginger bread dessert Great staff. Thanks

Elizabeth Barrett

Service was mediocre, forgot my drink order, bread used on lobster sandwich was old, calamari was tasteless. Staff don’t really seem to care. Music too loud. Won’t be back for sure!

Ilonka Fapal

Small portions and way over priced. Not what you expect in Cape Breton.

Uthpala M

Got the chicken alfredo was expensive and the portion size was a joke four of us ate there all of us left still hungry

Vern White

This experience was really disappointing - the service was terrible (restaurant had a handful of people in it), our server seemed to truly hate his job, and the food was less then fresh or tasty, plus we waited forever to get it. You could taste the cream of mushroom soup in the meal that we had and the actual fish we had tasted like it was frozen (I have no way of verifying that). It was also expensive for what we received. Decor was extremely outdated...I felt like we were sitting at a Denny's and the carpet was really stained. Not rushing back. Ever.

Ken Robinson

Excellent food

Samantha Fellows

Dined here one year ago and food, service was mediocre at best. Restaurant seems to be under new management this year (2021) so we returned to give it another chance. After being seated on patio (facing the street, not the water) our server arrived promptly but didn’t say hello or introduce himself. I asked for a chicken dish and was told by the server that they might not have any chicken left but he would check with the kitchen. After waiting 5 minutes the server did not return so we left the restaurant. Very poor experience this visit, will not be returning.

David MacRury

$70 for two people, mediocre food, not the worst.

Juanita Holton

Discovered porridge bread here, gotta have some. Great place for baking and breakfast.

Morgan Fox

Very touisty and not worth to go extra for it.

Shawn Hynes

Great food. Busy spot!

Allan MacInnis

Overpriced but good food. Not much atmosphere.

Alanna Vissers

Very professional staff and exceptional food. A must try

Mikey Marks

Chose not to eat here based on the food on guests around our table. Did not look appetising in the slightest, but of course I didn't actually eat here so it's not fair to give 1 star.

LISA DAVID

Loved it

Steph S

Good food options, specially cajun chicken, not bland at all

Brent and Natasha Derksen

Reopening after a long hiatus, we were a little concerned at first about the lack of service. However, it was quickly dealt with once it was brought to their attention and the food was quick, hot, and tasty. My daughter's chicken nuggets were made in house, the lobster stuffed mushroom caps with hollandaise was cooked perfectly, and, though not generally a fan of fruit vinaigrettes, their strawberry dressing was delicious. Once they figure out the computer ordering system, we will be back!

Ulrike Schlumberger

Very limited menu chicken fish no beef or burgers. Seafood Chowder was lukewarm which is really bad guys Service was prompt. Overpriced considering quality.

Adam Palmer

I live in the Maritimes so I know my seafood. Unfortunately beyond the view of the harbour the haddock choice was absolutely disappointing along with the price. I felt it was comparable to something out of a frozen food box. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. Service was not great as well. I would research where to go and for a comparable price there is a lobster place that actually is pretty good. We ordered the maple planked salmon and it was amazing!!! Good Luck

Krista Temple

Great service even during covid short staffed times!! Food was delishous, amazing view, staff could not have been more accommodating, and I loved seeing water dishes for puppys even though mine wasn't with me. Made me happy to know all families could be accommodated. I would definitely return!

Tammy Baxter

Yes have the chowder and a little extra bread !

Shawn Underhill

This restaurant has been revamped! It looks great and the atmosphere is casual and enjoyable. Hubby and I both had the fish and chips. Fish was fresh and the batter was unique, crisp, and tasty. Chips were hand cut and crisp, and homemade tartar sauce was also nice.

TP Brewer

Good food and great service!

Mary Lou M

Sit out on the patio and enjoy lunch, dinner or a quick bite????

Oma Advantages

The food was good but the service was terrible. We had 7 people and we're seated quickly. The food was very overpriced for what the portion size provided. However after ordering food and drink it took a prompt from my wife to remind the waitor to bring her drink. But what was unacceptable they brought 3 orders of food out then the next 4 five minutes later not even bringing the child's meal until last. No inquiry from the waitor how our food was during the meal. Overall not a great experience.

John R

Very nice place. Great value for your money.

Celeina Chowanetz

Nice atmosphere and view. Staff friendly and efficient. Food good but very pricey

Adam Melanson

Nice restaurant however the food was bland and far more expensive then it should be considering the quality.

Jaime Villanueva

Rude rude rude. ..service sucked. ..we walked and walked out went to the Legion. .it was great there...

Anne Brown

Great for kids

David Wright

Very good food. Friendly staff. Overall great restaurant

Eileen Kavanagh

Great! Super friendly staff and good service. Small town feel with amazing views!

Dickie Patterson

Not recommended. And definitely not recommended for anyone with dietary allergies. The food was over-priced and it was clear that they do not use quality ingredients. Service was poor at best and even a little bit rude. The highlight of our meal was the Jost Tidal Bay wine. Will never ever go back.

Russell Baylis

Inexperienced staff. Chowder was extremely disappointing (I read great reviews, perhaps we came on an off-day). Scallop and mushroom dish tasted as if they used Campbell's mushroom soup as a base. The pasta's were also bland. The restaurant is overpriced for the quality food they serve.

Sphutuma Inkosutshaneni

Recently complained to management about rude staff and shoddy service. Management unapologetic and instead tried to defend the establishment in a very unprofessional manner. Needless to say, won’t be back.

Susan Jordan

Had better Price is not reflective to the portion

Kathleen Morgan

Very tasty!

Anna Marie Salvia

Visited on lunch time. Everything was satisfying, good food, good beer, good service.