The 11 best coffee shops and best cafes in Islay

Tucked away on the rugged west coast of Islay, Kilchoman Distillery is a true gem. From the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed into something special—more than just a distillery, it's a passion project brought to life with care and character. The tour was engaging and personal, offering insight into every step of the whisky-making process—from barley to bottle—right on site. You could feel the authenticity in every room, every cask, and every story told. The tasting was a highlight: each dram a unique expression of the land and sea that surrounds this beautiful place. I left with a deeper appreciation for Islay whisky and a bottle I’ll be saving for a special occasion. Whether you're a whisky connoisseur or simply curious, Kilchoman offers an experience that's as rich and rewarding as its spirits. Highly recommended!

Kilchoman might be one of Islay’s newer distilleries, but it feels like stepping back in time — in the best possible way. It’s the only distillery on the island that still does absolutely everything by hand, from malting their own barley to bottling on site. It’s a genuine “grain-to-glass” operation, and you can feel that authenticity in every part of the visit. We were actually running a little late for our 2:00 p.m. tour and called ahead, slightly stressed about missing it. The team couldn’t have been kinder — totally understanding, patient, and genuinely more concerned about us arriving safely than about the clock. That simple kindness set the tone for the whole visit: relaxed, human, and cared for. The drive out to Kilchoman is half the magic — winding roads through barley fields, cows and sheep grazing, the occasional pheasant darting across the lane. It’s not exactly walkable, but we did see a few brave cyclists taking it on. When you finally roll up, the old farm buildings turned visitor center are stunning — beautifully restored yet still full of rustic character. Our tour guide, Sharon, was fantastic — knowledgeable, funny, and clearly proud of what they do. Her husband even manages the farm animals, so you get this real sense that everyone here is personally connected to the land and the process. Kilchoman employs over 50 people — more than many older, bigger-name distilleries — and that’s because nothing here is automated. Every part of the operation supports the local community, and it shows. The fact that it’s still family-run makes it feel personal; we even met the owner, busy decorating for Christmas. That alone says everything about the place — it’s still family-run and community-rooted in a way that most modern distilleries just aren’t anymore. And the whisky? Outstanding. Young, sure, but packed with character — smoky, coastal, and full of life. The Machir Bay was our favorite: balanced, a little salty, with that unmistakable sea air finish. The distillery sits near the ocean, and their fields even serve as a nesting ground for migrating birds — a lovely touch that sums up their harmony with the land. What really stood out was the transparency. Unlike some of the corporate tours where half the process is behind closed doors, Kilchoman welcomes you right in. No secrets, no stage-managed “brand story.” Just honest, passionate craftsmanship from people who love what they do. If you’re going to do one distillery tour on Islay, make it this one. For anyone who truly loves whisky and wants to see what it takes to go from grain to bottle — this is the one. No question.

I loved this tour, proud to be the farm distillery, they may be the only distillery on the island that that makes a whisky that from barley to barrel is completely made on Islay, which of course you get to sample while you’re on the tour. We also had the chance to dine in their restaurant which was nice, we had a nice fish soup and tea sandwiches.

Independent, family run. So far the youngest distillery on the Islay. The entire process is local including barley growing. One of the few distilleries that still uses traditional floor-maltings. I recommend a tour: they will even take you to the kiln to show pear burning. Highly recommend.

Very nice visitor centre. Cafe with tasty food ( especially the Cullen Skink soup). Tour interesting and informative led by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable young man. I have done many tours at other distilleries but this was a bit different as everything is done on site. They even grow 20% of their own barley! Would definitely recommend a trip to Kilchoman ( pronounced Kil ho man ) if you are on Islay.

Fantastic dog friendly distillery. I’d highly recommend the tour as Craig our guide was amazing, having personally done a large amount of tours Craig really made this one stand out! - can’t recommend him enough

We did the roving tasting and it was a lot of fun! Our guide (Rudy or Rory) did an amazing job answering all of our questions and helping us taste the unique aspects of Kilchoman whiskey. It was cool to taste a dram while learning both the distilling process and how they’ve refined it to get their unique and distinct flavors. The cafe is definitely worth a stop for lunch but be sure to snag a reservation! The visitor center is super friendly and well done too.

I came here fresh from an early morning visit to Kidalton so whisky tasting wasn't really on my radar but rather to see if either the food truck or the visitor's centre were open. I had to wait a while for the centre to open in order to grab a coffee and I have to salute the extremely friendly staff of the centre who even gave me a free "driver's dram" for later consumption. The Distillery itself is delightfully quirky and worth the visit (including for the whisky).

The distillery is very easy to reach and has a well set out courtyard. The gift shop/visitor experience is lovely too. We booked the Weekend Whisky Wander with Emma. This was a thoroughly enjoyable gentle walk. Emma had time to talk about Ardbeg and island life. We had a pack lunch in the sun on the small hill. Can't think of anything more perfect. We also sampled several generous expensive drams on the way round. Best of our 3 tours all down to Emma

Stopped in for lunch...and what a lunch it was. (1) The food was amazing. Smoked haddock chowder and scallops entree. The absolute best lunch I have ever eaten. The soup was decadent with large fish pieces. The scallops were seared perfectly and the sauce has a very small amount of yellow mustard taste. I was stunned. Yellow mustard! But it was shockingly perfect. (2) The gift shop is nice and combines with the tasting area. The welcome dram turned into a few "just a taste" pours. The variety of expressions here is almost overwhelming. I highly recommend talking with the staff about your preferences and letting them make recommendations. Our hostess was very knowledgeable, even about past releases and how their expressions compared to other Islay distilleries. Had we simply ordered a flight and sat down we would have truly missed out. (3) Size and setting. This place looks like they are ready to host a very large party outside. A food truck and plenty of patio tables. I wish I could be here when that area fills up.

Established in 1815. The name means "The Small Promontory". Fun fact: in July 2022, the distillery sold a 1975 cask to a private collector for £16 million, beating Macallan's record for the highest cask selling price. I recommend a tour with a tasting. If you're lucky they will show you custom made Ardbeg tractor and a chopper.

The most UNPLEASANT experience in Islay!!! My friends and I were visiting all the single malt distilleries on Islay, because we are whisky fans and collectors. The past October 6, 2025 at 16:00 hours we visit ARDBEG distillery. The place is nice, well maintained, a lot of parking spaces and the merchandise interesting and from excellent quality. Let's not talk about the whisky that is liked by us and millions of people. The place had many visitors, in a bit chaotic movement but well... That's how it supposed to be... BUT THE ATTENTION OF THE PERSONAL WAST THE WORST WE HAD IN ALL ISLAY!! Terrible mood, no manners, disrespectful, diminishing, hostile attitude, no information, no tasting drams, they really make our visit TOTALLY UNPLEASANT. Before that attitude of the personal I did not buy NOTHING and we left from the place immediately. I don't pretend to be back in there to be mistreated again. If you take the risk and visit the place RUN AWAY FROM THE EMPLOYEE NAMED 👉🏻 MATTHEW👈🏻 not a nice person...

Ardbeg is not only iconic, it's also beautiful. The premises are well maintained, child and dog friendly. Staff is super knowledgeable and welcoming. The tour was amazing, very personal and with super interesting insights (and drams).

Never Head Arsbeg on my List. Since our visit last sunday with Rabbies and the outstanding presentation with innovative Whiskys , Ardbeg became my favorite Distillery on that special Island. Go on that way, can‘t get enough.

One of the better and more beautiful distillery's on Islay. Large shop with plenty of top quality bottles and accessories. Bar / coffee is great, great view on the water and the crew is great. Great response on email about tour and scheduling. Certainly on my list for a visit when back on Islay

Stunning Feis Ile 2025 day! Some great musical entertainment, good food, fabulous whisky, many smiles, much laughter and even jolly fine weather! Not easy to pull all that off, but Team Ardnahoe did in is spades and style!

Such a nice distillery right onto next to the sea with a beautiful view! The shop is spacious, beautifully aranged and has a great amount of different articles and of cause Ardnahoe whiskys. We went there as a group shortly before closing, and Emily still took us in, taking extra time and giving us the chance to try the chosen whiskys. She is a very heartwarming person, giving us all the information we wanted to know. Would definitely recommend visiting Ardnahoe Distillery and will try the bar and tours next time!

Very impressive distillery. Excellent coffee and cakes. Look forward to their future bottlings, the current crop just a bit on the young side for my taste.

Having toured and tasted at dozens of distilleries throughout Speyside, the Highlands, and Islay over two weeks, I concluded that their inaugural release was superior.

A huge thank you to Emily Burnham—we had some car trouble just a few miles from the distillery, and she went above and beyond to help. She coordinated locals to get us out of the ditch, then even drove us back while we waited for the car to be recovered. Her kindness and hospitality really stood out and made our visit unforgettable. The facilities at Ardnahoe are beautiful. As one of Islay’s newer distilleries, the design is bright and modern, with an open concept and large windows that fill the space with natural light. The tasting room, in particular, is a welcoming spot that feels both stylish and relaxed, perfect for enjoying a dram. The tasting room itself is exceptional value. Since the distillery is owned by Hunter Laing, the bar showcases incredible independent bottlings you won’t find elsewhere. You can try whiskies like a 27-year-old Bunnahabhain for just £21 a dram, rare pours from closed distilleries like Port Ellen at prices far lower than anywhere else on the island, and even unique rums such as Caroni from the lost Trinidad distillery. I’d especially recommend the Kinship Tasting, which offers access to some of the oldest and rarest whiskies available on Islay at a very reasonable price. Between the welcoming staff, the stunning setting, and the remarkable bar, Ardnahoe is an absolute must-stop for whisky fans.

I didn't have a chance of making a reservation for a tour because of a last-minute cancellation. I visited the shop and the bar. The view is spectacular. Even better than the Caol Ila, because it is higher Ardnahoe. The shop had a lot of flagship bottles from other distilleries, local products, and artisanal clothes made from tweed. Pictures from a Scottish artist and gourmet food with whisky components. The place is new. Opened in 2019. So, at the moment, they're not selling their own whisky. I liked the place. Nice cappuccino and cakes. Made from Italian coffee. Very appreciated.

Lovely coffee, great service and outstanding scones (and I've eaten a few in my time). Visited three times during my stay on Islay and the scones I tried were all fabulous (cherry & vanilla, fruit and cheese and haggis). Lots of other lovely bakery goods and sweets are available too.

Labels was a tasty local coffee shop with quick, congenial service and nice vibes. Definitely would recommend others stop by if you're in the area.

Great cozy cafe with the best scones (both fruit & savory)!! A great place to take a break. Update: 48 hours later … so so good that we’ve just ordered 2 dozen scones to take with us !!! I wonder if they’ll last till we get home to Canada … not a chance

Lovely sandwich and coffee, had to take one of the famous fruit scones away for later. It was excellent and one of the best I have had

Our favorite place for a coffee in Islay. Very friendly, great coffee and scones to dir for. Heavily recommend. It is quite small so you might not always get a seat but always worth a try and you can also get everything to got.

Interesting place.. serves coffee the old way. Kinda harassing but still tasty ;)

Brilliant place the scones are well known and are out of this world lovely quirky shop

My review is only for the restaurant. I did not stay that the Islay Hotel. The food was fantastic! We tried the trout, halibut, burger, and various side dishes. Our favorite choice was the Smoked Haddock Soup! You have to try it! We also had local beer on tap, which was perfect with the food. The staff was good, but sometimes, it took a bit longer than it should have to receive the bill. Don't let that stop you from visiting the Islay Hotel restaurant!

We dined in the restaurant for lunch with a large group of 10 including small children. We were able to walk in without a reservation and we seated straight away. Restaurant staff were super friendly and patient with kids. Menu was creative and had options for dietary requirements/allergies including gluten free and dairy free. Portions were large and food high quality and delicious. Cosy atmosphere. Plenty of free street parking. Dog friendly. Definitely recommend.

We can not recommend this hotel highly enough. The staff, led by Nigel, make it an incredibly special place. Andy, the chef, is superb and we were pleased to eat there most nights! Nothing was too much trouble, including adding sticky toffee pudding to the dessert menu on request (it was outstanding!) Our room was beautiful and the extra touches, such as the fresh coffee and cafetiere in the room, were much appreciated. Thank you to the whole team for making our holiday extra special.

We stayed here 7 months ago & had a fantastic experience. The rooms were so comfortable and perfect for our needs with an 11 month old. The location was perfect for walking to many places. The restaurant for breakfast every morning was amazing & so delicious, as was our dinner there one evening. The bar was so nice & we enjoyed listening to the music one evening with the locals. Our first visit to Islay was made perfect by staying here! Thank you for such a wonderful experience!

Was here one year ago and was impressed by both the service and the whiskey selection. This visit, however, proved underwhelming. (1) the bar didn’t even have a whiskey list and the vast majority of interesting / rare whiskeys that were available last year were no longer available; (2) my table ordered chicken wings as an appetizer, fish and chips, and a fish special. Food took more than 40 minutes to come out. Absolutely will not be returning on subsequent visits to Islay.

Lovely dinner with a inch of creativity with the traditional local staples. I would highly recommend the crab and peat smoked mussels entree which was delicious and the venison fruit pie with peat smoked mash and a whisky sauce. Also they feature décents wines (I know we are in whisky territory but we all need a break now and then!) offerings are typical and appropriate with reasonable prices. Service is fast and friendly but booking are essential to get in.

We ate at the restaurant, BEST meal in a week! We wish we'd gotten 4 of the scallop appetizer, it was sweet, buttery, and perfectly cooked. I LOVED the salmon entree, juicy with a perfect crispness on top, and the pesto/parmesan potatoes and arugula were delicious. The crab bisque was sublime, not overly creamy like so many are. Great wine and whiskey menus. Make a reservation, you'll be so glad you experienced this restaurant.

Excellent selection of new and reputable non- fiction books, and delicious coffee upstairs. I had the chai latte - highly recommended!

The shop has a multitude of beautiful items. Upstairs is a cute cafe. We had good coffee, thank you, and enjoyed the pastel de nata that were fresh from the oven. A perfect start to any day.

Beautiful shop and café. Lovely staff who were very good to my friend and myself who were passing through, she was walking the coastline of United Kingdom for the RNLI and we were gifted the most amazing cake and drinks. Wonderful shop and lovely produce from books to lampshades to clothing, food, toiletries and homewares you can find it all here.

There is a cafe on the first floor and the tea was very good. The staff were also very nice. Thanks to the red head for talking through the teas

My husband and I were visiting Bowmore as tourists, we really fancied a framed print of Port Charlotte but noticed a very obvious mark on the frame. The male member of staff on the till was extremely unhelpful and very unpleasant to say the least. When we brought it to his attention and asked if there was any other his reply was 'it depends on what way the light hits it'. Will not be back inside the shop again and would definitely not recommend.

Really quaint little shop! So many books and local art inspired pieces. Cafe looks lovely too. All very reasonably priced with very pleasant and helpful staff

Very helpful and friendly staff I bought a necklace and some coasters for home as we are on holiday celebrating our 12 wedding anniversary

Small business with a lovely atmosphere, great food and lovely terrace in a sunny day. Dog Friendly.

Lovely cafe in the middle of Ballygrant. Local service and so friendly. Good value, freshly prepared food, home baking choice made it a tough decision!

What an amazing find! Do not drive past this little cafe - highly recommend stopping in! The staff are very helpful and friendly, and the food is so good. The soups are flavorful and go perfectly with the homemade scones. Nice variety of tasty sandwiches/paninis, and the cakes and bar and cookies - wow! We tried a few and were not disappointed. If we ever get back to Islay, this cafe will be a must-stop.

What a lovely discovery. We've visited twice in two days because it was so tasty - I can whole heartedly recommend this for breakfast, lunch or nipping in to get treats for a hike. The absolute highlights have been the cheese scones - some of the best ones I've ever had. But no duds, we both adored the haggis panini (more than the black pudding, but still good); the lemon drizzle, chocolate chip cookie, brownie and rice crispy square were all great. The coffees were lovely too. Charming staff, can only recommend.

A lovely place to eat, very welcoming and the service was impeccable. The staff were wonderful. As was the owner And the food was delicious 😋 Service was fantastic too I highly recommend I visited here a couple of weeks ago-passing through when I was walking with my friend who is walking the UK coastline. Will be back to visit one day🤩

Very busy during lunch time, but still very accommodating to most. Yummy soup and selection of sandwiches. Delicious home baking. And a great selection of various teas. Thank you 😊

Yum food on the way to Port Askaig ferry! It was lunchtime so I opted for the lentil soup starter and main of haggis and cheese toastie. I retired defeated - the broth was copious and the toastie huge. Too much food for my wee tum although the cakes looked delicious. Excellent coffee.

Great coffee home made cake and more

Food was well made and very tasty. I had the Steak and Ale pie which came with onion mashed potatoes and fresh veggies. They let us stay at our table in the cafe and taste whiskey which was really convenient for our party of 6.

The food was excellent, but the service was absolutely unacceptable. We were repeatedly ignored and made to feel singled out. While other tables were attended to promptly and treated with courtesy, we experienced unnecessary delays and a complete lack of friendliness. It felt intentional and unprofessional.

I was excited to visit the Ardbeg Distillery, especially as a dog lover and owner, given that their mascot is a dog. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed to learn that while dogs are allowed in the visitor center, they are not allowed in the restaurant. It feels like shallow marketing to proudly use a dog as part of the brand image but not actually welcome real dogs throughout the experience. Other distilleries on Islay manage this much better, offering a truly dog-friendly environment without the double standard. Ardbeg’s approach feels hypocritical and left a bitter taste and not the kind they are usually praised for.

During summer period the food is served by external food track until 3.30 pm. No serving, just self service. Food is great.

Did a day trip to Islay and planned to have a nice lunch here, but found out the Cafe has been closed for food for some years, Google needs to update there details on this, the is food truck which was very busy and offered a limited choice, but was welcoming and handy.

Highly recommended if you're touring any of the distilleries in the Port Ellen area, delicious and filling food and excellent service

Quick and friendly service! The bbq chicken mac n cheese was super good!

One of the best breakfast rolls we have ever had and the coffee was fantastic! Highly recommend for setting you up for the day

Solid place to stop and grab some snacks/refreshments. Conveniently located for sure.

Possibly the worst and most unwelcoming village store I’ve ever visited! A ramshackle collection of stock. No bread, pasta or rice anywhere in sight. I’d highly recommend going the mile down the road instead to the store in Port Charlotte. I know it’s an island store with high transport costs but £10 for a small block of cheese, box of oatcakes and a large pack of crisps is taking advantage of customers. The lady who served me was the exception the the friendly, welcoming people of Islay sadly. The only words she spoke to me were the price of my goods. Didn’t even asp how I wanted to pay, just shoved the card machine in front of me. Next time I visit Islay I will make the journey to the Coop in Bowmore instead!

Cracking spot right by the Bruchladdich distillery. Great coffee and cake (no cafe at all he distillery, only whisky and water!), and they also do bacon rolls and stuff too. Lovely staff.

A great stop. Well stocked and lovely coffee. Frequented by locals and tourists. Tables inside and out.

Quaint little cafe with coffee drinks and pastries. Lovely little place to stop if you're in Islay

Always a good coffee here, and great value

The food was ok, nice looking arcade area, the only place open for breakfast in Port Ellen if you were not staying in a B&B

They do a great fish & chips

(Translated by Google) Nice place, a meeting place for youth pastime, with simple typical cuisine! (Original) Posto carino, con ritrovo per passatempo giovanile, con cucina semplice tipica!