We had a reservation at Rocpool on the evening of our wedding anniversary and our first night in…read moreInverness in the middle of our 12 night Scotland adventure. The place was packed when we arrived for our early evening slot so doubling down on anyone's recommendation to make dinner reservations if you want to go to nice places in the North of Scotland. We were seated immediately. Everything about the experience was beautiful and delicious. I started with a Passionate Laddie Cocktail made with a peated whiskey and egg white. The texture reminded me of the Ramos Gin Fizz drink I had in New Orleans. It was well mixed but I didn't taste smoke from the whiskey, The tomatoes in the "Green Salad with Cherry Tomato and Parmesan" we're amazing and, truly, the star of the salad which had a generous amount of shaved parmesan on top satisfying my cheese-mongering sensibility. I had the Cornage Cheddar and Feta Cheese puffs for my main. They were fried but delicate, served over mango with cooked pear. It was quite indulgent - like dessert for dinner My wife enjoyed the prawns dish she got, and the salmon as well served with perfectly cooked asparagus and really good mashed potatoes. Everything was beautifully plated and tasted great. Inverness is not huge and there are a finite number of finer dining restaurants. We ultimately chose this one as I'm a vegetarian and they had the most abundant options to choose from (including a separate vegan menu which I didn't end up ordering from as the options on the main menu served my desires for the evening. The tiniest disappointment - It was our wedding anniversary and I had put that on the reservation (as well as emailed in advance about it) and we didn't get a "happy anniversary" or any kind of acknowledgment of it. I mean we were perfectly happy to just be with each other, but it would have been nice. :) Otherwise this is undoubtedly one of, if not the nicest restaurant in Inverness.

The food was delicious. The staff were very nice to us. They have soft jazz and other music playing…read morein the background. The tartare has some texture. The chips were fantastic. The bathroom is also interesting because it's connected with sinks in the center.

This was an excellent lunch stop for us in the town of Inverness.  We picked this place partially…read morebecause it was a recommendation by renowned travel writer Rick Steves back in 2014.  It is also located conveniently in the heart of the commercial district and right alongside the Ness River.  Our friendly and engaging hostess/manager was Alina, a 17 year veteran.  They have a cozy and attractive 2 story high ceilinged setting and we sat on the 2nd floor.  The lunch menu was a variety of high quality 2 course selections for a very reasonable 18.95 GBP.  Our party of 4 had a delicious and beautifully presented lunch.  For the mains, I had their traditional fish pie and wife had their filet of seabass.  Our travel mates had the rump steak and red pesto gnocchi.  It got busy and the kitchen might have gotten backed up and it took a little while on the food, but we enjoyed hanging out here.  Service was otherwise friendly and attentive.  Highly recommended should you find yourselves in the lovely town of Inverness.

I almost never leave 1 star reviews but this place earned it. First, the service was so incredibly…read morerude. Sophia was just plain awful and honestly abusive with her mind games. I joined my family after parking the car who all warned me that the server was not even remotely friendly. They weren't kidding. She was awful, just plain rude and should not be in hospitality. She was aggressive, moody, unpredictable. It was like an old ex who played mind games just to be mean. She honestly was that bad. How is she working at this place? Upon sitting down, she told me we had only 2 hours at the table so I better order immediately. I asked if they had wifi, and she said yes. Then immediately walked away from me. Umm... Really??? The table next to us tried to flag down the same server and she yelled at them. At least, we weren't them! We actually bonded over the trauma of this woman since we weren't the only ones. I quickly ordered the halibut for my main course. I have to say, it was the worst meal I've had in a very long time. It was not only dry but completely lacked flavor. My kids also disliked their food. My daughter's mashed potatoes tasted like it was from the box. She didn't even touch them (and typically cleans her plate). And my son didn't eat half of his pizza. I tried it. And have to agree, it was really bad. No flavor. Finally my partner ordered the steak medium rare. It came out charred, burned and fatty. The meal was honestly awful. The service was even worse. I booked this meal months ago. We all laughed since it felt like one of those meals you're abused and you're all in on the gag. Except that wasn't the case here. Just rude service and terrible food. My kids ordered the brownie sundae for dessert. Surely, that couldn't be bad? Wrong. The brownies were dry and stale. But the kids at least enjoyed the ice cream. Overall, this was probably the worst dining experience I've had probably in years. It was definitely the worst meal and service in Scotland. I was shocked at just how bad the food was. How rude the service was and how expensive it was. The one upside is the restaurant space is beautiful. I rarely, almost never, give 1 star reviews. As an elite all star, I pride myself on trying to see the positive especially for small businesses. And focus on the positive. But I'm not going to promote a place that is truly not good, rips off the consumer and is rude. If it's not clear by this point. My recommendation? Run from this place!

It's not often that my husband and I will exclaim "I LOVE this spot!", but that's exactly what we…read moredid after dining here on our first night in Inverness. Everyone we encountered was friendly and welcoming. We were shown right to a table near the windows, offered drink menus, given the daily specials (for food and cocktails). We both ordered a pint (I was stoked to find they had Belhaven on tap!), and the Haggis & Steak Meatballs to start. After a bit of deliberation, I ordered the Pan-Fried Sea Bass for my main, and my husband went with the Slow Roasted Venison Haunch. The meatballs came out first and looked different than I expected. There were three meatballs served in a bowl of a cream sauce, accompanied by two bread slices and a small side salad. I was able to taste the haggis, which was a nice surprise. The haggis flavor didn't overpower the meatball, which in turn was given a nice creamy-herby flavor from the sauce. The salad that came with it was nice and light, and served with kale chips, giving it an extra bit of crunch and flavor. My entree was phenomenal. The Asian-inspired sauce that was drizzled over the fish and noodles added a nice flair to the flavor, without taking away from the flavor of the fish (sea bass is my favorite fish, after all). I was worried that the noodles wouldn't work with the dish overall, but it did turn out very well. The noodles were perfectly cooked and paired with al dente vegetable straws. Everything had a splash of the sauce, which tied it all together. My husband also immensely enjoyed his meal. He said that the venison was perfectly cooked and that the different sauces were all delicious. To be fair, he did say that he originally thought there were too many sauces on the plate, but once it was in front of him, and he was shoveling it into his face, he understood that they all worked together. An appetizer, an entree each, and two pints of beer per person later, we decided that we had to try their sticky toffee pudding. I'm not sure why we thought it was a good idea (other than the vague recollection of a vow I made before we even left the States, saying that I would eat sticky toffee pudding at every establishment that offered it), but we were glad we ordered it. I mean, we were full up and ready to 'splode, but we were glad we ordered it. Their pudding is served in a square, with a scoop of ice cream and warm caramel. It was the perfect ending to the most fantastic meal we had on this trip. We came very close to going back on our last night in town, as well, but wanted to try something different (in reality, we would've been much better off had we come back to The Ivy, but you live and learn.) I hope others stop in to try their wonderful entrees and fun cocktails. I want this restaurant to succeed so that when we return to Inverness, we have a place to go for a great meal!

Wife was very hangry and needed food. The Ivy Bar & Kitchen was one of the first eateries we came…read moreacross. To be honest they have "Bar" first in their name so I should have lowered my expectations but wife on the verge of snapping at me, decided to go with it. Ordered and the food took a long time to arrive. I am all for slow food but any longer and the wife would have been storming out of there. Wife ordered the Scottish Salmon Special for £17. It was well cooked but not an especially creative dish. Actually, most of the menu looked uninspired. The salmon came with mashed potatoes and a creamy sauce that had no ambition. I was a bit bored with the menu so just went with the Ivy Burger. I asked for onion rings instead of chips (fries). Unfortunately the waitress didn't quite comprehend and I got chips and onion rings. The onion rings looked outstanding but sadly the rings were cold and oily. As soon as I touched the burger I knew it was going to be mediocre. The bun, though grilled was dense and close to crumbly. The burger was room temperature and bland. Even the haggis topping didn't distinguish it. Had to ask for some ketchup for my chips, wish they had some curry sauce. There was a tiny cup of slaw which was possibly the best part of the meal, a larger portion would have helped tremendously. Overall, get drinks here but pass on the food.o

Amazing food and cocktails! Lived in Inverness for a year with my girlfriend (vegetarian) and we…read moretried a lot of different restaurants. This is up there in our top 3 places to eat. Always busy so make sure to book in advance to get a seat.

If this review were based on food alone, it would be a four, but it is not and the service is so…read morebad here that I was almost tempted to give it two stars. Ambiance wise, it's tough to tell if they're trying to be upscale or catering to the casual crowd, but based on the other patrons being dressed at least semi-formal, I'd go for the former. On the service front, we were sat top middle of the restaurant, in front of a mirror, I could see the whole place. I could see the staff. They, evidently, could not see me. I got walked past the entire time. When I was ready to order, had empty plates, wanted to order dessert, wanted to pay. I'm not usually one to advocate for digital ordering and paying, but it would have eliminated at least thirty minutes of my sitting here. As for the food, there was bread, a few oysters, highlander burger, and a lamb rump from the specials menu. A crepe and a cheesecake for dessert. The bread was pedestrian, and I felt the oysters were not worth it. The burger was amazingly moist with a depth of flavor that melded the ingredients into a wonderful meal. I also thought the lamb rump was amazing. Nothing competing with the delicate lamb flavor, merely accentuating it. As for dessert, I've never had a cheesecake as fluffy as this, and the crepe was a great balance of sweet and savory. Both desserts a did their job of closing out the meal on a successful note without being overly sweet. As I said at the start, if it was just the food, the only low points were at the very beginning and this would be a four. The service was so aggravating it ruins the entire experience and I can't recommend going here as a result.

I arrived in Nairn via train and The Classroom Bistro was the perfect spot for me to relax and…read moreenjoy a late lunch with dessert and a mocktail. I am vegan and was NOT disappointed with my options. Several absolutely delicious options. I wish I could remember my servers name but his service was absolutely impeccable. He was so kind and friendly and even asked me if I wanted ice in my water. I loved reading about the history of The Classroom Bistro while I enjoyed the beautifully decorated dining room. After discovering that they have afternoon tea service, I made a reservation for Friday and was extremely pleased with my vegan tea service!!! I'm so grateful for discovering this lovely restaurant. Loved seeing all of the locals and regulars during my two visits. If the lemon tart with mixed berries is available DO NOT pass it up.

Wonderful service. The kitchen misread our order and we didn't get our starters right away. We are…read morevery hungry and a bit put off on the wait. The waitstaff was wonderful to make all well. Ella was a delight of a server.

What a sweet bistro! John, Amy, and Maya were very…read moreaccommodating and sweet on a busy night. Business is good and rightly so! Our group really enjoyed everything. Try the haggis - a bite of all the components on the plate was delicious. Don't skip the bread, you will have room and regret not having some of the best we have tasted in Inverness. The table ordered the burger, Venison, lamb, and mushrooom linguini. We all left full and content.

We had a wonderful experience at Fig & Thistle this evening. We had a party of 9 which we know is…read morea lot. Loved the outdoor seating -so thankful for the heaters. Everyone in our party was pleased - I would definitely recommend the venison as well as the roasted cauliflower risotto. Highest praise for the service, thank you for taking great care of us!

We had the pleasant task of trying to find a restaurant…read more close to the hotel. What a winner! Great tapas, great service. We thoroughly enjoyed both we tried the Iberico ham, garlic chicken, special tortilla and another chorizo and cheese tortilla. Loved their churros and chocolate !!!

Do NOT reserve a table here through their OpenTable reservation system. We booked a table for…read moretonight and they called last minute to say it was not available and they don't know why it allowed us to book. "Sometimes OpenTable does that," they said. They offered no alternative options even for another day.

We happened upon this lovely place by accident. The food was wonderful and the atmosphere was cozy…read moreand friendly. The service was nice and friendly too. Don't let them fool you... we ate there twice and both times we walked I. Without a reservation and both times there was a bit of "discussion" as to whether they would be able to seat us. They did. And they were never completely full either time! lol! Gets our full recommendation. Picture is the Trawlers Pie and the Steak and Ale pie. Try the Scottish Blaggis appetizer. And their bread pudding was really good as well!

Walked here from the Guesthouse since it was close and it was raining. We were lucky to get a table…read morewhich was nice. Got a bit noisy when a tour group arrived next to us. We got the Rump of Lamb (21 pounds) and Scottish Mixed Fish Grill plate (18 pounds). The Rump was a bit fatty and small portion. The mixed grill had 3 types of fish which were tasty. It's more of a 3.5 overall.