This restaurant is located on the waterfront in a very nice Scottish setting. The restaurant is…read morehoused in an old building that was used by the fishing industry. Inside, there are two rooms where you can dine: the former bunk room for the fishermen or the former ice house for the fish. It has been decades since any fish were stored, so there is no smell. The restaurant is spotlessly clean with a lot of character. We chose to eat in the ice room that had six or so tables. We were greeted immediately and shown to our table. We started with a nice bottle of red wine and then ordered dinner. I chose the whole plaice and my wife had the salmon pave with pasta and garlic aioli. Both were fresh, tender perfectly prepared. This meal was one of our top highlights of the trip. If you go, reservations are strongly recommended.

Absolutely outstanding meal. Set courses with superb fresh options. Have eaten in numerous seafood…read moreestablishments worldwide and this restaurant is at the top of my list. I live in Florida and the seafood there is no comparison to what you can have here.

We've been here a couple of times before and quite honestly can't find a fault. Excellent food,…read moreservice and stunning location.

I guess people in this area don't use yelp because there should be hundreds of ratings for this…read moreplace. It was so good that it is worth a special trip to Orkney. The focus on local fresh food is complete with excellent seafood and unusual foods such as beremeal bread from flour made at a local mill for hundreds of years. The setting had a beautiful view of the water and the interior was decorated in a warm and inviting way. Everyone on the staff was very pleasant and the whole experience was memorable.

We had such a nice evening here. The staff was wonderfully friendly and pleasant. We laughed with…read morethem and felt very welcomed. There was a lovely little peat fire burning. The decor was so inviting-bright, contemporary, stained glass and large tables with plenty of room to spread out. The hairy tatties were an excellent starter and paired well with a reasonably priced Sauvignon Blanc. I had a lovely steak, cooked perfectly, and my partner had the fish pie. The seafood in the pie was bountiful and each element was cooked exactly as it should be. It was exquisite. Dessert was a wonderful cheesecake made with Baileys: very creamy and yummy. All in all, we had an exceptional evening. Thank you!

Considering the remote location on Orkney in the Northern Hebirdes, Hamnavoe does a good job of…read moremoderate to fine dining. It is set in one of the older homes on the main street of Stromness (which, by the way, looks like a 300-year old North Sea fishing village designed by Disney, except it really is a a North Sea fishing village where 300 year-old buildings are the norm). Back to the restaurant - After two weeks in Scotland -- being beaten down by deep fried stuff, no greens and just plain bland food -- I was the perfect recipient for the well-prepared, thoughtful menu of the Hamnavoe. The service was good and the menu featured moderate-to-fine dining style cuisine using a large number of local ingredients. The high points - Good and attentive service (young people doing their best to manage 20 pieces of cutlery per diner); a good wine list - not huge but adequate for most tastes and budgets; and the appetizers. My husband and I shared a crab gratin that was one of the best things I've ever eaten. Plus, sharing was necessary because it was so friggin' huge. The gratin and salad and wine would have done the both of us quite nicely, I think. We also had the seafood chowder which, had I not tried to gratin, I would also be considering as a peak food experience. Creamy and full of seafood but also lots of nice vegetables and herbs to deliver a lot of texture and flavour. No serious downers at HR but unfortunately the mains were just so-so. My duck breast had a nice fruity sauce but it was a bit tough and not remarkable. My husband's cod had a very nice sauce (peppercorn I think?) but the fish itself was a bit overcooked making the texture too soft. Better to have stuck with the appetizers, I think. Also, the bread on table could have been a touch fresher. Husband had a pretty good chocolate terrine for dessert. Overall we felt it was a satisfying dining experience and a menu with some definite '10s'.

Located in the historic Stromness Hotel, this place occupied the second floor of the hotel with…read moreviews of the harbor. The vibe was one of former luxury that had grown more casual over time. The furniture showed some wear and tear, but the place was scrupulously clean. Our server was a young woman who did a great job without being omnipresent. I had the steak (a filet) medium rare. The beef comes from the butcher next door, as did the accompanying vegetables (steamed carrots and cauliflower). The steak was super tender and flavorful, although they prepared it medium well, or it would have been even more enjoyable. I also had local scallops as a starter, which were delicious. My wife had a vegetarian, butternut squash lasagna which she found only adequate. My fillet was twenty-six pounds (cost not weight) which seemed too expensive to not be perfect. It could have been if more care had been taken to not over cook. There was no room for pudding. Might give them another try as the choice of restaurants in Stromness is limited, and their local food suppliers seem promising.

Five of us traveling across Scotland arguing about restaurants versus pubs versus distilleries. I…read morevote for Neolithic structures. Every time we find something great we argue first vs second place. There are five in top place and Scapa Flow in the Stromness Hotel is one of the top. The scallops were fantastic. Even the steak and ale pie was the best he had eaten. We are about to tuck in to the toffee pudding so this review is over.

Lovely cottage cafe in a peaceful location. My partner and I enjoyed some toasted bagels with…read moretomato and avocado, and hummus and olive. They also have non dairy milk for my Brazilian roast coffee, as well as a delicious carrot and quinoa soup. (Vegan win!) So impressed to find a friendly cafe with such delicious vegan options alongside traditional omnivorous Scottish meal so far remotely placed in the Northwest Highlands. These proprietors know exactly what's going on. Just recently opened in the Craft Village of Barnakeil, just northwest of Durness, the Whale Tale is such a worthy and heart-filling stop for lunch. While you're waiting have a look at the books and vinyls for sale or say hello to a sleepy dog.

We stopped in here for lunch on a cruise visit to Kirkwall. Tried the cheesy garlic bread and it…read morewas delicious. I had the spaghetti bolognese which was very good. My husband had a cheese pizza which was ok. The kid who was our server was really forgetful and not really on top of his game. Either he was having a rough day or this just isn't the job for him. Restaurant is fairly small. Prices were a bit steep in my opinion. Overall the food was decent.

I was delighted to find authentic Italian cuisine in Orkney! The food is delicious, fresh, and the…read moreportions are generous. Che buono! The staff is warm and welcoming and the prices are reasonable. This is the second time I have been to this restaurant and it is just as incredible as I remember from my last visit to Orkney. I highly recommend Lucano!

The food service and decore can't be beat. My group loved every bite. I highly recommend it. Such a…read morefriendly vibe a fellow group even shared bites of their dessert with me.

Drove back from Orkney (via the ferry) to Inverness and stopped for lunch here. They were very busy…read moreand the waitress asked if we could finish in 45 minutes, we gave a resounding yes and was seated immediately. There was a large group of bicyclists there, and some locals. We saw a gentleman served a plater of langoustines but couldn't find it on the menu. We asked for the same. It has been hard finding langoustines in the past few days, and we were glad that we got some. The langoustines were served cold with a little salad and chips, we asked for a baked potato instead of the chips. The shell fish was not the freshest but when you on the road, you take whatever you can get. Overall it's a good lunch!