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.

A delight, with wonderful coffee and a very good selection of pastries. (I was there for a snack…read moreonly and so cannot speak to the lunch situation, though the grumpy American waiting behind me would probably not be happy with the wait for service.) A wonderful spot to relax and take a quiet moment in Kirkwall.

I wish I had an opportunity to eat in here but I definitely enjoyed the best takeaway coffee of my…read moretrip from this place. This place features local music inside. Also it is one of the few outdoor patios in town with tremendous views of St. Magnus.

For ten days, we've been eating fish & chips nearly everyday, from Aberdeen to Thurso and now the…read moreOrkneys. This place is the winner so far! Order a "fish dinner" like the locals. Douse with vinegar and salt. Ignore the (poor, packaged) tartar sauce.

Great little stop. The battered fish was very good! I prefer french fries a bit thinner, their…read morechips are quite chunky, but we were there fir the fish, and it hit the spot. Friendliest service, too!

Sweet little coffee shop and restaurant in the shopping area of downtown Kirkwall - Orkney Islands,…read moreScotland. It's a really unassuming little shop that from the outside looks like they only serve coffee and teas. Once inside you'll notice that there are three booths and at least 7+ tables for dining. Upstairs there seemed to be another large dining area but it was closed off (likely due to staffing). We were surprised to see they had a full kitchen menu and decided to sit inside as dining options were limited in this area. If you only want a tea and pastry you can order at their counter and take it to go. It's also really interesting as the kitchen is upstairs so this spot is bigger then it looks! The staff were very very nice girls here. They were working super hard as the cafe stayed busy so I get why they really couldn't manage more then the 10 tables as there were only three girls responsible for working the register, making all the drinks, and acting as severs on the main floor. They were all lovely and helpful. Menu was impressively large with plenty of sandwiches, burgers, breakfast items, and drinks. I just wanted a snack so I got some fries with Mayo (yes Mayo). Love EUROPE as I don't get judged for eating my fries with this condiment haha. Anyways fries were super crispy and delicious, can't go wrong. The girls also turned me on to a fabulous cranberry and raspberry iced tea that I'll for sure be purchasing when back in the states, 10/10. Check the menu for the brand and flavors of their instant iced teas, so good and flavorful. Wayyy better then a Starbucks tea. Prices were reasonable and it was just really nice to receive sit down service. Bathrooms upstairs were super clean which is a 10/10 pro tip when traveling as it can be hard to find a nice bano. Cute little spot for tea and snacks, would definitely recommend as it's so easy to miss.

Popped in for a sandwich after sitting for 15 minutes elsewhere without being given a menu…read more Friendly and quick. Very happy with salad and pizza; it ain't American-quality pizza, but it's acceptable. Charming place to sit. We liked it enough that we came back for tea and cake the next day.

Ironically, we went to Cafe Bar to get away from pub food and ended up eating the best pub food we…read morehad in our entire visit to Scotland. You enter Cafe Bar through a small shop that opens up into a light and bright cafe with big windows overlooking the pier (and outdoor seating if you want). The menu is short and sweet - posted up on a blackboard at the front or on cards at the table. Service is attentive and friendly - interchangeable young women dressed in black, at least the two times we visited. Mostly they do sandwiches, pannis, wraps, soups, etc. but everything comes with a side of nice fresh greens or a fresh-made salsa. Ironically, they also had the best batter-fried fish I ate in Scotland - far better than any of the pub fish and chips I tried. The coating was thin and very crisp. The fish was fresh and moist. I confess I went back twice twice for the fish (with salad instead of chips). Between my husband and I during two visits we also tried soups and wraps and the fish. Everything was fresh and tasty. Also, don't forget to try the Orkney ale. Not sure if they're open evenings but the place is great for brunches, lunches and afternoon eats - we had a late Sunday lunch there at a time when it seemed that everybody else in town had closed their kitchens. Also they have a display case of nice looking cakes and pastries which we didn't try.

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.

Stopped in for a pint (8 of us) - clearly the bartenders have a problem with tourists. Stood in…read moreline for 10 mins and younger bartender kept serving locals and ignoring our group. We did not feel welcome. Will now spend less money here.

I can't believe there aren't more reviews of this place! The staff at the Ferry inn are absolute…read morepros. The tour company we used to ferry over to the islands, that also bussed us around seeing the sights for a couple hours, had a lunch voucher for this place. It was hard to pass up the discount, so we stopped in during our free time before the ferry back. The place was packed! The special must be on offer for multiple tour companies because it seemed to be overloaded with tourists during the typical lunch hour. But there was no wait to sit (at least when we arrived, can't speak for everyone) and our waitress was efficient and upbeat. The beer battered haddock with chips and peas was great. The batter was in perfect ratio to the fish and prepared well. We were happy to get some peas on the side -- a couple other restaurants in the highlands had different approaches that while good, left us wishing for peas! -- and the chips were some of the best we had in Scotland. All in all, we were very impressed with the quality provided from an establishment that could very easily get away with far less. *Visited in June 2015*

We stayed here for 4 nights in August and loved this place. The rooms were clean, the bed was…read morecomfortable, and the hotel was quiet. More importantly, the bathrooms had been updated recently, with a good shower and heated towel rack. My only complaint about the bathroom was that the hot water took a bit to heat up but it got plenty warm and had good water pressure. We also ate in the bar for lunch and at the restaurant for dinner. Both meals were excellent. The staff was very helpful, let us use left luggage when we arrived early and let us settle our bill the night before/gave us instructions for leaving our keys when we checked out very early. Location is convenient to buses at the visitor center and to the city center for shopping, sight seeing, and dining.

The shore provides some lovely rooms, a restaurant, a back bar and a bar open to the public. The…read morefood is always delicious, the staff friendly and everything is spotless. The bar is the only place in town where you can get a proper cocktail, which are always delicious. The interior is stylish, with leather sofas, a tv showing sports and a tempting display of bottles behind the bar. It is right by the harbour and open for lunch and dinner for food.