An evening in Inverness is not complete without music and whisky. (Unless you don't like one of…read morethose things, in which case one or the other will do...for us, it was both!) We spent one of our 4 nights in town at Hootananny...It's a lively spot with a full restaurant and bar and good whiskey recommendations from the bartender. On this night, it was a jam, as opposed to a frontal performance...these jams you'll find throughout Scotland are really not performances, but musicians who gather together in the front of the venue, sitting in a circle, typically with a group of them with their backs to the audience, who play for each other, for the sheer and obvious love of the collaborative music. They ran through all kinds of traditional Scottish tunes, occasionally with instruments put aside to let a couple of them sing a cappella. It was a beautiful experience to watch "performers" immersing themselves in each other's music, with us, the audience, grateful, if not incidental, receivers of it. They've got a decent whisky selection too, and, as I found throughout Scotland, every bartender seemed knowledgeable in what was offered and willing to have a conversation to help guide you to what you might want to drink that night. (I had a Bunnahabain dram.) If you've got a few nights in town, this is one of the main 3 venues you should check out...the other two we experienced were more direct performances, also good, but to experience a musician's jam circle like this, is truly a wonderful and unique experience to have when in town.

Good place to come for music any night of the week. They post that schedule a week out, so plan…read morearound that. Sound quality could be a bit clearer. The food was decent standard pub food. Considering their reputation is on the music, it was perhaps better than I expected. Several good local beer choices on draft, though I wish they had something on cask. And of course many whisky choices, with good navigation. Service was friendly and not rushed, perfectly timed with the 1.5-hour table max.

We ate here on our last night in Inverness after a very long day on a tour. We did not have…read morereservations but the restaurant was accommodating and kind. The World Cup Game was on so it was lively and fun. I will tell you, this was some of the best seasoned food we had the entire time we were in the UK (two weeks). Finally we didn't feel the need to add salt to something. The flavor was just spot on. My husband had the beer steak pie with puff pastry, I had the Cullen skink, my son had a pizza (I can't remember if it was on the kids' menu or not) and my daughter had a Caesar salad with chicken, which she eats a lot at home and had been craving. Both the skink and the stew were perfectly flavored! The fish in the stew was tender and so was the steak in the pie. If we ever go back to Inverness, we will be sure to be returning to Johnny Foxes. Oh! And our waiter was wonderful! I don't remember his name but a young blonde man with a mullet kind of haircut. Thank you to him!

I was walking back to my guest house after a long day on a tour. I decided to pop in to Johnny…read moreFoxes, and I'm glad I did!I had the steak and Guinness pie, it came with French fries and peas. It was HUGE! I wished I could share it. It was so tasty I managed to eat most of it, I just didn't have room for much of the fries or peas. Quick service and a lovely pub atmosphere.

I wanted to like this place, cute atmosphere, smelled good, nice music, but from the second we…read morewaked in, the seemingly annoyed long haired red head 'greeted' us. Our service was horrible, we waited over 40 mins for our food, it took us forever to get our order taken, and we were being completely ignored. Anytime we ask her for something she seems completely put off. What was worse as there was hardly anybody in the place. Pretty pissed by the time we got our food and completely over it. Our waitress and an older gentleman who what I think was an owner were completely oblivious. I watched other people come in and order and then leave because they waited so long. i"it was ridiculous

Food was fair but service was poor. Ordered an Old Fashioned that was so small.. only a little over…read morea finger and cost 11£. No wonder the place was empty

After 18 hours of traveling we walked to Innes Bar. It definitely has a pub atmosphere with all…read morelocals. The American Cheeseburger was very flavorful. We also had the haddock and chips. My favorite was their Coleslaw. The beers were icy cold, which surprised us, as many said the beer is usually warm. Caitlin was handling the bar and restaurant and was very sweet. Tasty food and reasonable prices.

Quiet traditional pub selling good food at reasonable prices it has pool tables and a dart board…read morefor a bit of pub sport.

This place is fabulous. Great food, wonderful service and a fun place to sit, eat and relax after…read morea long day of touring through the countryside. I think I had the best fish and chips ever here and I will definitely be back when I return to Inverness.

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!

Look you are either going to absolutely love this place, or completely hate it. There is no middle…read moreground. Go there at 10pm one night, buy a beer and stand by the bar for 15 minutes. You'll see. Downstairs: Never been in, seems a bit 'Local' In the sense of 'Royston Vasey' rather than ' Rovers Return' though. But upstairs: A total gem. A 100% Music dive of the best sort. Bar is tiny, but still hosts some of the best LIVE music to be had in Inverness and beyond. True sometimes its comedically awful. But sometimes its totally amazing. You never know what you're gonna get, and that's part of the fun, More hits than misses in my experience. Place can be quiet (but is never empty), or it can be completely packed out. It has a totally amazing friendly buzz either way. One day you'll get a 6 piece Death Metal band, next it could be some grey haired R&B growler, or a Cornish folk duo. At the weekends, don't be surprised to see 18 year old Goths drinking snakebite next to bearded kilties with Guiness who - but for the smoking ban - would doubtless be chuffing away on pipes. Mucially its mainly quieter Folky type stuff during week nights, and touring wannabes and up and coming bands playing the weekends. The size of the place means that the acts are mixed in with everyone else. Friendly, scruffy, and very chilled out, this is the bar where the Proclaimers hung out before they made it big. I almost always pass through when I'm out on the town planning to head to Hootenanny or wherever, and quite often, end up staying put.

The upstairs pub has all you want if you like to hang out with a few pals over a pint or four…read more there is live music over the weekends thae staff are great and the atmosphere is warm great place for students.

Great fish and chips and really good cider. The staff are so nice and I would definitely come back…read morehere. We were seated right away in a comfortable area and were served right away. Nice little find. :)

This place is a "must do" if you're visiting the area. Why?…read more Food - Went with a party of 4. We all had something different. The Scottish salmon and Fish & Chips delivered, as expected. The balmoral chicken with haggis was top notch! We could have drank whisky sauce. The steak pie was fantastic! The gravy was deep and rich with the flakiest puff pastry on the planet. If you like sticky toffee pudding, this is the place to get it as it's to die for! Service - Our server was 16 years old and already a pro, aside from recommending liquor. She left that up to the bartender, Ryan, who was well-versed, friendly and entertaining. He totally enhanced our wonderful dining experience. Ambiance - The vibe is both classy and casual. Whether you're there in your fancy-wear or trail gear, you're welcomed. One of the people in our party (from Michigan/USA) said he'd make the trip all over again just for this meal experience. That speaks for itself and I agree! Just be sure to make a reservation.

this is a famed little pub on the black isle. formerly known as the drouthy duck, there has long…read morebeen an active live music scene here. this is currently my local. the pub has recently been taken over and the food has been transformed - really good, hearty meals from local produce. it also has a good combination of real ales as well as the usual lagers. the best thing about this place is that it brings all sorts of music that you just don't see ordinarily including martin stephenson from the dainties. it is becoiming renowned for good quality gigs and is getting busier and busier on these nights

The Riverside Tavern, which used to be known as the Drouthy Duck, is a fantastic pub/restaurant. It…read morehas a lovely atmosphere and does great meals. There is a great selection of drinks which are reasonably priced. The food is excellent and also well priced. I have been here for several meals and have always really enjoyed it. The mussels are fabulous! There is plently of tables to choose from and you can sit downstairs or upstairs. There is a lovely area upstairs and there are nice cosy log fires. The staff are always very friendly and helpful. The service is quick and efficient. There is good music and live entertainment. They have specials on the menu each day and the food certainly appears to be home cooked and very tasty. A great night is always available at the Riverside Tavern.

First time in they were not serving food and we had a person with a wheelchair which provided some…read morechallenges. The place was nearly empty and I was hesitant about how great could it be. Thank heaven we are not faint of heart because Euan was the best bartender in the UK! He taught us how to add water to the whiskey to open it up! We came back to see him and ate dinner but sadly he was gone but the food was awesome! Even the Mac and cheese was off the charts! Please come by and tell them we sent you!

It was very quite on the Sunday night. We enjoyed our food a…read morelot (delicious haggis!) Wish we come back again on a day when the bar is full!

We stopped in one night, not as part of a tour or experience, during our time in Inverness. You can…read moreget whisky and good recommendations at almost all of the venues and bars in town, but The Malt Room is supremely whisky-focused...no entertainment or food...just whisky with bartenders who are experts in what they serve. We had a Kilchoman dram which we liked, but we especially liked the ability to have a conversation with the server about what we might want and the no-pressure offer to smell the corks and make a good choice. There is quite a lot to choose from, and they offer flights as well. It's an intimate space...a few comfortable chairs, and you can stand at the bar as well. It may be a destination for whisky tourists, but plenty of locals seemed to be there as well. The address is on Church Street, but the entrance itself is off a small passageway off Church Street on the way to the food court entrance of the Victorian Market indoor mall...but there is a sign on Church Street pointing the way. If Whisky is your thing, and you don't want the liveliness and noise that comes with the nearby music bars, The Malt Room is the place to go!

This place deserves a 6th star, but you need a love for whiskey to appreciate how amazing it is…read more What a rare treat with absolutely incredible whiskeys and knowledgeable and capable staff. It's the star of Inverness if you are on a whiskey travel, a must see